How do see others? What do you see first?
Do you see their clothes first? Hair? Tattoos? Face? Race?
What is important to you as you see another person? The class you perceive them to be in? Their perceived background? The color of their skin? The sound of their accent? Their ability to speak English? Democratic or Republican?
Literally, what do you see?
The Love of Christ Changes the Way You See People
As Christians, we must be very aware of how we view people. The Apostle Paul makes this point incredibly clear:
14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. (2 Corinthians 5:14-16)
As one who is aware and motivated by the love that Christ has for him, because of that, Paul says it changes the way he sees people.
He explains that living for Jesus in light of Christ’s love for him means that he no longer sees people according to the flesh. He compares it to the way he saw Jesus. Before understanding the love of Christ, he saw Jesus as a Galilean false prophet. But once he understood the Gospel, his entire view of Jesus changed.
How Do You See People?
How do you see people? Not according to the flesh – that is, what’s on the outside.
As one motivated by the Gospel and loved by Jesus, it changes the way we see those around us. We now see them as eternity-bound people with encapsulated souls inside their bodies.
Look past whatever is on the outside – anything you can see with your eyes – and see people as precious people who are in the image of God heading to either heaven or hell. These are the ones we respect and desire to reach with the love of Jesus.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together