2 Corinthians 5:17-19
New Year’s Resolutions
The time of year when everyone determines to be a better person.
It is the time of year when the past can be erased, and we can go forward different.
Of so we think.
I for one have no use for New Year’s Resolutions.
In fact, I can’t stand them.
And of course the reason is because they are in no way Biblical.
“You mean, me trying to be a better person isn’t Biblical”
That’s right.
YOU TRYING to be a better person isn’t Biblical.
We don’t go through life hoping that somehow by our shear strength and determination we will be able to live better in the coming year.
Nor do we approach life as though being a better person is within our grasp.
The simple fact is.
NO MAN EVER TRULY GOT BETTER BY HIS OWN ABILITY.
Now some people do succeed in becoming more moral.
Matthew 12:43-45 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
There is such a thing as morality in which you can remove your flaws and clean yourself up. But you saw what Jesus said, “the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”
You see no man ever got truly better by his own ability. It is the weakness of the human flesh.
Romans 7:19 “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”
Paul knew that there was no way he could ever get truly better.
He could want to get better.
He could purpose to get better.
He could set goals and make plans.
But in the end “the good that I want, I do no do…”
Paul knew a true makeover was beyond his own ability, and it prompted him to cry out.
Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
Make all the resolutions you want, but even Paul knew they won’t last.
You may get more moral, you may even get a little thinner, but you will never truly be a better person. And if you aren’t careful, “the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”
But in the text we study this morning, we find how to truly have an extreme makeover. It comes only by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ.
And we do need to place this text in context just a little bit.
If you are familiar with the book of 2 Corinthians, you know that in this letter Paul spends a great deal of time defending himself.
In part because of his background as a persecutor of the church…
Acts 9:26 “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.”
In part because of his unimpressive appearance…
2 Corinthians 10:10 “For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”
But mostly because Paul was completely willing to be a fool for Christ.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13 “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”
In Paul’s mind, if God wanted him to do something that made him look completely foolish in the world’s eyes, he would still do it, because he belonged to God.
While we know this is what true Christianity is all about, it still left Paul constantly having to defend himself before those who tried to undermine his ministry.
This is one of the themes of 2 Corinthians, and it is one of the themes of chapter 5.
You can see Paul defending himself in verse 13.
2 Corinthians 5:13-16 “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
This statement is foundational for our text this morning.
Paul said, we may have been “beside ourselves” or foolish in your eyes, but we did it for God.
Paul was willing to look like a fool because “the love of Christ controls us”.
Paul had already learned a fundamental truth.
FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST HAVE SURRENDERED THEIR RIGHTS TO CHRIST.
They surrender their freedoms to Christ…
They surrender their actions to Christ…
They surrender their thoughts to Christ…
They surrender their possessions to Christ…
They surrender their reputations to Christ…
If we are truly Christians, then we have truly turned our backs on our self, which is what Paul said in verse. 15
“and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
This is exactly what Christ said when He offered salvation.
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
So in short, Paul is making this point.
I may look like a fool in the world’s eyes, but the reason is because I am doing what God wants me to do.
You Corinthians should not discredit my ministry just because other people make a spectacle of me. I am controlled with a deep love for Christ.
And then he makes the statement in verse 16.
2 Corinthians 5:16 “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.”
Paul’s point is this.
When we look at other people to see if they are a Christian, we don’t look at the flesh.
Paul said, “we recognize no one according to the flesh”.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
You cannot recognize a Christian simply by looking at the flesh.
I mean think about it.
Go to Wal-Mart and start asking people if they are a Christian.
Everyone says they are.
It is not hard to say you are a Christian.
It is not hard to look like a Christian on the outside.
Matthew 21:18-19 “Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.”
That tree looked right, until the fruit was missing.
And there are a lot of people who try.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”
And to make his point Paul uses Jesus as an example.
HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE JESUS?
Not by the flesh. We don’t know Him like this. Despite all the pictures, we don’t know what Jesus looked like. Yet even Jesus said, true Christians would recognize Him.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,”
We recognize Jesus, but it is not because we see His face.
We recognize Jesus by testimony of the Spirit. We recognize Jesus by His fruit.
And this is also what Jesus taught.
You won’t know a fellow Christian by their appearance.
Just because a person where’s a suit and goes to church does not make them a Christian.
Just because a person has a fish on their car does not mean they are a Christian.
You can put a tuxedo on a thief, but he is still a thief.
HOW DO YOU SPOT A CHRISTIAN?
Matthew 7:16-18 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.”
Just like the fig tree.
When we see people on the street, we are not looking at their face to see if they are a Christian, we are examining their fruit.
This is why things like New Year’s Resolutions are useless. Change the flesh all you want. Get thinner…Get moral…Dress better…Feel better…
But those things are futile, and Christians aren’t recognized by them.
A Christian is recognized by the inside, not the outside.
A Christian is recognized by the Spirit, not the flesh.
Make all the resolutions you want, but they are useless.
I don’t want them, and what is more, I don’t need them.
And if you are in Christ, neither do you.
And in our text this morning, I want you to see why.
We do not need to change ourselves, and indeed we can’t.
We aren’t strong enough.
But in Jesus comes an “Extreme Makeover”
#1 PROMISE OF RENOVATION
2 Corinthians 5:17
Now did you catch what Paul said?
