"2 Corinthians 5v16-21"

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So from now on, we regard no 1 from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here. All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.

And he is committed to us the message of reconciliation. We 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. God made him who had no sin to be sinned for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God. Okay.

Well, it's great to see you're here this morning. My name, Steven, as John said, I'm 1 of the elders here at Hope Church, Bart is, is away this Sunday. So, he's asked me to to speak. It gave me the choice for what to speak on as well. So this is what we've got.

Just to say, you might have seen my WhatsApp message earlier this week. Maybe it was Friday night. That's quite late in the week. To we're having checked on you after the service, and it would be really good to hear, from from, anything that we've been struck by maybe over the Easter period. Maybe through the sermons, or gospel communities, or even in your own private reading, it would be really good, if a few of us could share over over lunch, maybe to stand up just for for a minute.

And just to say that. We we've we've had, something come forward that's encouraging, but if that's you, or you might be thinking, oh, maybe this is a good opportunity not during my sermon, but, before the lunch to maybe have a think, what verse you might be able to to share or I thought. So that would be that'd be good. Stephen, I'm on my mic, Mike, Tanya. Just checking.

There's a green light, which is always a good sign. Before we before we begin, let me pray. For the god, we do thank you for your word. We we thank you that it it instructs us. We thank you that it is a light to our path.

And lord as we spend, a few minutes now looking at, 2 Corinthians lord, please, help us by your spirit, help us to see the lord Jesus again in all his glory. That we would be those who worship him with our lives. And what if we are, still, living a life without him, lord, please have mercy. An opened blind eyes today we pray in Jesus' name? R men.

Well, you've you've probably realized, and aware that Easter maybe has come to an end we're coming to the end of the Easter holidays, I suppose, as what they called. And unsurprisingly, this means we've actually finished our our Easter servant series. We've looked at the the foundations of the Christian faith. The death and the the resurrection of the lord Jesus, which which is what Easter is all about. And I hope you had joy in your heart.

As we looked afresh again at what those events achieved? Or you you might be thinking, well, that's done actually. What what what else have you got for us? When are we getting back to 1 Samuel? Well, don't worry.

We are going back to 1 Samuel, and we'll be looking forward to that. But let's not move on too quickly. With a cross and the empty 2 impression our minds, Let's look again at what glorious implications these events achieved for those who have turned to the lord Jesus for salvation. Those who will see today who are in Christ. If if that's you this morning, then then praise God.

But if you're just here this morning, maybe exploring Krshanti, Maybe you wouldn't call yourself a follower of the lord Jesus. Well, I pray also that you would see the glorious implications of the cross, and you will see why this worth following Jesus for yourself. And so we're gonna look together up to these glorious implications of the gospel, and we're gonna be looking at 2 Corinthians 5. Like so many of Paul's letters, he's reminding the Corinthians Church and also us what Jesus has achieved at the cross, and what it means for those who have turned for to him for salvation. But not just turned to Jesus for salvation, but in some sort of supernatural, a mysterious way, are also in him.

And we're gonna see that being in Jesus means that we now have a transformed life. That this transformed lighter has come through the power of the gospel, has come through the message of the gospel, and all that God has done through it. And we're gonna see that this transformed God this transformed life has been brought about. First for the Corinthians Church, and also for Ross, through Paul's genuine God given gospel ministry. As he sets out the truth openly, despite suffering and hardship.

But he sees that this suffering for the gospel is not futile because it has great, glorious Gospel implications. And we're gonna be looking at those, glorious implications now just for a few minutes. And the first, glorious implication of the gospel is that in Christ, we are a new creation. So as for in verse 17, if you got your bibles, look down at them, you you will probably need to keep them open if you want to follow along. We will be referring back to, other parts of 2 criminals as well.

So, do do keep your barbers open, but there there will be some verses on the screen as well. First 17 says, therefore, if anyone if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone. The new is here. Now if you if you were summing up the Christian faith, where would you start?

