Useful Bible Studies > 2 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 5
Christians should not still live for themselves. That is, they should not live in a selfish, proud and greedy manner. God hates such attitudes*, but that is not the only reason, or even the main reason. Christians should not behave like that because of the astonishing change that Christ has made in their lives.
Christ died so that God can forgive our evil deeds. However, this is not a way for us to continue the same evil behaviour without punishment. Instead, it is the beginning of a completely new life, where we can live to please God. God gives to us his Holy Spirit, so that we can do that*.
Christ died and rose again to give people that new life. So people must also die and rise again to receive it. Here, however, we refer not to the death of the person’s body, but to the astonishing change in the person’s attitudes. People must consider their former lives, when they lived to please themselves, to be dead*. They must then accept the new life that God gives to their spirits*. That is how a person becomes a Christian. The result is that God considers that person to be alive. Formerly, because of that person’s evil deeds, God considered that person already dead *. That was so even while they were still alive in this world. That was because the only possible result of their life, was death *. However now, as God’s people, they have life that never ends *.
Therefore, with grateful hearts, they should turn completely from their former evil behaviour*. God has made them free so that they can live for him.
Next part: Changes of attitudes when a person becomes a Christian (5:16)
* See complete article for these Bible references.
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© 2016, Keith Simons.