He didn’t say, “he should be a new creature.”
He didn’t say, “he will be a new creature.”
Paul said, “he IS a new creature”
We don’t have the ability to make ourselves better, or new, but if we are in Jesus, He does it for us.
He says, “the old things passed away; behold new things have come.”
WHAT ARE THE OLD THINGS?
Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
These are all things you can’t change in yourself.
Oh maybe you can stop the action, but it’s the urge that is the problem.
You see you are what you are, regardless of what you do.
A thief doesn’t become a thief after he steals. He steals because he is a thief.
A murderer doesn’t became a murderer after he kills. He kills because he is a murderer.
You can’t change the inside.
Which is what makes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount so convicting.
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘ You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”
Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
These are the old things of the flesh, that you can’t change. You can try all you want, but they will always be with you. That is what Paul found out. When he said, I just can’t kick them.
Romans 7:19-20 “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.”
That is the flesh that is having a hay-day!
But when Jesus comes into a life, the “old things passed away”
In fact that was the problem with our moral man we talked about yesterday.
When the demons returned to it’s house, “it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.”
You can’t get better in your own strength, only Jesus can remove the unsightlies.
But not only does he remove the old things.
“behold, new things have come”
WHAT ARE THESE NEW THINGS?
Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
You see, you can’t go get these things on your own. They are not for sale at the local hardware store.
You’ve heard it said, “You can’t buy love”
Well you can’t buy, “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control” either.
Those things cannot be found on this earth.
No human possesses them in his self.
Those are the attributes of God’s Spirit, and if God’s Spirit isn’t there, then these attributes aren’t either.
Those new things only come when the house is occupied by God’s Spirit.
You can’t rid yourself of the problems, only Christ can do it in you. Try all you want, but it won’t work.
And many of us know this, that is why we all have at least one piece of unused exercise equipment.
But in Christ Jesus, we have a promise of renovation.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Now maybe you still aren’t convinced that you can’t do it on your own.
This text also shows us where the strength to do this comes from. And it doesn’t come from you.
#2 THE POWER FOR RENOVATION
2 Corinthians 5:18a
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ Jesus”
Notice where these “new things” come from?
GOD
As we just said, you can’t find them in the world. There is no ‘lovefast chocolate shake”
There is no “peacefast chocolate shake”
These things only come from God.
And they come by being reconciled back to God through Jesus Christ.
You can’t get them any other way.
We don’t go through life trying to better ourselves. We go through life letting God work in us.
Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Here is the key.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE BETTER
If you really want to change.
If you really want a renovation.
Then do not make some resolution and then spend all your energy trying to attain it.
VICTORY OVER THE FLESH IS NOT ATTAINED THROUGH STRENGTH. IT IS ATTAINED THROUGH SUBMISSION.
You do not overcome your flaws by trying to take control of yourself. You overcome your flaws by surrendering yourself to God.
Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
We have talked enough about holiness and perfection lately in the book of 1 Peter.
I have had more than one person approach me to remind me that perfection isn’t possible. We still have to sin.
IF PERFECTION ISN’T POSSIBLE, THEN WHY DOES GOD COMMAND IT?
IF HOLINESS ISN’T POSSIBLE, WHY DOES GOD COMMAND IT?
DOES GOD FILL HIS BIBLE WITH COMMANDS WE DON’T HAVE TO DO, SIMPLY BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN’T?
Of course not.
The reason we think perfection or holiness isn’t possible is because we know we aren’t strong enough in ourselves to do it.
THAT’S THE POINT!
“walk by the Spirit, and YOU WILL NOT carry out the desire of the flesh.”
The power to be renovated is not found in you trying to renovate yourself. The power for the extreme makeover is found in submitting your life to God through Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:10
“Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Make all the resolutions you want, but you are not strong enough.
Only God is strong enough, submit to Him.
But that isn’t all.
Because you see, there is reason why God renovates us.
#3 PURPOSE OF RENOVATION
2 Corinthians 5:18b-19
The end of verse 18 says, “and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
And just in case you don’t know what that is, he spends the first part of verse 19 explaining it.
“that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.”
You see, God has had a plan for this world. He has been trying to reconcile all men to Himself.
And the way He does this is by renovating some and sending them out to show others the way.
“And He has committed to us the word of reconciliation”
The secret to being better in the coming year is to let the potter work on you.
He takes those blemishes and reforms them into marks of beauty.
He takes what is helpless and gives it purpose.
God is in the business of taking old clay pots, breaking them down, and reforming them into beautiful pitchers from which He can pour His living water.
In short, you have been saved, you have been changed, you have been reconciled for a purpose, and that purpose is to show others how to get to the Potter.
We live in a world that is screaming to be made new.
Romans 8:18-25 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Our world is full of people who wish they could be new.
Even our creation longs to be new.
This is why we make new year’s resolutions. People wish they could be different.
They why don’t you show them.
If they only knew there is a God who really does make all things new.
Let that be your New Year’s Resolution, to stop trying in your own strength, and to run to Jesus. Submit to Him and let Him change you from the inside out. And then, once you are made new, share your secret with others.
Help others see how to be reconciled to this great God!
That is your ministry; that is your message; that is your purpose.
Have a Happy New Life.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “Therefore, 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. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
