Life that is Good. Christ died for all. As he did, he was carrying the burden of the world s sin.

Transcription

1 Life that is Good Text: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 We are now into the Garage Sale season and the question I have for you is, Have you cleaned out the garage or the basement lately? My, what treasurers you discover! Or are they really treasures? Let s see. There is that handle from the broken shovel and those parts from the worn-out lawn mower and that box with the three worn-out electric razors. You finally realize that all these things are good for nothing. Then you remember that some lives appear to be good for nothing. Some life-styles make life good for nothing. That is not what our Lord had in mind for our lives. For our instruction, motivation and encouragement, God s Word brings us the message that Life is Good. In his great saving love the Lrod Jesus Christ came into the world and lvied a perfect life. he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross. He rose again in glorious triumph. He did all this for all people. No one is excluded. In his second letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul writes: We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that they all share in his death. (2 Corinthians 4:14) Christ died for all. As he did, he was carrying the burden of the world s sin. Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God. (v. 21) Our sins were charged to Jesus. He carried them to the cross. He paid the debt completely. All who accept this in faith, who believe that Jesus did that for them, receive the gift of righteousness before God. that is the treasure believers have. We can say with Martin Luther: I believe that Jesus Christ has redeemed me with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. That is the essence of the Christian faith. that is the faith that makes life good. That is the confidence of a life that has been touched by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is His love pushing, drawing, and motivating. Life motivated by Christ s love is good. Paul describes such good life in Ephesians: Since you are God s dear children, you must try to be like him. Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God. (Eph. 5:1,2)

2 There is the motivation for a life that is good the love of Christ. Remembering Him and all that He means for us, we are moved, encouraged, and driven to live in such a way that He is honoured, pleased, and served. Life that is good is not selfish. He died for all, that those who live should not longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Cor. 5:15) Life that is good is dedicated to jesus Christ. It is not self-centred. It is not all wrapped up in itself. It s constant aim is to honour, serve, and please the Lord Jesus, theprecious Saviour. Life that is good is expended for the glory of the Lrod jesus Christ. He is to be honoured and served. Life that is good is dedicated to Christ. To dedicate something means to set is apart for a very special service. We dedicate buildings and bridges; tghey are set apart for a special purpose. We dedicate books; they are set apart to be used in certain ways. Our lvies as called people of God are to be dedicated to Jesus Christ. They are set apart to honour and serve Him. we have only one life to live. It will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last. That is the good life. it is dedicated to Christ. T.D.Chisholm wrote a song many, many years ago entitled, Living for jesus. It is about living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to pelase Him in all that I do. That may well be the theme for a life that is good. It is dedicated to Jesus Christ. There is antoher note in Paul s words about this life that is good, that is dedicated to Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is come. (v. 17) The old is gone. It is wiped out. In the Lord Jesus chirst a person is a new creation and has a new life. in his letter to the Ephesians we have a similar thought: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:22-24) A life that is good is dedicated to Christ and decorated with the fruits of the new, dedicated life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22) This is the life that is good. Consider the words of Paul: I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant of one another. (Eph. 4:1-2)

3 The life that is good is commissioned for real service. What a great truth it is in the midst of the confused thinking of our day. A rock and roll singer is quoted as saying, Don t take yoru life too serious. No one gets out alive. Now there is nothing really false about this statement, but the way it is put together indicates that it expresses a hopeless despairing attitude toward life. that is not what God intended. He designed our lives to be good. He gave us life for a purose. The redeemed people of God are commissioned to render service. Paul writes, All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends, and gave us the task of making others his friends also. Our messiage is that God was making all mankind his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. (v. 18,19) Yes, we have a commission. Your life and mine may be good as we carry out the service that Lord has given to us. Consider the contents of this ministry of service. We are to share with others that God in love reconciled us, made us His friends through Christ. Now he no longer charges our sins against us. They have been placed on the record of Christ. That is the message. That is the wonderful truth. Your commission and mine is to serve God and to serve other people as we share that message with them The life that is good is commissioned for service. We note what Paul writes: here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ s behalf to let God change you from enemies into His friends. (v. 20) What a beautiful way to think of our lvies. It is our privilege to join the apostle Paul and be an ambassador for Christ. To be His representative here and now.think of it! Where you live and work, you are commissioned as an ambassador for Christ. What a high and holy calling! He has said, You shall be my witnesses. (Acts 1:8) Now we can say with Paul: We implore you. We call on you. Look at him. see this Saviour. He loves you. Life that is good is a commission, a purpose. That purpose is to share the good news with others. At the Warehouse Restaurant at Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles, also at the Hilo Hotel on the big isalnd of Hawaii, and in many other places you may look down from the entrance bridge and see the water filled with beautiful fish. They are all kinds of colours: greens, golds, and blues. The fish are pleasant to the eye: that is part of their service. But

4 at the same time they are also scavengers. They keep the water clean. The fish, creatures of God, have distinctive purposes. They are so beautiful to look at with their colours and their movements in water that is clear enough for you to see them. the lowly fish has a special commission, a special task to carry out. Here we are, you and I, called by God to faith in the Lord Jesus as our precious Redeemer. He says: you have a task to carry out. You have a commission. How encouraging this is. How this lifts us up! In the pressure of daily life it is so easy to feel left out and insignficnat. Yet our Lord is reminding us of our commission. You have a place of service to fill. You have something to do. You are my servant. You are my ambassador. You represent Me. Isn t that the good life? Our commission is to share the Good News. We do this in our Christian example. We are letters of the Lord. Paul writes, You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our minstiry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Cor. 3:3) Think of it! You and I, letters for Christ! What a letter we may write. It may beloving as we care about people and as we help them. The letter of our lives may be a letter of compassion. We look around and see people in need, hurting. We act to help. Our lvies may be good as we write letters for the Lord. It can be aletter of forgiveness. You and I win. Others around us sin. What a treasure to be able tos hare the word of forgiveness. Our letters may be letters of mercy. We have experienced it at the hands of the Lord. Now in His name and for His sake we may offer mercy. Ours may be a letter of hope. How we need hope! How people around us need hope. So many seem to be hopeless. So many seem to be despairing. Yet here we are, called by the Lord to have the good life as we carry out our commission of service. Be a letter for the Lord and offer hope. Yes, our letter may reflect the glory of our gracious Lord. That is our commission: to make known the Good news by our Christian example, by the kind of letter we are writing with our lives. Life that is good is commissioned for service. That service is to share Christ. It may also happen as we are eager to speak up for him. the words of Peter have a beautiful thought: But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honour Him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you. (1 Peter3:15) What a purpose our lives have! What meaning! How often life offers us opportunities to witness just as it did for a little girl. She was asked to report on Christma for her public school class. At first she was excited about the honour. Then as she began to think about what she would say, she remembered that many

5 of her classmates did not go to church or Sunday school. Suddenly she was afraid. But she was also a very smart little girl. In her dilemma she sought out her parents. How can I talk to my friends in class about Jesus? she asked. Theparetns gave her several suggestions, much encouragement, and the reminder that this was the best thing she could do for her classmates. Together they prayed about the opportunity. Ultimately, the little girl gave a beautiful presentation on the subject of Christmas. God s love was made very clear. The coming of Jesus to be the Saviour of all was a truth that all in that room heard. Joy filled her heart as she sensed that her life had a real meaing. That s a good life. Life that is good is offered to us by a God who loveos us and who gave the Lrod jesus to be our Redeemer. Life that is good is motivated by the love of Christ, dedicated to Christ, and commissioned for service. Go on! Live the good life honouring your Lord. Amen