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.
Christ having died for “all” puts everything in different perspective.
16 Therefore,
Now, the settled judgment by God about the sin issue—that is, Jesus fully paid for our sin (2 Co 5:15)—should have significant implications on how Christians put priority in their lives.
from now on,
From the point of coming to realize the finished work of Christ paying for the sins of the believer, Christians do not look at things from the same perspective.
we regard no one according to the flesh.
The team did not look at people from a personal point of view, according to common values. The death of Christ made the team look at people from a new viewpoint. Christians evaluate things differently after they become believers.
Even though [since] we have known Christ according to the flesh,
Before becoming believers, the team looked at Christ from a human viewpoint. They saw Him as a mere man, a self-proclaimed prophet, or a rabbi.
yet now we know Him thus no longer.
Having become Christians, they now viewed Jesus as God incarnate. They saw more in Christ than His earthly life. In their pre-conversion days, the team viewed Jesus in an entirely different way than they did once they embraced Him as their Savior.
PRINCIPLE:
Judgments about ministry rest on who and what Christ is, not on personalities.
APPLICATION:
Judging Christianity from a human viewpoint has many forms today. The judgment we make about Christ’s death for us influences our perspectives and priorities. It changes the way we regard Christ and those without Christ.
Neither should we evaluate others based on external appearances. Truth is not a matter of opinion; it rests on the objective reality of what Christ did on the cross.
