Tag Archives: 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

A Jesus Mirror??? Or Not? A Word from THE WORD!!! #470

29 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Form of godliness?, Follow Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, For Such A Time As This, Fruit of the Spirit, Giving Or Taking?, Knowing GOD, Knowing God's Word, Marginalizing God

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A Jesus Mirror??? Or Not?  A Word from THE WORD!!! #470

Today I want to focus on a rather lengthy passage from the book of James; it is apropos to the world we live in, and I pray will help us to examine the things we see and hear (especially those things purported to be from and about Jesus—but are often less than true to the Jesus seen in the scriptures!).  It’s like what we looked at recently in Paul’s messages to his son-in-the-ministry, Timothy, that we are to study God’s Word not man’s! And as we also considered the truths found in the book of Hebrews, reminding us that God’s Word IS that which is the standard of judgment!  And with so many contrasting messages being put forth in our world, we must—I repeat—we must know what God has said.  And just as a note of reference, we aren’t the only ones to ever rely upon our own wisdom, but when that’s done the results are recorded for us, and they’re not good.

“In those days there was no king in Israel,

but every man did that which was right

in his own eyes.”  Judges 17:6

“In those days there was no king in Israel:

every man did that which was right

in his own eyes.”  Judges 21:25

Just a note for information, when things are repeated in scripture we need to take extra heed.  We live in such a day, so I’d like us to consider the message of James to those who claimed to be believers.  And I’ll make only this note of my own opinion, it’s not what we claim to believe, but whether or not we have truly been born again and have the Holy Spirit dwelling within; as I often mention, just “saying so, doesn’t make it so!”  Only the new birth can make it so!  Paul said it better than I can. (I encourage you to read all of Romans 8!)

“So then they that are in the flesh

cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,

if so be that the Spirit of God

dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you,

the body is dead because of sin;

but the Spirit is life

because of righteousness.”  Romans 8:8-10                                (See 2 Corinthians 5:19-12)

With that being said let’s proceed on to consider James’ message to us!  Will we look into the mirror of God’s Word, or a mirror of our own choosing?  Will we see the truths of Jesus or a cultural modification of our own selection?

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak,

slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man

worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart

all filthiness

and superfluity of naughtiness,

and receive with meekness

the engrafted word,

which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word,

and not a doer,

he is like unto a man

beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself,

and goeth his way,

and straightway forgetteth

what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into

the perfect law of liberty,

and continueth therein,

he being not a forgetful hearer,

but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious,

and bridleth not his tongue,

but deceiveth his own heart,

 this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled

before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless

and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted

from the world.”  James 1:19-27

And one of Jesus’ pictures of those who are His own.

“Blessed are ye,

when men shall revile you,

and persecute you,

and shall say all manner of evil against you

falsely,

for my sake.

12 Rejoice,

and be exceeding glad:

for great is your reward in heaven:

for so persecuted they the prophets

which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth:

but if the salt have lost his savour,

wherewith shall it be salted?

it is thenceforth good for nothing,

but to be cast out,

and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill

cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle,

and put it under a bushel,

but on a candlestick;

and it giveth light

unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

 and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:11-16

And one last word of Jesus’ to His own.

“If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world,

therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you

 for my name’s sake,

because they know not him that sent me.”   John 15:19-21

I pray that you will look unto Jesuss, “the author and finisher of our faith…” (See Hebrews 12:1-3); and when you look in that mirror you will see more and more of Jesus!

Amen and Amen!!!

How Close To Calvary??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #404

13 Thursday Nov 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Cross, Crucified With Christ, Follow Jesus, Following Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, Study to Show Yourself Approved Unto God, Take Up YOUR Cross, The Mind Of Christ, The Name of Jesus?, The Only Name That Matters

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How Close To Calvary??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #404

I want us to consider where we stand in relation to the cross of Jesus; how close is my walk to that cross?  Am I so far away from the import of the cross that it pales in comparison to the focus of my life?   Is Jesus and His work of redemption the thing that holds my heart, or is the world so important to me that I have lost sight of the cross, in other words, how big is my cross?  Am I so far away from it that its import has shrunken into oblivion?  The cross is what Jesus calls us to cling to, as both Matthew and Luke record this discourse for us.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will lose his life

for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:24-26

“Saying,

The Son of man must suffer many things,

and be rejected of the elders

and chief priests and scribes,

and be slain,

and be raised the third day.

23 And he said to them all,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

but whosoever will lose his life for my sake,

the same shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged,

if he gain the whole world,

and lose himself,

or be cast away?

26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me

and of my words,

of him shall the Son of man be ashamed,

when he shall come in his own glory,

and in his Father’s,

and of the holy angels.”  Luke 9:22-26

What does Jesus tell us?  He says that if we desire to come after Him—to follow Him—we must “deny” ourselves, in other words, put Jesus first over our own desires.  Jesus doesn’t stop there, for He goes on to say that we are to take up our “cross daily”; remembering that the cross is an instrument of death—we are to die to self and live to Jesus Christ The Lord each and every day, following Him!  Not following the fads, or the trends, or the call of our flesh to be popular, wealthy, powerful, or influential in this world.  Paul said it better than I can.

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

To take up our cross means to die to self and live unto Jesus in all that we do.  Jesus is to be the heartbeat of all we say and do!  Not an easy task, but one that we can do when we walk with The Lord by the power of His Spirit within us.  The indwelling Holy Spirit is the evidence that we belong to Jesus, and in his power, we are enabled to take up our cross and live for Jesus!

“So then they that are in the flesh

cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh,

but in the Spirit,

if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you,

the body is dead because of sin;

but the Spirit is life

because of righteousness.”  Romans 8:8-10

By Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross He bought our righteousness with His own blood; so that all who come to Him in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice receive His righteousness in place of our sin, all by His precious blood!

“To wit, that God was in Christ,

reconciling the world unto himself,

not imputing their trespasses unto them;

and hath committed unto us

the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God did beseech you by us:

we pray you in Christ’s stead,

be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:19-21

We are privileged to know the love of The Son of God, who poured out His own blood to pay for my sin and yours—payment for all who will believe in His sacrificial payment for sin, made on the cross of Calvary!  What have you done with His grace and mercy to pay for your sin?  Do you know Him?  Have you received His grace and mercy in salvation.

“And you,

being dead in your sins

and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

hath he quickened together with him,

having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances

that was against us,

which was contrary to us,

and took it out of the way,

nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:13-14

The question is how close are you to Calvary?  Have you been there for salvation?  If you are saved, are you carrying your cross in faith and devotion to the Lord of all—Jesus Christ the Lord?

In closing, we can choose to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, we can choose the broad road or the narrow way—destruction or life!  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test—and the cross and God’s Word are the standard!

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,

and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,

and the Spirit against the flesh:

and these are contrary the one to the other:

so that ye cannot do the things that ye would…

25 If we live in the Spirit,

let us also walk in the Spirit.” Portions of Galatians 5:16-25

Amen and Amen!!!