2 Corinthians 5:9-10,20-21 NKJV

“9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

“20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Things Hidden

The Lord put it on my heart this morning to look into the subject of things not seen, things hidden, secretive things, things not of God but of the flesh. I believe this is in the area of addictive sin, which is being kept hidden, kept secret, but while the sinner is giving an outward appearance that “all is well.” For they are not looking to God for the answers, and for the remedies, but they are relying on self rather than on having their sufficiency in God to set them free from what has been holding them captive a very long time.

For they have not yet come to that place of true biblical repentance and a changed heart and mind resulting in a change of attitude and behavior. They have not gone through the biblical process of self-examination before God in truth and in righteousness to look into what is stored up in their hearts so that they can have their hearts and minds cleansed of the Spirit of God. So they have not yet truly been reconciled to God because they are still operating in the flesh, doing things their way, and not God’s way.

Be Reconciled to God

What does it look like biblically to be reconciled to God? It isn’t just forgiveness of sins and a free pass to heaven when you die. It means we change, decisively change, to change from enmity with God to friendship, fellowship, and partnership with God. This is about exchanging our old lives of living in sin and for self for our new lives in Christ Jesus, free from the power and control of sin over our lives, by the grace of God, and in the power of God. And free to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands.

For when Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross it was to put our sins to death with him so that we will now die to sin and obey God with our lives. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. And to repent of our sins is not just to say we are sorry, but it is to turn from our sins and to go the opposite direction in now living holy lives, fully pleasing to God.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

All of us, whether or not we profess faith in Jesus Christ, are going to stand before the Lord on the day of judgment, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. And many who call Jesus Lord are going to claim many things they believed they did in his name, but he will answer them that he never knew them, and that they are to depart from him, for they are “workers of lawlessness” who do not obey the commands of God in life practice.

So, we are to make it our aim, in the power of God, as led by the Spirit, to be well pleasing to our Lord. And what pleases our Lord is when we submit to him as Lord, and we put sin to death in our lives, and we follow him in obedience to his commands, as a matter of life practice. For if we are “in Christ,” by faith in him, it means we have changed. Our old lives of living in sin are done away with, and now we are walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord, in submission to his will, in practice, as empowered by God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Better Is

Based in part off Proverbs 27
An Original Work / October 5, 2018
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Better is Love’s chastisement from a friend,
Than to have your sins coddled to no end.

Wisdom is seeing danger – flees from sin,
Trusting in your Redeemer, pure within.

Jesus is your salvation – freed from sin –
Giving you life eternal, without end.

Trusting in His provisions, peace within,
Simply by giving your life all to Him.

Living your life for Jesus ev’ry day,
Tell of His mighty power, lives to save.

Listening to Him speaking to your heart,
Tell of His grace which gave you a new start.

We Implore You!
An Original Work / June 18, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love