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Read:2 Corinthians 5:11-17
Listen: 2 Corinthians 5

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

The first-century city of Corinth pulses with noise and ambition. Corinth is a center for trade where people can remake themselves, grow wealth, and chart a new future. Status defines everything—who you know, what you own, and where you stand in the social order. Into this world, Paul writes to a young church. These new believers carry the Corinthian culture, measuring a person by their wealth, connections, and reputation. But Paul pushes back. New life in Christ requires a new perspective, one shaped by the gospel of Jesus. The old categories no longer apply. Something entirely new has taken their place.

Our world isn’t far from Corinth. Every day, social media feeds, news cycles, and cultural voices offer a worldview—who matters, what to fear, and how to measure worth. The way we respond to challenges and pressures reveals our worldview. The truth of Christ’s redemptive work, the Holy Spirit living in us, and our adoption as God’s children should give us a markedly different view than the world around us. People should look at us and wonder what’s different. The Spirit in us changes the way we think, act, and relate to the world. Through the Spirit, we are conformed to Jesus. This shows up in how we hold our convictions, with the same grace and truth that marked Jesus himself. The question is whether we’re more shaped by the world or by the Word and the gospel.

TODAY: Identify one area where the world has been shaping your perspective more than the Word. Bring it to God in prayer and ask him to renew your mind with his Word this week.