8/3/2014
Kevin Chapman
August 3, 2014 AM
Building on the Foundation of Reconciliation
Kevin K. Chapman @ Grace Community Church, SF
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (ESV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reconciliation:
A change of relationship from Hostility to Harmony and Peace between two parties. People can be reconciled to each other, and people have been reconciled to God.
1. Understanding God’s RECONCILIATION is Foundational to a Healthy Christian Life
- The Need for reconciliation should be Obvious.
1 Cor. 11:23-34 Especially 29-32
b. Each of us must understand that our Sin is an absolute and Complete barrier to GOD
1. We must understand that God’s Forgiveness of our sin is essential to our communion with God, and therefore, our reconciliation with God.
2. We must recognize that Everyone else in this world is in the same condition we were.
Everyone is in desperate need of Reconciliation
2. Understanding the Practical effects of our RECONCILIATION is Foundational to Healthy Christian Living
a. It is done by an Inward work of God to change us.
1 John 1:7 see Practical Application below
- It is done by an Outward expression of the work of God with the intent to change others.
Ephesians 4:17-24 AND Colossians 3:1-10
1. We must live like we have been reconciled with God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. We must testify that we have been reconciled with God the blood of Jesus Christ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
A. We Must testify that we have been reconciled by the Life we live and the Words we say.
2 Corinthians 5:17 & 19 AND 1 John 4:9-10
Will YOU BE AN AMBASADOR?
Conclusion: I need to obey by doing ____(fill in with your own answer)___
References
1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (ESV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is [broken] for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Romans 5:6-10 (ESV)
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
1 John 1:8-10 (ESV)
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 1:6-7 (ESV)
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Colossians 3:1-10 (ESV)
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
1 John 4:7-11 (ESV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)
20 Therefore, we are AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Practical Application
Why is it so important to free offending believers from the clutches of sin? There are several passages of Scripture that issue a severe warning and speak of the sinful behavior of believers…
- sinful behavior causes loss of all reward by fire—a loss so great one is stripped as much as a burned-out building. It is the loss of all except the bare salvation of oneself (1 Cor. 3:11-15, esp. 1 Cor. 3:15).
- sinful behavior may result in destroying the flesh so that the Spirit may be saved (1 Cor. 5:5).
- sinful behavior can cause a person to become a castaway (1 Cor. 9:27).
- sinful behavior may cause death for a believer (1 Cor. 11:29-30, esp. 1 John 5:30; 1 John 5:16).
- sinful behavior that merits no escape (Hebrews 2:1-3; Hebrews 12:25f). Hebrews 12:25 (NKJV) See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
- sinful behavior may actually prohibit a person from ever repenting again (Hebrews 6:4f).
- sinful behavior causes a person to miss God’s rest (Heb 4:1f).
- sinful behavior may prohibit any future sacrifice for sins and merits terrible punishment (Hebrews 10:26f). I.E. As long as you harbor sin –known sin – God will not hear and forgive – you cannot say “God has forgiveness for this small sin, but not that big one!” or vice versa. Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV)
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
- sinful behavior entangles a person in the pollutions of the world after coming to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:20).
- sinful behavior may lead to death (1 John 5:16).