Living New Creation Lives (Part Two)
SIBI Vision Workshop • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In part one we talked about how Christians are a sneak peak of God’s new creation
What are some relevant topics we could address using this new paradigm?
Speech (How we Talk to Each Other)
Sexuality / Sexual Immorality
Racism / Ethnocentrism
1. Speech (Including Online Speech)
1. Speech (Including Online Speech)
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
What sort of talk is “corrupting” or “unwholesome” - poor quality
What sort is good for building up?
“Sealed for the day of redemption”
The day when our bodies are redeemed
The day when all things are redeemed
You have been sealed for the day of redemption
God has marked you
You belong to him in anticipation of YOUR redemption
So our speech should reflect this reality
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
“Be imitators of God”
That’s the nature of the new creation
2. Sexual Immorality
2. Sexual Immorality
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Already, but not yet…
“proper among saints”
“out of place”
“inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”
12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Discussion: How do you see Paul using the idea of new creation here?
3. Racism / Ethnocentrism (Nationalism)
3. Racism / Ethnocentrism (Nationalism)
Discussion: What is the context of Galatians
Circumcision party
Trying to get Gentiles to adopt the cultural practices of Judaism
They wanted them to live like ethnic Jews, even though they were Gentiles
Paul opposes this sort of ethnocentrism
Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus is Abraham’s offspring
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
The Spirit is creating New Creation people
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
New Creation
15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
Discussion: How would we put this in our context?
What counts is not skin color
What counts is not nationality
What counts is not language
What counts is not cultural distinctives
“What Counts is the New Creation”
“What Counts is the New Creation”
This idea changes everything
It changes who we think of as our people (we/us)
It changes how we use our bodies
It changes how we talk to people
