In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the Apostle Paul provides the fullest explanation on the meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His saving act on the Cross at Calvary.
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. — 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (NLT).
In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the Apostle Paul explains that God was in Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (2 Corinthians 5:19) to plead to the world to “Come back to God!” God was in Jesus Christ to reconcile and bring humankind back to Him and cancel any and all sins of people. The Apostle Paul taught that Jesus Christ has commissioned all believers as ambassadors to continue His job of reconciling people to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus Christ makes His appeal and pleads through His followers to “Come back to God!”
The Apostle Paul explained in his writings, teaching, and preaching that God made Jesus Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for humankind’s sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Once a person accepts, trusts, and believes on Jesus Christ, that person becomes brand-new on the inside with a new heart through the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings this new believer into Jesus Christ and makes a person’s life and heart anew. “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul teaches that believers in Jesus Christ are united God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
God reconciles Himself to believers of Jesus Christ by blotting out their sins (see also Ephesians 2:13-18) and declaring them righteous, holy, and NOT guilty of sin! Believers are no longer God’s enemies, but are now friends of God through Jesus Christ (John 15:15). Because we have been reconciled to God, Jesus Christ wants believers as His ambassadors to tell others of this same privilege of reconciliation, union, and friendship with God (Romans 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:20; and Colossians 1:15-20).
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. — 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (NLT).
In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the Apostle Paul explains that God was in Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (2 Corinthians 5:19) to plead to the world to “Come back to God!” God was in Jesus Christ to reconcile and bring humankind back to Him and cancel any and all sins of people. The Apostle Paul taught that Jesus Christ has commissioned all believers as ambassadors to continue His job of reconciling people to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus Christ makes His appeal and pleads through His followers to “Come back to God!”
The Apostle Paul explained in his writings, teaching, and preaching that God made Jesus Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for humankind’s sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Once a person accepts, trusts, and believes on Jesus Christ, that person becomes brand-new on the inside with a new heart through the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings this new believer into Jesus Christ and makes a person’s life and heart anew. “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul teaches that believers in Jesus Christ are united God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
God reconciles Himself to believers of Jesus Christ by blotting out their sins (see also Ephesians 2:13-18) and declaring them righteous, holy, and NOT guilty of sin! Believers are no longer God’s enemies, but are now friends of God through Jesus Christ (John 15:15). Because we have been reconciled to God, Jesus Christ wants believers as His ambassadors to tell others of this same privilege of reconciliation, union, and friendship with God (Romans 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:20; and Colossians 1:15-20).
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