II Corinthians 5:21 “ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
This can be confusing to someone who has not read the writings of Paul. Another way to read this is “God made His Son Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we could become sin free and become the righteousness of God that is in His Son Jesus.”
II Corinthians is made up of a couple of letters, and we know this because there is a change in the tone of Paul’s writings in the II Corinthians. This church continues to have problems and Paul is trying to help them find solutions. In the beginning of II Corinthians, Paul addresses his integrity. A letter to him from the Corinthian church must have had a question of his integrity. It continues into the second chapter as Paul says he will not come to them in sorrow again. In many ways this is a very personal letter that Paul has written. He calls them to love again and to remember that we are the new covenant with God. In the fourth chapter he again speaks of his ministry…
In Chapter five he speaks of us being temporal in this life but eternal in our lives after death. Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to understand what Christ has done for us. In the last verse of this chapter, he spells it out that Christ took on our sin so that we could become sin free with his death and resurrection, and it is only through him that we can be resurrected. This was God’s plan for our salvation.
In writing this I remember something my father wrote. Below is the poem and how I found it and then what my father had written. I had that in my office on my bulletin board in my last years that I worked. It reminded me of who I served, and why I served…
Message from My Father
I found hidden on a legal yellow pad
On the day, my brother Gary’s funeral
Was to be.
A note from you written thirteen years, and
Found on the day of the third anniversary
Of the day, you were taken from us.
My heart skipped more than a beat,
As I read the words you sent to us
For I have faith you guided me
To find those words that you believed
A reminder to live each day
As it came.
Thank you for your gift of faith,
We sometimes did not appreciate.
Mary Elizabeth Todd
April 24, 2017
January 18, 1977 by Joseph Archer Todd, Sr.
Every man stands somewhere between a beginning and an ending. Today adequately defines the past where we live between the two infinitives. For those who schedule their future maybe continually waiting for tomorrow’s actions; while those who continually dwell in the retrospect lust after “Never to be again”, such can only lead us astray. If we achieve our goals, we must do it today. Each day becomes a renewal, a new beginning, the rest of our lives. If one lives as a Christian, he will sooner or later realize that one begins eternal life the moment he accepts Jesus Christ as his savior. He does not have to die. One lives only for a short time in the measure of the flesh, eventually to return to dust. The soul lives only in Jesus Christ.
Paul reminded us of the gift that God gave to us, and the gift Christ did for us, that brought us into being right with God. Each day we should praise God for blessing us for this gift, and thank Christ for sacrificing His life for us. For without their actions we would still be tainted by our sins.
Today’s Question:
Have you thanked God for sending Jesus to save us today?
Ever in Christ’s Love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 14, 2024 & May 27, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 