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2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5
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2Cor 5,1-9
· (34g) Gift of God Ø
God is willing to Give Ø He is generous with
His spiritual blessings – In our spirit we groan, longing to be clothed
with our future dwelling from heaven. We miss our spiritual bodies that we have never worn.
How can we miss something we have never experienced? God reveals all things to
us by the Spirit. We are able to discern the thoughts of God, who constantly
reminds us of our future glory, filling us with hope through our suffering. We
need hope because this life offers very little hope. The greatest hope we have
is heaven itself, eternal life in the kingdom of heaven and all it entails.
· (39b) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø Characteristics of the
resurrection – Jesus ate food to prove He could, but since
our bodies are perfect we will never hunger again though we can eat if we
wish, and if we do eat, we will never have to expel waste. There won’t be
any sewer plants in heaven; there will not be any foul thing in heaven;
nothing filthy will ever breach the gates of His kingdom. There are many
mysteries that will one day be reveled to us, many of which will revolve
around our new bodies. It will be exciting to put them on for the first time
and feel the exhilaration and the power that will radiate from us in an
endless supply of energy originating from the throne of God. To call it a
spiritual body is just that; it is both spiritual and physical at the same
time. There is no way to comprehend this, because we have no understanding of
the spirit realm. When we finally put on this body, the looming threat of
death will be swallowed up by life. Cutting or smashing our fingers, getting
bumps and bruises, all these weaknesses and forces of destruction, the various
ailments and injuries that are so common to us will surrender to the life of
God, the essence of our new bodies.
· (134e) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Composition of
our bodies is from the earth Ø We are
physically excluded from the spiritual realm – Paul talks about the earthly body, calling it
a tent. Our bodies may be very intricate and complex on a biological level,
but compared to our future heavenly bodies they resemble tents, which are most
often used as temporary dwelling places, assuming a nomadic lifestyle. The
Bible says we are just passing through (Heb 11,8-10). If Paul describes our
bodies as a tent in contrast to our future glory, then we shouldn’t care to
get too elaborate in our lifestyles. Anything to keep off the rain should do,
suggesting that this human existence is not very elegant or spectacular.
However, in the world we see people living as though it were the only body
they will every have, doing everything in their power to make full use of this
life, which goes against the teachings of Paul (see: 1Cor 7).
2Cor 5,1-5
· (92a) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way Ø Trail of good works Ø
The good works that He prepared for us
· (224a) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Description of
heaven Ø Describing the kingdom after he makes
all things new Ø Description of the
resurrection – Based on this concept, calling our bodies a
tent, the contrast would imply that our future bodies will resemble mansions,
and God has also prepared mansions for us to live in heaven (Jn 14-2,3), so we
will live in a mansion within a mansion. Although we have no idea what it
would be like to live in a spiritual body, which itself sounds like an
oxymoron because we don’t know how God could bring together the physical and
the spiritual realms, yet this is no less our destiny.
2Cor 5,1-4
· (134a) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Your body Ø
Mediator between the natural and the spiritual realms Ø
Manifesting the kingdom of God through obedience
· (190f) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Circumcision Ø
Undressing Ø Dismantling the outer tabernacle
· (226d) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Rewards of the
kingdom of heaven Ø
Our inheritance is reserved in heaven
· (243i) Kingdom of God Ø
The eternal kingdom Ø The indestructible
kingdom Ø The body of Christ is indestructible Ø
Our spiritual bodies are indestructible – We say that our bodies are alive now, but a
day is coming when we will receive bodies that are truly alive in such a way
that it will encapsulate the very meaning life. The English vernacular will
not do justice to the word “Life” after we receive our heavenly bodies and
finally know what it’s like to be alive. The miracle of our earthly bodies
is that we are the result of God’s handiwork. We are alive on a biological
level, though the atoms and molecules that compose our bodies are not alive.
They are inanimate particles; so our life originated from non-life. However, a
day is coming when we will receive a body that is not only alive, but is made
of particles that are also alive! Such life will originate directly from the
throne of God, whereas the life we now experience is indirectly derived from
God. He has set in motion X number of eons ago the laws that govern His
handiwork, and has determined that “life” should perpetuate life in a
chain reaction through the process of conception, and then He exited this
natural realm, because it is under a curse from Satan’s rebellion and now
man’s. For this reason our life is an indirect result of God's hand, but in
the next life our living bodies will be the result of God’s hand directly
upon us, and for that reason we will be alive through and through.
