Living Evidence of Christ
Read the Text: 2 Corinthians 5
Memorize the Text:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
(2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB)
Consider the Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, 20
Living for Jesus should not be a secret. The life of a believer must demonstrate evidence of a life changed by Christ. The New Testament states that when one becomes a follower of Christ, the old sinful self passes away, and the believer becomes new. The change and the new life provide evidence in one’s life and others. In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul noted that believers become evidence for the Lord when they enter a relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior. This evidence occurs in an external, internal, and occupational manner.
External Evidence
The apostle Paul noted that believers must refrain from regarding each other by the standards of the flesh. The main thrust of Paul’s point centers on the command to stop evaluating people from a human point of view. Instead, the believer needs to allow the love of God to control every aspect of life. When this occurs, the Christian begins to view others how Jesus views them and desires to approach them like Jesus.
The external evidence of Christ in one’s life means that the believer lives under the control of Christ’s love. In both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible calls believers to love the Lord first and foremost with all of their heart, mind, and soul. Jesus linked this command with the continued directive to love others as one loves the self. Thus, the evidence of one’s love for the Lord becomes evident as one extends love to others, and as a result, the extension of love to others provides evidence for Jesus.
Internal Evidence
The apostle declared that the evidence did not exist externally alone, but the evidence occurred internally. The internal evidence becomes noticeable as the change occurs in one’s life because of a relationship with the Lord. A time existed when the individual viewed the Lord through the eyes of the flesh, but when the relationship with Jesus began, a transformation occurred. The new self became defined by the Lord and not the flesh.
The old internal self passed away. The former ways of life would be defined by the flesh, hopelessness, and living for the temporary. The transformation brought forth a new life. This new life seeks to live for the Lord and obeys His ways. This new life lives with hope and the certainty of the eternal kingdom. The change in perspective and the presence of hope in the internal self completely change the individual, and the difference reveals evidence of Jesus.
Occupational Evidence
The purpose of one’s life adjusts when one enters a relationship with the Lord. They move from a rebel against the Lord to an ambassador representing the Lord. As an ambassador, the Christian is accredited as one who goes into a foreign land and represents the kingdom where their citizenship exists. Thus, they speak on behalf of the kingdom and represent the authority of that kingdom. As an ambassador, the Lord uses the believer to make His appeal to the world to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. The message remains that everyone must be reconciled to the Lord. The new occupation centers on serving the Lord and now has the sole purpose of proclaiming the evidence of Jesus.
As a follower of Christ, one needs to seek to be evidence bearers in every component of life. They need to demonstrate the love of Christ to others and show the external evidence of Jesus. They need to live according to the ways of the Lord and show the evidence of the internal change that happens in redemption. They must seek to be the occupational evidence bearers by serving as ambassadors of God’s kingdom. May each believer commit to sharing the internal, external, and occupational evidence.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
