Pastor's Note - February 3 
I think one of the more compelling verses in the New Testament is Paul’s admonition in 2 Corinthians 5:16; “From now on we regard no one according to the flesh.” I’m not sure I’ve fully unpacked what Paul means by this. But I think positively it means that, as Christians indwelled by the Spirit and united to Christ, we see all things and all people through the lens of the gospel. We see people and the world through gospel-colored glasses. In the immediate context for Paul, he means that we see our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as who they are – God’s beloved children, forgiven of sin and united to Him. We try to see our fellow Christians as God sees them, sanctified and holy in Christ. This should impact how we view one another in the church, and how we treat one another. Do we give each other the benefit of the doubt, as fellow believers? Do we believe they are acting in the Holy Spirit? Do we trust that the Lord loves them and is working positively in their life? Do we trust that they are seeking to do the Lord's will, even if we disagree, or even if they are truly misguided? Do we believe that our fellow believers are, by God's grace, on a path of sanctification? And, do we believe the church itself is loved by Jesus, and that He is committed to her? Do we see the church as Christ sees her? These are important questions, and I think it's a mindset and heat posture many of us often miss, as we so often see the world and each other through other lenses, and group and then dismiss fellow believers by applying other labels to them. I'll talk about that more in this space next week.