2Cor 5-1
· (35h) Gift of God Ø
God gives Himself to us Ø The anointing
· (140f)
Temple Ø Temple made without hands Ø
Hiding place Ø God builds your spirit with His
own hands
· (170f) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Temporary Ø
Whatever is temporary will perish
· (189e) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Martyr Ø
Tested for faithfulness to the death
2Cor 5,2-4
· (95b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Positive attitude Ø Speaking in tongues Ø
Groaning too deep for words
· (113e) Thy kingdom come Ø
The anointing Ø Heaven’s clothes Ø
Garments of the new creation – One of the greatest experiences of heaven
will to be clothed in our spiritual bodies. This is something the Holy Spirit
often reminds us: our suffering will one day abruptly end and we will enter
into glory. All our limitations will cease; all our weaknesses will be made
strong, and all our fears will disappear, including and especially the fear of
death. “In as much as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.” We
will be clothed like we have never been clothed. Our eyes will be opened, like
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, only the opposite, suddenly realizing we
have lived our entire lives naked. Putting on clothes does not heal our
nakedness before God; He can see through our thin gauze, but people are only
concerned about outward appearances, whereas God sees the heart. Putting on
our spiritual bodies will be analogous to receiving a coat of fur, like all
the animals have in the mammalian family, except us. We are naked even to
beasts! The clothes we wear are apart from us in contrast to an animal’s
coat of fur, making it that much more effective in the wintertime. However,
unlike a coat of fur that is only skin deep, one day, when we finally inhabit
our spiritual bodies, we will literally interface with them, accurately
portraying an outward expression of our inward man. We will finally be clothed
with a body that will never deteriorate or die or feel pain or suffer again or
even get tired. Thank God!
2Cor 5-2
· (24e) Sin Ø
Poverty (Forms of fear) Ø Waiting creates
anxiety
2Cor 5-3
· (63f) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø Sarcasm Ø
Minimize the truth to make a point
2Cor 5-4,5
· (8d) Responsible to prepare to interact with
God Ø Entering the realm of the Spirit –
We
should consider this term "clothed" in at least two ways.
(Some people complain about multiple interpretations of the same Scripture,
but it is often essential to understanding it, especially since Paul intended it to have multiple meanings.) First,
consider that our soul wants to be clothed with a body, in this case a
spiritual body. Second, consider that we don't want to enter heaven in a naked
body, but to be clothed when we get there with the deeds of righteousness that
we have done in this life.
2Cor 5-4
· (6d) Responsible to advocate God’s cause Ø
Jesus’ yoke of death –
This verse is indicating that when we get to
heaven God will cloth us with His life, but presently we are dressed in death.
· (254h) Trinity Ø
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son Ø
Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit Ø Holy
Spirit is life Ø Spirit of God is the life of
Christ
2Cor 5-5
· (91c) Thy kingdom come Ø
The called Ø God’s purpose is an inherent
component of His calling Ø His purpose is for
us to be vessels of mercy
· (132f) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Holy Spirit is
in God’s people Ø God gives his spirit as a
pledge Ø God pledges His Spirit – In heaven God will be directly linked to us
by the Spirit He has given us in this life when we are born again. We have all
heard the phrase: body, soul and spirit. The man who is not born of the Spirit
has a soul but no spirit, making it the missing piece of mankind, meaning that
the spirit of man is the Spirit of God. It also means that every man, woman
and child who is born of God has the same Spirit, linking them all together,
and for this reason there should be unity in the church. This missing piece is
the most important part of mankind, for it is the part that is deity, which
has raised us up with [Christ] and seated us with Him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2-6). God has given us a tremendous gift when He made
a way for us to receive His spirit through the blood of the cross. The Holy
Spirit is God's very essence who dwells in our soul, and without this other
person dwelling in us, we would be incomplete. The Holy Spirit is given to us
as a pledge of our inheritance, indicating more blessings that God wants to
rain on us throughout eternity, many more.
