What's New About the New Creature? - 14

Show me more without has done to that end, we return to our second Corinthian series having gladly laid aside for the fall Bible conference with Dr. John McKnight last week we come now to the latter part of chapter 5, which contains three significant verses maybe three of the most significant verses along the Bible. In some ways verses 17 and 20, and 2117 says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away and behold all things have become new. Verse 20 now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. Verse 21 for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Today were going to take up only the first of these three significant texts and examine it in its context, Lord willing. The second and third significant verses. Verses 20 and 21 we will take up next Lord's day, but not concentrating particularly upon verse 17 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation or creature as it's translated in many Bibles, all things have passed away behold all things have become new. A familiar text. I say, but the title of my sermon today is what is new about the new creature. What is new about the new creature is verse 17 is simply a statement without any details given are we responsible completely to fill in all the blanks as to what it means to be a new creature in Christ or does the context guide and enhance our understanding of what the Spirit of God is saying through the apostle Paul in writing that text, and so to that end, we are looking at verses 16 through 19 today and we shall learn number one the Christ changes our perceptions to the Christ changes our behavior.

Third, the Christ changes our purpose.

Number one Christ changes our perceptions. Verse 16.

Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. This is the introduction to the new creature verse in verse 17 it is already pointing our attention to a change that is taken place and it also calls to our attention the basis upon which the stranger occurs because it begins with the word therefore which points as backwards into the context. Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Therefore, this statement is a conclusion based upon what is God before it is a result of what has taken place and read been revealed to us previously as we look back into verses 14 and 15. We realize that Paul apparently is talking about two things.

Number one. This comes about as a result of Christ's love for us to number two.

It comes about as I our new loyalty to Christ. Therefore, because of Christ's great love for us. Verse 14 said for the love of Christ compels us, because we judge and so forth. We looked at the text a couple of weeks ago, the love of Christ compels us or controls us, as it is sometimes translated Christ's love for his people now controls us good now compels us to move in a certain direct should so this change is a result of Christ's love is eternal love to us, and secondly it is a result of the new loyalty we have to him because of what is done for us, that we read those who live who have been made alive in Christ. Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them who would argue with that statement.

If we have been given life by the death of Christ on our behalf than it is certainly not unreasonable that we should yield our lives to him as he is willing followers and servants in gratitude for what he has done this a new loyalty in our life. There's a new attachment there's there's something that has changed in our lives, and because of Christ's love for us, and because of this loyalty that we now possess within us toward him. This changes everything changes the way we think it changes the way we behave. Support goes on to give an area of change perceptions when he says from now on we regard no one according to the flesh.

Therefore, because of what Christ is done for us. From now on we regard no one according to the flesh know that is a puzzling statement that has not been readily understood by all. But hopefully the Lord will enable us to understand what Paul is talking about is the way that our perceptions have changed because we are new creatures in Christ Jesus.

We no longer regard others according to the flesh.

We are no longer evaluating. According to worldly standards of evaluation as the natural man does.

That is the one who is evaluating according to the flesh, the one who was living in the flesh, the one who is evaluating things and living life and and doing what he does and thinking what it thinks because of the fleshly direction that is his whole life's direction and the natural man that is the unregenerate man, the one who was walking according to the flesh, evaluates everything according to outward circumstances and worldly standards when it comes to evaluating other people how does that work. How do you size up another person. If you are doing this, according to the flesh, will you take into account what you know about their birthday parentage you take into account what you perceive about the race. Their skin color and perhaps the country from which they originate. You size them up according to their wealth, their financial strength or weakness. You make some evaluations based upon their social standing where they fit into the social structure in the community where they are.

You take into account what your peers your friends think of them and you take all of these things that you make an evaluation of what you think of them. Based upon these kinds of standards these these ways of measuring another person these things that I have mentioned in others that come to play. That's the way that the natural man evaluates other people but not anymore.

For the child of God, because the love of Christ now controls us, because we are now living for the one who died for us. Therefore, from now on, says Paul, we regard no one according to the flesh, and that's a statement that allows no exception. Every evaluation here talking particularly about evaluating what we think about other people but eventually he's going abroad not out into every area of life. But there are no exceptions. We don't evaluates some people according to spiritual standards but cling tenaciously to our right to continue to hold opinions of people based upon fleshly standards. No. From now on because of what Christ has done for us. From now on we regard no one according to the flesh, and so they will understand more clearly what Paul is talking about.