Maybe you've got gospel presentations in your mind. Well, Paul in his gospel presentation starts here. We used to sing a a a song when I was growing up in our youth group you might know it. It says I am a new creation no more in condemnation has a nice little look to it. But why why are we singing those words?

Why are we singing? I am a new creation no more in condemnation? I did feel a bit odd growing up singing that actually. Why am I singing this? Well, actually, it shouldn't really come much of a surprise to us.

I should have been saying, we should be singing this because God. God is a creating God. Just look around. Look at around at creation. Even this time of year, as we see spring, spring fourth, that we, as we see, creation more in its beauty, we see a God who is a creating god, the creation points to a created God.

Maybe, if we're on, Autonomous 2, the the spaceship circling the moon, as we see the the the the grandeur of space as we see all of creation, as we see even earth itself, in all of its glory, in all of its beauty, we see that there is a created order. It's because God is a creating God. If you think of creation, the create creation account even, in Genesis, what do we see? We see, a creating God who even with just a few words. Speaks, and creation comes into existence.

And the amazing thing is that this creating God continues to speak. He continues to create. Just listen to the the language of 2 Corinthians 4 verses 5 and 6. It says for what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, let shine out of darkness made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of god's glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Do you see the creating God at work here? Just like in the beginning, the 1 who speaks light into darkness is the same speaking, creating God who creates new life in our hearts. And this new life is a life of the knowledge of the glory of Christ. And do you know if you have turned to the lord Jesus for salvation? God has done this to you.

He's made you into a new creation. And what is the first act of God in this new creation? Well, it it is the light of the knowledge of Christ. The light of the knowledge of Christ coming to a a darkened mind. I wonder if you can recall that moment when that happened.

Maybe you are walking in darkness. No knowledge of Gardo or what he had done. With a darkened mind. Can you recall this act of God in your life? Maybe you could You could say there was a time when things started to be to become clearer, like a mist on the top of a mountain.

As it clears, and you can see the view in all its glory, Things start to make sense once again. God, taking away that veil. And you see Christ in all his glory. Again, 2 greetings, 3 verse, the 16, just laying the context. We will get to we will get to our verses.

But it says, but whenever anyone turns the lord, has to turn to Jesus. The veil is taken away. And we all who with unveiled faces contemplate the lord's glory. Have you noticed this changing you? Isn't this true for all those who've turned to the lord Jesus for salvation.

Like Paul in acts 9 as the scales fall from his eyes. So we see everyone who turns to Jesus has this new creation life. And this is such a great truth we could spend all our time maybe this morning looking at this, but there's so much more to see. But before we move on, Did you notice? Did you notice in verse 17?

What makes way for this new creation? Well, it says the old has gone. Or a more literal really might be that the old has passed away. Normally, this is a this is a sad thing, isn't it? When we say someone someone's passed away.

Jimmy, he passed away the other day. Don't know why it was Jamie. But but this is it. There there's there's a there's a passing away, and it's not it's not a sad occasion. But but what is what is the passing away?

What is the old life for those who have turned to Jesus for their salvation? Well, I'm sure there's many ways we could we could look at this. And look at the old way of life for the Christian, but, particularly from this context, we see that the the old way of life is is the old way we used to see Jesus. It says that there was once a time when when we view Jesus, in a worldly perspective, that we wouldn't see him in his glory We wouldn't see him for truly as he was. We want regarded Christ in this way.

We do so no longer. What a glorious act of God bringing us to new creation, the new creation of knowing Christ. But that is not all. We find another glorious implication for those who are in Christ. And secondly, we see that in Christ, we are reconciled to God.

We see this in verse 18 and 19, and it and this does lead on from the fact that we are new creation people. Because how is new creation possible? What is it based upon? How can this this event actually even happen? Well, it is that we are reconciled people.

Now the concept of reconciliation, I suppose it isn't too uncommon to our thoughts. 1 1 definition I found was that reconciliation is the process of making 2 people or groups of people friendly again. I'm sure I'm sure this is this is something not too uncommon for us to to know. It's very easy to see when relations break down, isn't it? You might see it in in the lives of children.

