The Fear and Love and Righteousness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:11-21) [Jay Thomas]

When we hear a phrase like the "fear of the Lord" it can be easy to slip into a mindset of an angry God who looks disdainfully back at us, leading us to cower, run away, and experience shame. What Paul means by that phrase in 2 Corinthians 5:11 is the opposite. Yes, fear is a strong word and we should keep the teeth in it, but the point is that godly fear of Jesus, the True Judge (5:10), leads us to see his love (5:14). Fear = Love! And that love was perfectly demonstrated in the work of Jesus to die in our place, so that we could live in his life (5:21). Paul is rising above the fray of this opponents by calling up the Corinthians - and us "Chapel Hill-ians" - to focus on the glory of the gospel. Rather than being bogged down or playing their game, Paul is fixing his eyes on the Lord, keeping his heart in heaven, and focusing his life on being an ambassador for the gospel. He sees, and he wants us to see, with the eyes of the Spirit. From fray to freedom. From resentment to reconciliation.