Our Normal Christian Life

Meditations on Second Corinthians

May 4, 2023

Our Normal Christian Life

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Read: 2 Corinthians 7:2-10

What is the ‘normal Christian life’? Watchman Nee wrote a book with that title, and he answered the question by going through Romans 6, 7, and 8, verse by verse. I believe those chapters in Romans give us great insight into the ebb and flow of our Christian life, and Paul’s transparency about the emotional roller coaster he has been riding also reflects the normal Christian life.

At the center of our normal Christian life is an awareness that the choices we make are literally life and death choices, and not just for our own personal life and death. Paul carried a great burden of caring about the life and death of others. That burden is also a part of our normal Christian Life.

As I read today’s passage, I thought of the college football teams that just concluded their spring practice. Many of these teams have their goal set on winning conference championships, bowl games, and some even the national championship. With that goal in mind, they will continue every day with their fitness training until team practices resume this summer. The best teams will work hard everyday to reach their goal. So it is in the normal Christian life. (See 2 Cor. 5:9, Phil 3:14ff, 2 Tim 4:6-8)

My Takeaway: Paul experienced life as an emotional roller coaster because he cared so deeply for the eternal salvation of others. Am I as committed as Paul for the faithfulness of my church, as well as in my concern for the salvation of my friends, family, and neighbors?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.