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This exposition of 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 1, 2018.
Intro:
“Come out from them and be separate and distinct from them.” That’s fundamental to the Christian life.
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As the people of God we are to be different, separate from the world. Further we are told to not associate with those who claim the name of Christ yet live an ungodly lifestyle. In the words of Psalm 1 we are not to, “Walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand n the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.” Unfortunately some have taken this to mean that we should hold unbelievers at arms length. That we look down our noses at those who fail to “make grade.” The attitude advocated by some is that we go out among “those people” when we have to be we retreat as quickly as possible into our holy huddle and keep ourselves unstained by the world. Certainly there is a ditch on the other side of that road that says, “Embrace everyone no matter what.” “Judge not” is our motto. Just love and accept people as they are. As with most things in life - it’s just not that easy. It’s not that black and white. In this fallen, sin-cursed world we are in a constant struggle to maintain a proper balance between standing for truth and righteousness and loving the unbeliever. I say struggle because part of loving the unbeliever is to speak the truth to them. It is to say to them certain lifestyles are wrong. To love them is to warn them about the fact that the road they are on leads to death, eternal death and separation from God. As for not associating with the professed believer who embraces an unbiblical, ungodly lifestyle - it’s not that we refuse to have anything to do with them but that we treat them as unbelievers to be loved and pointed toward the path of righteousness and life. The Christian life is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a nice, easy life - this isn’t it! But if you are looking for the only way to true life, meaning and purpose - you’ve come to the right place. What is to be our attitude towards others? That is the focus of our text this evening found in the 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians.
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Paul is writing to a church he dearly loves.
This church is one of his “spiritual children.”
He spent 18 months in Corinth establishing this church.
Now, a good number of folks within the church have turned on him.
They have questioned his integrity, his ministry and the very gospel he preached.
He’s written a hard letter and has made a painful visit.
This is the language of love - you don’t have this pain if you don’t love.
At the heart of this, for Paul, is the gospel.
He fights to establish his integrity not for his sake but for the sake of the gospel.
His heart’s desire is the salvation of the lost through the gospel.
Thus his heart was provoked in Athens because the city was full of idols (Acts 17:16). He told the Romans of his desire to visit them that he might have some fruit among them (Romans 1:13). And he made it clear to the Corinthians that he came to them to “preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:17). This desire to reach people with the gospel was so compelling that Paul told the Romans if possible he would forfeit his salvation, if possible, for the sake of his fellow Jews (Romans 9:1-3). You must hear our text in light of this prevailing passion. In fact the immediate context is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 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.
Now our text [Read Text]
Thesis: The gospel gloriously transforms our relationship with God and dramatically impacts the way we view others.
Our faith in Christ changes everything. It changes us, it changes the relationship between us and God and it changes the way we look at others.
There are 2 things I want to note in our text.
- Because of the gospel we refuse to engage in shallow, superficial, evaluations of others. (5:16)
- Because of the gospel we judge not according to past behavior but according to transforming grace. (5:17)
Conclusion:
Your faith in Christ changes everything. Including the way you view others. The way you evaluate the people around you. They way you interact with others. That’s part of the newness of this new life in Christ.
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