Ministry Of Reconciliation Series

Let's talk about New Beginnings and especially the new beginning in our life born again, saved by the Grace of God. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Now we see that we are a new creation. We might be called by the same name, we might get up on go to the same job, we might where the same clothes, but we are a new creation. Our outward appearance might be the same, but on the inside we are a new creation.

This is more that a simple change in character or a change in desire or a change in purpose. We are a new creation! We have died with Christ and therefore are no longer living for ourselves, but instead are living for the one who died for us and who was raised again.

We might live at the same address, but we are a new creation and our citizenship has changed. Paul said to the Christians in Philippi - “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Notice from this a few things: 1. We are citizens of heaven and 2. the Lord Jesus Christ has a power that enables Him to bring EVERYTHING under His control. We should remember the following sentence: If God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Listen to that again .. If God said it, I believe it, that settles it.

Our citizenship is in Heaven, if we’ve accepted Christ. If we’ve accepted the death of Christ as payment for our sin. God said through Paul that your citizenship is in heaven and if God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.

Paul was drawing a distinction between those who live as citizens of the world and those, through Christ, who have gained citizenship in heaven. The citizens of the world live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach - meaning they live to satisfy their appetites, whatever those might be, they respond to their appetites, they are driven by their appetites, they are compelled by their appetites, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. … But our citizenship is in heaven, we are instead compelled by the love of Christ.

We no longer live in the world, we are no longer controlled by the world, looking to satisfy the appetites of the flesh. Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 5 - “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”

The Christian has died with Christ so that we can become new with Him in His resurrection. Paul said to the Christians at Ephesus - “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins … excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise.” and when we accept Christ we we are resurrected with Him and become foreigners in the world having gained citizenship in heaven.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.

Billy Graham asked the question, “What is an ambassador?” He answered his question by saying, "an ambassador is a person, a friend of authority. Ambassadors are servants of their government in a foreign land. They are not free to set their own policies or develop their own message. In the same way, we are called to live under the authority of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Scriptures. We are servants. We must live under the authority of the Word of God. We are called not to do our will, but Christ’s."

Paul said it this way, “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. … [so that] those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”

We are Christ’s ambassadors, compelled by the love of Christ, to bring Christ’s message to the land in which we live as foreigners, representatives of Christ Himself. We are appointed by Christ, operating ... nah ... living under that authority of the Word of God.