Living as a New Person

1. Living as a New Person (2 Corinthians 14–20) Forest Community Church Sunday 1 September 2019 Mike Taylor mikepreaching.wordpress.com

2. Living as a new person Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

3. Living as a new person And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” — 2 Corinthians 5:14b-21.

4. Living as a new person “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person!” (Or, in the NIV, “a new creation”.)

5. Living as a new person “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person!” (Or, in the NIV, “a new creation”.) This is exciting! • We're not held back by what's happened to us before!

6. Living as a new person “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person!” (Or, in the NIV, “a new creation”.) This is exciting! • We're not held back by what's happened to us before! • We're not held back by what we have done before!

7. Living as a new person “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person!” (Or, in the NIV, “a new creation”.) This is exciting! • We're not held back by what's happened to us before! • We're not held back by what we have done before! • We can stop blaming parents or teachers or circumstances!

8. Living as a new person “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person!” (Or, in the NIV, “a new creation”.) This is exciting! • We're not held back by what's happened to us before! • We're not held back by what we have done before! • We can stop blaming parents or teachers or circumstances! • We get a new start!

9. So why is it hard to live a Christian life?

10. So why is it hard to live a Christian life? How do we do on the fruit ofthe spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)? • love • joy • peace • patience • kindness • goodness • faithfulness • gentleness • self-control

11. So why is it hard to live a Christian life? Do we feel dead to our old lives? Isn’t it sometimes a struggle?

12. Should we expect an instant change? Paul tells us: Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

13. Should we expect an instant change? Paul tells us: Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And: God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. — Ephesians 2:4–5. This suggests an instant change.

14. Or should we expect a gradual change? Earlier in the very same letter we read: The Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. — 2 Corinthians 3:18.

15. Or should we expect a gradual change? Earlier in the very same letter we read: The Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. — 2 Corinthians 3:18. And Peter writes: You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. — 2 Peter 3:18.

16. Or should we expect a gradual change? Earlier in the very same letter we read: The Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. — 2 Corinthians 3:18. And Peter writes: You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. — 2 Peter 3:18. Our usual experience is long, painfully slow growth.

17. Why the apparent contradiction?

18. Why the apparent contradiction? We are dealing here with two quite separate, concepts:justification and sanctification. These are complicated words,but crucial and simple ideas.

19. Why the apparent contradiction? Too many are apt to look at nothing but the surface of things in religion, and regard [precise] distinctions in theology as questions of “words and names”, which are of little real value. But I warn all who are in earnest about their souls … to seek clear views about the matter before us. Justification and sanctification are two distinct things. — J. C. Ryle, Holiness.

20. Why the apparent contradiction?

21. Why the apparent contradiction?

22. Why the apparent contradiction?

23. Why the apparent contradiction?

24. Why the apparent contradiction?

25. Why the apparent contradiction?

26. Why the apparent contradiction?

27. Why the apparent contradiction?

28. Why the apparent contradiction?

29. Justification & Sanctification DefinitionA Christian is someone who has been justified by God. … and …

30. Justification & Sanctification DefinitionA Christian is someone who has been justified by God. … and … DescriptionA Christian works towards sanctification.

31. Justification & Sanctification There are two possible responses to being loved unconditionally: 1. “Then nothing I do matters.”

32. Justification & Sanctification There are two possible responses to being loved unconditionally: 1. “Then nothing I do matters.”2. “This means everything I do matters more!”

33. Justification & Sanctification Consider a marriage. How do I respond to beingloved unconditionally?

34. Justification & Sanctification Consider a marriage. I’m not saying it’s allwine and roses.

35. Justification & Sanctification in 2 Corinthians 5 Once you see this distinction, you spot it all over the passage:

36. Justification & Sanctification in 2 Corinthians 5 Once you see this distinction, you spot it all over the passage: • Since we believe that Christ died for all (justification), we also believe that we have all died to our old life (sanctification).

37. Justification & Sanctification in 2 Corinthians 5 Once you see this distinction, you spot it all over the passage: • Since we believe that Christ died for all (justification), we also believe that we have all died to our old life (sanctification). • He died for everyone (justification) so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves (sanctification).

38. Justification & Sanctification in 2 Corinthians 5 Once you see this distinction, you spot it all over the passage: • Since we believe that Christ died for all (justification), we also believe that we have all died to our old life (sanctification). • He died for everyone (justification) so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves (sanctification). • Instead, they will live for Christ (sanctification), who died and was raised for them (justification).

39. Justification & Sanctification in 2 Corinthians 5 Once you see this distinction, you spot it all over the passage: • Since we believe that Christ died for all (justification), we also believe that we have all died to our old life (sanctification). • He died for everyone (justification) so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves (sanctification). • Instead, they will live for Christ (sanctification), who died and was raised for them (justification). • And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ (justification). And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him (sanctification).

40. Living God's way Never forget: we do not work in order to receive grace. But we certainly do work as a result of receiving grace!

41. Living God's way Never forget: we do not work in order to receive grace. But we certainly do work as a result of receiving grace! Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. — Philippians 2:12.

42. Living God's way Never forget: we do not work in order to receive grace. But we certainly do work as a result of receiving grace! Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. — Philippians 2:12. By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them. — 1 Corinthians 15:10.

43. Why this matters Aren’t we saved anyway?

44. Why this matters No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials — gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. — 1 Corinthians 3:11–15.

45. How should we respond? This means: • Negative holiness: avoiding sin

46. How should we respond? This means: • Negative holiness: avoiding sin • Positive holiness: showing kindness, generosity and forgiveness

47. How should we respond? This means: • Negative holiness: avoiding sin • Positive holiness: showing kindness, generosity and forgiveness • Sharing the good news (2 Cor 5:18-20) All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. — 2 Corinthians 5:18.

48. Living as a New Person (2 Corinthians 14–20) Forest Community Church Sunday 1 September 2019 Mike Taylor mikepreaching.wordpress.com