He gives this one particular example of of these kinds of changed perception gave us first, a general statement about change perceptions that we evaluate. No one according to the flesh, but then he talks about how he evaluates Jesus Christ the person of Christ, how he uses to evaluate him compared to how he now evaluates it. Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer know again that's a little bit puzzling statement until you begin to perceive exactly what Paul is saying and then it all begins to fall into place and this is an example of changed perceptions. The way that Paul and other Christians evaluate Christ. Even though in the past. That's what he saying even though we have known Christ in the past.

According to the flesh in the past week estimated him according to fleshly considerations.

Nevertheless, in the present. We don't evaluating that way we don't know him that way any longer know when Paul says even though we have known Christ according to the flesh. Some have concluded the Paul is saying that there was a time during his earthly life when he became personally acquainted with Christ. Perhaps he shook his hand.

Perhaps he attended some of the meetings where he preached. Perhaps he witnessed some of the miracles which she performed and so forth.

But that is not what Paul is talking about here. He's not talking about personal acquaintance with Christ. It is possible that Paul didn't have some sort of personal encounter with Christ, we cannot say he did. We cannot say he did not. We would assume the Paul probably lived in Jerusalem during Christ ministry.

We know the Paul went to Jerusalem as a very young man for his education was trained there. Over the course of many years and became very involved in the the of religious scene in Jerusalem. We know that he was certainly in Jerusalem shortly after the ascension of Christ back to heaven. For he was involved in the persecution of Stephen the first deacons that took place relatively shortly after the return of Jesus Christ to heaven. So these pieces of information we know about the life of the apostle Paul would lead us to believe that it's very likely that he was in Jerusalem during the time the part that Christ ministered on earth and being interested, as he was in religious matters. It is very possible, I would say even probable that he did have some kind of personal encounter with Christ in some way, either viewing him from a distance, or perhaps even a closer contact, but he makes no reference to any kind of personal contact in all of the 13 epistles that he wrote, nor is there any mention of that in the historical book of acts we can only speculate. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't possibly he did. Possibly he didn't.

Probably he did, but perhaps he did not.

We don't know but it really doesn't matter. That's not what he's talking about here. It might seem to be what is talking about but that's not what is talking about here is talking about his former manner of evaluating the person of Christ. Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known we have regarded we Evaluated Christ according to the flesh.

There's that same phrase again. Yet now we know him thus in this manner no longer formerly Paul then known as Saul formed his opinion of Jesus Christ, according to fleshly standards of evaluation. In other words, formerly he formed his estimations of Christ like an unregenerate man is one who was in the flesh because he had not yet been constituted a spiritual man by the work of the Holy Spirit, he evaluated according to the flesh because that's all he knows being in the flesh, evaluated according to the flesh, of course, what else could he have done, and furthermore he was a Pharisee and so he even had a perspective that was different in many ways from the normal Jews of Christ day he was looking at everything very critically very analytically very carefully and when he looked to Christ out of the form an opinion of him how to do evaluate him while he considered what he knew about his birth and consequential lowly parentage. Of course he didn't know all the truth about his birth feet only known about the virgin birth. What a difference that might've made but what he thought what the other Pharisees thought what the most of the Jews thought was that this man from Galilee was the son of Joseph and Mary and they were very low on the social scale so his birth was not impressive. His social standing was not impressive. His education was not impressive.

Paul had an impressive education. He had had the most impressive educational credentials of the man could have in his day.

He was tutored by Gamaliel, considered to be the greatest rabbi of his day. One of the greatest rabbis in Jewish history and some think Paul was being groomed to replace Gamaliel. Paul had and I've said this before he had the equivalent of a PhD in his day, but I think it would be more accurate to say he had the equivalent of several doctors degree. He was about as highly educated as it was possible to be in his day. I'm grateful that years ago the first time I had cancer I was treated by Dr. Duke Medical Center, who was both an MD and a PhD that was pretty impressive and the he was a research scientist who researched cancer as well as treated cancer. How blessed I was to have someone so highly educated to treat me at that time and that's that's kind of like Paul was in his day, highly educated so he looked at the education of this man Jesus of Nazareth and what did he conclude he doesn't have education that amounts to anything. His birth is not negligible. His social standing is low is education is lacking. He has no wealth, no nose standing financially in the community and by the way, it's also very likely that the apostle Paul came from a very wealthy family was himself a very wealthy man which he gave up. Give all that up for the cause of Christ. But in the days when he was evaluating things from. According to the flesh he was evaluating them as a rich, highly educated, highly religious Jewish Pharisee and according to that standard of evaluation.

