Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Who Belongs to Christ?

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: 2 Corinthians 10:7 Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.

Observation: These are important words to take to heart.

Application: Who really does belong to Christ? Three answers come to mind. First, I trust that I belong to Christ. Second, I trust that others belong Christ. Third, I trust that whoever is before me, at any given point in time, may well be one of them!

It’s a humbling thought. What if we are disparaging someone who belongs to Christ? What if we somehow forget that the person with whom we most vehemently disagree on any given issue belongs to Christ? What if the person ‘before’ us is actually distant—i.e. we only know them through the TV or Internet or other forms of media? Can they not still, at least potentially, belong to Christ? And if so, what does that say about us?

It’s worth noting in the verse above that Paul does not dispute or minimize the reality of the Corinthians belonging to Christ. Far be it from him to do such a thing. He simply reminds them that they are not the exclusive holders of such status…of such belonging. That’s a good thing. Because we all have a need to belong.

Prayer: Dear Lord, he wasn’t perfect, and he’d be the first to admit it, but the Apostle Paul really was ahead of his time on so many fronts. Thanks for providing us with his witness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: 2 Corinthians 7-10)

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