II
Cor. Chapter 5:1-21
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Memory
verses for this week: 1 Pet 5:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According
as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us
to glory and virtue.
Introduction:
Last
week in Chapter 4, we studied about what the true gospel message is
all about. Paul had
been faithful to preach the gospel consistently with truth and
sincerity. He told us
that if the gospel be hid, it is hid from those who are lost and
deceived by Satan.
I.
The
Future Body and Home of the Child of God
2 Corinthians
5:1 For we know that if
our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a
building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
upon with our house which is from heaven:
Paul
knew if it came down to having “this tabernacle” dissolved by
death, he still would have a heavenly building waiting him in
heaven. He would have a resurrected body which will endure forever.
The resurrection body is not a body built with hands bur one
built by God. Verse 2
speaks of how we realize the weakness of our bodies and groan as we
anticipate our resurrected body.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we
say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep. 16 For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.
1
Cor. 15:42 So
also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it
is raised in incorruption: 43It is sown in dishonour; it
is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44It
is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a
natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
3
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we
that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
swallowed up of life.
The thing we groan for is not death, but we long to
have our bodies transformed. There
is little mentioned in God’s word about what takes place between
the time we die and when we go to be present with the Lord.
I believe the moment our eyes close in death, we open to be
present with the Lord.
Philippians 1:23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart,
and to be with Christ; which is far better:
5
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also
hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are
always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body,
we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that,
whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
We see that as an assurance that God will fulfill
this promise of future glory, He has even now given us the Holy
Spirit to give us confidence that it will come to pass.
Verse 6-8 speak of how when we are home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord. But
we would much rather be absent from the body and be home with the
Lord which is far better.
10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that
he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
We see that we all (saved Christians) will have to
stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
We will not stand there to determine our salvation, only the
saved are here at this judgment seat.
This has to do with receiving rewards for what we have done
in the body for the cause of Christ.
The determination of going to heaven or hell is made in this
life.
Romans 14:10-12 But
why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy
brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord,
every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to
God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to
God.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now
if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned,
he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
fire.
II.
The Motives of the True Gospel Ministry
11
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we
are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in
your consciences. 12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you,
but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have
somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
The fact that we must all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ is an indication of
the first motive of the true Gospel ministry.
This motive is “the fear of the Lord.”
We know the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Because of this fear and the knowledge of the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men to turn to God.
Though many attack and criticize Paul, he needed no defense
because God knew his true motives. Paul does not intend to praise himself, but wishes to tell
what the Lord has done both for and through him.
J.
Vernon McGee had these comments on verse 12.
In other words, if you are declaring the full counsel
of God, you can do it in a loving manner. You don’t have to bring
down thunder and lightning. However, we need to recognize and we
need to state very clearly that men are lost. If we do say that, we
are not commending ourselves; that is, we are not trying to become
popular. I am always afraid of the soft-soap type of thing we hear
today. There is so much today that goes the way of psychology, how
to become a well-adjusted human being. May I say to you that if you
are without Christ, it is not a psychological adjustment that you
need. You are a hell-doomed sinner, and you are on the way to hell.
What you need is Christ!
It
may not make me popular to say this to you, but it is the Word of
God. We don’t commend ourselves to you. We don’t want you to
glory in us. The important thing for us to do is to declare the
whole counsel of God. Our motivation to get out the Word of God is a
recognition of God’s judgment. That is the thing that would arouse
many a sleepy church member today.
13
For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be
sober, it is for your cause. 14 For the love of Christ constraineth
us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all
dead: 15 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.
16
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.
Some
of Paul’s enemies had accused him of being mad. Others accused him
of being sober. Paul
became all things to all men that me might reach some.
Paul was not mad, but a man who was about the Father’s
business. The message
that needs to be preached is that Christ died for the sinner.
We need to know him not in the head, but in the heart. We need to know Jesus as our own Risen Lord and Savior.
III.
The Saved Person Becomes a New Creature in Christ
17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
When
we get saved, we have a new desire in the heart. We have become a new creature in Christ, and all the old
things have passed away.
As baptism so clearly pictures, the old man has died, and the
new man has risen to walk in newness of life.
Jesus has reconciled us through Jesus Christ.
To reconcile us to God, He has brought us back to proper
relationship with the Heavenly Father.
We could not on our own do this, but we have an advocate with
the Father who can.
I
John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin
not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world.
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.
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. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We are ambassadors for Christ.
An ambassador is a high minister of state who represents one
country in another land. You
and I represent our heavenly country. If an ambassador fails to properly represent his home
country, the chief justice calls him home. How well do we represent
our heavenly home? Verse
21 tells us that Jesus who knew no sin, became sin for us.
Because of Christ, we may be made righteous to God.
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Prov 4:18
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