Living into Love's Expansive Vision A Study of Second Corinthians 5, 6, 15 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller hello good people.

Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller.

That's me.

So glad you joined me in my mission to get the audible word of God, the voice of God daily into a million people.

That's two millionaires.

We do so by a daily reading of the New Testament from the Message version.

To be understandable, we make it relatable by giving you some points to ponder and applicable by giving you an action step to take.

We do all this from a daily reading from the from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C and we are in the Lenten season.

It's all brought to you by our website, voiceofgodaily.com that is the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible study method.

Let's get into our reading for the day.

2nd Corinthians 5, 6, 15 Reading from the Message that's why we live with such good cheer.

You won't see us dropping, drooping our heads or dragging our feet.

Cramped conditions here don't get us down.

They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead.

It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.

Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us?

When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing.

Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.

Sooner or later, we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions.

We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

That keeps us vigilant.

You can be sure.

It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of judgment.

That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God.

God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care.

We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you.

We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are.

If I acted crazy, I did it for God.

If I acted overly serious, I I did it for you.

Christ's love has moved me to such extremes.

His love has the first and last word in everything we do a new life.

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center.

One man died for everyone.

That puts everyone in the same boat.

He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life.

A resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

Well, really a powerful bit of scripture there about Paul's radical vision of a love that transformed not just us individually, but entire communities and systems and the way that we think.

So let's consider some points to ponder here.

One is resistance as joy.

Paul speaks of good cheer in the face of difficulty, not as toxic positivity, but as revolutionary resistance.

When he talks about not being brought down by cramped conditions, he is offering a powerful template for social justice work.

Joy becomes an act of defiance against oppressive systems, and hope becomes a form of spiritual resistance.

This isn't about ignoring reality, but about refusing to let current conditions define the limits of possibility.

Another point is about universal inclusion.

Paul's declaration that one man died for everyone can be understood as a radical statement of universal inclusion.

Rather than using Christ's death as a tool of exclusion, that is determining who's in and who's out, Paul presents it as the ultimate act of solidarity with all of humanity.

Everyone is in the same boat.

A powerful metaphor for interconnectedness and shared destiny, particularly relevant to contemporary issues like climate, justice and economic equality.

One more point to ponder that's about going beyond individual salvation.

The resurrection life Paul describes isn't just about individual spiritual transformation.

When he speaks of a far better life than people ever lived on their own, he's pointing to a communal reality.

This challenges the individualistic spirituality often found in contemporary religion and calls us to understand salvation as something that happens in and through community, which is affecting social structures and systems.

Here's your action step for the day.

Practice Radical Inclusion Inventory.

That is every day notice at least one way that you can create an us versus them dynamic in your thinking or actions, and then go.

Then fight against that.

Then intentionally take a small step to break down that barrier.

It might be as simple as having coffee with someone you usually avoid or learning about a perspective that you typically might just dismiss or examine a privilege that you take for granted in your life.

So whatever it is, you might want to document this journal or record it, or somehow notice how these change your understanding of community.

We're going to pray here in just a moment.

I did want you to know that we have a great resource for you to help you with your individual Bible study.

We love it when you come and join us here at Daily Bible Refresh, but we want you to have your own Bible study as well.

And if you just head on over to our website, voiceofgodaily.com you can pick up our resource for daily Bible study for yourself and it's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.

It's there for you to pick up and help you in your daily Bible study.

You join us here to hear the Word of God and the study of the Word of God on your own.

So let's pray.

God, you are the source of love that knows no bounds.

We confess we often create banners where you see bridges.

Help us embrace the radical inclusivity that your love demands.

When we're tempted to draw lines between us and them, remind us that we're all in the same boat.

When we grow weary of our justice work, fill us with the kind of joy that defies despair.

Thank you for showing us through Jesus what solidarity with humanity looks like.

Give us courage to live into that example, to stand with the marginalized, to challenge our own prejudices and to imagine new ways of being community together.

May our lives reflect the expansive love that holds us all together.

Amen.

My good friends, it's always so good to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.

It is amazing for us to spend this time together in the Word of God.

It's my goal to get the Word of God audibly into 2 million years, a million people by the year 2028.

And I would just love it if you join me in that partnership by joining me again tomorrow morning when we get into the Word of God again.

And we usually drop these episodes by 6am this time, be there and bring a friend.

We'll love to have you with us on this journey together.

You can find everything you need@voiceofgoddaily.com until then.

Till tomorrow then, friends.

My name is Dr.

Brad Miller and I want to encourage you that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.

Sa.