TIME OUT with Pastor Ben Talley 2 Cor. 5:14-17

The Love of Christ and the Ministry of Reconciliation

Morning y 'all. My name is Benjamin Talley. I'm the associate pastor at Wooden Memorial Baptist Church, and this is another timeout. So it's a beautiful day to be alive in Jesus Christ good time to spend in the word.

I hope y 'all are having a good morning, so we will be in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and Chapter 5 is probably my favorite chapter in 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 means so much to me I absolutely love it.

It talks about the Ministry of Reconciliation our heavenly dwelling place and There's so many things so many things in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. So just love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. So we will be looking at verses 14 Through 17 and We're gonna talk a little bit about our identity in Christ and Just the Atonement so Let's let's read 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verses 14 through 17 It says for the love of Christ controls us Because we have concluded this That no one has died for our that that one Sorry that one has died for all.

Therefore all have died and he died for all that those who live Might no longer live for themselves But for him who for their sake died and was raised for now on For now from now on therefore we regard no one according to the flesh Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh.

We regard him thus no longer therefore if Anyone is in Christ. He is a new creation. The old has passed away behold the new has come so, um. So he says first in verse 14 for the love of Christ controls us Because we have concluded this that one has died for all and therefore all have died.

So that word controls. I like the the King James Because it says constrain it the word controls Is a good word, but um That word actually means holds together. So it means Because in the previous verse verse 13, it says for we are beside ourselves.

It is for God. If we are in our right mind it is for you. So he's saying His Christ love holds us together. So that's the picture there. It says Christ love holds us together because we have concluded this that one has died for all.

The Atonement for All and the Meaning of Self-Denial

Okay, I don't know where you stand with the whole Predestination election atonement for all or Some but I think that those are wrenching. The the whole died for something or died for the elect. It says he died for all therefore all Have died now the King James says Be he says for the love of Christ controls us because we thus Judge that if anyone that if one died for all then we were all dead.

So he's saying One has died for all because all were dead. We they were all dead in their sin. So they were all dead in their sin. Therefore. He died for all so I don't know how you get around that He died for everyone.

So Because all died we all have sinned every single one of us fall under Adams sin and sin was. You know Imputed that sin nature was imputed to all of us. Romans chapter 5 talks about that. So it was imputed to all of us and then.

Then he says in verse 15 He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves now. What's up, Donna? So the fact that sin Reigns in this life. I want you to notice something about sin sent the key thing about sin is that Sin is selfishness the root of all sin is selfishness and He says this he says and he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves.

But him who for their sake died and was raised. So get this we're no longer living for ourselves, but we live for him who died he said. Jesus said Those who live To gain their life or seek to gain their life Will lose it but those who lose their life for their for his sake will gain it.

So if we if we seek to gain our life if we hold tightly to it We will lose it. But if we seek to give it up to lose everything about what we want in life We will find True meaning and true purpose by seeking to live for him.

That's the that's the the Ben version the the pastor Ben version y 'all like that. Um. So so he says but for him who for their sake died and was raised. So he died for us and he was raised for us. A lot of people like to say that he died for us, but he was also raised for us.

The resurrection was for us. Because without the resurrection we have no promise. We have no. We have no hope, you know and and the same thing goes with the Ascension the Ascension was a big part, too.

Because the Ascension was him reigning over his enemies him sitting on the throne. Right. Um, so in heaven, so then let's move on. He says in verse 16 for now on therefore we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh we regard him thus no longer. Now this even though we regard him Regarded once Christ to the flesh that that means natural or physical origin.

So They they once regarded him according to the flesh according to the nature of man. Which was subject to suffering, you know, he was a carpenter. He was a man. He was a Nazarene, you know according to that standard.

They regarded him that way, but they regard him like that. No no more. He is the reigning king. He is the Messiah. He is the Christ. He is the risen Savior. He is the king he is, you know things like that.

New Creation Identity and Not Defining People by Sin

So. So. So so they say from now on therefore we regard no one according to the flesh. And then he goes on and he says and I'm gonna go back to that in a minute. He says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away. Behold the new has come guys he says. From now on there we regard no one according to the flesh. We are we are products of grace. We are products of grace if anyone be in Christ.

He is a new creation. Behold all things have passed away. New things have come we are we are those new things we can't regard each other as As as sinners as as Corrupt people as. We can't look at each other as our flaws and and things like that.

We are products of grace. We are Saints. We are we are. You know, we are Redeemed of the Lord we are his children. Um. Should we be aware of our sin nature? Yes. Should we look at the answer? Anthropology of each other and and be aware of our sin and see how Devastating sin can be.

Should we should we point each other to the healing grace of God and and and Correct people in their sin. Yes, but we should not define each other by our sin. That's what he's talking about. We we should not regard one another according to the flesh.

We should not we should not point each other to our sin. Look look at a first Corinthians Chapter 5 Verse verse 9 it says. Verse 9 through 11 it says or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived neither the sexually morality Immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice sexual morality nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards. Nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you.

But you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. We were once like that, but we are not like that anymore. We are new creations we are not to be looked at as as those things.

I Was a drug addict. I Am NOT that anymore. We have Swindlers we have the sexual morale immoral the the homosexuals the the Adulterers those those things we're not to be defined by those things. We are new creations.

We are saints in God. You know When Paul addressed the the churches, he says dear saints of God. He doesn't say sinners. He doesn't say swindlers adulterers drug addicts. He says saints. They are saints.

We are saints. We should not look at each other or judge each other according to our flaws. Should look at each other as saints who sin. Not sinners. We are saints who sin we should be aware of our sin.

We should point out The sins that we struggle with and help each other and encourage each other in the way, but we are new creations. We are growing in Christ we should be defined as children of God. That's who we are so.

Be encouraged today. You are a child of the Living God. If you have repented of your sin and placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. You are a child of the Living God. You are a saint. And you are an overcomer in Christ.

You can overcome your sin you can change. You can conquer your sin you can be forgiven you can be washed in the blood and Be a new creation in Christ. Just come to him come to him with all your faults and with all your failures and God will forgive you of your sin if you repent if you forsake your sin.

Come to him. That's the beauty of the cross that he changes the sinner into a saint. Now don't get me wrong. We do still struggle with sin, but God offers forgiveness and he changes the heart. Amen, that's the good news of the gospel.

That's what we bring to the world. Praise God for that. Rejoice in that God has made us ministers of reconciliation. We're to bring that good news to the world. That's what we do. That's what we're called to do.

Go and do that today. Go therefore To all the nations Teaching and preaching the Word of God as Ministers of reconciliation. I love y 'all. Let me pray for y 'all God. I thank you for this message of reconciliation Lord.

We go as Instruments in the Redeemer's hand Lord. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for your mercy Lord. Go with us and let peace abound in our hearts God in Jesus name. Amen.