Paul, consumed with the New Creation

— 2 Corinthians 4 & 5

sermons index at http://nlife.ca/audio

Andrew Fountain — Feb 6th, 2011

2 Corinthians 5

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away—look, the new has come.

This is the main verse for today
But I want to give some context from the whole Bible,
- and then from 2 Cor

Earth

1. The Big Picture: Two Creations
God Created the world
- Sin entered and the perfect creation was corrupted
- God promised Eve that one day he would destroy Satan permanently
- The Earth became increasingly rebellious against God
- He destroyed it with the flood

Floodwater

God made a new start with Noah
- After a few generations it was as bad as ever

Abraham

So God made a new start with Abraham and his descendents
- The descendents grew into the nation of Israel

Tabernacle

God brought them out of Egypt and made a new start with the whole nation
by giving them the law and making the covenant at Mt. Sinai
Within days they had broken his covenant and refused to trust him

Jericho

So God made a new start with the next generation of Israel
- That conquerored the promised land under Joshua
- He gave Israel the promised land, but they became increasingly like the corrupt nations around

King David

So he chose a man, David, to lead them back to him
- he promised David that one day a totally new start would be made with one from his line
  - David made a new start in the worship of God, and established the “tabernacle of David”
- God’s presence in their midst had purifying power
  - But they did not value his presence
- But throughout this time the prophets start to whisper about a totally new creation
  - Particularly Isaiah

Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem

Even David’s own desendents fell into extreme sin and God allowed the entire nation to be taken away into captivity

God made a new start with those who returned from captivity
- Eventually groups like the Pharisees and Saducees replaced true worshipers
- But things were now ready for an entirely new creation in Jesus Christ

Sunrise

But what Jesus did was totally unexpected
- He began the new creation before the old one was ended
- One of the words he used for it was the “Kingdom”
This Kingdom is invisible to the old creation, but they can see its effects
- love, truth, justice, faithfuless
- but also healing, restoration, victory over darkness
It would invisibly grow like yeast in bread
- and seemingly small and weak like a tiny seed would grow into a great tree
Jesus, with his resurrected body, became the first full new-creation being
- But all people had to do was to believe him and they would receive the seed of this new life
- Soon it was rapidly spreading over the whole world
- Nothing can stop it eventually reaching every nation

Butterfly

Then the old creation will finally be destroyed
- and we will receive new creation bodies, like caterpillars turning into butterflies

2 Corinthians 4

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair;
we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed,
always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body.

Paul is explaining why he doesn’t lose heart:
He is going to contrast the outward, the old
- with the inward new life that has been placed there by Jesus

what was the “extraordinary power”
- what does “jars of clay” mean?
- how did the “jars of clay” show it came from God

What on earth does this mean?
- In Paul’s case, persecution (see next verse)
- For us it might be death to selfishness so we can give our lives for others
- How did this show the life of Jesus visibly? (no persecution could stop him!)

2 Corinthians 4 cont’d

For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body.
As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak.
We do so because we know that the one who raised up Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence.

Does this mean it does not apply to them, only to Paul?
- They have spiritual life because Paul was willing to lay down his physical life
It all hinges on faith—do you really believe? (quote from Ps 116:10)
- So what does Paul believe will happen?

2 Corinthians 4 cont’d

For all these things are for your sake, so that as grace includes more and more people may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our physical body is wearing away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison
because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

So explain why Paul is not losing heart?
Is it wrong to be motivated by the glory?
- not if it is more of Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.
For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling,
if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked.
For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Now he begins to set up a contrast between the Old creation and the New creation
Do you think of your body as a tent :) ?

2 Corinthians 5 cont’d

Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord—
for we live by faith, not by sight.
Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Paul is confident of this because he already has a down-payment: the Spirit
- What is a down-payment?
  - a guarantee that the rest will come

2 Corinthians 5 cont’d

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart.

Does this apply to Christians?
- There will be rewards, but our sin is forgiven
Is he afraid of God?
- No, but he is afraid for others—that is why he persuades them
Is Paul proud? —what is the point here?

2 Corinthians 5 cont’d

For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
and he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.

Is Paul crazy? out of his mind?

what does this mean?
- The post-resurrection Jesus is far different to the man who lived in Galilee

2 Corinthians 5 cont’d

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away—look, the new has come.

This is the key verse for today!
- Do you think of yourself like that?

2 Corinthians 5 cont’d

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, “Be reconciled to God!”
For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

So now Paul talks about his evangelism

Summary

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away—look, the new has come.

Don’t let the things of this world get you discouraged
- Have faith in the new reality

So we do not lose heart. Though our physical body is wearing away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Pray for those who need faith and for more of a downpayment of the Spirit

Updated on 2011-02-08 by Andrew Fountain