The New Looks Like the Original (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Notes
Transcript
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul is defending his ministry
People believed he suffered too much to be a true follower, and Apostle, of Jesus.
The first part of this letter deals with his defending his ministry
We NOW see the world through the lens of NEW CREATION!
This is why Paul would NEVER give up on this church
This is why we should never give up on our world
Yes, it seems to be a miserable place.
And without the hope and message of Christ it would be.
But, because of what Christ has done, Christ has accomplished bringing the NEW CREATION out from the old. There is HOPE still that ALL is NOT lost. it is being made new and it WILL be made new!! This is part of the NEW way of looking at our world, and others in Christ!
Many religions and cultures have a view of a restored Paradise that will come at some point. But, Paul’s argument, and a part of the way we look at things in/by/through Christ, is to recognize that this NEW has broken into NOW! It is not something we wait for, expecting it to happen in the future, it is something that HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN CHRIST, ON THE CROSS, AND that has present and future implications. The NEW has broken into the NOW!
The new creation is breaking through NOW Because of Christ!
We are a part of it and we have a valued role in proclaiming the reconciliation message of the New Creation.
In Christ we ARE the NEW CREATION
This is because of Christ, through Christ, at the merits of Christ...
We are made new because of what God has done for us IN CHRIST
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
World = Kosmon (the ENTIRE CREATED ORDER)
19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
This gives us a NEW MINISTRY. But, if we are sinners (or sinful humanity). If we are a part of the NEW CREATION because of Christ, then how can we have a NEW ministry?
That too is ONLY from Christ!
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
At the cross Christ took our sins, our imperfections, our shortcomings that would keep us from being able to be a part of God’s NEW CREATION. The statement of the cross, therefore, becomes a statement about how we, as imperfect as we are, can participate in God’s NEW MINISTRY. HOW? Because the cross has dealt with all that!
But, as Paul has argued to the church in Corinth, being a part of this ministry is bearing the cross, its shame and its glory, in our lives - through hardships, persecutions, suffering and shame...
This NEW LIFE is a part of the NEW CREATED ORDER (or, more appropriately the RENEWED Created order). But, the NEW looks a lot like the ORIGINAL!!
So, to understand Paul’s role (and anyone who is NEW in Christ’s role) as an ambassador and/or minister of reconciliation, we must look at the CREATED ORDER!
What was our role in creation?
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
We were created to bear God’s image. To reflect God
This is RELATIONAL - not physical...
Statue
In the times when Genesis was written kings would place statues that bore their resemblance and image in their kingdom. They would place them at the far reaches of their kingdom and at places around their kingdom to declare to their people that their king still rules here. We are to be the creation that stands in a proper relationship with God so that we can be God’s image declaring to ALL OF CREATION that our God still rules here! That this is still his kingdom and he is still on his throne!
Governor
We are not only the images of God in His kingdom, we are to be like governors who were sent to regions in the kingdom. They were given authority by kings to look after the kingdom, and they were to be living images of the king who might at times seem distant. But, through the governor, the king’s image, the king was thought to be near.
We are God’s governors who have been placed upon this earth to watch after his kingdom and to declare to creation that God still reigns here. But, we can only do this when we image our creator. We can only do this when we stand in that proper relationship and allow God to shine upon our life so our entire being is a reflection of His love and peace towards all creation.
We remind people of God’s rule...
That is exactly what an ambassador does… The ambassador reminds the people of the rule of the far away government. But, the ambassador also points to the current reality that the other government does, in fact, exist, and the ambassador shows that in how the ambassador lives by the rules and lifestyle of that said government or kingdom.
But, ambassadors also settle disputes among countries and people. Ambassadors DO, in fact, have a ministry of reconciliation…
As an ambassador, Paul takes seriously the message of reconciliation - that we are reconciled to God because GOD has made that reconciliation available...
Being an ambassador is NOT only living the ambassador’s life - it is also proclaiming the message that reconciliation can and has taken place!
What is reconciliation?
Bridging two warring parties and having them come to agreement on terms of peace.
In Paul’s thought reconciliation ONLY took place because GOD did ALL THE WORK of reconciliation. We benefit from the terms WITHOUT any of the work! We refused to bend. So, God did it ALL for us in Christ. Provide God’s solution and also human’s obedience in the ONE person, Jesus Christ!
Again, IT is ALL because of GOD! He does for us what we cannot, should not, and would not do for ourselves!
And, this is OUR ministry to which we are called to. To announce God’s act of reconciliation and to live it out in our world!
Paul ends with the plea. This is NOT a general plea for the world (although, it could be read that way today). This is Paul’s plea to everyone. But, it is included in his letter to the Church - it is a plea for the CHURCH to understand reconciliation
Yes, the reconciliation among each other
But, that reconciliation CAN ONLY truly come about because of the reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.
There is a CONTINUAL appeal to us to CONTINUALLY be reconciled to God. Salvation is NOT a simple one and done thing. There is constant growth and constant need to allow God to address us in ways that provide for reconciliation.
THROW THE NET
HEADS BOWED
EYES CLOSED
ACCEPT THIS RECONCILIATION FOR A NEW LIFE
ASK FOR MORE RECONCILIATION...