Isaiah 43:21 English Standard Version (ESV) the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

Searching various translations there are two lines of thought to this passage.

The first is that God the Father is to be praise.

The second is that we are to declare that which God has praised.

Both can take a firm stand as to why each translation is correct. The first tends to believe we were chosen of God to praise God. That is a solid argument.

The second is to declare that which God has praised. But what has God praised?

Matthew 3:17 English Standard Version (ESV) and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

God praises His Son Jesus Christ, even before His ministry begins. To declare Christ is to declare our allegiance to Him who has given His life so that we will have life in Him.

In this case it is possible to see both translations to be true and to accept and do both. We can praise God and declare Jesus Christ. Those are not two opposing thoughts.

Either way we see the translation must not lose sight of the fact that God formed us and we belonged to Him, even before we were aware of either translation.

Now comes the more difficult challenge. God formed all mankind and knew them in the womb before they were born. The term “they might” is an inexact phrase that allows for the possibility that some “might not” praise God and declare His Son.

That knowledge weighs heavily on the hearts of every believer in Christ. We want those we care about to declare Christ but wishing does not make it so. The more we love a person the more difficult it is to see them walk away from the love offered to all of us.

My father never saw me come to Christ. Let that sink in for a minute.

2 Corinthians 5:16 English Standard Version (ESV) From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

There is a human problem with reconciliation that needs to be addressed. In studying this chapter about the ministry of reconciliation it might best be understood that the difficulty starts here in verse 16.

What does it mean to regard Christ according to the flesh? That is to take a view of him with our flesh and we must remember that the flesh opposes the spirit and the spirit opposes the flesh. In that there seems to be no reconciliation in us as to those two aspects. Reconciliation is not about the conflict within ourselves. Reconciliation is between God and man, putting to an end to hostility and rebellion.

That does not resolve the conflict within ourselves. Flesh and spirit will always be at odds with one another and it is up to us to decide which to believe, which to trust, and which to follow.

God has reconciled us to Him. The war is over from God’s point of view. God does not change and therefore any reconciliation that needs to happen now has to be within us. Verse 20 says “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

We can only do that if we do so in the spirit. If the flesh is allowed to dominate our thoughts and actions, we have not done what is necessary to reconcile ourselves to God. It is not a matter of meeting Him half way.

v. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

We should ask ourselves, can a dead man sin? The answer to that is no. This is where the flesh screams “But I sin.” That is true, so what can be said of our old dead man? He is not yet quite dead enough. He will be dead enough when we follow the spirit in all things and do not allow the flesh to control our lives.