Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17
By: Bro. Godbuilt Godwin Igbava (Deacon)
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17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
God purpose for the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ is to reconcile the world Himself. To end the enmity caused by Satan the devil, and be friendly as it was in the garden of Eden – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men sin against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. So we are therefore Christ ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us. We employ you on Christ, be reconciled to God.
WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW
God Himself choose to do that. Man never saw where he was wrong instead, he gave excuses. So are some of us now. We are in the church and not putting on Christ. Although we have obeyed the baptismal command. We remain the old self. We have excuses for our action and inaction that is not healthy for us and the church too.
Today while we are here, even now, God is speaking to reconcile you. Consider God’s reason and your reasons, hear what he said in the book of Romans 12;1-2 and 1 Peter 4:1-2.
Therefore, since Christ suffered [a]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
As a result, he does not live the rest of the earthly life for evil human desires but rather for the will of God.
You can do this through the teaching of God’s word that comes to you – Matthew 28:20, Acts 20:32.
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
DO YOUR VERY BEST
It is a known fact that sin is hard to remove from man’s life according to Bro. Paul and David. Psalm 51:3,5. Romans 7:15,19.
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
However, we are admonished to do everything possible to get rid of sin – Romans 6:12-13. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
ONCE AGAIN
This can be made possible by allowing God’s word into your heart and not your head nor your ears. Read this: James 1:21-25.
Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But, the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this not forgetting what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.”
ARE YOU CONCERNED?
It should bother you in every sides, when you see yourself not following up with the covenant you took with Jesus Christ on that day you submitted for baptism to be in Christ and not in the Church only. Rom. 6:1-4. Gal. 3:27; “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
TIMING
Also, for all those who are refusing to accept the gospel message now, think of your life. Know that God is not willing that you should perish rather He sent Jesus Christ, His son for you to have life and to have it abundantly. So then do not harden your heart against the Lord.
Heb. 3:13; But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
God is concerned with your obedience to His words, not your physical presence in the church building every Sunday.
Mk. 3:35; “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matt. 7:24, 26; “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put it into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand”.
God bless us in Jesus name… Amen.
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