2 Corinthians 5:9-21

Introduction

Paul told us about the “unseen things” in Chapter 4. He contrasted the temporary visible things: hunger, cold, shipwrecks, and beatings; with the invisible: the eternal weight of glory.

Telling the Corinthians not to stare at the trouble here, but to focus on Jesus and the glory to come.

the good news of the gospel and that it was spreading to more and more people

encouraging them to keep going that even though this body of death is passing away, this temporary tent will be replaced by a permanent house made by God

God gave us the Holy Spirit as a down payment on eternity so walk by faith to what we can’t see and walk toward heaven, eternally with Jesus

Paul has laid the foundation of what’s real and what’s to come and now he moves on to what that means we should do about it

Paul’ Warning

2 Corinthians 5:9–10 KJV

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Paul wants to be accepted by Jesus in life and death

The promise of living forever as a result of salvation comes with a warning:

Every Christian will stand before Jesus on judgement day and Jesus, from the bema, the judgement seat of Christ, will judge everything we have done in this body and this life as a Christian

I pointed out the difference last week:

Great White Throne is where the lost are judged and condemned

the bema is for everyone saved by Jesus’ work on the cross

If we get judged by the one that paid our ransom, immortality means we better have a better focus on our morality

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Self-Defense

2 Corinthians 5:11–13 KJV

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

the knowledge of judgement by Jesus is the fear of the Lord and because of that Paul is faithful to share the Gospel of Jesus

It’s because of that faithfulness to the mission, the Corinthians can point to Paul as a model with some pride when they defend him to the false apostles

the false apostles “had polish” and paid more attention to how a person looks or acts or speaks than what’s in a person’s heart

But Paul points out, any pride they have in him comes from Jesus’ life in him and not anything he’s done in himself. “They had polish, but Paul had scars”

Paul running around the Roman world, getting thrown out, beat, and stoned to brag about a religious leader, that was promising you can live forever, who was then put to death looks insane (beside ourselves) to the world

Paul’s doing it for God’s glory

However, the church in Corinth knows the truth of salvation and sees what looks mad to the world is witnessing for Jesus and Paul isn’t crazy, he’s obedient

and that same obedience led Paul to preach and write to them in all seriousness and even the harshness of correction was for their good

Christ’s Love Compels Service

2 Corinthians 5:14–17 KJV

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I can think of times I have been talking about with other Christians some theological or doctrinal truth in scripture. Then in my heart I’m reminded by the Spirit “it’s because He loved a miserable wretch like me!” -It looks to me like the same thing happened to Paul

“the love of Christ” in both Greek and English can refer to Christ’s love for Paul, Paul’s love for Christ, or both at the same time

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ loved us and died for us and since the moment we were saved, we can’t help but love Christ. He died for us and because of that fact, we ought to live for Him

It’s that love that hold’s Paul fast to the mission at hand (persuading men and planting and pastoring the church)

Paul tells us how he judged before the road to Damascus Acts 26:9 “9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

After all, if Jesus couldn’t save Himself, then none are saved by Jesus

But now Paul understands that it was Jesus dying for all that are saved and resurrecting on the third day is how they live

And not just live, but live for the one that died in their place by and with the power that raised Jesus from the dead

That changes not only how we see ourselves but how we look at others. Not the way the world sees people, but how Jesus sees people

Paul don’t see Jesus the same either, before Damascus Jesus was a man, after Damascus Jesus is his savior

Paul is showing us the scope of Christ’s love when He died for “all”, it leaves no one out. He’s showing us the power of Christ’s love in that He is totally successful in saving everyone that comes to Him in faith and is saved

When Jesus died for us and rose from the dead and we by faith are saved by Him it don’t just change how we act, it changes who we are

not just cleaning us up and making us a better version of who we were 2 seconds before

that person has died with Jesus when He died

we are raised as a new creature in Jesus when He rose from the dead

Paul’s Ministry and Christ’s Reconciliation and Imputation

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 KJV

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

All of the new Paul had: new creation, new love, and new ministry, all of it, was the work of God

God, who reconciled us to himself

Every one of us has had at least a moment or time in our life we had a relationship damaged. And maybe so damaged it felt like we were miles apart from a person, maybe even on another planet!

That feeling of space between us don’t even come close to the divide between us and God before we were saved

It happened at the fall in the garden when by Adam and Eve’s sin, humanity was separated from God

It has grown in every generation after since by the blood of Adam we were born with and the sin stains in it, we aren’t just divided from God but we are actively rebelling against God. not just apart from Him, shaking our fist and cursing at Him whether we knew or felt or acted like it or not

Jesus death and resurrection was God’s plan all along to bridge that gulf and glorify Himself

The blood of Jesus is the transfusion we get when we’re saved that replaces the blood of Adam and made us new creatures

From that reconciliation, Paul was given a ministry to take the Gospel to the lost and lead them to the same reconciliation as an ambassador

An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat sent by one country to live in another as the official representative of their home government.

Think of an ambassador as the ultimate messenger, negotiator, and host.

Their main goal is to keep the relationship between the two countries strong, peaceful, and cooperative.

An ambassador delivers the message unchanged and true, carrying the same authority as the one that sent them

God’s plan is that a person that comes to Jesus in humble faith, and believes on Christ’s shed blood for salvation doesn’t get all the sin and rebellion imputed (put on their account)

but, praise God, that’s only part of the Great Exchange

not just mine and your sin, but all the sins of every person that may be saved were placed on Jesus’ account and more that that, He bore every one of them on the Cross in His flesh

He was made sin in our place

And what do we get in exchange? All the righteousness of Christ is put on the account of every born again believer

Galatians 3:13 “13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” `

Romans 8:3 “3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

Romans 6:6 “6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Romans 5:19 “19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

That’s what feels like a 30 second pass over centuries of teaching and miles of depth in what reconciliation and imputation truly means

Conclusion

Paul’s given us to this point:

what's coming (intro) →

how a man lives who believes it (vv.9-13) →

what drives him (vv.14-17) →

and what God did to make it all possible (vv.18-21).

Pray