Jesus came up very, very lacking. Then when he took into account.

After looking looking at all these things when he took into account the opinion of his peers.

The other Pharisees, and they all turn thumbs down on Jesus that sealed it. Jesus could be anybody of any consequence. He could be a true prophet of God. He certainly couldn't be the Christ, the Messiah, as he claimed to be in a some thought them to be. Therefore, he's an imposter. Therefore he's a blasphemer.

Therefore he needs to be destroyed. Therefore, he needs to be rooted out. Therefore, his followers need to be quashed and how do we arrive at that opinion. He did that, according to fleshly standards of evaluation. That's the way he used to evaluate Christ, but no more.

Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer everything is changed. Now Paul is evaluating Jesus like a regenerate man like a spiritual man, not according to the flesh but according to the spirit, for he is now a new creature in Christ, he is now a spiritual man.

The natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God.

Their foolishness on to give me the cutting know that because they are spiritually deserved and until Paul was born again by the spirit of God.

He was incapable of evaluating Jesus properly, but now he and now he realizes that Jesus is the Christ, the one and only promise Messiah. Now he understands the Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate, eternal God come in the flesh. She knows that now.

Now he understands that this lowly carpenter from Galilee is actually the supreme ruler of the universe.

He is King of Kings and Lord of lords. Before every knee must bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father and that's the way Paul evaluates him now. Why is that because Christ changes our perceptions that leads is therefore diverse 17 where we see the Christ changes our behavior. Therefore another.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things have become new. Therefore, when not sure whether that, therefore, is based upon the statement of verse 16. We just looked at or whether this is the second.

Therefore, based upon verses 14 and 15 because of the love of Christ for us because we now live for him who died for us. Therefore we no longer evaluate people according to the flesh. In fact, therefore, everything about our life's new therefore if any man be in Christ is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new.

Second conclusion, therefore, there is an immediate application because the first thing in context it comes to mind that has changed is the way all of us evaluate other people, not just Paul, not just Paul who says I formally evaluated according to the flesh without the longer I now evaluate. According to the spirit.

But if any man be in Christ.

He's a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new. This doesn't just apply to Paul not believe should evaluate others by carnal standard and those who do defy the profession of faith in Christ. If anyone is in Christ. This applies to any and all believers. If you are in Christ. This is for you know with that statement, Paul makes a passing reference that is very, very significant theologically because he gives us another facet of what it means to be saved to be saved means to be in Christ.

In Christ, placed by the spirit of God in him, in union with Christ and therefore drawing from him, drawing from him what drawing from him truth.

We no longer evaluate things according to line dislike this phrase that I hear so much today. We no longer evaluate things according to my own truth you have your truth and I have my truth and though my truth and your truth are contradictory yet we agree that they are somehow both true and we gone insane. Yes, we have but as new creatures in Christ we no longer evaluate things according to our ideas, our former opinions. Our background, our culture, our community, our the way we were raised that is now totally irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the truth that we draw from Jesus Christ. If we are in Christ, we draw truth from him and his truth if it contradicts whatever we think, then, guess who needs to change him or you guess that's why there must be a renewing of the mind so big in Christ, we draw from him the truth the guides our life and being in Christ, we draw from him the life that energizes us and enables us to live this kind of life we are in him. We are a new creation.

We are the product of God's creative work in power old things have passed away interest tents in a definite moment in time.

At the time of the new birth all things have passed away their God. New things have come is a more literal translation, new things have come in the place of the older passed away things that are new and kind and therefore we are a new kind of person because we are a new creation created by God.

That means old opinions and old desires and old goals and old affections are now gone and in their place, our new opinions and new desires and new goals and new infections that govern our life. All things are passed away. Behold, the new has come because God has created something new.

Christ changes our behavior. It starts with our perceptions are opinions, but it just affects every area of life. How can it help but affect anything less than every area of life. It's all coming back to the title of my sermon today, the question what is new about the new creature. The first answer is the new creature has new opinions and attitudes, and evaluations and feelings that have all been changed by Christ and by his truth, and by his spirit working within us.

