1 Cor 5:14-17

Intro / Review

Read: 1 Corinthians 5:11-15 // Pray

As we learned last week, one of the issues that the Apostle Paul is addressing with the Corinthians is the fact they were evaluating him, his ministry and the power and significance of his ministry based on what they saw. They saw that he looked weak, sounded weak and so he must not be worth listening to and must not have any power. Similar to Simon the magician, in Acts 8, who the people paid attention to because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic…the church at Corinth is looking for something to amaze them and Paul’s answer is, I have it, I’ve proclaimed it, you’ve heard it. It’s Christ crucified, buried and risen…in accordance with the Scriptures. I’m not the amazing one…and I don’t care to be. As we learned last week, if we rightly assess a Gospel ministry with the eyes of faith, we’ll have joy. Paul is writing so that they might (and we might) have joy…not so that they make a statue of him, or are impressed by him. That’s not why we preach!

Paul’s point is, “Are you listening to what I’m saying—The Gospel clearly proclaimed? Are you understanding who and what I’m willing to suffer for—Christ and His proclamation? That’s what’s commendable. And Paul is laboring so that they might know truth; that they might understand the Scriptures and the Good News of The Gospel of Jesus Christ that they proclaim, rightly. Because, if they understand the Gospel rightly and believe, they’ll understand everything else. The Gospel changes everything about everything.

In our passage (2 Corithinans 5:14-17), he continues this argument by reminding them of what actually motivate him...and the fact that what’s driving Paul’s ministry is not his own strength, his savvy, his ability to impress—it’s the fact that Christ has regarded Him, He loves Him, and He’s caused Paul, once a hater of Christ, to love Christ…give His life for Him. And it’s this transforming love, seen in the Gospel of Christ that’s changed him--- it changes how he sees himself, others and Christ.

Before we even look more closely at the passage we must remember (and I’ll remind us and myself of this again), if we find ourselves wandering astray, caught in sin, given to temptation, fearful of man and of the world…it’s because we’ve forgotten the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:14–17 - For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 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. 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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

The Gospel is Our Control

2 Cor 5:14a - For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this

controls - trns. "holds us together" "hems us in". Restrains us.

We could think about this in a couple of ways — is this the love that Paul has for Christ — love of Christ, or the love that Christ has for Paul that controls Him. Yes.

The beauty of the Gospel is that it’s God initiated! And when God, in His love, moves towards a sinner and regenerates them, they response is love!

1 Jn 4:7–12 - . Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Christ's love to us causes miraculous change and a miraculous response! How does it change us?

Paul continue with the fact that Jesus dying, changes the way that we respond to and think of ourselves.

The Gospel Changes the Way We Think of Ourselves.

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15 - … we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 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.

“one has died for all” — The one Paul is speaking of here is, of course, Jesus Christ.

In the world's eyes this statement would make no sense -- if one died...why did the rest die? An in one sense that's true...Jesus died a death so that we did not have to. But, in another sense, what Paul is putting forth as the thing that controls him...the motor of his ministry is this: That when Christ died on the cross, so did I! For all who trust in Him, Jesus is their representative in death and in their new life! What a Savior! Only Jesus, the God Man, could on the die for sinners. And it's not just that Jesus died instead of us, it's that on the cross all that would trust Him died too! His death is mine! Saint, His death is yours!

New Testament scholar Gresham Machen says, "Since Christ was the representative of all, therefore all may have been said to have died there on the cross outside the walls of Jerusalem when Christ died."

The ones for whom He died are the ones who “died” with Him in his death; they’re mentioned at the end of v. 15. Jesus died to secure redemption and eternal life for all of His sheep.

Saint, do you realize today, that if Christ is yours and you are His…it’s because He chose you! He chose you! For no other reason than that His love chose you. His sheep hear his voice. When you go back through your story and recall the circumstances of your salvation, all of you can recall a time when you heard your Shepherd and said, “My Shepherd! My Lord! My Savior!” and that’s because he chose you before the foundation of the world to be his. Not all are His, but all that are His, know His voice and His death is theirs. They’ve died with Him! You have died with Him.

So that....

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15 - …that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Paul wants the Corinthians to understand this is not about me. I’m not living for myself. He said earlier, “If that were true I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.”

There are countless things that would draw us to ourselves—our stuff, how appetites for the approval of others, our passions, our money—and all of them, if not held in subjection to our LORD, are deadly.

Jesus died to free you from the illusion that your way is the best way.

It is more work for a lesser reward to try and constantly insist that we know what we’re doing and understand how to navigate the story of our lives without God. That’s the burden that Jesus talks about in Matthew when He offers something better, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said, ““When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” And all who He’s died for and who’ve died with him say, by His grace, “Amen. Not my will, but your’s be done.”

That's how you know church that Christ has died for someone and that they're a new person...Regardless of whether or not they can recite theological terms with more than two syllables or they've been to that conference...one thing is always clear...someone else seems to be at the wheel of their life. Someone else is in control. Someone else is calling the shots. Jesus Christ is their LORD and master. It’s Christ love that keeps us from living for ourselves and our own gratification! We are hemmed in…controlled…guarded by His love. Our wills have died. Our way has died. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.

