Bible Memory Verse – 2 Corinthians 5:17 Context (2/03/2019)
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Let’s look at the surrounding passage, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. This is the SAV: Scott’s Amplified Version (that’s a little joke). The Scripture is in black, my words are in orange. The bold or underlined text is for emphasis.
11 Therefore [when you see “therefore”, figure out what it’s there for], knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we [Paul and the believers who were with him] are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves [if we seem out of our minds], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us [Jesus’ love seized our hearts], because we have concluded this:
that one [Jesus] has died for all, therefore all have died [Jesus, being fully Human and fully God, died and therefore all have died, even Jesus]; 15 and he [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised [We can either live for ourselves, or for Jesus. Giving our loyalty and trust to Jesus means that we live for Him and not ourselves].
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh [in other words, what really matters is who we live for]. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh [because they didn’t know any better], we regard him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation [if anyone puts their loyalty and trust in Jesus, their old self or ways of living is considered dead, and their new self has come into existence (born again)]. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us [brought us back] to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [bringing others back to God]; 19 that God was reconciling the world [bringing back humanity] to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation [this is a sure thing!].
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God [Put your loyalty and trust in God… come back to Him]. 21 God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [through putting our loyalty and trust in Jesus we will be bright reflections of the true God to those around us].
Why does this passage matter to us? Because it’s the message of Jesus. It’s the gospel. Who do we give our allegiance to? Ourselves? Some other god? Or are we going to give our lives to the One who gave up His life so that we could be brought back into a right relationship with the only true God? The one who is right with God is the one who truly lives in Christ.