The God who Rescues

 

READ 2 Corinthians 5–8

Last night we watched Thirteen Lives, perhaps the most dramatic movie ever made, the true story of a boys’ soccer team and their coach rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand. We cried and cried.

This morning, I’m thinking about the brevity of life and the hardships faced as well as the “rescues” and blessings from the Lord. This reading is filled with truth that lifts me, and likely encouraged the original readers. Everyone experiences those emotional caves when it seems all is lost and there is no hope.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens . . . .So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:1; 6–10)

Everyone has days when life is a struggle and we’d like to be in heaven. This passage encourages me with the reminder that the goal is to please God. He will reward me for doing His will, in good times and in trials.

Paul told the church that whatever he was doing it was for their sake because “the love of Christ controls us” and this is like Jesus because He died for all. Because of Jesus, those who belong to Him are “new creations” and “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” We are reconciled to God and He does not count our sin against us but has instead entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.

Another plus is that we are His ambassadors, imploring others to be reconciled to God. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” so we are “working together with him” and have not received His grace in vain. (2 Corinthians 5:16–21; 6:1) When I feel useless, this reminds me that my life fits into His plan. I may not see what He is doing, but I must walk in faith, not by what I can see.

Paul lists a whole range of experience from calamities to sleepless nights as well as truthful speech and genuine love. He has been poor, yet made many rich, and had nothing, yet possessed everything. God wants me to know that no matter what life is like, don’t let my feelings about it determine my behavior. Pleasant or unpleasant, I’m to be open to whatever He allows and not restricted in my affections for others.

Walking with Christ means being close to Him, not “unequally yoked with unbelievers” or having fellowship with anything that is lawless or idolatrous. I am the temple of God as He said: “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:14–16) This means keeping my life clean and submitting to Him that He might bring holiness to completion in me.

I need to watch out that my repentance is real, not ‘sorry I got caught’ but godly grief that changes me. Even this carnal church repented and the people were earnest, eager to change and to be innocent. (2 Corinthians 7:10–11) One way of proving that change was an earnest desire to help other Christians who were in need. They excelled in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in giving — important ways of showing genuine love.

Some say faith can be measured by how a person manages their pocketbook! This passage says the measure was not how much we give but how eager we are to give and then follow through by doing what we can. “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:11–12)

I’m blessed by this thought of being eager to give and serve God coupled with “what a person has” because my ambition far outweighs the opportunities the Lord has given me. I know that I cannot serve Him apart from His leading and direction. I learned the hard way that self-effort is fruitless and a waste of time and energy. He only wants my response to what He asks me to do. As I think about that and also about the thousands of men and women who pitched in to do what they could do to save thirteen lives, I am glad that God can add my small efforts to His big plan. Eventually, all that are to be rescued will be rescued — and the glory will be God’s, praised by all who do their part. Simple obedience is enough.