2Cor 5,6-9
· (224h) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Description of
heaven Ø The joyful kingdom Ø
Heaven is better than earth
2Cor 5,6-8
· (57f) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø To be at home in the body is to be
absent from the Lord, and to be absent from the body is to be present with the
Lord – To be absent from the body is to be at home
with the Lord. There is no need to interpret that verse. It is a spiritual
principle. One of two things will always be true, like a light is either
switched on or switched off at any given moment. So we too are either at home
in the body and absent from the Lord or we are absent from the body and at
home with the Lord. There is no gray area and there is no purgatory. What we
know regardless of whether we immediately receive a body in heaven after we
die or not is, the moment we leave the realm of the flesh we will always be
with the Lord. Our spiritual bodies may come later, at the resurrection of the
dead that is scheduled to occur shortly before the rapture at the end of the
age.
· (60g) Paradox Ø
Two implied meanings Ø At home in the body—Alive
in mortal flesh / Comfortable in mortal flesh
· (237l)
Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the kingdom Ø
The church is transferred to the kingdom Ø
Transformed from death to life
2Cor 5-7
· (114e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Obeying the Holy
Spirit Ø Obeying the revelation from heaven Ø
Obeying the revelation by putting away the flesh
· (118c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Eyes of your spirit Ø Seeing through the eyes
of your spirit -- This verse goes with verse 16.
People who claim to regularly have visions of the
Lord breed skepticism in those who walk by faith, not by sight. God will give
us visions in His good time; otherwise we walk by faith.
2Cor 5-8,9
· (187a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø
The ministry of dying to self Ø Die to self to
minister to God -- These verses go with verses 14-17
· (237j) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom
Ø The church is transferred to the kingdom Ø
Citizens of heaven
2Cor 5-9
· (81b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Prayer Ø The priesthood Ø
Striving to please Christ
· (95h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Attitude Ø Having an obedient attitude Ø
Ready to do God’s will
· (102b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Ambition Ø Ambitious to fulfill God’s
calling Ø To please Him
2Cor 5-10,11
· (88g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Fear the judgment of God is the beginning of wisdom Ø
Fear the consequences of your disobedience
2Cor 5-10
· (45a) Believers’ Judgment
(Key verse)
· (45b) God judges us for not judging ourselves Ø
According to our deeds
· (48j) Levels of judgment Ø
Judged by withdrawing rewards – Many Christians believe that because they are
children of God they have circumvented His judgment, but that is not true. Paul
promises that there will in fact be a believers’ judgment, and God will repay
us for our deeds of the body, “according to what we have done, whether good or
bad.” So how does our judgment differ from the White Throne Judgment of the
condemned? God will add judgment to them, while he takes away rewards from us.
Therefore, the loss of reward is our judgment. Paul said in Eph 2-10 that God
has prepared a trail of good works for us and expects us to follow it, and to
the degree that we follow this trail is the degree to which we will be rewarded,
but to the degree that we don’t follow His designated path is the degree that
we will suffer loss. This concept is also implied in 1Cor 3,12-15, which refers
to being burned up, yet being saved as through fire. Each person has the choice
of building his house from various materials, some being fire resistant while
others are flammable: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw.
Depending on the quality of the building material is the likelihood of surviving
God’s judgment, also symbolizing each person’s investment into the kingdom
of God. When we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, He will show us the
life He intended for us to live and the rewards we could have had, and will
proceed to take away those things we could have possessed for eternity, but
instead chose our own way and forfeited the reward. That will be our judgment.
It will not be a judgment that determines whether we go to heaven or not;
rather, it will determine how we experience eternity in heaven. Our rewards are not for us, but for
God, that we may reflect His glory through the gold, silver and precious stones,
forever communicating to our fellow saints that God is worthy of our service.
· (90i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Keeping the law Ø Righteousness of the law Ø
All righteousness is covered by the law
· (134c) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Mediator between
the natural and the spiritual realms Ø Your body
manifests whatever is in your heart
· (227e) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Rewards of heaven Ø
God rewards endurance Ø Keeping our rewards
through endurance
2Cor 5-11
· (6k) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the Gospel Ø Persuade men that
Jesus is the Christ – This verse goes with verse 20.
