This Is Love: Love That Makes All Things New
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Resurrection Changed Everything
This Is Love: Forgiveness of sin
This Is Love: Defeated Death
This is Love: We have become new creatures in Christ and all things are created new
What do we need to get rid of to make space for the new?
Christian hope is not compensation.
Christian hope is not explanation.
Christian hope is not evacuation.
Christian hope is new creation.
It begins on the inside and moves outside.
CLOSING PRAYER
Mighty God, You are our creator and our redeemer. You sent Jesus into the world not only to defeat the power of sin and death, but to change us to righteousness, to bring us a new and different life and lifestyle, new values, new ways of thinking, new ways of acting...new ways. We surrender our thoughts and minds to You. Continue to renew us every single day so we might live the full life You desire for us, a life of joy and peace, a life of hope and endurance, a life of goodness and wholeness. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
TODAY’S PREACHER
Randy Reese is Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC