3 Notable Men

Title: “3 Notable Men in II Cor. 5:17” Scripture: II Cor. 5:17

Type: Expository. Where: GNBC 1-3-21

Intro: A few years before John Newton died, a friend was having breakfast with him. Their custom was to read from the Bible after the meal. Because Newton’s eyes were growing dim, his friend would read, then Newton would comment briefly on the passage. The day the selection was from 1 Corinthians 15. When the words “by the grace of God I am what I am” were read, Newton was silent for several minutes. Then he said, “I am not what I ought to be. How imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be, although I abhor that which is evil and would cleave to what is good. I am not what I hope to be, but soon I shall put off mortality, and with it all sin. Though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan. I can heartily join with the apostle and acknowledge that by the grace of God I am what I am!” (Source unknown) Today, we will examine the verse that supports Newton’s claim.

Prop: Examining II Cor. 5:17 we’ll see 3 notable men.

BG: 1. II Cor. was written by Apostle Paul. Was actually his 3rd letter written to Corinth. I Cor. 5:9 makes reference to a previous letter Paul had written. So technically, I& II Cor. are actually II &III!!

2. The Gospel has transforming power. In theology call the doctrine of Salvation “Soteriology”.

3.

Prop: Examining II Cor. 5:17 we’ll see 3 notable men.

I. 1st Man: “Any Man” – Epitomizes the Gospel’s Offer.

A. Reading II Cor. 5:17 we ask what type of man does the Gospel call?

1. The Gospel’s Call is to “Any Man”.

a. “If any man…” – any – tis – indefinite pronoun. Can mean a certain one, someone, or anyone. If you are here today, man or woman, you are by definition, “Any man”. This message is for you! Listen up, it could change your life.

b. Now I know, some of my more Reformed friends might get a little uptight w/passage like this. Shouldn’t! A free offer of the Gospel can be made to every person ever born. It is completely true that “whoever will” may come to Xst for salvation and NO ONE who comes to Him with genuine faith and repentance will be turned away. Xst’s death has infinite merit and is sufficient to pay the penalty of as few or as many as the Father and the Son have decreed.

2. The Gospel’s offer is for payment in full for all of the sin have committed.

- Friend, regardless of who you are or what you have in your past, if you come to Christ by faith you can rest assured that he has paid the penalty for all your sins! He didn’t just redeem us potentially, but he redeemed us actually, as individuals He loves. Illust: All of our kids had orthodontia. Five kids. That’s enough money to buy a car. Had to sign a separate contract w/each child. Not for potential payment but for actual payment in full! Smiles came at a cost. Price had to be paid for service rendered. Why did I pay: “They were my children.” Just as I particularly paid the individual bill of each child, Christ’s Particular Atonement really and completely secured your salvation.

B. What Kind of Man Can Respond to the Gospel’s Call?

1. Paul declares that “any man” can respond.

a. One of the saddest statements I have ever heard has been: “Oh pastor, I am too great a sinner for the Gospel. I would need to clean up and change my life before I could be saved.” No! Not true dear one! In fact, you are very close to walking thru the door of salvation!

b. Illust: Let me read I Cor. 6:9-11. Look at that list. Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers, SHALL NOT inherit the KOG. See yourself there sinner? Bad company. But wait, the passage doesn’t end there! Rather, it says: “And such were some of you!!!!” (That’s good news! That’s happy news! That’s shouting news!) Corinth was a church that displayed God’s great trophies of redemption! Some had been… Illust: Let me take a moment to address a crisis in the modern Church. We take one of these sins and attempt to justify and purify it for our culture! Nonsense! There is not another one from this list that we would say go on and feel secure in your sin! Would we say you can be a Christian and fornicate? Idolater? Thief? Covetous? Of course not! You don’t do a service to the homosexual or lesbian by saying they are fine in their condition. You do them the greatest disservice of all. You lie to them and you kill them with your supposed kindness which is nothing more than spineless passivity. The GOOD NEWS is for every man!