Peradventure you were in any doubt as to what it means to be a Christian, allow me to refresh your memory with the words of Paul in this chapter. "If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
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2 Corinthians 5:13-15 NLT. A Christian is one who has exchanged control. Once controlled and manipulated by sin, but now living controlled by the love of Christ. The love of Christ literally compels a true believer how to live. For the Christian, the one that can be controlled by sin is the old life, it died on the cross. Our new life according to verse 15, is not for living for ourselves, it is for living for Christ, the one who died and was raised for us. That is why Paul could then boldly state; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
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2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NLT. That is what it means to be a Christian, an ambassador of the ministry of reconciliation. Halleluyah!
