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2 Corinthians 5:14-21 ESV

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2 Corinthians 5:14-21

esv

14 For the love of Christ d controls us, because we have concluded this: that e one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, f that those who live might no longer live for themselves but g for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, h we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is i in Christ, he is j a new creation. 1 k The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, l who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us m the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling 1 the world to himself, n not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us m the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, o we are ambassadors for Christ, p God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 q For our sake he made him to be sin r who knew no sin, so that in him we might become s the righteousness of God.

Notes

Expositional notes Dead to ourselves Jesus died for our sins. This means that we died with him. It says "therefore all have died". This means that Jesus died on our behalf. Having died with Jesus means that we have also been raised to new life with Him (Ephesians 2:6). The result of this is that we no longer live for ourselves but rather for Him. Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We are dead to sin and alive to God. Therefore The whole basis of this section is Pauls earlier statement with the hinge on v15. Jesus has died for all who repent so that they no longer live for themselves but for Him. "According to the flesh" Explain what it means to regard people according to the flesh. Because this change has happened, we should no longer treat people as if they are who they are in the flesh. Because that "person" has died. We should no longer let outer appearance determine how we treat someone. Once we regarded Christ according to the flesh. Jesus is now the risen king. We used to see Him as just a person, but now we know that He is the Lord of all. New creations If we are in Christ This is the condition of being a new creation. We must be in Christ. This could be a whole sermon by itself. To be in Christ means to repent and believe in Him. It means to love Him. To be reconciled to Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:9 Paul writes that, "I make it my aim to please Him". Paul now lives His life to please God. He is a new creation The promise of being in Christ is that we have died with Jesus and now we are new creations. Creation - This word means that we have been made/created. Think about the first time we were made when we were born. We have now been created again (new). We couldn't make ourselves. God has made us new, He is the author of it. The old is wiped away - Our sin is wiped away. God has forgiven us our sin because Jesus bore our punishment. We used to love our sin and be trapped by it. Behold - There is something to marvel at, take a minute and think about how big this is. We are new creations. The old self has passed away. Don't miss this. New things have come - When we get saved God gives us new desires and new aims in life. We no longer live for ourselves but for God. God changes our hearts so that we want to please Him. To and then from Paul then explains how God has brought us to Himself. We have been reconciled with God. There was this big debt of our sins but through Jesus we are reconciled with God. There was this gap but now we have peace with God. 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. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11 ESV We have the problem of sin. It causes a separation between us and God. It makes us enemies of God. But God sent His son to die for us. And when we believe in Him, we are reconciled with God. Out of this place of being reconciled with God, He sends us out as His ambassadors. We are representing God and we are carrying His message. Example of representing SA. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 ESV God has given us his message and now we are ambassadors for him. How are we going to represent God? We have a responsibility. Be reconciled W hen you read v20, you can feel how Paul is begging with the people reading the letter to be reconciled to God. He wants them to come into right relationship with God. In the same way, I am begging you to be reconciled to God. The reason, God made Jesus to be sin for us. All of the bad that we have done, Jesus became and took our punishment on Himself so that we might be righteous in God's sight.

notes

Arc

editing

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

For the love of Christ d controls us,

because we have concluded this:

that e one has died for all,

therefore all have died;

inference

and he died for all,

f that those who live might no longer live for themselves

but g for him

who for their sake died and was raised.

ideaexplanation

alternative

actionpurpose

From now on, therefore,

h we regard no one according to the flesh.

temporal

Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh,

we regard him thus no longer.

concessive

comparison

bilateral

Therefore, if anyone is i in Christ,

he is j a new creation. 1

k The old has passed away;

behold,

the new has come.

progression

conditional

All this is from God,

l who through Christ

reconciled us to himself

actionmanner

and gave us m the ministry of reconciliation;

that is, in Christ

God was reconciling 1 the world to himself,

n not counting their trespasses against them,

and entrusting to us m the message of reconciliation.

Therefore, o we are ambassadors for Christ,

p God making his appeal through us.

We implore you on behalf of Christ,

be reconciled to God.

q For our sake

he made him to be sin

r who knew no sin,

so that in him

we might become s the righteousness of God.

ground

I think Paul goes on to explain this point in speaking about being a new creation. He says that the reason we don't regard people according to the flesh is because they are a new creation.

I think that Paul then explains that whole process of two parts. That Christ brings us to Himself then gives us the message.

He explains what he means by for our sake. I dont think this is the only possible relationship but it makes sense.

I think this statement is the crux of the passage

Paul is deffending his ministry and he has now shown that he shouldnt be regarded in the flesh because he is a new creation and God is making God's appeal through Paul. On that basis, Paul implores them to be reconciled to God

We regard no one according to the flesh Because our flesh is dead, when Jesus died, our sinful bodies died with Him.

Because we are no longer regard according to the flesh, We are new creations, the old (flesh) has gone and new has come

This change that has happened is from God who is reconciling the world to himself

Because we are new creations, We are ambassadors for Christ begging the Corinthians to be reconciled to God because of what Jesus did on the cross.

This is a bilateral reason, it is for the text above and below

We have died (in Jesus's death) and are now raised with Jesus, thus we no longer live for us (because we are dead) but for Jesus. Our old bodies are dead and we are raised to live for Jesus. We have died (in Jesus's death) and now live for Jesus.

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