November 13, 2005

ALL THINGS NEW

2 Corinthians 5:15-21

 

   We have seen Paul, "an able minister of the new covenant" and his ministry contrasted with Moses. Moses' face shone with the glory of the Old Covenant that was to be abolished. His face was veiled so Israel could not see that light fade away. Paul "with unveiled face" beheld "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," the "glory that excels," of the New Covenant and was "transformed...from glory to glory." Both covenants had Israel mainly in view.

   Paul's ministry was enlarged by the declaration that Christ "died for all men," because "all were dead." Since Adam's sin had passed upon all men, Christ was "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" so as to defeat death for all men by His resurrection. Christ's death was "for all, in order that those who live, should not hence-forth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them and rose again." Therefore we who live are to walk in "newness of life."

   Because of Christ's death for us, "from this time forward, we know no man according to the flesh: yea, even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, now henceforth we know Him thus no longer." All our relationships are on a higher plane. Whatever our relationship might have been with Christ on earth, even that is now changed. We remember the Lord, not as Bethlehem 's Baby nor as the Preacher of the Sermon on the Mount. Paul wrote Timothy, "Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, risen from the dead, according to my gospel" (2 Tim. 2:8). We know Him now only as our risen Lord in glory. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, it is a New Creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new, and all things are of the God Who has reconciled us unto Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19).

   "Now...we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us, we beg [the lost] in Christ's stead, 'Be reconciled to God.' For He (God) has made Him (Christ) to be sin (a sin offering) for us, Who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:20-21). This message committed to Paul is ours to share as we follow Paul. We are to "receive not the grace of God in vain."

 

Ivan L. Burgener