Practical Question: And so, a simple question to ask yourself is, “Where have I been living for myself!” Where have I forgotten the Gospel that frees from that and that calls my allegiance away from myself to live for Christ. Run back to the well of Christ’s love that keeps you from the danger of living for yourself!

Paul’s aim is to ensure the Corinthians, I’m not out to please man or appease your carnal desires, because I’m not living for your approval…and if I were, I’d be mistreating you as a minister of the Gospel. My life belongs to another, my ministry is driven by Christ…if it were drive by you and your desires…you’d be missing out.

And so, he continues

The Gospel Changes the Way We Think of Others.

2 Corinthians 5:16 - From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.

This means that we do not deal with, think about, talk to, feel towards, react to, other people the way that we used to. Before, we reacted in the way that seemed right to us (our flesh); if that meant we responded in anger, we were angry, if that meant we fought for approval, we related to people out of our need for approval, if that meant we belittled others to make ourselves seem better, than we'd regard others as insignificant, if that meant we were perpetually afraid of others and what they might think, whatever it was....

Paul says, "Because we love Christ now we don't think that way anymore, act that way, react that way, deal with people that way anymore. And when we feel the urge do so (that sin that clings so closely), we mortify it...because we are not in control.

Because of the gospel, Paul and all of us, Church, are supposed to put away the shallow, outward focused, frivolous, trivial carnal thinking of Christ and others — and especially those who are of the household of faith. Literally, “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.”

The Gospel completely changes the way you view others, because your aim is to not be impressed by the things the world is impressed by. It changes the way you relate to others, because now things that the world might normally be impressed by might cause you pity.

For the believer, there are two kinds of people: those that who know Christ and see Him as He is, and those who don't...

Because…we see everything and everyone in relationship to Christ and The Gospel!

STORY: When I was eleven, I found that my dad had AIDS. In 1995 it was still a death sentence. My response was anger.

When I was twenty-five, my mother was murdered by her boyfriend. My response was anger, not so much at the man who killed her but at sin. Because, I knew that sin is what caused this. It’s what caused addiction, shame, unhealthy relationships, abuse — the wages of sin is death! I remember clenching my fist, looking out the hospital window after to doctor said, “She’s passed.” and they turned off her ventilator.

You see, the Gospel changes the way we see everything. The death of Christ changes the way we see everything. It’s because of sin that mother was killed, and it’s for sin that Christ died. And it wasn’t until I understood the weight of what happened at the Cross that I was able to rightly grieve and understand the weight of what happened in the hospital room. Did I want justice for her killer…of course. He will spend the rest of his life in prison, but…but Jesus died for what he did, if he would believe.

The Gospel changes the way we see everything.

We regard no one according to the flesh…because....

The Gospel Changes the Way We Think of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16 - Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

Paul is most certainly thinking about his former life...

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Church, here is a testimony of the miraculous saving power of the Gospel--God, throug His Son, takes a man who had no idea who Christ was (truly was)...he regarded Him according to the flesh--he was a lunatic, a false prophet, a blasphemer. Paul considered Christ to be a false messiah (according to Jewish standards), viewing his suffering and death as the curse of God. He thought he was doing a service to God by murdering those who were controlled by the love of Christ..."Who are you Lord?" and God does away with the old man, so that now, that new man (Paul) might see Jesus as he really is -- the Son of God.

And so it is with us…praise God that we see Jesus for who He is — The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Mark 8:29 - And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Because, we are new creations!

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come

All the old is gone:

- us bearing our sin

- punishment / wrath

- our former fate resting place (Hell)

- our legal standing before God - unrighteous

- our inability to keep the law

- the death we would've died for that

- the way we related to God -- conflict and hostility

- our sinful appetite and hatred of God

- how we saw the world (without God)

New has come:

- Christ bore our sin

- Christ took our punishment

- Christ died for us

- Christ secures a new hope and home for us in glory

- Christ is our law keeper and our righteous representative

- In Christ, our relationship with God has gone from one of hostility to one of peace

- Through Christ's death and resurrection, our heart's desires and our appetite is new.

Our very being has gone from the impending death of this world to the promised life of God’s new creation, leading us to an increased appetite for that which pleases God and a growing distaste for anything that doesn’t...

It's not just us individual. This passage is most glorious when we understand that Paul is writing to The Church...one commentator points out that translating "there is a new creation" instead of "he is a new creation" might help better communicate that, in Christ, the individual has been born again to be a part of all that God is making new. Our union with Christ is nothing less than our taking part in the "new creation" of Christ, the Last Adam re-creating humanity until all those who are in him will, one day, bear his image in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 - 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Saint, because you are in Christ and your are Christ’s, you will forever see the world rightly, until all things have been reconciled to Him!

Praise God for the Gospel!

Practical Thought and Questions:

Where have been living for myself? What would it look like for me to love Christ, with this particular area of my life? Do I get rid of something? Spend my time differently? Use my words differently?Where am I viewing my spouse, children, friend, neighbor, co-worker according to the flesh?

And this is our constant problem, even as believers, is it not? We don’t regard things as we should, because we—like the Corinthians—have forgotten the truth about who God is and who we are if we’ve trusted in Christ.

Preach the Gospel to yourself! Preach this passage to yourself!

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 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. 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. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

Let’s Pray