Commentaries:
<< 2 Corinthians 5:13 2 Corinthians 5:15 >>
2 Corinthians 5:14-19
God always planned for our justification by faith. As for all who lived faithfully before Christ's human life, death, and resurrection, it is applied retroactively (Romans 4). Since God knew Adam and Eve would misuse the freedom of choice He gave them, leading to sin, He made provision for their justification (and ours) through the blood of Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world (Hebrews 9:26; I Peter 3:19-21; Revelation 13:8).
Martin G. Collins
Are You Justified?Related Topics: Ability to Make Choices | Atonement as a Means of Forgiving Sin | Before the Foundation of the World | Choice,Power of | Christ's Sacrifice | Christ's Sacrifice Described on Atonement | Free Will | Justification applied Retroactively | Justification by Faith
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Though not directly stated, Paul essentially describes what happened to Abraham at his calling and must happen to us. Abraham's mind—and therefore his life—was so arrested and redirected by God's revelation of Himself that he responded dramatically, despite the realization that he could no longer live as he had for 70 years. He had to make changes, and some of them would be considerable and costly.
He could no longer live completely for himself. He no longer perceived people as he had all his life. He especially could no longer perceive his new God and Savior as He formerly had. A new man was being created from within, so he had to make a clean and permanent break from his old life. His life now had a new Object toward which he must walk. His life had a new direction, a new relationship, new desires, and new requirements to fulfill.
We must never forget that Abraham was a special case; he is the prototype who set a vivid, overall example for all his spiritual children to follow to some degree. There were bumps along the way; at times, he fell short of the ideal. Yet, on the whole, he did nothing less than set a superb example for all of us.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Christian Fight (Part Six)Related Topics: Abraham | Abraham as Prototype | Abraham's Example | Abraham's Calling | Abraham's Children | Abraham's Faith | Abraham's Faithfulness | Abraham's Relationship with God | Abraham's Righteousness | Abraham's Spiritual Children | Abraham's Spiritual Fatherhood | Abraham, Descendants of | Spiritual Pilgrimage | Spiritual Struggle
2 Corinthians 5:14-18
Paul uses very strong language here. Not one part of this system will be carried over into the World Tomorrow! The whole thing is unclean, something that contaminates and defiles, rendering unholy those who are touched by it (Haggai 2:10-14). The world is most dangerous to a Christian when it is not persecuting them. It seems friendly, tolerant, even producing good, but God says even then it is still unclean. It is God's judgment that counts.
John W. Ritenbaugh
This Is Not God's WorldRelated Topics: Unclean | World | World Tomorrow | World's Dangers | World's Influence | World, Frienship with | World, Relationship with | Worldliness
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Our acceptance of the blood of Christ that reconciles us to God puts us under obligation to live our lives from then on in submission to God's will.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Separation and Oneness With GodRelated Topics: At-One-Ment | Obligation | Reconciliation | Reconciliation with God | Submission to God | Submission to God's Will
<< 2 Corinthians 5:13 2 Corinthians 5:15 >>
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What Does 2 Corinthians 5:14 Mean?
Like Abraham, whose mind and life were arrested and redirected by God's revelation, those called must make a clean, permanent break from their old lives, walking toward a new Object with new desires and requirements. Acceptance of the blood of Christ, which reconciles us to God, places one under obligation to live in submission to God's will. God's love for us is the absolute; the variable is our love for Him. If we love Him, we keep His commandments and obey, as we were chosen to do. The love of Christ compels, or constrains, causing us to do certain things and not others, becoming the critical factor in how we use our free will.