God Cares About You

In 2 Cor. 5:1-4 the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that like all of creation, in the earthly tents of our mortal physical existence, we all groan for something better, something fulfilling, something immortal.

That groaning is experienced physically, emotionally, and spiritually as we walk through the adversity of life, self-doubt, and “driven by the wind and tossed” spiritual lives.

In the rest of Ch. 5, Paul then shares Seven “Therefore’s” that build Paul’s entire argument for the eternal realities promised to believers that overcome this temporal life, a promise pledged by the giving of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 5:5). These “Therefore’s” will then be discerned at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). That means that these, “Therefore’s” are the very things that we will receive rewards for at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Each “Therefore” is built on the precept that precedes it.

Paul’s 7 Immortal “Therefore’s” that Overcome Mortal Groanings: (since groaning accompanies mortal existence [2 Cor. 5:1-4]):

++1. Therefore, we walk by faith instead of sight vv. 5-8

++2. Therefore, we seek to please the Lord vv. 9-10

++3. Therefore, we are compelled to tell others vv. 11-13

++4. Therefore, we are constrained to live for the Lord rather than for ourselves vv. 14-15

++5. Therefore, we focus on the soul rather than the body v. 16

++6. Therefore, we live in what is new in Christ, rather than what is old from the world vv. 17-19

++7. Therefore, we are Christ’s ambassadors, so live like His Ambassador vv. 20-21

The realization and focus on all 7 “Therefore’s” enable the immortal realities of our salvation to overcome the groaning of mortality in our lives.

In the context of the last two “Therefore’s,” we find today’s text.

That context is that we live in what is new in Christ as His Ambassadors.

At the end of all these 7 immortal realities, Paul poses one poignant pleading for his readers who were holding on, too dearly to the things of this life. Look at v. 20 with me to discover what that pleading was for Paul’s readers.

2 Cor. 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

To put it another way,

2 Cor. 5:18-21

Subtitle: Accept God’s Loving Call

“Accept God’s Loving Call” for God Cares for You!

In fact, that is where Paul began with these believers back in his first letter to them. We read it in our Scripture reading today.

Scripture: 1 Cor. 1:26-31 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,that no man should boast before God.But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

We could boil this pleading by the Apostle Paul down to two words, if you would like.

Accept God

But he does not plead with them to accept Him blindly, but based on the fact that He desires for them to overcome the mortal with immortality, not just in their destiny in the end, but even in their present living.

Paul then shares 3 precious things God offers for his readers to accept. Those three things encapsulate all 7 “Therefore’s” that overcome mortality in this present life.

The 3 Precious Things God offers You:

1. Accept God’s longing for you v. 18

2. Accept God’s Son for you v. 19

3. Accept God’s call for you vv. 20-21

Big Idea: God invites you to accept a loving and immortal relationship with Him through His victory over your sin by Jesus Christ and enlists you to invite others.

1. Accept God’s longing for you v. 18

God longs for relationship with us

“Reconciled” - To restore someone to favorable or friendly relations after a presumed wrong. The form of this word is found only 6 times in the N.T. in 5 verses. All of them were written by Paul. Two were in Rom. 5:10, reminding us that God restored us through Christ, while we were still His enemy. Once it is used in 1 Cor. 7:11 for a wife to be restored to her husband (even while she is still the enemy). The other half of this word’s occurrences are found right here in these few verses, 18, 19, and 20.

v. 18 starts, “All these things are from God...” He is the source

Accept God’s longing for you v. 18

++- All these things come from God, not us

++- All these things come from His sacrifice for our restoration (He reconciled us), not ours

++- All these things come from His call (purpose), not our own

Paul then begs you in v. 20, since God provides this for you, accept it and be reconciled/restored to Him.

Accept God’s longing for you.

God so longed for a loving, immortal relationship with you, that while you were still His enemy in sin, He sacrificed His only Son so that He might restore you back to a favorable relationship with Him.

So, how do you accept His longing (His restoration) for you? Accept God’s Son for you.

Look at v. 19 with me

2. Accept God’s Son for you v. 19

v. 19 starts, “God was in Christ reconciling...”

Accept God’s Son for you v. 19

++- Only through Christ could God reconcile/restore the world to Himself

++- Only through Christ can God not count our sin against us

++- Only through Christ can we we participate in God’s restorative work for ourselves and others

Paul then begs you in v. 20, since God provides this for you, accept Christ and depend fully on His restorative work for you and those around you.

Accept God’s Son for you

God so longed for a loving, immortal relationship with you, that while you were still His enemy in sin, He offered/offers you His Son to restore you and others back to a favorable relationship with Him.

So, how do you accept His Son (and His restoration) for you? Accept God’s call for you.

3. Accept God’s call for you vv. 20-21

v. 20 starts, “we are ambassadors for Christ...”

Accept God’s call for you vv. 20-21

++- God wants to appeal to others through you v. 20

++- God made Christ to be your sin for your sake v. 21

++- God’s made you to be Christ’s righteousness for the sake of others vv. 20-21

Paul here begs you in v. 20, since God provides this for you, accept God’s call for you to His righteousness rather than yours, and enjoy your restored relationship with Him.

Accept God’s call for you, His righteousness

God so longed for a loving, immortal relationship with you, that while you were still His enemy in sin, He made you Christ’s righteousness so that you might enjoy right relationship with Him as His ambassador to others.

Question: Does your life invite others to God’s loving, immortal relationship while they are still His enemies in sin?

He has made you Christ’s righteousness.

He offered you His Son

He longed for your restoration to Him

“God Cares About You,” will you accept God and His call, live like His ambassador out of care for others, so the might be reconciled too?

Only through God’s restoration can humanity rise above the groaning of mortality and find a loving, immortal relationship with the Creator and discover their true created purpose.

The 3 Precious Things God offers You:

1. Accept God’s longing for you v. 18

2. Accept God’s Son for you v. 19

3. Accept God’s call for you vv. 20-21

Big Idea: God invites you to accept a loving and immortal relationship with Him through His victory over your sin by Jesus Christ and enlists you to invite others.

2 Corinthians (6) Persuading Others to Be Reconciled (5:11–21)

This unit contains three key assertions. (1) God is the driving force behind the redemption of humankind. Reconciliation comes solely at God’s initiative. (2) God acted through Christ’s death, and Christ alone is the means of reconciliation. (3) God continues to act through those who have been reconciled. They have the privilege and responsibility to share in this great divine enterprise and are to call others to be reconciled to God.