A New Relationship
Notes
Transcript
In preparing for today’s baptism, the theme of renewal kept coming up in my mind, and in particular, a renewal of the relationship we have with our Creator. So, in searching for themes related to a renewal I come upon 2 Corinthians 5 where Paul reminds us that we have assurances in choosing to serve Christ of an eternal home.
It is something we, as believers, take comfort in knowing that this world is not all we have to look forward to! But here is the thing, we know; we recognize what could be if we had not accepted Jesus there would be dire consequences. Paul speaks first of the fear of the Lord that causes him to continue preaching the Gospel. As Christians, should we not all be concerned over the eternal destiny? While we may never reach everyone, at least we tell them of their Savior.
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
While Paul is speaking here of his calling to minister in the name of Jesus, as Christians should we not also have solemn respect and stand in awe of the Lord? Not that we should be overly worrisome, but instead hold Him to the highest respect. Because of that, we should worry about others eternity, we should be concerned over their destiny, we should be telling them the truth of the Gospel and of the judgment of God. We should desire that they hear of Jesus and the need for salvation, to be reconciled with our heavenly Father.
12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.
Just about everything Paul has said to the Corinthians up to this point has concerned the ministry, in particular his own personal ministry. He has been explaining the ministry and showing how he had labored ever so diligently in carrying out the ministry. By talking about himself, there was a possibility that some would say he is simply boasting about himself. True, he had been sharing his part in the ministry, but his purpose was not to commend himself. As stated, he trusted his credentials were well known by now. His purpose had been to give the faithful believers more ammunition to answer his critics. The only way to solve the controversy surrounding him was to deal with it. They needed to confront and take the offensive in answering his critics. They needed to get the matter settled, for the church needed to get back to the ministry of reaching and growing people for Christ.
But note: their hearts were not upon Christ. Their hearts were upon themselves. They were not glorying in Christ and what He had done for them, but in self and what they were doing. They felt as though they were above others: more privileged, more gifted, more acceptable, more intelligent, more blessed, more spiritual. Their profession was false, for it was not of the heart.
Oh Christian, how many people do we have to hurt in the name of the church? How often do we not look upon Christ, but instead think we know best? Do we lose out on God’s blessings because we focus too much on our own abilities? Even more worrisome, do we focus on the church or on the Gospel? You see, we should be more worried on spreading the Gospel Message so that ALL can hear of Jesus and what He can do for them, not what the church can do.
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
One of the charges against Paul was that he was beside himself, that he was mad, insane, out of his mind. It means to act in the extreme, abnormally, unlike what others act.
We, too, are called to be set apart, a different type of people! And let me offer one question to each of us today, do other people know we are Christian? Do they see us as different, set apart, do they know how much we love the Lord? Or, do they look upon us as any other person they meet, see, and ignore in the grocery store? I’m not saying we have to run them down and evangelize to every person we see, but when people talk to us, do they know who we serve?
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
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.
The love of Christ should stir within us, causing us to want to share Him with others. You see, just like baptism is a way to outwardly make a profession of the inward change, when we have the inward change should we not want others to see, to know, and to HAVE what we have? Should we not desire that NONE should perish, but ALL would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus?
We should want to share because of what Jesus has done for us. Christ died that all persons might die in Him. Jesus died for each and every person who has been, and ever will be born. Since He died for us, then we, too, have an opportunity to die to our sins through His gracious gift on the cross. Very simply stated, when a person believes that Jesus Christ died for him, God takes that person’s faith and counts it as his death in Christ.
Romans 5:8 tells us that God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
There is no clearer statement than the one stated in Scripture: “Christ died for all; therefore, all died [in Him].” The death of Jesus Christ was the representative death for all. His death stands as the death for all men. No person has to ever die. All he has to do is believe that Jesus Christ died for him, and God will take his belief and count it as his having already died in Christ.
Christ died that men might not live for themselves. Most persons are self-centered, focusing most of their thoughts and efforts upon meeting their own needs and wants. While we are to take care of ourselves, we should not live for ourselves.
Instead, Christ died to bring us near to God. Christ died that we might live unto righteousness. Christ died to purify us so that we would desire to do good works.
Christ died so that sinful people could be changed into righteous through a new relationship with Him. Christ died so that we would no longer judge others after the flesh, no longer judge others to be only fleshly, human, earthly beings. People are also spiritual beings who are to exist forever. Christ died so that all could be made into new creatures and into new people.
And these next few verses are some of the greatest to be written. Listen to this, we have the choice to never be known again by who we were, but instead become a new creature and be know for who He is through us.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Listen to how the POSB describes this verse:
Whereas a man was dead to God, as a new creature he becomes alive to God.
Whereas a man had no relationship with God, as a new creature he is given a relationship with God.
Whereas a man was not sure about God, as a new creature he is absolutely certain about God.
Whereas a man never fellowshipped and communed with God, as a new creature he fellowships and communes with God all the time.
