Daily Worship

In the Cross

Peter Neilson March 03, 2017 0 0

2 Corinthians 5:20

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,

‘In the time of my favour I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.’

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s hardships

3 We put no stumbling-block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Now is the time of God’s favour.

Now is the day of salvation.

 

Father God, 

in the Cross ,

You have turned enemies into friends,

by soaking up the world’s hostility

in your eternal forgiveness.

 

Son of God,

in the Cross

You have made the great exchange

becoming sin for us

so that we might become 

sons and daughters of God,

brothers and sisters reconciled in Christ.

 

Spirit of God,

in the Cross

You carried Jesus to the end

and raised him from the dead

so that His life

might live in us

re-working our sins and wounds

into Christ-like character and gifts.

 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

we worship You, 

held secure in all that You have done

once for all in Jesus Christ,

so that every day

and on this day,

however we may feel

or whatever we may have done

we can say:

Now is the time of God’s favour

Now is the time of his salvation.

 

Thank you, God, for your relentless love

even when events and experience

make us question it. AMEN