· (11k) Servant Ø
Paul’s example of God’s standard
· (109d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Revelations of the Holy Spirit Ø Revelation
of the children of God
· (148i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Works of the
church bear witness to Jesus Ø Evangelism Ø
Obligation to preach the gospel Ø Ambassador
in chains -- This verse goes with verses 18-20
· (155c) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Witness of the
believer Ø Conscience Ø
Having a good conscience Ø Conscience bears
witness that we obey God’s law
· (245o) Kingdom of God Ø
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm Ø
Literal manifestations Ø Spirit realm
superimposed upon the natural realm Ø The
natural manifesting into the spiritual
2Cor 5-12
· (78e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Sincerity Ø Taking God to heart Ø
Having pure motives and desires
· (83l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Be on the alert Ø Remain on duty Ø
Be ready
· (84d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Words of your mouth Ø Boasting Ø
It needs to be said and no one else is saying it Ø
Boasting of my accomplishments in Christ
· (167e) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø
The carnal mind is set on the flesh Ø Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 16
· (171f) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Decorating the outside to simulate
the inside Ø Playing the part to be accepted by
men
2Cor 5,13-20
· (228i) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø God
working in you Ø God works in the new creation
2Cor 5-13
· (79f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Renewing your mind through prayer
· (81c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Prayer Ø The priesthood Ø
Ministering to God
· (97g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Attention Ø Facing the direction of God’s
will Ø Focusing your attention on finishing the
project
· (236a) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
All things are for your sake Ø We are fighting
for you Ø Our suffering is for your sake
2Cor 5,14-20
· (191j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Result of putting off the old man Ø Set apart Ø
Set apart from the world
2Cor 5,14-17
· (187a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø
The ministry of dying to self Ø Die to self to
minister to God -- These verses go with verses 8&9
2Cor 5-14,15
· (38f) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø God judged the world,
the flesh and the devil
· (53a) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Of life and death Ø
Die in order to live
· (68f) Authority Ø
Jesus Delegates the Holy Spirit to us Ø He
guides you into all truth
· (124c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø
Acts of love Ø Love is the proper motive for
all you do
· (156b) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø Loving God is evidence of salvation
Ø Keeping His commandments
· (192a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Result of putting off the old man Ø Gain by
losing Ø Life for life Ø
Losing your life to gain God’s life -- These verses go with verse 21
2Cor 5-14
· (216b) Compelled By The Spirit
(Key verse)
· (216g) Sovereignty Ø
God overrides the will of man Ø God’s will over
man Ø Compelled by the Spirit Ø
God forces us by His love
2Cor 5-15
· (38c) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death (Satan) Ø Resurrection
overcomes death
· (213j) Sovereignty Ø
God is infinite Ø Jesus owns you Ø
His will becomes our will Ø As a master owns a
servant
2Cor 5-16,17
· (6i) Responsibility Ø
Ministering to people by being in the Spirit –
In the Spirit you see
things differently. Paul says he doesn’t look at a man the same after he has
promised his life to God, because he expects the way he lives to change. Paul begins planning for
the person to obey God and to let the transformation occur, because he knows a
little of what God plans to create in each person. You don’t build a house in
the path of an active glacier. Although you don’t see
the glacier moving because it moves slowly, yet you know it will eventually
reach the spot where you were thinking of building, and thus putting an age
limit on your house. In the same way we must plan our lives around the way we
expect God to change us in the future according to God’s word, and to not
build things that will eventually get in the way and ultimately have to be
torn down.