Whereas a man was living in sin and immorality, as a new creature he lives in righteousness and holiness.
Whereas a man had to face death, as a new creature he never has to die.
Whereas a man was doomed to judgment and eternal separation from God, as a new creature he is destined to live eternally in the presence of God.
How does a person become a new creature? Note the words of this Scripture: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” It is being “in Christ” that makes a person a new creature. When a person truly believes in Christ, God places and positions him in Christ, in all that Christ is. Christ lived and died and arose, so to be in Christ means that a person lives, dies, and arises in Christ. The person who believes in Jesus Christ is identified with Christ: that is, he is counted and considered to be “in Christ,” reckoned and credited as “in Christ.”
When a person believes in Christ, God places and positions the believer “in” Christ. The believer’s faith actually causes God to identify the believer with Christ.
To be in Christ means that a believer walks and lives in Christ day by day. We are CHANGED! We no longer desire the things of this world, but instead put off the old and put on the new.
From this, it is clearly seen that a person who is “in Christ” is a new creature. This is what is meant by such Scriptural terms as being “born again” and becoming a “new man.” However, no better words describe the experience than the words of this verse: “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This is the message of the Christian ministry: a man can start life all over, no matter how corrupt he has become or how far down he has fallen. God longs to make a new creature out of him.
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.
The message is one of reconciliation—a world of men can be brought back to God. Reconciliation means to change thoroughly, to change from enmity to friendship, to bring together, to restore. The idea is that two persons who should have been together all along are brought together; two persons who had allowed something to come between them are restored and reunited.
The thing that broke the relationship between God and man was sin. To be reconciled is simply restoring our relationship with Him. You see, sin separates us from God, but upon our confession of faith, our relationship with Him is restored. All the rights and privileges promised in Genesis are now made reality in the regenerated, reconciled, restored person in Christ.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
And now, Paul gets to the meat of his changed lift. As a Christian, he is an “ambassador for Christ”. He has been sent as an official proclaimer of the Gospel Message, just as you and I have been too.
It is “for Christ’s sake” that we are to plead with others. Christ has paid the ultimate price to make reconciliation available to everyone: He has taken the sins of mankind upon Himself and borne the condemnation for them. Because He has done so much, everyone owes their life to Christ—everyone owes it to Christ to be reconciled to God. For Christ’s sake, EVERYONE should give themselves 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.
The message is unbelievable—a message of redemption, that is, of a substitution for sin. This is one of the great verses proclaiming the unbelievable love of God. It is a verse that has so much compacted in it that even a lifetime of study could not fathom its depths. It is impossible for man to grasp how God could make Christ become sin for us. Yet, this is exactly what Scripture declares: “[God] made him to be sin for us.”
One of the very reasons Jesus Christ came to earth was to live a sinless and perfect life. As Man He never broke the law of God; He never went contrary to the will of God. He never sinned, not even once. He lived a perfect life. Therefore, He stood before God as the Perfect, Ideal Man. He was the Ideal, the Pattern of what a man should be. He had secured the ideal, perfect righteousness; therefore, His righteousness could stand as the ideal righteousness for man. His righteousness could embrace and cover man. As the Ideal Pattern, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ could be counted as righteousness for man.
God “made Christ to be sin for us.” This was absolutely necessary. Why? Because man needs more than just righteousness to stand perfect before God. To stand righteous before God is not enough, for man has already sinned. Man already stands guilty of breaking God’s law, and the judgment and condemnation of death has already taken effect upon man. Man is dying both spiritually and physically, and the fact is clearly witnessed by the dying of people throughout every community of the world. Therefore, the condemnation and judgment against sin had to be taken care of. This, too, God did. God did it by laying all the sins of man upon Christ—all the guilt and condemnation of sin. God placed all sin upon Christ and let Him bear it all Himself. Christ became sin for us.
Because He was the Ideal, Perfect Man. He could become the Ideal, Perfect Sin-Bearer. He could die the Ideal death, the death that would satisfy the justice of God’s .
But now comes the the last part, which is a decision. We must decide whether we are willing to accept the gift Jesus is giving to us.
CLOSING
CLOSING
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
A person must not receive the grace of God in vain. God’s grace is much too wonderful—it is the only hope and way of redemption and salvation. This is not fire insurance, it is not a get out of hell free card, it is not something we can do and then go on living a life of sin. To do so would be like someone who is drowning throwing BACK the life preserver someone is throwing to them. It makes no sense. You see, when we truly come to the place in our life where we KNOW we are sinners, and we KNOW we have no way to reconcile ourselves with God on our own, and we KNOW that Jesus made the sacrificial way for us to be saved then we KNOW we SHOULD be saved. But will we take that first step, will we confess our sins, believe in Jesus as our PERSONAL Savior, and will we accept Him as our Lord?
The decision to be saved is to be made now. Behold NOW is the favorable time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.
