For the Glory of God!

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV

Like these verses say, we should no longer live ourselves, and start to live for God in Christ Jesus. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) We should not quit living for Him, just because it is hard. In Matthew 16:24-27, Jesus warns us that following Him to be a true disciple of Jesus is going to be hard, but we will get rewarded from Him at the end of age:

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)

                                                                                                   

The reward that we are going to get from Him is eternal life with Him, since we are supposed to have this eternal life, for the word of God says that our original citizenship is in heaven. This is a free gift from God who is our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

As I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:1)

Therefore, we definitely should crucify our human flesh with repentance before God, for “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) Then we should live for the glory of God that will be revealed to us; as He is the way of the truth and the life (John 14:6):

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Corinthians 10:31)