A New Creation, Part 3

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In his article in Christianity Today, Russell Moore says, When we come to Christ, He doesn't just polish up what is already there. He makes us a new creation.

The old is passed away. We become dead to self and alive to Christ. Listen as Pastor Rich shares what it looks like to be made new in Christ. From 2 Corinthians 5, 12-17. This is part 3 of a message titled New Creation.

It was first preached on April 13, 2014. You see, that's the default. You were born with that problem. You were born with the problem of living for yourself.

It's called self-preeminence. You think you are the center of all reality. Those of us who have kids know that.

Right? And that's why they have a mom and dad to teach them that's not true. You are not the center of reality.

But we're all born with that problem. That those who live should live. No longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. In Christ, as I am new, as a new creation, He is my Master. My Redeemer is my Master. And His purpose becomes mine. It becomes the very reason for my existence.

And this is the outflow of a reconciled loving relationship. Go back to that illustration of the branch on the tree. The branch that has been grafted back into the tree and is now alive. It is drawing life from the tree and that's why it's alive. Question, does that branch have to try hard to produce fruit? No.

It's the natural outflow of its vital connection with the source. Think on that, Christians. That's why Paul said, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. He said, for me to live is Christ. Pretty simple statement, but it's so replete with meaning. For me to live is Christ, meaning I have one constituent.

I have one opinion to please. And it's the one who makes it our aim to be pleasing to Him. He made me and died for me and rose again. Russell Moore, in an article, A Purpose Driven Cosmos, said, for too long we've called unbelievers to, quote, invite Jesus into your life, end quote. Jesus doesn't want to be in your life. Your life's a wreck. Jesus calls you into His life.

And His life isn't boring or purposeless or static. It is wild and exhilarating and unpredictable. So saddle up your horses and let's go.

That was my part, by the way. Referring to Steven Curtis Chapman's song, my favorite of all time. Great adventure, if we're new. If within us exists the life that God has for us. What else is new? Our outlook.

Our outlook with regard to Fran. Friends, relatives, associates, neighbors. People in our lives. Verse 16, therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. From now on we regard no one according to the flesh. That word, regard no one according to the flesh, that phrase, it means to understand and perceive others from a merely human point of view. To understand and perceive others from a merely human point of view. What is the merely human point of view? It is this, how it relates to me. See, because the merely human point of view still believes that I am the center of my reality. That's the merely human point of view.

Christ rescues us from that. And my whole outlook is now new. And I'm looking through a transcendent lens. If I'm looking at others and I perceive others and relate to them simply from a human point of view, I will think of them and interact with them only in terms of how it relates to me. I will think of them and relate to them in terms of what they think of me.

And that becomes a controlling factor in my life. Not only what they think of me, but what they can do to me or for me. That's the merely human point of view. But Paul says, as a new creation we no longer regard anyone according to the flesh. But we look at them from God's point of view and that's the transcendent outlook. The transcendent outlook.

You've got Fran in your life. Friends, relatives, associates, neighbors. Many of them unregenerate. You look at them and you don't perceive them or interact with them in terms of what they can do for you or to you or what they think of you. But your first perception of them is this, that they are created in God's image.

You have to start there. That's where the Christian starts with the perception of others. They are created in God's image.

Secondly, not only are they created in God's image, but they need to be reconciled to God. Do you understand how absolutely revolutionizing that can be in relationships? If your approach to all relationships begins with this foundation, that A, this other person is created in God's image and B, the most important thing in this person's life is that they need to be reconciled to God. You know what that means? That means that you will then be liberated in terms of your interaction with others. What do I mean by that? Because you have only one opinion to please and your perception of the other person, your biblical understanding, the transcendent outlook is that this person is created in God's image and they need to be reconciled to God.

What does that do? That liberates you from their opinion and any possible action that they might have towards you. Those things don't become important anymore. That's new. That's not a default way of thinking. That's something that God does. And this then, with that perspective and that freedom, puts you in a position to be influential in your world, influential for the purposes of God. Lastly, what is new in terms of new creation?

We have a new motive, a new motive. He says, the love of Christ compels us. The apostle said this, verse 14, the love of Christ compels us. And that word compels can probably be more accurately translated controls, controls, meaning that the love of Christ provides for me the parameters to my behavior. The parameters to my behavior are his character and his purpose. Two senses that we can approach that.

One is the restrictive for the purposes of protection. For my good, for the glory of God, that anything that I do, if it is not according to God's character and his purpose, then because I love him, I will not do it. The love of Christ controls us, but it is also prescriptive in the sense that it is what drives my ambition and my aim in life is to please him. That means that I am all about growing in the character of Christ. I am all about persevering in the purpose of Christ.

That's what defines me as a new creation. I am a branch drawing life from the tree and the natural outflow of that is producing fruit, which is what it means to live for him, to live for him. And if I live, if I'm living for him, it means I'm delighting in him.

It is my desire to please him. Jesus' love becomes the driving force of aim and conduct. At the conference we were at this last week, Dwight mentioned that earlier together for the gospel, and they showed several videos, short videos of testimonies of people who shared faith and others who came to faith in Christ because that person was unashamed of the gospel. And this one young man was a bright philosophy student and he knew a lot. He had read widely.

He knew all of the faith systems and philosophical systems. But because his friend was unashamed of the gospel and shared it with him, compelled by the love of Christ, the man, the young student who came to Christ said this. It's not so much about what you know. It's much more about what you love and serve.

Now think about that. You can know a lot. But what is the greatest command of scripture? But to love God.

Humans, listen to me. Your highest function is to love God. You can know about him, but do you love him? Because what you love is what you serve. And I want you to know something, church, that as I pray for you through the course of the week, though some of you think I only work one day a week, I pray for you and in the office through the course of the week, I am in the word, I am in prayer for you, and I pray for you by name, by family. And let me let you know how I pray for you. This is what I pray for you, that God will grant you a growing delight in his word.

You know why? Because I know that if you delight in his word, it will lead you to delight in him. And that delight is what transforms you. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on Weekdays at 10 a.m.