Changed: Part 4, From estranged to entrusted

Changed: Living Christ-centered in a self-centered world.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

[16] 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. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God changes you when He saves you.

God changes your relationship with Him

God changes your relationship with sin

God changes your relationship with others.

This passage refers to forgiveness and reconciliation, and our last sermon was focused on the difference between them. To help illustrate the difference we said:

“Forgiveness is a solo, reconciliation is a duet.”

Forgiveness is real, and it means that God does not hold you accountable to what your sin deserves. Forgiveness is the cancelation of debt, or the penalty of sin.

But, God has not just forgiven the penalty of our sin. He has done more than that.

God does more than just cancel or dismiss the penalty of sin. Why? Because it he just forgives some and doesn’t forgive others he is no longer just. You see sin either deserves its punishment or it doesn’t. So, if God decides that some sin can go unpunished, but other sin can’t, he is no longer righteous and just because he has passed over sin without holding to his word and to what is just.

So, to maintain his justice and his righteousness Jesus died for sin in the place of sinners.

“[23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26

God forgives us of our sin and counts our sin against Christ.

And this leads us into the verses that we are looking at more closely today, verses 19-21

[19] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus has stepped into our place to do what it takes to make us right with Him, and then enters into a relationship with us based on what He has done for us, the ones who sinned against Him.

As we looked at in the last sermon, reconciliation requires forgiveness, repentance, and restoration. Reconciliation is not the same thing as agreeing to disagree, it is making things right between one another and walking in relationship with one another after. God reconciles us to Himself through Himself.

Picking up as the verses continue, not only does God reconcile us and forgive us… He sends us out to share the message of Christ, the message of reconciliation.

Those who trust in God have been entrusted with the ministry and message of Christ

From estranged to entrusted

Even though you were once estranged from God, in Christ you have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation.

From audience to ambassador

Everyone who receives and believes in the gospel becomes an Ambassador for Christ.

The audience who hears and believes, become ambassadors who take the message to the world.

And what is that message?

Be reconciled to God… and the way that we are reconciled is through and in Christ… Romans 3 again.

Christianity is more than a belief, it’s a transformed life that is Christ-centered and not self-centered.

The Christian life is more than a belief

Christianity is the result of God’s work, 2 Corinthians 4, let their be light…

Christianity is active, a ministry, a mission, that is by and for Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5- live for the one who died and was raised.

I want to give you a moment to think and to reflect on the truth of our passage. There is so little time to do that anymore that I grow concerned that we run from worship to the next thing just like we do everything else. So, let’s take a minute and reflect on a few truths.

You are an ambassador for Christ, but have you considered that this means all the time?

Does this represent Christ?

Should I say it?

Should I do it?

Should I watch it?

God has entrusted you with the ministry of reconciliation, have you accepted this as a God-given personal responsibility?

I find that we are more comfortable talking about our responsibility God when it comes to marriage, parenting, morality/holiness… but we are uncomfortable talking about the responsibility to carry out the ministry of Christ.

The message of the gospel is a treasure, why would God use someone like you to share it?

[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

A Christ-centered life puts Jesus at the center of our relationship with God and with one another.

With God because it’s Jesus who earns our salvation

With others because He is our goal in our relationships- reconciliation, honor, glory, etc.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

[1] Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. [2] But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. [3] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. [4] In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [5] For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death is at work in us, but life in you.