2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2
The Ministry of Reconciliation
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I Don’t Understand the Bible
―David Deffenbaugh
Sometimes I don’t understand the Bible. That’s not the same thing as saying we can’t understand the Bible. Rather, sometimes it makes statements that are beyond my capacity to comprehend. I can’t “wrap my mind around it” as they say.
For instance, the Bible says that God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Now I know this is a good thing, a very good thing. But how one who is sinless can become sin for my sake so that I might be righteous before God isn’t something I can fully grasp. I like it, and I know it’s true; I just don’t grasp it.
That shouldn’t bother me too much because the Bible also says that man in his wisdom is unable to comprehend the redemptive work of God (1 Corinthians 1:20-25).
God has done something marvelous for my sake, in order to make me something I could never attain or achieve on my own. It involved a horrible injustice in that the absolutely innocent took on Himself guilt, my guilt and yours. This was all so that we might be reconciled to God (v. 20). That is an outcome in which I have great interest.
I’m willing to leave some things in the realm of the incomprehensible because the only reason I know anything about them is that God has revealed it. He knows and understands it all quite well. In that I have confidence.
About Conversion
According to Webster’s Dictionary, conversion means a turning or change from one state to another. In reference to the faith, conversion means a gentile that changes to Christianity. What is it though that a gentile is changing? Let us examine the scriptures for the answer to that question.
First of all, there must be a change of heart. This will manifest itself in the way the person is living. Jesus taught that, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35). People should be able to see a change taking place in the life of one that is converting to Christianity. Faith is what moves the heart to accept change and faith comes from hearing the word of God: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
As was mentioned above, a change first comes in the heart which leads to a change in one’s life. That life change comes about when the ‘gentile’ repents of their old life. Jesus, in a parable, taught about what repentance is: “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went” (Matthew 21:28-29). Repenting is not just stopping those things that are wrong, but also doing those things that are right.
Lastly, conversion calls for a change of being. Being converted moves us from living for the world to living for Christ. Baptism is that which brings about the change to newness of life: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). When we live in newness of life, we tell our God that we have changed our soul from one that is worldly to one that is heavenly. Scripture also tells us that, “…if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When a person is converted to Christ, they declare themselves ready to leave their worldly things behind and begin living for Jesus. Our Lord taught us this very thing when He said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). If you are still living as a ‘gentile’ know that our God is eager for you to be converted.
In Christ, Steve Preston
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5 Myths Non-Christians Believe About Christians
Here are five myths that non-Christians may believe about Christians.
We’re Better
Every believer who has realized just how wicked they were before Christ knows they’re no better than anyone else, including non-believers. We don’t think of ourselves as superior, only blessed. Think about this: Christ died for us while we were wicked, ungodly sinners and natural enemies of His Romans 5:6-10). God didn’t look at us and think, “Hey, they’re pretty good people. I think I’ll save them.” All of us fall short of God’s glory, including Christians (Romans 3:23).
We’re Special
We’re not saved because we’re special. We’re special because we’re saved. That’s a huge difference. At one time we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-2). Dead men and women can’t do anything to resurrect themselves any more than Lazarus could have resurrected himself. We weren’t good people at all. We were bad, wicked sinners who were saved by a very good God. We should be honest with non-believers and tell them we still struggle with sin and we don’t have it all together and honestly tell them we’re not better than anyone, including non-believers.
We Don’t Like Non-Believers
I disagree with the idea that Christians don’t like non-believers because we were once as they are now. We are commanded to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and do good to those who do bad to us. That’s an attribute of God. A sinless Christ died for a most sinful people, and He did for us what we didn’t deserve and granted to us what we could not earn. We’re actually told to pray for our enemies and love those who hate us.
We Do Good to Get to Heaven
A few times I’ve heard non-believers tell me (and even a few Christians) they’ve done enough good in their lives to get to heaven, if there is one. I say that none are actually good, and we don’t even seek after God (Romans 3:10-12). We can’t be saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). All our good works are just a bunch of filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). To say we can do good things to get to heaven is to make Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross useless. If we could do good things to get to heaven, then Paul says plainly that Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21).
We Have It Easier
There are those who believe that once a person becomes a Christian, life gets a lot easier. On the contrary, when I was born again, that’s when it started getting difficult. Jesus said the way to eternal life is hard and the road is narrow and that only a few will find it. Therefore, “strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able”(Luke 13:4). Dead fish can float upstream, but it takes effort to swim upstream against the culture and our own sinful nature.
Conclusion
Other things I’ve heard from non-believers is that religion is a crutch and that we’ve been brainwashed. Let me say this: If Christ is a crutch, I want it. If I’ve been brainwashed, that’s good because my mind used to be filled with filth. We’re not perfect, only seen as perfect because of Jesus Christ, which is only because “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
May God richly bless you, Jack Wellman
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