Reconciliation and Transformation Through the Gospel

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," or more literally, "if anyone in Christ, new creation." "The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 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." [00:03:26]

"And it is a very important lesson for us in many ways to learn, indeed fundamental for us to learn as Christian people, that over and over again in our Christian lives for our Christian service, actually, our greatest need is to have the gospel preached to us, and then our greatest need is to understand what that gospel is in order that we may preach it to others." [00:05:31]

"And we are living again in a time rather like the first century in fragmented religion in the midst of the idolatries of the twenty-first century that are in so many instances so like the idolatries of the first century, in the midst of New Age religion that is so deeply reminiscent of the old age religions of Corinth in the first century, that what Paul has to say to us here seems to come to us with a freshness and a power as he says to the church there and by the inspiration of the Spirit to the church here, 'understand what the gospel is, grasp what Christ has done for you, and what Christ has done in you.'" [00:07:20]

"And Paul understands this, but he wants to say to this world of deep alienation that the fundamental cause of that alienation is not to be found in my frustration as a worker, nor in my frustration merely with myself. The fundamental problem of humanity, my fundamental problem, the reason why I need reconciliation is to be found first and foremost in my alienation from God." [00:13:23]

"It is very interesting, actually, that this New Testament word for reconciliation basically means to make a change or an exchange. And it is in that sense that Paul actually uses it. As you see the need of the human condition, you understand that mankind's deepest need is for his present relationship to God to be transformed from alienation to reconciliation." [00:14:20]

"And there you see he brings us to the very heart of the gospel message. And a child could understand this. We stand in need of an exchange of our relationship of hostility to God for a relationship of friendship and reconciliation with God, and God provides that for us in the exchange that Jesus Christ makes. God made Him to be my sin, and in and through Him, He makes me to be Christ's righteousness." [00:23:14]

"And it is really this in its essence that Paul is saying to us, happened on the cross as God, as it were, crossed over His hands and His right hand of blessing falls upon penitent sinners and His left hand of judgment fell upon His own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And on the cross He bore our sin. He died that we might be forgiven. In my place condemned, He stood and sealed my pardon with His blood." [00:28:18]

"And so, the message of the gospel, says the Apostle Paul, is not, 'Put the finishing touches to what Jesus has done,' but, 'Lay down your arms, lay down your enmity, come to Jesus Christ in faith and trust in Him, yield to Him, rest on Him, be reconciled, receive the reconciliation that God has accomplished and embodied in Jesus Christ.'" [00:30:06]

"And this is how the apostle proclaims the gospel. He tells us about the need for the gospel and the heart of the gospel and the effects of the gospel. But I still haven't exhausted what he says here, because there is really a fourth thing that he speaks about, and it runs throughout the whole of this section. The need for the gospel, the heart of the gospel, the effects of the gospel, but then he describes the motives of those who spread the gospel." [00:41:15]

"And the answer is a simple sentence of four words, 'I want Christ's pleasure.' And, my friends, it doesn't really matter who you are. That will tell and be one of the means through which the gospel of Jesus Christ is communicated to you. You know, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army was once asked why he felt his life had made such a powerful impact on nineteenth century England and beyond. And he said, 'I think the answer is that there was a day when I said, "From now on, for the pleasure of Jesus Christ."'" [00:44:47]

"Robert Murray M'Cheyne wrote in his diary on one occasion, 'As I came in today, I was walking in the fields and the thought came to me with almost overwhelming power that everyone to whom I speak must shortly stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be sent either to heaven or to hell.' Do you really believe that? And yet, you remain silent. Why should that be?" [00:49:02]

"And do you understand what Jesus is teaching there? He is teaching that there is some kind of relationship between service in His kingdom and His glorious reward in the future, but the only connection seems to be the number. There is no proportion between multiplying a little money five times and being made the mayor of five cities. And that is the very point of the story, that the judgment of the master is a judgment that is out of all proportion to our service. It is a judgment according to the lavish grace of the Lord Jesus Christ." [00:52:02]