April 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 5:11-21:

¹¹Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
¹²For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
¹³For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
¹⁶Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Devotional

God was in Christ. Christ said, "I and my Father are one." "He that hath seen me has seen the Father." "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me." Sin has caused separation between us and God. But God reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. He brought us together again in Christ. We were recon­ciled to God by the death of his Son. "Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous­ness for the remission of sins ... To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Let us note well, He made peace through the blood of his cross. Thus "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The price is paid. Atonement is made. God sends his ambassadors with the glad tidings of salvation. It is as if God were appealing to us by them, when they in Christ's stead beseech us to be reconciled unto God. Dear Reader, Think of it, meditate upon it: God made Christ "to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Have you accepted such benefit with a believing heart?

Prayer

O God our Father, we rejoice in the fact that we may call Thee Father. We thank Thee that we were reconciled unto Thee by the death of Thy Son, that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to Thee by the death of Thy Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. O God, we thank Thee for Thy unspeakable gift, the gift of Thy Son, and all the blessings that come to us through him. Pardon our sins, and magnify Thy grace in us and through us. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 10:30; 14:9,11; Rom. 5:10; 3:25,26; Col. 1:20; 1 John 2:2; 4:9,10; 2 Cor. 5:21.

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