Fullness in Christ
(Reading: 2Corinthians 5:11-21)
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2Corinthians 5:19
[Pray]
Introduction:
Today’s message is very much a gospel message.
In our reading today [vv 11-21] the apostle Paul highlights [among other things] the spiritual changes that occur in an individual who is born again by virtue of the gospel of Christ. What we realize is that only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to change you eternally.
One of the keys to our passage today is the realization that as “new creatures “old things are passed away….and all things are become new.”
Within this parameter of “all things”… the born again believer is given
a new heart and a new nature
a new perception of who Christ is
a new [restored] relationship with God, through Christ.
and a new purpose in Christ
I must specify “given”; even as the apostle Peter was given a revelation of who Christ is:
We remember the account:
When…Peter confesses that Jesus was the Christ, to which he responds:
“…Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 16:16-17
As Jonathan Edwards puts it: this revelation was given immediately by God and not obtained by natural means; it is divine light.
The focus of our study today is verse 19
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2Corinthians 5:19
We have 4 points today [complete with sub-points]
- The Fullness of God in Christ
- The Fullness of Forgiveness in Christ
- The Fullness of Righteousness in Christ
- The Fullness of Purpose in Christ
The Fullness of God in Christ:
The declaration
[turn to]
“To wit, that God was in Christ…”
Paul begins this verse saying:
“To wit” or in our modern vernacular “that is to say”
In other words “I want you to know…”
Verse 19 re-emphasizes and expands on verse 18 and [in a sense] explains how the aforementioned changes occur.
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
From our reading today we understand that a believer ought to have a changed perception or a new revelation of who Christ is. And not only Christ, but also those around them; as we will see later in our message.
Verse 16 explains this:
“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.”
2 Corinthians 5:16
There’s a recognition that before a person is born again, his [natural] view of God, the world and the people in it, is completely different [after the flesh]. A person may or may not have believed in God. He may have had an opinion in regards to who Christ was; whether it be a great teacher, an ascended master or any of the other endless possibilities that people have conjured up. He may have agreed mentally to the notion that Jesus was the Son of God, the second person of the trinity.
But think about it; who really knows a person except that person himself. This is exactly what the bible teaches:
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11-12
It is only through the Spirit of God that the Lord reveals his true nature; including that of Christ. We’re not to lean on our own understanding in anything.
[Using Paul as an example]
As far as Paul was concerned [prior to conversion], Christ was certainly a blasphemer who was worthy of death; and likewise his followers. It wasn’t until his Damascus Road experience did he submit to the truth of who Christ was.
We’re reminded that: “…the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
And so this point [in regards to a changed perception of who Christ is] is mute on those who are NOT born again.
In a sense this serves as a warning to those who claim to know God and say that they have relationship with him; but in effect have put their trust in a god of their own making. Scripture identifies those who “maketh a lie” and warns that they disqualify themselves from inheriting eternal life. “Making a lie” is synonymous with idolatry. [see Isaiah 44:20]
In this case, the unbeliever has engraved an image in his own heart and mind [one that he is comfortable with]; this is the god with whom he has relationship with. The problem is that this god cannot save his soul and truth be known he is oblivious to the peril that he is in and the reconciliation that needs to be made.
But only a converted heart has this assurance described in 1 John
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
The doctrine
Our text today; whilst not expressly contending the deity of Christ, makes the point that “God was in Christ” This echoes what Jesus says of himself when he describes his relationship within the trinity in similar terms as out text today.
To make this perfectly clear, we don’t see “God being in Christ” as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as in the case of born again believers but rather that: “ in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” Colossians 2:9
Scripture tells us that God was manifest in the flesh; Christ was fully God and fully man.
Despite the lack of direct reference to the deity of Christ in our passage, there is certainly a reference to the unity within the trinity and specifically a unity of purpose.
We need only look at what Jesus said about himself on this point.
