A Life That Reflects Jesus | 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Summary

2 Corinthians 5 shows us how to be a bright and attractive light for Jesus in a dark world. Every day we live leads to the day when we will stand before Christ, which doesn’t scare us but focuses us. The love of Christ controls us because the person we were before Jesus died and we have been raised into a new life full of joy, peace, and purpose. As people who have been reconciled to God, we now carry the message of reconciliation to a world that either knows Jesus or needs to know Jesus.

Key Takeaways

• Fear God This Christmas. Every day is leading to the day when we will stand before Christ. This doesn’t scare us; it focuses us. When we fear God, we stop fearing man and live to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
• Love Radically This Christmas. The love of Christ controls us. The person we were before Jesus died, and we now live for him. We shine when others experience his love through us as we pursue, sacrifice, and endure.
• Live Missionally This Christmas. In Christ, we are new creations with new lenses. Everyone we meet either knows Jesus or needs to know Jesus. As ambassadors, God uses us to bring the message of reconciliation to people he is already working on.

Discussion Questions

• Where are you most tempted to simply get through this season instead of being led through it?
• How does remembering that every day leads to the day you will stand before God focus you in practical ways?
• Which expression of Christlike love — pursuing, sacrificing, or enduring — feels most needed in your relationships this Christmas?
• Who has God placed in your life who either knows Jesus or needs to know Jesus? How can you check the locks and see if God has already opened a door?
• Where might God be tripping the outlet in your heart this season, showing you that something in your life doesn’t match what you say you believe?