Death to the Old || 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 || Manna for the Mind #39

Welcome to Day 39 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds understanding through its context and connecting scripture. This helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us.

2 Corinthians 5:13-15

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 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.

Everything that Paul and his crew did was to honor God. Not only did their fear of God motivate them, but Christ’s love controlled their actions. Let’s pause for a moment. If this is your first time learning about Christianity, fearing God feels out of pocket. If you haven’t heard the concept before, this concept might feel counter-Christian because we teach that God is the God of love. Yet the concept of fearing God is shared through the Bible. I’ve heard it best said as a “healthy respect for God.” Yet, if it’s out-of-pocket, it can be misinterpreted. Paul and the apostles have seen the severity of not following God. They have watched people’s lives crumble and fall apart because they did not believe. Not only did they have the passion to continue building the Kingdom, but they also wanted to avoid the pain and fear of not doing what God commanded. The love of Christ determined what they did.

The Greek word for “controls us” means to “urge us on.” It’s a nudge. It’s a bump in the right direction. The love of Christ was encouraging them to take on specific tasks. They knew that Jesus, out of his grace-filled love, had given up his life for their sake. He hadn’t acted out of his own self-interest. It wasn’t out of pride or ego but out of love. Jesus didn’t selfishly hold on to the glory of heaven that he already had. Jesus willingly died for everyone. Because Christ died for us, we are also dead in our lives. We no longer live as we once did before Christ. We have a new foundation on which to build our life. Like Paul, we should spend our lives pleasing Christ.

This reminds me of the whys behind why I do what I do. I write this blog because God tells me I have a unique way of sharing the Gospel. I help people file taxes because I want to care for others like Christ cared for me. I plan to stream video games again to create a Christian community where people feel safe, loved, and cared for. I’m not doing this for my own fame and ego. Yes, popularity and influence could come. Fame could also come, but that’s not why I do it. Christ told me to love as Christ loved me. I am using the mediums I have before me to build the Kingdoms how I know how.

Romans 6:6-7 talks about the old selves, as we mentioned earlier.

Romans 6:6-7

6             We know that our selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

7             For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Our sinful nature died once and for all, so we are freed from its power. Why, then, do we still sin today even after we become Christians. I believe it’s through temptation. Temptation exists at all points, and the goal of the Adversary is for us to succumb to those temptations and move away from living the life that God calls us. Through what Jesus did, we aren’t chained to it anymore. We can overcome temptation through the Holy Spirit. It’s not easy, but God doesn’t let us be tempted above what we can handle. Life throws a lot of temptations at us, whether it be pornography, gambling, adultery, pride, and more, but God does provide an out for each of these, so we do not cave in. We have to be willing and intentional to walk down that point.

We often willingly cooperate with our sinful nature; the desire to do this comes from our lives before we commit to being Christ’s followers. We live as we’re taught by those around us and those communities we become a part of. Regardless of those teachings, being right or wrong, that’s what we grow up to know. Becoming a Christian and flipping those teachings on its head can cause us to lose our identity, but that’s not true. Yes, we might lose our identity according to what we know, but we gain a brand-new identity, becoming a child of God that we can lean on and have faith in. Paul has said that through faith in Christ, we stand acquitted, meaning that we are not guilty of our sins before God. Believe in Christ, and his sacrifice for us frees us from the eternal penalty of sin. The world will still have consequences for our sinful natures, but because our God is so forgiving, he will help us make our ways right in his eyes and guide us back to the path he has for us.

Let’s talk about the old selves more through Paul’s words to the Galatians in Galatians 2:19-20.

Galatians 2:19-20

19           For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law – I stopped trying to meet all its requirements – so that I might live for God.

20           My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Before I dig into this passage, I want to share something that jarred me as I write this. Paul states here that he stopped meeting all the requirements of the law. He did this so that he could live a life for God. This shows me that continuing to focus on the laws in the Old Testament and living according to them instead of living according to God’s moral law is not the authentic way of being a Christian. Paul continuously felt condemned whenever he tried to keep the law, but when he switched gears and kept Jesus’ teaching, he felt like he could live. Paul wrote this sometime in AD 50-90, yet this applies to us today.

We still try to live and condemn people according to the law. The battles of stances with homosexuality, abortion, and divorce, among many other circumstances, have split and divided churches and denominations for many years. Yet, we have scriptural proof that trying to meet all the law requirements as written to us today isn’t the way to live for God. God sent Jesus to fulfill the law, meaning to meet all the requirements of the 613 laws shown to us in the Old Testament. Our job is to follow the teachings of God and the moral law of God to live our lives. Now, with all that being said, we are back to talking about our older selves.

When we are crucified with Christ, it represents our agreement to surrender to Jesus all parts of our sin and what it does to our lives – our goals, plans, ideas, and even relationships. We treat these things as though they went to the cross with Jesus. We live in a mode of surrender to the one who created life. Since Jesus came back to life, the Holy Spirit has filled empty spaces because we surrendered those spots to him. Our old ways should stop, and the new Christ-centered way of life begins. This happens when we first believe in Jesus, but this act of surrender should happen daily, for Jesus taught his followers to take up their cross daily.

The concept of being crucified with Jesus is complex to comprehend from a realistic perspective. How has this happened? From a legal perspective, God sees us as if we died with Christ. Because Jesus took the penalty for our sins when he died, we are no longer condemned for them. In essence, we paid the sin penalty through what Christ did. From a relational perspective, God set us free to become more and more like Jesus as we draw closer to him. The more we study our Bible, talk with God, and grow in our relationship with him, the more he sees us becoming like his son. From a daily perspective, we must continue resisting temptation and regularly take up our cross, which keeps us from following Jesus.

The goal of being a Christian is not only about dying to our old selves but about living as God created us to live. Through being crucified with Christ, we were also resurrected with Christ. We have a new inner power, vision, and community through the Holy Spirit. Legally, we are now made right with God. Relationally, we are now able to be more Christlike. Daily, we have the Holy Spirit with us, helping us battle sin. We are not alone in this journey, for Christ lives in us – he is our power for living and our hope for the future.

To close, let me end with this verse. This verse shows us that our life is hidden with Christ, meaning concealed and safe. This ensures our future hope and gives us security and comfort right now. What we do, say, and serve doesn’t earn our salvation but comes from our salvation. This keeps our focus on helping others and lessens our concerns about ourselves.

Colossians 3:3

3             For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Let this be your prayer today. Until next time, stay blessed!