“If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” John 10:37-38
Jesus also states in the gospel of John:
“…I am in the Father…” John 14:20
“…I and my Father are one” John 10:30
Even the Old Testament alludes to this unity within the Godhead
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.” Exodus 23:20-21
There is quite a fascinating phrase used here: “my name is in him”. Earlier in the book of Exodus, whilst standing at the burning bush, Moses is told that the name of God is I AM. In the gospel of John, Jesus uses 7 “I AM” statements.
I am the bread of life [John 6:25]
I am the light of the world [John 8:12]
I am the door [John 10:7]
I am the good shepherd [John 10:11]
I am the resurrection and the life [John 11:25]
I am the way, the truth and the life [John 14:6]
I am the true vine [John 15:1]
In the context of our text today, that unity of purpose is specifically seen in the work of salvation. This is the reason Jesus came; (a) to destroy the works of the devil and (b) to seek and to save that which is lost.
Those who recognized this work were recorded as saying:
“…When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?” John 7:31
Ultimately this is what makes the life and ministry of Christ so amazing, that “…the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us John 1:14”
God condescended to be born into this world in order to redeem the world. God became man in order to redeem man….sadly with polar responses.
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
John 1:10-12
We see this life and ministry, not only in the New Testament but in the Old Testament also
“…Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Isaiah 53:3
The dilemma
In light of biblical prophecy and the subsequent preaching of the gospel, it is important to note that Christ didn’t die as a martyr [or for any other cause] but as the propitiation for the sins of the world.
He claimed to be God; saying things that could only be attributed to God and in particular the forgiveness of sins. And was consequently tried and found guilty of blasphemy.
He knowingly went to the cross; he wasn’t ignorant of the charges. Therefore we can conclude one of three things: He was either a Lunatic, a Liar or he is Lord
C. S. Lewis popularized this argument but did not invent it. Rather this “trilemma” seems to have been formulated by Scottish preacher John Duncan [born 1796].
“Christ either deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable”.
In 1936, Watchman Nee made a similar argument in his book, Normal Christian Faith.
A person who claims to be God must belong to one of three categories:
First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic.
Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie.
Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God.
You can only choose one of the three possibilities.
If you do not believe that he is God, you have to consider him a madman.
If you cannot take him for either of the two, you have to take him for a liar.
There is no need for us to prove if Jesus of Nazareth is God or not. All we have to do is find out if He is a lunatic or a liar. If He is neither, He must be the Son of God.
INDEED GOD WAS IN CHRIST BECAUSE HE IS GOD
The Fullness of Forgiveness in Christ:
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,…”
The semantics of reconciliation
The word reconcile has such a richness and depth of meaning and each of these nuances is perfectly addressed through the cross of Christ.
It can mean to restore:
And it is only through the cross that our relationship with God can be restored. And not only our relationship with God but also the image of God which has been marred by sin.
It can mean to settle a conflict; and certainly we were enemies of God because of our sin and rebellious nature.
In a financial sense it can mean to balance an account or pay a debt.
The Lord knows only too well the infinite debt incurred by each and every one of us, through our own personal sin against a holy God. The wages of sin is death and we have all come short of the glory and perfection of God.
Etymologically the word reconcile comes from the Latin “to bring back together” and certainly sin separates us from God and thus we need to be brought back to God. Clearly the word reconcile perfectly describes what Christ has done for the born again believer.
To this end Christ [ being lifted up upon the cross] would draw all men unto himself [John 12:32] but on the other hand there are also those that would hide their faces from him [Isaiah 53:3]
Yet the Lord himself would say:
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22
The scope of reconciliation:
It’s not hard to see the scope of the reconciliation being offered: “…the world…”
The wonderful thing about the gospel is that God is not willing that any perish and does not delight in the death of the wicked. The gospel is all inclusive.
Consequently, he went to extraordinary lengths to secure our salvation; culminating with the cross.