That's where it begins it begins in our thinking that's changed and then as a result of that what is changed is our affections and our purpose in our behavior that grows out of our attitudes are opinions are evaluations or feelings which have now become Christlike. What Paul is telling us is that salvation changes a person from the inside out, and the inside is the most important part. And when the inside is truly changed. It works its way out into discernible changes in behavior, but it doesn't work the other way around it so many times religion of one kind or another is trying to produce change by outward conformity of behavior that somehow is thought to be able to produce an inward change, but it doesn't work that way.

Paul knew that from experience all of his life is up as a Jew is a stricture. He was not one who became a Pharisee. He conformity himself meticulously to an endless list of rules and regulations. If you watched his life you have to say he's certainly different, but it wasn't because she is heart was changed. It was because he was keeping a an enormous list of rules and regulations of outward conformity to religion, but had changed his heart one bit.

He still evaluated things according to the flesh because he was still in the flesh, but if anybody is in Christ he's been changed on the inside and that can't help but work its way out to the outside. The new creature is new because he is changed from the inside by the spirit of God that brings me then number 32 Christ changes our purpose in verses 18 and 19 number one Christ changes our perceptions were 16 number two Christ changes our behavior.

Verse 17 and now number three Christ changes our purpose verses 18 and 19. Now, all things are of God was reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and is given us the ministry of reconciliation that is the God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Christ changes our purpose we now have a new and here's a phrase I learned way back in high school. I don't know if you know it or not, raison d'être, reason for being reason for living. That was French I took French in high school. I don't remember much of it but raison d'être. Our reason for being our reason for living.

Everybody has a réseau AFTRA, whether conscious of it or not, whether they've actually analyze and thought it through or not. In fact, for many people they haven't.

It's not clearly understood. We all have a reason for living, but when Christ changes us. He changes our reason for living from one that follows the pattern of fleshly things to a new pattern that is taught by the Spirit of God. How does Christ do that by reconciliation. He reconciled us. We read to himself to reconcile is to restore a broken relationship between two parties. Sometimes we hear about someone who married couple who is separated is great enmity between them and then through some circumstances, we were not always sure how sometimes we do know some of the details but there is brought about a change in the enmity is is addressed and it is dealt with and it is set aside and they are what we call it when they come back together again.

They have been reconciled their marriages back together how wonderful the reason why there relationship was broken has now been addressed. The. The barriers the obstacles to having a good relationship have been removed.

Well that's our need before God. Again, not everybody understands this unless they understand the truth of God's work for the Bible tells us that we are all AL L from birth because of our sin alienated from God. We have been separated from him and we need to be reconciled to we need to be brought into a right relationship with our God, and maker and it is God who must do this because he's the only one who can and how does he do this, we does it through Jesus Christ. He does it by taking the initiative and this is amazing. We have a broken relationship with God but who committed the offense. It wasn't God, it was us. Every one of us, so who should be going hat in hand to God and say I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Who should take the initiative in restoring the broken relationship. Well, the fact of the matter is we should, but we don't until God works. First, God takes the initiative to cause us to want to come head in hand, and to beg his forgiveness and seek his mercy. He took the initiative and the first thing he had to do was remove the barrier through Jesus Christ and what he did was provided a substitute who could take the judgment that was due unto us and take that judgment upon himself and satisfied the holy, righteous demands of the law and do that as a substitute in the place of the leaving center. Otherwise, we have no hope of reconciliation are said and will forever stand as a barrier to reconciliation with God, but God gave his own son to live the life of perfect righteousness that we should have but did not live and to die but ignominious death that we deserve to die that if we died that death we would be eternally separated from God and God gave his own son in order to remove the barrier that we might be reconciled to God. God took the initiative God remove the barrier through the work of Jesus Christ not address the fundamental problem which is sin.

Sin sin. My sale the bliss of this glorious thought my sale and not in part but the whole was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul, my sale and that's the problem.

Somethings gotta be done with my soon, God addressed the fundamental problem sin. We read in this text, not imputing their transgressions to them.

He forgives, because Christ bore the guilt. I don't want to get back into this issue of universal or particular redemption. I dealt with that in verses 14 and 15. The less you think that this use of the word world here contradicts what I said the meaning of verses 14 and 15 are consider this.

