This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”. Last week I introduced you to the following passage and we began to walk our way through it. Let’s get back to it today and continue.
The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him. From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).
Last Friday we dealt with the following line: “From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people.” This line is so important that we will take several days to meditate it. Let’s take a look at it from a few different translations before we get into it.
The AMP reads, “So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values].”
The NASB reads, “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh.”
The GNT reads, “No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards.”
The CEV reads, “We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Your outer-man is not the real you. Your body is simply an earth-suit. Just like a human needs to don a spacesuit in order to live in outer space, a spirit needs to don an earth-suit to in order to live in the earth. Even God, when He wanted to live in the earth, donned an earth-suit and came in the form of a man. The body Jesus lived in for 33 and 1/2 years was not the real Jesus. The real Jesus had been around for eternity. He just took up residence in a physical body while he was in the earth. Like Jesus, the real you is living inside your body.
- When your body dies, you won’t die you will simply take off your earth-suit. Think about it in the natural for a minute. When you put on a suit, the suit is not you. The real you is living inside the suit. The suit takes on your life and your form. As you move, it moves. But when you take it off, it falls to the ground. Likewise, the day you (the real you) step out of your body, your body will fall to the ground, but you will still be alive. This is why God tells us to put more emphasis on the things that will build up our inner-man than our outer-man. While bodily exercise is important, you should not spend 5 hours in the gym and then 5 minutes in the Word.
- In this world people commonly relate to others based on their outer-man. Many are enamored by the shape of people’s bodies, by the clothes they wear, and the adornment they put on. But the Bible teaches us that once we are in Christ we are no longer to think of people the way we used to think. We are no longer to look at others from simply a human/carnal/worldly point of view.
- Paul said, “We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be.” The outer-man is what people “seem to be”. As a believer the Father expects you to discern who people really are and then deal with them according to their divine assignment.
- The day you were Born-Again you were made a citizen of God’s Kingdom. The currency of God’s Kingdom is faith. Faith is how every exchange is made in God’s system. We put a lot of emphasis on faith. But while faith is the currency of the Kingdom, the culture of the Kingdom is HONOR. The Father expects us to relate to people, not by how they look on the outside, but by the divine purpose they are called to on the inside. When you properly relate to people, based on their divine assignment and how they are pursuing divine purpose, it is called HONOR. When you HONOR someone you are looking past outward flaws and human failures, in order to esteem them as the person God called them to be.
I will stop here for today. I have a lot more to say about this.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. I am in Christ. Christ is in me. The more I meditate this truth the more it changes my perspective for everything. I don’t look at people the way I used to. I don’t even look at myself the same way. When You look at me You see the divine assignment You called me to. You are not hung up on my flesh, my past or my mistakes. And You expect me to deal with others the way You deal with me. I declare that I do. I deal with others according to the Spirit, and not the flesh. You allow me to see them as You see them. I HONOR the divine assignment You have called others to. I esteem others according to their divine purpose. I don’t get enamored or distracted by the outward appearance anymore. I learn to discern how to see people and I HONOR them according to what You allow me to see. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
