Who Are We Living For?

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. [2 Corinthians 5.15]

Who are we living for?

Sadly, most are living for themselves. Even more sadly, this is largely the case in the Church.

Paul goes on following the verse above to describe the role of every believer no matter who or what he is. There is a ministry of reconciliation that every believer is responsible to fulfill. It is Christ's message that "There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent." [Luke 24.47]

Paul said it in verse 20: "Come back to God."

The message is simple as seen here. So why is it that believers do not share it?

I believe it is because Christianity has failed to address the subject of 'suffering for Christ' adequately. 

Not not so however with Paul! The discussion above about the ministry of reconciliation comes right on the heels of his discussion in chapter 4:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. [2 Corinthians 4.8-11]

As the progression of Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthian church goes, until we are first willing to suffer for the simple message of Jesus, that message has no foundation in our lives.

See for yourself. 

Father, help us to see how the Good News is so simple, but is quenched by our preservation of self. Help us to see we are not living for ourselves, but for the Gospel of Jesus.