Text: 2 Cor.5:16-6:2
Theme: God’s New Creation
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you."[a] I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
How do you see yourself? Average guy? A success? A failure? A sinner? Bland person? Ugly? Imperfect? Useless? Take a few seconds now do some reflecting on who you are.
Howard Hendricks once said: “If you found a perfect church, don’t join it. You’ll ruin it.” Many of us struggling – in need of renovation, spiritual life in ruins. Go join another church
1. SAINT I AM! A new identity – in him we are righteousness of God
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” – as believers we see things from a spiritual view… as saints… as loved treasured people whom Christ died for
Nothing can take that away, you are secure saints! No one can make you less than righteous, if u are in him who loves you and gave himself for u. The Bible says “all this is from God” – GRACE.
Does not matter how u see yourself, or how others see u, from now on, see each other from a spiritual point of view, not a “worldly point in view.”
WE ARE SAINTS - “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
There is a sense of intimacy here recalling Eden’s paradise where God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day! In Christ – new creation- new relationship- new covenant - made new! Wow! God sees u as if there is no sin, no barrier, nothing that separates you from His love!
Remember if u read Paul’s letters to the Cor. Church – this church is not saintly in behavior…
they hurt him, they say he is ineffectual, lousy preacher, they think he is not flashy enough, he does not have a crowd pleasing miracle show, they challenged his integrity, accused as a fraud, who puts money collected into his own pocket, they disappoint him in they way they treated each other, squabbles, lawsuits, sexually immoral, arrogant because they were a gifted church, totally not respected, unappreciated, unloved, yet he sees them this way -
– “church of God in Corinth, …sanctified in Christ Jesus …” (1:2)
– “I always thank God for you because of the His grace given you in Christ Jesus (1:4)
– “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless” (1:8)
– “God has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1:9)
– “brothers” (1:10, 26, 2:1, 3:1))
Whatever you have done, however u see yourself – don’t matter anymore – God sees you as you really are for “in him (Christ) we might become the righteousness of God” the Bible says! That’s it!
This is how we should now see others who are in the community of believers… as saints… ready to forgive as Christ forgave, ready to jump into community, as He communes with us, ready to forget the old, embrace the new, and enjoy all God has done! The key is “all this is from God.” – Nothing to do with us!
Therefore, we shall no longer see them as mean sinful imperfect people, who put the screws to us!
We shall move towards them as the church sanctified in Christ, thanking God for them because God’s grace, you will believe in them and be confident for them because God will keep them blameless, in Him we all are the righteousness of God. You will see each other as God sees them, righteous, blameless, enjoyers of Christ’s magnificent grace! You will be delighted in them as new creations, as God was when He first made people in His image… as God word shouts out in Genesis “it was very good!”
No matter what they are doing, have done or will do “from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.”
I like what one author said:
“We now see people as reasons for celebrations, as possibilities in the making, as fellow strugglers who sometimes fail miserably and do the darndest things, as opportunities to give and receive our common life in Christ” – Larry Crabb (The Safest Place on Earth, p.163).
2. What happens now is this: we can finally relax! And help others relax in His presence!
Are u in awe of what Christ did to call us new creations, saints? Can u finally find yourself relaxed in His gracious presence, knowing we are new everyday as we find ourselves in Him? This is what I call the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, the worship and awe of gazing at Him with our jaws open wide in amazement at the majesty of His grace, and His loving presence, fully feeling His welcome and embrace, with celebration for the marvelous things He has done! He has made us new! Let His grace roll on us! Let us bathe in His mighty works!
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” (Pro.14:27).
We will never measure up to the ridiculous hopes and dreams others have for us! That’s a snare of death for sure! We were never made to be gods for others – we will hurt, disappoint others, get angry, be sinned against, and some will even tell u that u don’t quite measure up. No longer shall we be pressured by this world’s definition of success, npo longer shall we be tyrannized by judgements laid out by the devil or others. No longer shall we let the worldly views of others destroy what Christ has done to give us back the dignity of being made new in His image. Readjust your view – see other believers as saints – new creations, that’s who they are, that’s their identity, that is me too!
Good place to be in! Shows how much we need God, His grace, His work in us. Shows us we need God to put the old hurts away, make us new again! Paul
Even me when I am at my best it is no use – pride gets in the way. “Look at me” will take away from turning our eyes to Jesus.
My purpose is not point others to me – but to point others to Him who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Either we point people to God or we become rivals to God! We were not told to compete for centre stage with Christ. He gets centre stage! He gets the glory! He gets the applause, the worship, the adoration! When God gets the front page news, when He gets the credit for recreating us into saints, our weakness don’t matter – they become a launching point to help others see His grace and point out “see how good He is!”
Never forget - We are never called to be messiahs with “a look at me” see how good I look, see what I have accomplished, or see how miserable I am and come pity me. No we are given the dignity of being messengers, representatives of Him, ambassadors for Christ (v.20)! We are to make Jesus look appealing, just like a descendant of Haitian slaves, makes the Queen of England look good in Canada.
It’s not about me… it’s all about Jesus… it’s all GOD, say it, believe it, live it! If we do - we can finally relax… knowing we will mess up, but we got a bigger Savior who made US the righteousness of God! No need to put on a show, to demonstrate how spiritual u are… No more pressure to prove how good u are, you are already the righteousness of God, new creation, saint, church and all this is from God, the supernatural work of God through Christ the Savior of all the world. This God’s extremme makeover!
So will u relax? Will u give up proving yourself? Will you be free from your burden of sin? Will you offer the same to others? Help them relax, believe in them as new creations , see them from a spiritual point of view, find community in the ones graced by Christ, rejoicing in what He made new when He was made sin for us and not in the world’s “what have u done for me lately.” Adjust your view today from now on, see God at work in others. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! Focus on who you are in Christ rather than who u are not! See what a rich resource we have in each other in the community of believers!
Will u encourage one another with this freedom that’s in Christ! Spur one another toward love and good deeds in the relaxed atmosphere of new creations, and new possibilities. Let us not take God’s grace and toss it out, as just something for good people. God’s plan is to use as badly as we have behaved as His representatives, reproducing life in others from our failures, weaknesses, to prove how good and great and miraculous He really is!
There is no perfect church only a perfect savior! Now is the time to worship in awe once again, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."[a] I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Embrace that vision Christ of His day of salvation, from now on!
So don’t force others to be messiahs for u or you deluding yourself that u are the savior … be real, authentic grace enjoyers, relax, God is with you, SAINTS, NEW CREATIONS, God be with you. And that’s very good!