It's very easy to see in the lives of children, maybe siblings. Where when they fall out, they're they're fine playing together. It's perfectly okay. You walk in the room, and then suddenly there's there's warfare going on. There's shouting.

They're screaming at each other. There's there's there's there's a disconnect. And and and as a parent, you you have to go in and you have to reconcile that that situation, don't you? Children very seldomly are able to reconcile themselves to work out the differences. This is a life lesson they have to learn.

And you have to say, okay, what's going on then? Well, he he he called me smelly. Oh, well, she hit me. Well, yeah, well, she looked at me funny. I and you you have to sit down and you have to well, you basically just have to say, don't worry about that, and that seems to be the the answer in in some in some ways.

But we see it, though, we we see it everywhere. This this this, this broken relationship. Maybe maybe with a in a in a marriage, we we see a separation. You see, there's always a reason, isn't there? There's always a reason for for people not to be reconciled.

There's always an offense. And this has to be dealt with or removed, or there has to be, amends made for the offending issue. I mean, it doesn't really happen these days though, does it? What do we do these days? We we say see you later.

I'm off. Don't really want to be reconciled. You've offended me. Yeah. We we cancel each other.

But in Christ, we see something different. And this is why Easter is so good. So good to celebrate Easter together. This is the story of Easter. We're not moving on from Easter yet.

You see, God in his kindness to the world. He takes the initiative. God is a God who reconciles with the with the world. It says in our passage, God was reconciling the world to himself. We get this this great kindness of God.

And then again, verse 18, he he he sort of narrows it down all the more. It's not just, reconciliation to to the world. It's a reconciliation to the church. God has reconciled us to himself. You see, in the gospel, we find a God who is open to reconciliation, a God who is open to meet with us.

A God who is open to find a solution to restore a a broken relationship. And what is that solution? Well, we sometimes try to make up our own own ideas of what God requires. Listen to this from a a well known religious organization, I'll say. I'm sure you might have some ideas who this may be, but Let's hear from them.

It says repentant sinners are absolved. I'm gained reco reconciliation with God and the church on condition of confession of their sins to a priest. And a and a performing of penance. Is that it? Is that the solution that God requires just to come to a priest and perform some good deeds in penance?

Is that how God reconciled a sinful world? No. The gospel is so much more glorious than this, has so much more to say. The gospel is a glorious picture of of how God is merciful, and he is the 1 who reconciles the world to himself. And we get here the the reason, the way in which God reconciles the world to himself, we get it in verse 19.

And it's a very surprising thing that God says. There's a very surprising way in which God reconciles the world to himself. It says that God does not count people's sin. Against them. Now how can this be possible?

How can a holy God I god, who doesn't change his mind. How can this god? Just forget about us in. Has God changed? How's God got soft?

You see the Ever since creation, man has offended God. Man has broken, relationship with God. We have broken and are related with God with our impure thoughts, with our our desires, our Tainted by sinful ways. Our evil ways. Or unloving actions to to God and to each other, setting aside, the path for which God set out for us, You see the issue here?

We've offended God. We've rejected him. And how can this God turn round and say, that doesn't matter. Doesn't matter about your sin anymore? We'll just sort of forget about that.

But, actually, God is a God who who does care about sin. God is not only a holy god, 1 who is perfect, 1 who is set apart from wicked wicked things. He's not only a holy God who who cannot live with wickedness and simple ways. He's also the god, the judge, the 1 who requires payment for our offensive ways. This is the God of the Bible.

So how can God say that he will not take into account our sins? Is it through some sort of religious duty like penance? Is it good deeds? Is it come to church? No.

The gospel is so much more glorious than that. And we need to hear the next gospel implication, how a holy and just God can look on our sin and not counter against us. And that is the our third gospel, glorious implication is that in Christ, we become the righteousness of God. First 21 says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. So that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.

This is a glorious picture. This is a humbling picture. You see, actually, for us to be reconciled with god, our sins do need to be accounted for. But instead of the offending party needing to make it amends, do you see how this is done? Our sin is given over to Jesus.

