Became::Become

Click here to watch the Facebook Live video of this morning's sermon preached by Kevin Russell.

--1 of my guys who professed to be Muslim but wasn’t really walking out his faith came to Christ a few weeks back

--He came to the Bridge service slips in/stays to himself and reads

--Approached him and he is reading the Quran and we had a little discussion about that NOT being the word of God

--He puts his arm around me shares how since he got transferred to me he now doesn’t see law enforcement as the enemy and there is something about me that draws him to me

my response was what you see in me, what you are attracted to is Jesus Christ, and then suggested that he read the Gospel of John and get to know this Jesus that he is being drawn to

When you look at the content of Scripture you must also look at the context, and so to more firmly grasp the fullness of today"s passage we must understand the context in which Paul wrote this passage nestled into this letter to the Church at Corinth.  Paul is helping the church at Corinth and is relevant for us today to understand is that as Christ followers we are God’s Ambassadors

In the first-century Roman Empire, an ambassador was personally appointed by the emperor to represent his interests to another party. Paul used ambassador language in describing the responsibility of the Corinthians to outsiders. Which means that in order for an ambassadors to succeed, they/we must have a clear understanding of the message they/we are entrusted with. But delivering the message is not where it ends, they/we must know whether any response is expected to the message being delivered. This is what Paul is addressing in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, Paul addresses the fact that we are God’s Ambassadors and that God expects a response from both his ambassador and for whom he sends the message to.

In the ASV it reads “Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him”

Verse 21 beautifully summarizes what happened through the death of Christ when he was lifted up. Paul affirmed the perfect sinless-ness of the Savior.

Jesus is the only human who “did not know sin.” He never sinned, and both he and his closest followers, Peter and John, explicitly attested to this holiness which you look into at your leisure (John 8:46;1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5).

Yet God made him “to be sin.” Paul’s language is careful.

He did not say Jesus became a sinner, which would be untrue. Rather, Jesus became the representative sin-bearer.

He identified 100 percent with the sin of the world when he died on the cross. God treated Jesus as if he were sin itself.

When God made Jesus to be sin, it was “for us” for the lost, for our benefit.

And the benefit is that we are joined to him in faith; we become “righteousness”—the exact opposite of sin. Again, Paul’s language is careful, he didnt just say “We become righteous.”

What he says is that we become the very righteousness of God himself. Jesus, who was sinless, became sin for us so that we, who are sinful, might become righteousness when we are united to him.

In verse 20, Paul issued the expected response—the urgent invitation. He framed this carefully. First, he recognized that he and the believers in Corinth were ambassadors.

Paul noted twice that the One sending these ambassadors was Christ himself.

The invitation/response is simple: “Be reconciled to God.” For Paul to use reconciliation language implies a broken relationship that must be restored.

God had done everything in the death of his Son to provide salvation

Christ’s identification with sinners is the foundation for our mission. 

Which is what God laid on my heart to speak about today, our mission  as God’s ambassadors.  Not only does God expect a response from the lost to His message of forgiveness & salvation, God expects a response from his ambassadors to go represent him, to take His message out to the nations.

I think about this way Jesus Became sin so we could Become righteous……..Because he expects us to allow His message to create a rippling effect out into our world causing a righteous impact.  What might that righteous impact look like?

Proverbs 21:21 NIV  “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

Lets look at some of the words in this passage such as Righteousness is the Hebrew word Tzedakah which means to bring justice into the world by helping someone in need. 

Being generous with time resources to help poor/oppressed.

This is what we should be pursuing, chasing after opportunities for tzedkah because this is the closest thing to the heart of God

Pursues=chase after, seek out

Love/Mercy “chesed” [kheh’-sed] = goodness kindness, faithfulness, merciful

Life=picture of green, flowing fresh, lively, reviving, sustenance & community

So what would that look like for you and I today?

Entertainment/Social Media….what we expose ourselves to

--Music/movies

--Who are your friends in person and in the digital world?  Are they representatives for Christ striving for holiness or heathens?

--What are you “liking or following or retweeting”?

My point is Don't take Holiness Casually….God doesn’t

Ambassadors are not commissioned to to sit/soak/sour but to…. Spread the Gospel, to share the Good News, to be Clarions

Note that the first two letters are GO in GOspel

How?

Go spend yourselves for the nations who aren't like you…Matthew 28:18-20  How has God uniquely made you to be His ambassador and to whom?

Success in witnessing is not # of converts….but is simply witnessing, simply sharing what God has done in your life .

In Matthew 4:19 Jesus said come follow me and I will make you fishers of men”

He called us to follow him, to go to the fish not to be keepers of the aquarium, sitting in here is not the ultimate point

The gospel message has the power to change lives, shine light into darkness, and deliver evil men from hell.

There is power in no other message and no other “bait” can catch the fish of God.

This was Jesus’ message to Peter and Andrew—follow Me, learn of Me, know and understand My mission and My message.

Only then will you be able to be fishers of men.

I'll end with this from the Gospel of John 20:21 “As the Father Has Sent Me, So I Send You”