Weekly Reflection: 4/18/23

“Life in Jesus Starts now and lasts forever.” Gospel Reflection to go along with message on 4/16/23

Life in Jesus lasts forever.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” – John 6:47
Eternal = without end, never to cease, everlasting.
1 John 5:11-12, Revelation 21:1-8, 1 Peter 1:3-9

2 Corinthians 5:14-21
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
It’s important to see that we are not cleaned up, we’re not just tweaked a little, we are a new creation, the old was thrown away, put to death and we received new life in Jesus, a new identity in Jesus.
This is when the principle of already and not yet comes in.
As a follower of Jesus I am a new creation, I am the righteousness of Jesus, I am completely forgiven, I am a son of God the Father, I am a joint heir with Jesus. All of that identity is already; it is who I am in Christ.
But until I see Jesus face to face and become like Him there is also the not yet piece, I daily need to put off the old self and put on the new self, I daily need to be transformed to become more like Jesus one degree of glory at a time, I daily need to repent of sin and receive His forgiveness so the intimate relationship with my Heavenly Father can be restored. Moment by moment I need to step into Romans 12:2 and not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 3:2

1. A New Position

First, a new creation is someone who now has a new position in Christ. (Verses 18-19)
Reconciliation involves a change in the relationship between God and man or man and man.
It assumes there has been a breakdown in the relationship, but now there has been a change from a state of enmity and fragmentation to one of harmony and fellowship.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
Jesus was sinless but He was treated as if He was a sinner.
All the punishment that is due to those who would believe upon Him, is placed on Him as He suffered and died, so that in Christ, we might become the righteousness of God.
So, there was a great exchange. We exchange our sins for His righteousness.
So today we have a new position.
We can be secure in this position. Because we got into this position, not because we earned it or secured it with our hard efforts, but Jesus paid it all.

2. A New Perspective

Second, as a new creation we receive a new perspective. (Verse 16)
We can now see things very differently. We have a new pair of eyes.
A new world view. As a new creation we begin to see life through the lens of the gospel.
The Bible tells us that when one comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ, his or her perspective, radically changes.
A new perspective of Jesus.
A new perspective on people.
A new perspective on life. (Verse 15)

3. A new purpose

Third, as a new creation we have a new purpose. (Verse 18, 20)
That’s what church is for. That’s what we are for, we are here to be the salt and the light, the witnesses to tell people about Jesus, that they will be forgiven, and brought back to God (reconciled).
An ambassador is a representative. He’s an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven, and his Lord and King is Jesus Christ.

I think this is a plea from Paul for the believers, including us, to start living like who we really are.
You are reconciled to God, so I implore you to live like that.
“Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 Corinthians 6:1 ESV
“Don’t receive this grace of God in vain, use it, live in it, that’s who you really are, a new creation.”