At the heart of the gospel and the reconciliation of mankind with God, is the forgiveness of sin. We are familiar with John 3:16 and the emphasis on the all encompassing “whosoever”
Verse 17 goes on to say:
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17
We know it wasn’t the Lord’s purpose to alienate mankind from himself; even thou the realization of sin might cause a person to withdraw from the presence of a holy God. The Lord will always give grace to the humble. And those whose hearts are tender towards him, will always receive forgiveness. A contrite heart he will not despise.
The biggest tragedy is those who reject the word of God; building a wall [so to speak] and effectually judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life. [Acts 13:46]
The Saviour to whom we are reconciled
Two simple words: “…unto himself”
This tells us so much about the nature of the God. On the one hand we have a loving God who desires to have relationship with us. And on the other, a righteous Judge [Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord v10] and whose wrath abode on us because of sin; and therefore making reconciliation necessary.
We know that the Lord is both of these.
None of this would be relevant of course, if the wages of sin were not death and that the words of Satan in the garden “ye shall NOT surely die”, were true.
The bible tells us:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
There’s so many things to consider when we think that Christ died for us whilst we were still sinners. Fact is; we were neither good nor deserving of this sacrifice for us. What makes this more profound is the knowledge that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world; and was subsequently slain from the foundation of the world.
At the end of the day, scripture makes it clear that we are powerless to save ourselves and that it is only Christ’s death which can reconcile us to God.
In terms of willingness:
If we want to talk about God’s willingness to forgive, the account of the woman caught in adultery [John 8:1-11] perfectly illustrates this. The Lord has always desired mercy and not sacrifice.
After dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees we read:
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:10-11
NEITHER DO I CONDEMN THEE…
How precious are these words
In Australia, the subject of reconciliation is often associated with indigenous Australians; to the effect that on May 26th1998, SORRY DAY was inaugurated as a yearly national commemoration.
There is much we can say about this [and I desperately don’t want to trivialise but I want to make two points:
As sincere and as poignant as the acknowledgment by the Federal Government of the various wrongs committed was:
ONLY THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD CAN ENABLE US TO TRULY FORGIVE OTHERS.
When we look at all the dysfunction within indigenous communities; it is not the disconnection from culture which causes an individual to corrupt his ways but rather “a disconnection from his CREATOR”
The Fullness of Righteousness in Christ
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them;..”
The execution of justification
Doctrinally speaking, the bible teaches us that rather than imputing our sins to us, we are imputed with his righteousness. Only God can do that. And only once he is satisfied that justice has been served.
Amazingly, this was prophesied some 700 years before Christ’s death on the cross and tells us that this is exactly what his death accomplished.
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11
When it comes to the doctrine of justification by faith, we need look no further than the book of Romans:
[turn to]
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Romans 4:6-8
How blessed are we to have our sins forgiven and to be imputed with Christ’s righteousness. I’d say doubly blessed; judging by the use of the word blessed.
In all seriousness, if this was the only thing the Lord did for us, this side of eternity, we’d have very little [if any] cause to complain.
Paul is expounding Psalm 32 here:
“A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” Psalms 32:1-2
The execution of righteousness is of course founded on faith: Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness. Likewise the sinner needs to have believe God [and in particular in regards to his sin] before he can declared righteous in God’s eyes.
The exchange:
The exchange is perfectly and succinctly described in verse 21. Repeat x2
“For he [the Father] hath made him [the Lord Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin [again referring to Christ]; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him [that is Christ].” 2 Corinthians 5:21
That he hath been made sin [he being Christ], alludes to the brass serpent which Moses made in the wilderness [Numbers 21:6]. It was this serpent which the Lord commanded the people to look to in order to avoid judgement and death because of their murmuring.
As the Lord explains in John’s gospel:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:14-15
This is a picture of sin being judged; and it is by faith that our sins are transferred to Christ and thereby inherit eternal life. This is the exchange that we often talk of when we explain the gospel.
This is:
The power of the gospel
The power of conversion.
The work of grace in a person’s life
This is why we are “new creatures”, “walking in the newness of life”.
