Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– 2 Cor 5:21
You’re a New Creation
When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they become a new creation. It’s as if God has restored the fallen nature of our souls and restored it like the old Garden of Eden. That’s because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2nd Cor 5:17a). Now, they are a child of God, and the old things that used to entangle us have passed away. We are a child of God and a new creation in Christ Jesus.
The Old’s Passed Away
Later, in the same 2nd chapter of Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul writes that “the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2nd Cor 5:17b). I must admit that I still have desires (and still do) to do the “old things” but it doesn’t last long because these old desires have “passed away” and “new things have come.” Things like the desire to obey God and live a life that is pleasing to Him and replaced my old desires to please myself. They haven’t totally passed away, but they are passing away…slowly, over time.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
In the life of the believer, the “new things have come” and “all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2nd Cor 5:18), so we have a ministry of reconciliation where we strive to have others be reconciled to God while we ourselves have been reconciled already through Christ. That is a ministry; a ministry from God unto us and a ministry for us to help other reconcile them to God.
Our Reconciliation
The word “reconciliation” means when former enemies agree to an amicable truce or the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument and for us, it was our sins that had separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2), however, thankfully, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2nd Cor 5:19). Now, “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2n d Cor 5:20).
Become Sin For Us
Here is a great summary of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2nd Cor 5:21). God placed our sins on Jesus Christ so that He would bear our sins and we would bear His righteousness. My friends, that is the gospel!
Conclusion
God has made us into new creations in Christ, therefore the old things have passed away and the new things have come. We who have been reconciled to God through Christ now have a ministry of reconciliation ourselves and that is that Jesus will become sin for those who trust in Him “so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2nd Cor 5:21b).
