"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to re-
ceive the grace of God in vain."
How is the grace of God received "in vain"--even potentially by us, sin-
cere Christians? It is "received in vain" when we forget that our right-
eousness is all wrapped up in Jesus. The previous verse, (2 Cor. 5:21), had taught us imputed righteousness and substitutionary atonement. But our flesh continually recoils at such marvels, and seeks to regain its perverse "credibility" (even with God).
So, when we cease to look to Jesus alone for our redemption, (and we gaze upon ourselves or something else), we receive the grace of God "in vain." Is Christ our righteousness? Then let us look no further.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ is never really absent from such as love Him, but He may seem to be so sometimes." --Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ"]
