December 11, 2021 NEW THINGS HAVE COME
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
The gospel is radical and it requires the work of God for one to live out the gospel; the gospel is not a blending of human wisdom and effort with the power of God. One example of just how radical the gospel is, is found in the verse above. Is it not radical to say now that we are believers, we are to no longer live for ourselves, but to live for God? I am sure we are quick to give quick mental assent to the idea of living for God, but maybe not so quick to fully embrace the idea of not living for ourselves. (You may be thinking this is going to be a blog of condemnation-but it’s not.) Not only is the gospel super-natural, it is also mysterious in many ways; for example, the gospel tells us that we must die before we live. The gospel is a huge contradiction to common sense in many ways. The truth is that we live a sub-standard life when we live for ourselves; to live life at the maximum level, to live according to our design, we must live for God, our Creator. It is truly red letter day when a believer comes to know, understand, and embrace the fact that ‘new things have come.” In Christ, we are not who we use to be; we are new creatures-not refurbished; the “old things passed away.” The greatest news ever and the one thing that makes all the difference is the fact that we are IN CHRIST, and HE IS IN US. In Christ, life is not the same as before we were in Christ; being in Christ, living in Christ, is the ultimate freedom one could ever experience. It is a good and normal question to ask what it looks like to no longer live for ourselves. Does it mean that I quit my job and go to the mission field-or that I never engage in activities that I enjoy? Not living for ourselves is a heart issue; is it my heart to live life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord-that is the acid test. To not live for ourselves but to live for God means then we are preferring others more important than ourselves; we are focused on blessing others; kind-hearted; quick to forgive, patient, long-suffering, encouraging…..and all the attributes we see in Jesus. It means that we are not focused on making ourselves happy, but on blessing and serving. (That’s not to say that we cannot enjoy somethings we enjoy doing. He gives us all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17) Christ died for us, and now we are to live for Him. Let us live in the new things that have come, and let us have the mindset and the heart that wants to do the things that are pleasing to Him-and then do them!
Colossians 3:1-3 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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