This tells us that the world that he's talking about here is the is a world regarding which God did not impute sin. That is, he did not charge with sin, which is up. Another way of saying he for gave the sense he took the sins away.

Now tell me. Can anyone to whom God would not charge their sins to their account. Could anyone for whom God for gave their sins and took it away. Could anyone in that category die and go to hell obviously not. So, for whom does God not impute sin. It is to those who trust in Christ to those who are in him. That's how God changes our purpose but from what does God change our purpose will God changes the purpose we had in life before we came to Christ what was left to live for self deliver pleasure to look for wealth to live for paint fame deliver power in all of these things to enjoy the pleasures of life to the fullest extent possible to mail the pleasures of sin, and there certainly are pleasures and sin for a season to milk the pleasures of sin, all the while cleverly we think minimizing the consequences of sin will how deceived we are, no matter how clever we are. It always comes back to bite us. We didn't milk the pleasure and avoid the consequences.

And if you think you did and you didn't and you don't you find that over time in life. But, dear friend, I want to tell you the consequences that you experience now or nothing compared to the ones you will begin to experience five seconds after you breathe your last known escapes the consequences of their sin unless unless they are in Christ we live for self we live for sin.

We look for things which we accumulate for the purpose of personal pleasure, and sometimes just for the sheer delight of trying to make other people envious of us all how sinful we are, Christ changes all that was a stranger to the changes it from that our purpose for living from that to this, a life of gratitude to God, recognizing as we read in verse 18. Now, all things are of God. God is the one who did all these things we didn't do them all things are of God is his amazing rescue. It's his condescending inclusion of ourselves in his great plan and joining us to Jesus Christ. It's his abundant blessings that are in our life and so therefore we now have a life of partnership with God, a ministry of reconciliation. God has reconciled us to himself why so that we might take up a ministry of reconciliation to other namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and we take up the message of reconciliation is committed to us. We read in verse 19 the word of reconciliation.

We have a work to do to be agents in the hands of God to bring about the reconciliation of sinners to himself. We have a message to comply took to proclaim a word to preach what is it it's the word of reconciliation. The most important message in all the world.

It is that God has restored the broken relationship with humanity by removing the barriers through the sacrifice of his own son. God has restored the broken relationship with humanity.

We broke it.

God has restored it by removing the barriers through the sacrifice of the zones.

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away behold all things are become new quickly.

Let me make a few applications before close. What does this text teach us about racial prejudice.

In short, it has no place in the thinking of a child of God. We don't evaluate people that way anymore.

That's sinful that's fleshly that's carnal, it's God new things have come. What does this text tell us about the so-called carnal Christian theory that a person can pray to receive Jesus as Savior and live just like an unconverted man for the rest of their life. And somehow die go to heaven. That's nonsense. This text tells us that if you are saved, you cannot fail to be changed. If you are saved, you cannot fail to be changed. It's the work of God. If you are not changed. Listen to me you cannot fail to be lost if any man be in Christ, he does not.

We hope he is would be good if he would be would be nice if he would be really ought to to be try to be, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.

All things are passed away. Behold, new things have come. What is this text tell us about our purpose for living. Why are we here for saved were here to invest in gospel work. The ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, we need everyone of us to find a ministry that fits our aptitudes that does something to contribute to the work of the gospel to the ministry of reconciliation. We don't all have the same gifts and aptitudes. Not everybody is constituted in such a way that they can go out and preach the gospel in front of abortion clinics, but I'm glad that some people can and do praise God for that.

But not everybody is constituted to such a life to be able to do that. But everybody can do something. According to the gifts and aptitudes that God has given you to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation in helping to distribute the word of reconciliation. So find a ministry that fits your aptitudes and get busy. Don't waste your life.

Are you saved are you in Christ what he waiting for. Why are you spending most of your time and energies for the things that pertain to this life and so little to those things relate to eternity. Are you in Christ. Are you a new creature in Christ, then let's see it working its way out in the way you behave and serve. Shall we pray father, thank you for such great grace. Thank you for such a great work. Such a creative work of your power within our lives. Thank you for such a great Savior who was willing to bear the price of our sins upon himself. Thank you for such great work that you have given us to do and now Lord help us to order our priorities. According to the realities that we have been reminded of this morning as we ask it in Jesus name