The extent:
We’ve already established the fact that David knew intimately the forgiveness of God. Psalm 103 accentuates perfectly, the extent of this forgiveness:
[Turn to]
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:11-12
This is the extent to which the Lord has forgiven us and removed our sins. How far is east from west; this is a very good question and I don’t think the answer is 40,075 km [the equatorial circumference of the earth]. If infinite distance actually existed [see the original “Chances Are” series], this is how far our sins have been removed from us.
The evidence:
If all of the aforementioned things are true [and they are], then we would hope that there would some evidence of this.
The evidence of this, ought to be a changed life; one whose desires are no longer focussed on himself. Of course [more often than not] the believer knows that there has been a change within; and that these changes weren’t made by himself. But we are also looking for external evidence:
James puts it this way: “…I will shew thee my faith by my works”.
In biology, there is a principle which states that function follows form; or in other words, the shape of something usually determines its function. If this is true in the physical world, then why shouldn’t it also true in the the spiritual realm:
AND EVEN MORE SO SINCE THE THINGS WHICH ARE UNSEEN ARE ETERNAL
The bible totally agrees [not surprisingly] and says that:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
This leads us to our next point
The Fullness of Purpose in Christ:
“…and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
Our text today begins by stating that “God was in Christ…” There is a logical progression here [I love it]. The implication now, is that since God is in us through the indwelling of his Spirit, we too are instrumental in the redemption process. It is the Lord of course who gives the increase.
Since we are new creatures, it stands to reason that the “new man” now has a new purpose in Christ; one which is effectual in producing fruit unto God [Romans 7:4]
It’s obvious that the PURPOSE of planting a fruit tree is… TO PRODUCE FRUIT.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30
We see here that the scriptures teach:
THE FRUIT OF A BELIEVER IS ANOTHER BELIEVER
The Lord also mentions trees; stating that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit; implying that only a believer can produce another believer. It must be noted of course that the believer has nothing to do with the redemption process; he is just the messenger.
Our reading today makes it perfectly clear that our lives are no longer ours and that we have a new purpose; a mandate if you like. The bible is replete with descriptions of this new and God given purpose for our lives. To this end, our purpose is to live the gospel in the hope of leading others to Christ.
Purpose is also closely aligned to identity and our identity in Christ also determines what our purpose is.
Scripture describes the believer in many many ways:
We are regarded as servants but not just any servant; we are servants of the most high God.
We are admonished to “walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called” A calling is a vocation; a life’s dedication.
Paul describes his purpose in life as a “high calling” Philippians 3:14
We are described as ambassadors for Christ [2 Corinthians 5:20]
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Underpinning all of this is the realization that since Jesus died for us, from now on we should not live for ourselves but for Christ.
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
2 Corinthians 5:15
His purpose now becomes our purpose. This purpose becomes even more important when we understand that it was the Lord’s purpose that we would be conformed to the image of Christ:
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29
The mandate:
This mandate or commission is clearly laid out for us in our text today
I use the word mandate because it is a great word to describe the commission that has been entrusted to us. It is derived from 2 Latin words: “to give” and “hand”. It suggests a passing of the baton.we are told that the gospel is passed from: “Faith to faith”
Again our text says: “and [Christ] hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation”
A commission can be described as:
An instruction, command, or role given to a person or group
A group of people entrusted by a government or other official body with authority to do something.
“This committal is synonymous with the Great Commission to preach the gospel” in Mark’s gospel [which reads]:
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
Why?
Because “…we are ambassadors for Christ…” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Being described as ambassadors, alludes to the fact that we are strangers living in a foreign land [sojourners]; we are ambassadors of another kingdom: God’s kingdom.
If we look at our text again we are all included in this commission.
The word of reconciliation was committed “…UNTO US”: none of us are exempt from this duty or command.
The method:
Having a mandate committed to us, it surely is imperative to follow the prescribed method in order to achieve the command given to us. If this is true, the question we ought to ask ourselves is this: “How are we to fulfill the commandment that has been given to us and thus fulfill our God given purpose in life”
Certainly not according to our own methods and vain imaginations.
