Daily Affirmations - Day 2 - The Greatest of These - New Views

Day 2: New Views

In Christ everything old has passed away; everything has become new

And [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view (2 Corinthians 5:15-16) 

In view of the fact that the Lord Jesus died for all people, and rose again:

The effect of that has been to change all our feelings, and to give us entirely new views of people, of ourselves, and of the Messiah, so that we have become new creatures… Our estimate of [people] is formed by other views than “according to the flesh”.

The meaning [of this expression] is, probably, that in his estimate of people [Paul] was not influenced by the views [of] those... who are unacquainted with the truths of redemption. It may include a great many things, and perhaps the following:

(1) He was not influenced in his estimate of people by a regard to their birth, or country. He did not form an attachment to a Jew because he was a Jew, or to a Gentile because he was a Gentile. He had learned that Christ died for all, and he felt disposed to regard all alike.

(2) He was not influenced in his estimate of people by their rank, and wealth, and office... He had been, but now he learned to look on their moral character, and to regard that as making the only permanent, and really important distinction among people. He did not esteem one man highly because he was of elevated rank, or of great wealth, and another less because he was of a different rank in life.

(3) It may also include the idea, that he had left his own kindred and friends on account of superior attachment to Christ... He had parted from them to preach the gospel...

It may be that they would have set before him the advantages of his birth and education; would have reminded him of his early brilliant prospects; and would have used all the means possible to dissuade him from embarking in a cause like that in which he was engaged. The passage here means that Paul was influenced by none of these considerations.

In early life he had been. He had prided himself on rank, and on talent. He was proud of his own advantages as a Jew; and he estimated worth by rank, and by national distinction (Philippians 3:4-6). He had despised Christians on account of their being the followers of the man of Nazareth: and there can be no reason to doubt that he partook of the common feelings of his countrymen and held in contempt the whole Gentile world.

But his views were changed... He had formed his principle of action now from a higher standard than any regard to rank, or wealth, or national distinction; and had risen above them all, and now estimated people not by these external... advantages, but by a reference to their personal character and moral worth.

~ Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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