Whose You Are
(2 Corinthians 5: 20-6: 10)
It’s kind of a two-edged sword that can cut both ways. On the one hand, I do want people to know I’m a Christian but on the other hand there are those times I act out and hope that nobody makes the connection. It’s one of the reasons I don’t have the “Jesus fish” on the back of my truck for those times I cut people off in traffic or do something that might reflect poorly on me and my professed faith in Jesus. And I am also a bit leery of those folks who wear oversized crosses around their necks or sport hard-to-miss religious themed tattoos on their bodies. I understand being so excited about being saved that you want to shout it from the rooftops and all but again, there are the unfortunate optics that say otherwise. I mean, there they are on camera giving an interview as a sports figure, entertainment figure, or a spokesperson for a politician and saying something so un-Christlike while having a crucifix dangling around their neck. I’m not being hypocritical, but I do wear an understated James Avery cross ring on my right hand that does serve as a subtle reminder to me that I am one of Christ’s representatives.
And that’s what the Apostle Paul is talking about in our Scripture reading for today. He’s begging his readers, the faithful believers of the church in Corinth, as representatives of Christ, to be reconciled to God. God, he said, caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.
What Paul is saying is that God in Christ has transformed the whole human situation; Jesus’ resurrection inaugurated “the new creation.” This is more than the transformation of individuals, although it includes that, but it is so much more. From this Good News, inspired by Christ’s love for all, springs the Christian mission—really God’s mission, and we are the missionaries going out into the mission field. Just as now, Paul recognizes this as a unique, urgent time in human history; the Corinthians must not allow the priceless privilege of God’s grace to go for nothing, and neither should we. The Corinthian’s participation in saving righteousness is being threatened by their current conduct. They profess to be believers in Jesus Christ, but you wouldn’t know it by their actions.
Paul says: Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. Paul references Isaiah 49: 8 which reads: This is what the Lord says: “I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation.” Paul exhorts his readers to look and see that now is the right time, now is the day of salvation. He is fearful that the people have heard God’s message but did not let it affect what they said and did. He is concerned that people are not taking God’s offer of salvation seriously.
The Corinthians know Paul and he takes this opportunity to remind them of his commitment to Jesus Christ and the Good News. He tells them that he and those closest to him work hard not to give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that their ministry won’t be criticized. Paul realized, even way back then, that it wouldn’t take much of a misstep to trip them up and jeopardize all the good they had accomplished. People who don’t get it or don’t want to get it will look for any excuse to get out of doing something they think is difficult or not immediately beneficial to them and theirs. Instead, he says, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. They didn’t hide the fact that they were believers even when it would have been easier to fly under the radar like when they endured problems, disasters, and stressful situations. He reminds them that they went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots, and all while experiencing hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. In the face of these trials and tribulations Paul says that they displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. They served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, telling the truth and with God’s power and righteousness as their only weapon. It was a real rollercoaster ride as Paul said they were treated with honor and dishonor, with both verbal abuse and good evaluations. He said: We were seen as both fake and real, as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything. To many, it may seem as if Paul is throwing himself a pity party, but what he is really acknowledging is that there will surely be some very bad times, but that the good times will come with an exhilarating high making it all worth it.
And that’s what this is. It’s an appeal to be reconciled to God and to remember not to receive God’s gracious salvation in vain. We need to make the most of the opportunities we are presented and not fail to reciprocate God’s salvific gift with gratitude backed up by words and actions that are appropriate to our confessions of faith. In everything he did, Paul always considered what his actions communicated about Jesus Christ. Like Paul, we must look for ways to demonstrate our faith even in bad situations, especially in bad situations. And whether or not the situation improves, your faith will grow stronger.
If you are a believer, you are a minister of God, an ambassador if you will. And in the course of each day, non-Christians observe you. So don’t let your careless or undisciplined actions be another person’s excuse for rejecting Jesus Christ. Like Paul, stand faithful to God whether people praise you or condemn you. Remain active, joyous, and content in the most difficult of hardships and, most of all, remember whose you are.
Let us pray.
O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, to those who fall, how kind thou are! How good to those who seek! Jesus, the very thought of Thee and the unselfish sacrifice you made for us is hard to comprehend, especially for those who have not come to know you. Your grace is so amazing and we are so unworthy, but we take comfort in the fact that we are yours and that you continue to love us even in those times we fall short of your glory. Your love, understanding, compassion, and forgiveness reminds us in those times of whose we are. May we live the kind of lives that bring glory to you and helps restore creation to its intended state where all live in peace and harmony. In this we earnestly pray, Amen.