The SIGNIFICANCE Of A NEW CREATION-I—2Corinthians 5:9--6:10
Attention:
The key to our verses— 2Corinthians 5:9--6:10— is 2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Prov. 26:11—“As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.”
2Pet. 2:22—“But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” &, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
A dog can be trained not to eat his own vomit. But get him around other dogs or away from his master & he will quickly forget his training.
A dog can be bathed & have its hair fluffed up & perfumed so that it’s fit for a dog show, but if left to themselves, they will roll in some nastiness if given half a chance! In order for a dog NOT to do those things, the dog needs a new nature. So that his natural desire is different...so that he won’t do what dogs do by nature. In fact, he won’t even have a desire to do those things which once described him.
You can train a pig to stay out of the mud & live in your house.
But if left to himself, he will readily dive into the mud.
“If you could give him a new nature, say, the nature of a cat, when the test of a hot day & welcome mud came, he would not be happy in the mudhole even if his friends persuade him to join them again, he has a new nature, new desires. He does not think he is better than them, he just does not enjoy those things anymore. “Wallowing pigs, vomit eating [& nasty smelling dogs] are very happy in their activities & prove they do not have a new nature. A new nature produces a new heart [with correspondingly] desires & actions.”—SermonCentral
A true Christian receives a new nature.
Unlike stinky, vomit eating dogs, & mud-wallowing pigs.
Need:
My life seems hollow...I’m missing something.
I can’t seems to rise above the sinful desires of my heart.
The key to our verses is 2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Paul clarified the significance of being a new creation in Christ to the Corinthian church.
There is significance to being a new creation in Christ.
But what is significant about being a new creation in Christ?
Some significations of being a new creation in Christ.
1—A new creation is significant in its New...
PLEASURE(5:9)
Explanation:(5:9)
5:9—“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”
No matter our situation whether in life or death(5:1-8), whether “present” with those whom we love & among those to whom we minister, whether immersed in unfamiliar places & people(s) among whose beliefs we do not understand or deserted by all who are dear to us, that no matter if even our own family disdains us to speak about or do...
If you don’t love God for what He’s done for you, then you won’t & can’t please Him.
We must of all things be so settled & seated in God by means of faith in Christ...that we ARE & continue to BE “well pleasing” to God. Not 'doing things' that ‘seem’ well pleasing to us in regard to God, but that I AM & you ARE the person God wants me & you to be thru Jesus Christ.
Life in Christ is about true Christian Character...nothing feigned...
1Tim. 3:1-7—“This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop[overseer/pastor], he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach & the snare of the devil.”
1Tim. 3:8-13—“Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children & their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing & great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
The focus in these positions of leadership is twofold:
1)Leadership assumes others will be led to be & do likewise.
2)None of these descriptions tell us specifically what ‘tasks’ these leaders are to do.
Thus Character is foremost & paramount to position.
“Therefore”—dio—Conjunction—1) Wherefore, on account of. Strong—Through which thing, i.e. consequently.
From—dia—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)—&—ov, h, o—probably a primary word(or perhaps a form of the article o, h, to); the relatively(sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, Who, which, what, that.
“Make it our aim/Labour/We make it our goal/We are Ambitious”—filotimeomai—Present Middle/Passive Deponent—1) To be fond of honor—1a) To be actuated by love of honor, 1b) from a love of honor--To strive to bring something to pass; 2) To be ambitious—2a) To strive earnestly, make it one's aim. Strong—middle voice from a compound of filov[Dear, friend, fond, friendly] & timh[ A value/money paid/valuables/esteem]; To be fond of honor, i.e. Emulous(eager or earnest to do something). Used 3X.
“Whether”(See :10)—eite—Conjunction—1) If ... if; 2) Whether ... or. Strong—If too.
“Present”—endhmew—Present Active Participle—1) To be among one's own people, dwell in one's own country, stay at home. Strong—To be in one's own country, i.e. figuratively--Home. Used 3X.
“Absent”—ekdhmew—Present Active Participle—1) To go abroad; 2) Emigrate, depart; 3) To be or live abroad. Strong—To emigrate, i.e. figuratively--Vacate or quit. Used 3X.
“Well Pleasing”—euarestov—Adj.—1) Well pleasing, acceptable. Strong—Fully agreeable.
Argumentation:
Js. 4:1-4—“Where do wars & fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Lk. 12:13-32—“Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed & beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns & build greater, & there I will store all my crops & my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, & be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, & is not rich toward God.” Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, & the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; & God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; & yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field & tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, & your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, & all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Gal. 5:22-26—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Heb. 4:13—“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
2Pet. 1:5-11—“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, & has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call & election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”
2Pet. 3:13-14—“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless;”
Rom. 14:7-9—“For none of us lives to himself, & no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; & if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died & rose & lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead & the living.”
Gen.4:6, 7—“So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Why God’s Pleasure & not our own?...
**Eph. 1:3-14—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven & which are on earth--in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Acts 20:17-24—“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus & called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears & trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, & taught you publicly & from house to house, testifying to Jews, & also to Greeks, repentance toward God & faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains & tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, & the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
1Pet. 1:13-16—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.””
1Jn. 1:1-4—“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, & our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, & we have seen, & bear witness, & declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father & was manifested to us-- that which we have seen & heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; & truly our fellowship is with the Father & with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
!Your joy can only be full if you bring joy to God & as a consequence to His people!!
Illustration:
A married couple is to be by God’s design, “one flesh”/New concerns(your wife or husband) cause us to forsake the old friendships, activities, & habits, or at least make them of secondary importance/We want to please that one which God has chosen for us to share life with, that He has chosen for us to love/PLEASURE
Our Sunday School Lesson today was on the Beatitudes of Mat. 5/It opened by describing that being a parent makes us look at life very differently than before children/Being a parent makes us examine ourselves in relation to our newborn responsibility/It brings great satisfaction you to live for them/Old things are willingly done away with—New things replace those old things/PLEASURE
Application:
?Are New PLEASUREs apparent in your New Creation?
?Your New Creation Significant?
?Is yours a truly New Creation or a Creation by your own hand?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Wallowing pigs, vomit eating & nasty smelling dogs evidence an old unchanged nature.
Action:
A new creation is significant in its New...
1. PLEASURE(5:9)
Pts. 1-only! presented 01/03/2016am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