· (71h) Authority Ø
Ordained by God’s sovereign will Ø God
chooses to work in you
· (156f) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø You will know them by their
repentance
2Cor 5-16
· (11b) Servant Ø
Standard for a servant Ø A Spirit-filled life
– A person who is "spirit-filled" is someone who is not only
saved, but is also pleasing God with the way he/she is living. Those who are
born again have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them like a seed, yet some
people let that seed grow by nurturing it, while others do not. The spirit-filled person’s seed has
spouted and growing large branches while others are producing fruit. A spirit-filled person is someone who got saved and is now
growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
· (118c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Eyes of your spirit Ø Seeing through the eyes
of your spirit -- This verse goes with verse 7
· (167e) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø
The carnal mind is set on the flesh Ø Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 12
· (222f) Kingdom of God Ø
The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Do not give
what is holy to dogs Ø God does not entrust
his treasures to dogs Ø Do not recognize dogs
· (240f) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Hindering the kingdom Ø Natural disadvantage Ø
Natural disadvantage of the flesh Ø
Limitations of the flesh
2Cor 5-17
· (43b) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Conform to the character of
Jesus’ nature
· (166l) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø
The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil Ø
The old mind
· (238a) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom Ø
The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø Born
again Ø Born of the Spirit by the will of God
· (238d) New creation
(Key verse)
· (238f) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom Ø
The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø New
creation Ø The new creation is our spiritual
composition – When we pass from this life and shed this
body, the old things will have passed away, and new things have come. However,
God expects us to begin this process of transformation even now, not waiting to
receive our new bodies, but living as new creatures, destined for eternal life,
waiting patiently for a body that cannot sin, not continuing to live according
to our old way of life before we met Christ. New things have come; therefore, we
need to shed our life of sin and unbelief in the flesh and put on our new life
of righteousness and faith in the Holy Spirit, and begin living as though we
have already received our new bodies, as though we have already ascended into
heaven. We want to minimize the contrast between this life and the next one. We
don’t want to make full use of this life and or this body, nor to exploit its
lusts and its corrupt desires from an over-inflated ego, from pride and
covetousness of materialism. All these things pertain to the poverty that dwells
in us. God has called us to focus on His treasure trove He has entrusted to us,
and to share them with whomever will receive us.
2Cor 5,18-21
· (31h) Gift of God Ø
Grace Ø Salvation Ø
The ministry of reconciliation
· (114i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Jesus does God’s
work Ø All His works are what the Father does
· (116c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through worship Ø
Through our relationship with Him
· (253h) Trinity Ø
Relationship between Father and Son Ø Father
and Son glorify each other Ø Father and Son
represent each other
· (253k) Trinity Ø
Relationship between Father and Son Ø Jesus is
subject to the Father Ø Jesus is subject to God’s
ability
2Cor 5,18-20
· (5e) Responsible to advocate God’s cause Ø
Disciples preach the gospel
· (32i) Gift of God Ø
Father will honor you if you die to self Ø Honor
His word in you
· (67n) Authority Ø
Doing God’s work under His authority Ø Ministry
of helps Ø Help God
· (71a) Authority Ø
Believer’s authority Ø We have authority to
evangelize the world
· (71j) Authority Ø
God ordains us through His commandments
· (81e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Prayer Ø The priesthood Ø
Ministering the gospel
· (110d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Spirit and the word Ø Spirit speaks through His
ministry in us
· (115d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through your ministry Ø
Through your calling Ø In preaching the gospel
· (123a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Boldness to speak the
word by the Spirit
· (147h) Evangelism
(Key verse)
· (148i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Works of the church
bear witness to Jesus Ø Evangelism Ø
Obligation to preach the gospel Ø Ambassador in
chains -- These verses go with verse 11. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
commissioning us to bring the world to Christ through the word of His
cross.
· (213e) Sovereignty Ø
God is infinite Ø Jesus owns you Ø
We are his instruments Ø We are tools in the hand
of God Ø We are transmitters of His kingdom
· (216c) Sovereignty Ø
God overrides the will of man Ø God’s will over
man Ø Compelled by the Spirit Ø
God takes advantage of your love for Him Ø He
forces you by your desire for His calling
· (236i) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Invest in the treasures of the kingdom Ø Invest
in the gospel
2Cor 5-19,20
· (111a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Spirit and the word Ø Spirit and evangelism
· (153a) Witness Ø
Validity of the Father Ø Witnesses of the
father Ø Church bears witness of the Father
through Christ
· (210d) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Jesus is our savior Ø
Jesus is the savior of the world
2Cor 5-19
· (120f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø
Forgiveness is an act of mercy Ø God passes
over our sins – We should be grateful that God has not
counted our trespasses against us, or holds our sin over us. In a million
years from now He won’t bring up something evil we did and hold it against
us. He will never make us feel guilty; therefore, we should never make
ourselves feel guilty or anyone else. If we feel guilty about something, it is
not God convicting us, unless we have not yet repented of it. Guilt and
conviction are two different things. Guilt will never go away, continuing even
after we have stopped sinning, whereas conviction of the Holy Spirit seeks to
lead us to repentance. Once we have repented, God will immediately drop it, so
if we still feel guilty, it’s not God, because He only wants us to stop
sinning. He has no interest in making us feel bad about our sin. Therefore, we
should never allow ourselves to be enslaved to a sense of guilt, no matter
what we have done. We should have the mind of Christ and forgive ourselves,
and if a spirit continues to make us feel guilty, then we should live for
Christ all the more just to spite the demonic entity tormenting us.
