Decisions, decisions

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

What do you know about me? What do you know about your wife, husband, kids, or coworkers? What do you know about your pastor, worship leader, or favorite singer?

I’m sure that my wife could come up with a long list of things that she knows about me. She knows my job. She knows my demeanor. She knows how long it takes me to get ready in the morning. She knows I love her. She knows I’m prone to anger. She knows nearly everything about me through years of living (and putting up) with me.

Everything that Maggie knows about me, she has learned through years of experiencing life with me. She knows, “If it ain’t eggs, it ain’t breakfast” because I told her that’s how I feel. She knows that I like to get up at least an hour and a half before I have to leave because I need time to prepare myself for the day. She knows that my patience tank is small, and she compensates for that by extending me grace in our daily walk together. She knows I’m not a good speller. She knows I’m sarcastic. She knows that I’m blunt, but usually mean no harm.

Maggie knows all of these things about me because she has lovingly and graciously put up with me for nearly 18 years now. All of these things that she knows about me, she has learned either through experiences or through direct verbal teaching.

Likewise, I know Maggie in the same way. We have been together and have been learning from each other, about each other, for a long time. We have become like one person, and that’s a good thing. It’s Biblical! (Mark 10:8, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5) Just like Maggie has learned about me, nearly everything that I know about her I have learned through experiences or her direct teaching. But there is one thing that I have to determine to know about Maggie. It’s the one thing that covers up all of the other stuff that I know about her.

I have to determine on my own to know only Christ and Christ crucified about Maggie. Paul says it when he speaks to the church and it’s true today for our personal lives as well as our day to day lives. We need to be looking at one another through Christ. When I look at, talk to, or hang around with Maggie I have made the determination to see her as perfect through Christ.

We, as Christians, are viewed by God the Father as holy and righteous through Jesus Christ. It is God who first determined not to know anything among us except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was, and still is, a choice on His part. He has made the determination to overlook, ignore, bypass, whatever you want to say, everything evil and corrupt about us, choosing only to know us based on Jesus Christ and His finished work at the cross.

If the Father looks at us and sees the perfect work of Jesus, how can we look at each other in judgement? Imagine a world full of Christians who, when they encounter a person, only see the finished work of Jesus Christ’s blood cleansing their sins. Imagine the impact that would have on a lost and hurting world.