To Tell the Truth

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

TO TELL THE TRUTH

2 Cor 5:11-15

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

NIV

Within the Greek words this first phrase reads more like, “Since we understand the terror of the Lord upon those who do not accept Jesus, we try to persuade men to accept God’s offer of salvation. This follows those words about the good and the evil doers getting their just due. We believers, although we understand the terror or the wrath of God that will be poured out on those who refuse his offer, do not have to fear him, or his wrath. But if we love the world as God does, then we should be trying with all our might to persuade men to accept his offer. If we are convinced as Paul was about Jesus having died for all, then we should be letting the all know about it, because without Jesus they are going to spend time in torment before perishing. We believers know hell is as real as heaven, but some might be a little confused about Satan being the lord of hell. Satan is not in hell; God is the Lord of Hell as he is the Lord of heaven. Satan is here on the earth roaming around to see who he might devour, so that when they die, they go to hell rather than heaven. At the end times God will have hell or hades give up its dead and that is when those who refused his offer will get their just due, being thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. Hell, Satan, the beast, the false prophet will all be thrown in there as well. So if we care at all about people we would try our very hardest to persuade them to accept God’s offer of salvation. It is a free gift; it cannot be bought or paid for in anyway. We must explain the result of their refusal to accept this gift. Our death is followed by our resurrection into the presence of God, their death is followed with torment until the last day, and then they perish. Death is not the end of life, but the beginning of either something wonderful or something terrible. Death either brings the love of God or the terror of God. If we love people we cannot remain silent, we must tell them the truth. If we are believers then we must tell the truth.