Year 5, Day 88: 2 Corinthians 5

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

This is a very powerful chapter on at least two levels.  The foundational belief for this chapter is that Jesus lived and died for our sake.  He met the cross so we could find reconciliation with God.  Jesus died – sacrificed His life – so that we could know forgiveness.  Jesus did not consider His own safety.  Rather, the work of God was important enough for Him to die.

This brings me to the idea of our own reconciliation with one another.  Do I live as sacrificially as Christ lived?  Is the proclamation of God’s forgiveness to the world worth sacrificing my life to the cause?  Of course it is!  But do I live that way?  Do I live as though there is nothing more important than putting God’s forgiveness on display regardless of the cost to myself? 

That’s how Christ lived.  That’s how we came to now reconciliation to God.  We know God’s love because He died for us.  How well do I follow that example?

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