2Cor 5-20
· (6k) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the Gospel Ø Persuade men that Jesus
is the Christ – This verse goes with verse 11.
2Cor 5-21
· (35a) Gift of God Ø
God is willing to Give Ø He is generous with the
flesh of His Son
· (37a) Jesus Is Judged By God (Key
verse)
· (37a) Judgment Ø
The cross Ø God judges the sin of the world
through Christ
· (39k) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø Jesus defeated the law of
sin -- Jesus' sinless life
contradicted the law of sin in His flesh and broke the power of death from
anyone who has faith in Christ by evidence of His resurrection. That is what
He came to do. Heb 2-14 says, "Since then the children share in flesh
and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He
might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the
devil." The Father placed upon His Son the sin of the world, thereby
setting us free from the power of death, but making Christ the very definition
of sin itself. According to the spiritual laws that govern the natural
universe, it was not possible for death to hold Christ in the grave, because
He had no sin. 1Pet 2-24 says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on
the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness," and again
2Cor 5-21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." When the Father
went to judge His Son, He found that none of His sin was His own, so He
forgave Jesus for our sin and raised Him from the dead. His righteousness
became our life. In His very death He destroyed the power of sin which is
death, by maintaining the righteousness of God in the members of His earthly
body. His blood is therefore the essence of life, and His flesh is the veil
through which we must pass by believing He was God incarnate come to take away
our sin. Now that Christ paid our penalty, He made it illegal for sin to have
jurisdiction over anyone who would believe in Him for eternal life.
· (41e) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Be like Jesus Ø
Jesus knew no sin
· (41g) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Be like Jesus Ø
God’s righteousness is His doing
· (58g) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Jesus becomes sin that we might
obtain His righteousness – The only way to understand this verse is to
take it literally, that God has placed the sin of the world upon His Son when He
had Jesus nailed to a cross, so that He actually became sin. This verse requires
no interpretation; there is nothing figurative about it, nor is it a metaphor
for something else. Jesus somehow literally became sin on the cross, meaning
that a spiritual transaction took place between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
mankind and his nemesis the devil. The Father made His Son take the punishment
of our sin. This means at the moment Jesus needed His Father most, Christ was
separated from the Holy Spirit while dying on the cross. He was thus alienated
from God, who placed all our sins on Christ, paying our full penalty for us.
None of my righteousness is added or even required for His grace; then again, it
is the righteousness of faith in the power of the cross that taps into His
mercy. Therefore, faith is the only missing ingredient that I provide. It is the
righteousness of faith that bonds with the sacrifice of Jesus’ cross that
gives me access to Him and all His promises, including and especially eternal
life. I have been thinking about this verse for thirty years, and still I have
not come close to fully understanding it. I can only worship God for His
generosity and willingness to go through this for all mankind. The beauty and
wonder of the cross was that the moment of Christ’s condemnation was also the
moment of Satan’s demise. God has been dismantling Satan in stages, first
after his initial rebellion when he fell from heaven, second at the cross, third
in the last days when God will demonstrate the weakness of human flesh subject
to the obedience of Christ is stronger than all the power of evil, and finally
in the book of Revelation we see a mighty angel throwing him into the lake of
fire, sealing his eternal fate.
· (124a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø
Acts of love Ø Love takes from the rich and gives
to the poor Ø Love takes sacrifice
· (192a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Result of putting off the old man Ø Gain by
losing Ø Life for life Ø
Losing your life to gain God’s life -- This verse goes with verses
14&15
· (227f) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø God
working in you Ø Dependence on Jesus Ø
Depending on Jesus to have compassion Ø Depending
on Jesus to receive us
· (237n) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom Ø
The church is transferred to the kingdom Ø
Transferred from lawlessness to righteousness
See
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