Peace With God
Notes
Transcript
Oh my fellow sinners. Do we not all deserve His wrath? How many times has my heart wandered? My imagination, our flesh, etc. We who are so guilty, will often hold the sins of others against them so. Refusing to walk in love, kindness, forgiveness. When Christ has done so much to fix the account we have with God. In the same breath, what can I also say, oh my fellow Saints, how He loves us and has made us accepted in the beloved? Why would he do that for me? For the world?
Reconciliation he calls it. Peace with God. Lets looks at our text today, for context sake, lets begin in v12
12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
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. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
we don't encounter or deal with sin and our relationship with God (religion), Christ actually causes us to be born again, His Spirit dwelling in us, the down payment on our eternity with Him when our adoption goes through (the resurrection). We aren’t Adam, but we aren't what we were either. Now Paul says, because of this,
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 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. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Reconciled Himself through Jesus: katallassoo, the greek here is to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken. To exchange one type for another. Its action done to remove hostility between parties. One offers the other receives. Or both. And Jesus we will see later is that propitiation for that, which allow this reconciling.
We need peace with God because our sin separates us from Him. We are children of wrath & sons of disobedience (Eph 2:3, Col. 3:6) Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
God, is the aggrieved party and for us to accept this reconciliation it simply (ha) requires of us, repentance and faith. Paul gives more on this as he reveals this here in our section today. Lets break it a verse at a time.
2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV)
18 Now all things are of God,
who has reconciled us
to Himself
through Jesus Christ,
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
How many of these things are of God? All. Who created the universe? so our new creation is all of God’s doing.
Who has reconciled us to Him? He did! We couldn’t so He did.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Huge!
1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”
Romans 5:10 “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
How did he do it? Through Jesus his blood and life, have secured what nothing else could. Reconciling us to God.
We have the ministry of reconciliation which is? The next verse answers
2 Corinthians 5:19 (NKJV)
19 that is, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, (john 3:16)
not imputing their trespasses to them,
and has committed to us
the word of reconciliation (gospel).
Christ did this because of the fathers love and his love for us. Spurgeon said,
Our love ought to follow the love of God in one point, namely, in always seeking to produce reconciliation. It was to this end that God sent his Son. Has anybody offended you? Seek reconciliation.
“Oh, but I am the offended party.”
So was God, and he went straight ahead and sought reconciliation.
Charles Spurgeon
God was in Christ - this is the beauty of what has been done. The totality of the finished work. The Father and the Son making it perfect. We through this have access to the throne room to cry Abba!
He reconciled to himself. Say John 3:16 we read it earlier, now say with me.
not imputing: logizomenos: accounting, reckoning. Its calculating a tally and holding it as bill - but here, our grand sum comes to zero (salvation wise). He doesn't do this because he does account Jesus’s righteousness to us.
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones - Adam’s sin is imputed to us in exactly the same way that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. We inherit, of course, a sinful nature from Adam; there is no dispute about that. But that is not what condemns us. What condemns us, and makes us subject to death, is the fact that we have all sinned in Adam, and that we are all held guilty of sin.
Assurance, 210
So in Christ we are New
committed to us: Gave this word to Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, all who call on Name. Paul over and over said not only was he sent, it was worthy of dying for. Thats how important your salvation is to Him. He has laid this on us. You as well. Remember he said to all of us, As you go make what? (Matthew 28:19–20)
Word of: Turn Romans 3: Not to your account, consider, he doesn't count your sins against you. You are found not-guilty. Paul explains in Romans 3:21–26 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Though the record is paid for, to be reconciled we must exercise faith. This leads to v20 for us to be reconciled to God (which means submitting, trusting, leaning on, relying on the works He has done). Faith is not a work it’s an act of trust.
being changed changes us. and the good works, all we do springs from that.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NKJV)
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.
We ambassadors. Paul uses the we to refer to those sharing the gospel and teaching the church in Corinth. He used the same verbiage in Ephesians 6:20, but the word ambassador is like the king of a country offering a peace treaty with another. Its presbeuo and literally means representative of, ambassador for. the regular church folk would often later be referred to as the presbytery. Where Presbyterians came from this word. You are to when you tell folks about God. this is not an approval of the denomination in any way just fyi.
The church in Corinth has beat up Paul. the supported those who falsely spoke against him, corrupted his teaching, etc. Yet, He implores. Yet he begs, pleads.
Plead. Beg. Adjure. If we can just leave folks to whim and say God will send someone, why beg, plead? Because we know whats coming!
It’s not just us, its the love, concern, care and desire of your salvation that we see in our Lord that cries you savior loved you, died for your sins, and came back from the dead. and if you would repent of your sins and good works and believe solely in Christ you will be saved. Christ came that you might be saved
all this was done that you might know, that God made it right with you. As each time of mankind has been presented to us, in every way we could approach God, he made this the time. There Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” Look with me at the confession of Peter to the household of Cornelius in
Acts 10:34–43 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—37that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”” ITS NOT SOMETHING WE DO, ITS SOMETHING HE DID! How?
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
21 For He made Him who knew no sin
to be sin for us,
that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
knew no sin: turn to Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53:9 “And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. ” and we see in Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” and in Hebrews 7:26 “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;” He truly was the lamb of God. Innocent and undefiled.
be sin: Isaiah 53:2–4 “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.” (1Pet 1:19)
That we might become? What?: Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”” It really is that in Him, we are accounted as righteous 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—” turn to: Romans 5:18–21 “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
So would you? I pray you hear God through me, pleading that you would see the truth. That these eyewitnesses (historically verified by the way) believed truly they saw the risen Lord. and they told everyone. That now includes us. Would you believe? Rely on? Trust in? Put all your faith in Him?
would you see with all this, that Christ has completed salvation for all who would believe? I will close with the simple words of these next two verses.
In Closing: The Holy Spirit speaks to us in 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Pray salvation