Our sin is transferred to him. And his first says in actually some supernatural way, Jesus is made to be sin How can that be? Jesus who is God is is made to be sin. But we see how glorious this is, how no longer do we have to have our sins accounted for ourselves, but Jesus, is being made sin. What wonderful news?

And it's it's what we need to hear, and it's what we need to continue to hear. When we when we're reminded of our our weight of sin, do you ever feel the weight of sin. May maybe even your own minds accuse you. Maybe you feel guilty. Maybe you feel, how would have I got myself involved in that again?

Maybe we've seen how we've offended other people. Well, we need to know, in light of all that, this glorious truth, that Jesus is our righteousness. See, without him, what have we got left? If Jesus doesn't come, what have we got left? Well, actually, we're just left in our way with lives.

May maybe knowing that we are sinful, And then it's down to us, isn't it? But how do we know when we've fallen off? How do we know? Wh when our sins, of our tone for. What is what is the standard?

How do we know? When is enough enough? Whenever whenever I don't done enough praying, I never ever done enough washing on myself or bowing down or coming to church or giving to charity or being good to people. When's enough? Well, the glorious news of the gospel is that the standard of righteousness is found in Jesus.

Jesus is the perfect righteous 1. He lived a life of of perfection. He obeyed the father completely. He is the 1 that always had a pure mind. Always had right desires.

Always did what was right. And the glorious news of the gospel is that we are in him. You see if we turn to Jesus for our salvation. We get his righteousness. And to quote the the word from from John Piper, and American theologian, he says this about the rightness of Christ.

It doesn't get better when our faith is strong. It doesn't get worse when our faith is weak. It is perfect. It is Christ, and this is in Christ. So this morning, if you are a Christian, if you are if you have turned from your sin and you are following him, look away from your own performance, look away from your own righteousness, and rest in this glorious truth that in the Christ, you have become his righteousness.

The ministry that brought condemnation was glorious. How much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? The gospel brings righteousness. But there's 1 last glorious gospel indication that we need to see. It's there in the passage I don't know if you picked up on it.

It's in verse 20. It says we are therefore Christ ambassadors as though God was making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf. Do you reconcile to god? Do you see the the appeal of God here?

What do we do with a message of reconciliation? We show it to the world. We tell the world of of a God who wants to live again in a restored relationship. You see, God god doesn't just have a a a sort of quota of Christ followers. And that's it.

You might think our church is built. We're here. God has done his work in our lives. Great news. No.

God wants the world to be reconciled to himself. I I I'm Paul as he thinks of this. First forth with the with the with the proclamation, be reconciled to God. There was a God who in his goodness and kindness has made it possible for us to be in relationship with him. And maybe you're here.

Maybe even for the first time you're hearing of a good kind God who wants to be reconciled with you wants to come to you with a new creation. He wants to come to you with an opportunity to have freedom from your sin. A freedom to put on religious acts, a freedom to have the righteousness of God in Christ will be reconciled to God. And so as we closed this morning and suppose as we finish our Easter celebrations, let's remember the blessings we have in Christ. Let's remember these great and glorious gospel implications.

Let's not move on from them. But let's be astounded again, and let's live a life of worship for all that we have in Christ. And let's go out to the world proclaiming that they too can know the blessings of being reconciled to god, knowing the righteousness of Christ. And a transformed life. Let's pray.

Pardon God to be thank you for the message of reconciliation. We thank you for the gospel. We thank you that you have been kind to give it to us. You've been kind to make it possible for us to hear this truth. And with a with a a word you, the speaking, creating god, for those who are in the lord Jesus here this morning, have brought light to a darkened mind, where once a veil held fast, you have removed it for us to see Jesus in all his glory.

Thank you as we turn to him. For salvation, we can know. We can know that we are a new creation. We can know that we are reconciled to our creator God and that we can know that we now have the righteousness of Christ. Thor help us to dwell richly upon these things.

Panned them deep in our hearts that we would have great joy. We would have great hope and peace for that you have done in the gospel. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.