The method by which we win others to Christ goes hand in hand with the mandate. It is [as the text says] “the word of reconciliation” which has been committed unto us.
When we think of reconciliation, we think of one word and that word is “SORRY” as someone once said, sorry seems to be the hardest word. This is particularly true when it comes to having a contrite heart before a holy God. It is godly sorrow which leads to repentance [2 Corinthians 7:10]
“The word of reconciliation”, “the word of faith” and “the faithful word” and “the word of truth” are all synonymous with the gospel
Scripture defines the gospel as:
“The gospel of Christ” and “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth”.
It is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins
We have also come to refer to the gospel as the good news of Jesus Christ.
As such:
It ought to be preached…preached in season and out of season, held out and declared.
Paul expounds to us from the book of Deuteronomy:
“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:8-9
Paul continues stresses the importance of preaching.The critical point in this portion of scripture in Romans is this: Unless the gospel is preached, the lost cannot hear and thus believe. This ought to increase our sense urgency in regards to the commission that we have been given.
With this in mind
It’s important to remember that our words; in particular the gospel have the power to change a person’s life and destiny. The word of God will not return void. Hence the importance of preaching; even if in the world’s eyes preaching is foolishness.
[turn to]
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” 1 Corinthians 1:18-23
Notwithstanding:
When it comes to the word of God:
One thing is sure; it is impossible to know God outside of scripture. General revelation [the creation] can only get you so far and that is to lead you to the conclusion that there is a Creator. Scripture [on the other hand] is considered special revelation; and as the phrase suggests, it has been revealed by God and is contrary to worldly wisdom.
Moreover
James tells us that we were begotten by the word of truth:
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:18
The bottom line in all of this is the importance of believers knowing enough of their bibles to share the gospel with others and at the same time being transformed by the same word. We can’t ignore this simple truth. The secret to a fruitful life [and one of eternal purpose] is directly proportional to our consumption of God’s word.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:7-8
The greatest tragedy of modern times and with the shifting away from the preaching of the gospel is the presumption that if a person attends Church, he is born again. Simultaneously, there has also been a shift in terminology; the unbeliever is now referred to as “unchurched” rather than unconverted.
The motivation:
[OK]
We’ve seen the MANDATE…
We’ve understood the METHOD…
Verse 14 of our reading provides the MOTIVATION: if for some reason that motivation
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” 2 Corinthians 5:14
It’s not rocket science:
If God so loved the world then we ought to be motivated by the same love. What we also see in this verse that it takes a certain awareness: “because thus we judge, that if one died [referring to Christ], then were all [the entire world] dead [dead in sin and trespasses].
Remember, God is not willing that any perish.
Now:
I don’t know if was just me but when I was first saved, I was keenly aware that those around me were in great peril: predominately because I knew of the peril that I had previously been in. I like to think that others have had a similar experience.
We need to believe that we are all here for such a time as this and the Lord has us placed in the right place at the right time. As our burden for the lost grows, the Lord provides opportunities to share the love of Christ with others.
THE HARVEST IS TRULY PLENTEOUS….
We just need to raise our eyes to see.
[Share testimony of Dek]
Conclusion:
As always, today’s message speaks to 2 groups of people: those who are saved and those who are not.
To the believer:
Can I just leave you with these words:
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
Paul set a very high standard for himself. Yet if anyone had reason to rest on his laurels, it would have been Paul. But as he says in Galatians:
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9
This is particularly true when it comes to our personal witness and the sharing of the gospel. Pray that you are making an eternal difference in people’s lives. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. Go the extra mile. Be the salt and light that the Lord desires us to be.
To the unbeliever:
I pray that you would see that God has done everything and more within his power to provide a way for your sins to be forgiven.
Verse 20 issues a strong message:
This isn’t just a friendly suggestion. It is a commandment. God commands all men everywhere to REPENT: To rethink.. To have a change of mind and a change of heart more importantly in regards to where you stand before a holy God.
BE YE RECONCILED UNTO GOD!!!
Let us pray:
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