“WALKING WORTHILY” The Old Has Gone, The New Has Come! 2 Corinthians 5:10 – 6:2

“WALKING WORTHILY”

… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (NASB, RSV, KJV) 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (NASB, RSV, KJV) … if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV; also ESV & NKJV) 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (NASB, RSV, KJV) … if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV; also ESV & NKJV) … anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person (NLT) 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (NASB, RSV, KJV) … if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV; also ESV & NKJV) … anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person (NLT)  All emphasize the believer as the new creation. 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (TNIV) 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (TNIV) If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation (NRSV, NEB, NJB). 2 Cor. 5:17

… if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (TNIV) If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation (NRSV, NEB, NJB).  The believer is evidence of a new creation as a whole. 2 Cor. 5:17

I.Our Calling: to live for Christ as his ambassadors

II.Our Motivations For Our Calling as Ambassadors

I.Our Calling: to live for Christ as his ambassadors II.Our Motivations For Our Calling as Ambassadors 1.Fear of God

I.Our Calling: to live for Christ as his ambassadors II.Our Motivations For Our Calling as Ambassadors 1.Fear of God 2.Love of Christ

For Christ’s love compels us… (NIV) 2 Cor. 5:14

For Christ’s love compels us… (NIV) … controls us (NASB, ESV, NLT) 2 Cor. 5:14

For Christ’s love compels us… (NIV) … controls us (NASB, ESV, NLT) … urges us on (NRSV) 2 Cor. 5:14

For Christ’s love compels us… (NIV) … controls us (NASB, ESV, NLT) … urges us on (NRSV) … overwhelms us (NJB) 2 Cor. 5:14

I.Our Calling: to live for Christ as his ambassadors II.Our Motivations For Our Calling as Ambassadors 1.Fear of God 2.Love of Christ 3.Urgency of the Need

I.Our Calling: to live for Christ as his ambassadors II.Our Motivations For Our Calling as Ambassadors III.Our Perspective: seeing everyone and everything in light of Christ’s redemption

Most Merciful Father, We confess that we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. And we have neglected our calling to live as Your ambassadors by sharing the love that we have experienced in Christ with others. Our hearts are cold toward our neighbors. Truth be told, we don’t care about them the way you do. Confession of Sin

Lord forgive our callousness toward those who don’t know You. Forgive our casualness in sharing the hope we have within us with others. Forgive our desire to experience Your gospel blessings for ourselves without passing them on to others. Confession of Sin

Father, by your grace, renew our minds. Transform our wills. Stir our motivations. Enflame our hearts with your love for us. Empower our efforts. So that we more faithfully pursue our calling to live as Your Ambassadors. For Christ’s sake and for the blessing others, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Confession of Sin

Worship Leader: What do you believe concerning “the forgiveness of sins”? Congregation: I believe that God, because of Christ’s atonement, will never hold against me any of my sins nor my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life. Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment. Profession of Faith Heidelberg Catechism #56

Worship Leader: How are you right with God? Congregation: Only by truth faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil; Profession of Faith Heidelberg Catechism #60

nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. Profession of Faith Heidelberg Catechism #60