' Can Jesus Identify With Your Struggles?'

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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, September 30th , 2012)

 http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/8698/good_news_020_sept30.mp3

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Rev. George Sinclair

by Rev. George Sinclair                           
 Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
 www.messiahchurch.ca 

Broadcast Notes:

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(Abridged notes of a short Sermon on 2 CORINTHIANS 15:17 –21) 

‘Can Jesus Identify With Your Struggles?’

Christians say that Jesus is sinless. If He is sinless, then how on earth can He relate to my struggles? How can I trust a Saviour who does not understand my struggles? These are great questions.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21   - (ESVUK)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(A)in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation.^{[a] (C)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, ^(D)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(E)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, ^(F)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(G)the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, ^(H)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(I)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ^21 (J)For our sake he made him to be sin ^(K)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become ^(L)the righteousness of God.

Footnotes:

a.      2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature

b.      2 Corinthians 5:19 Or God was in Christ, reconciling

Cross references:

A.     2 Corinthians 5:17 : ch. 12:2; Rom. 16:7; Gal. 1:22

B.     2 Corinthians 5:17 : [John 3:3]; See Rom. 6:4

C.     2 Corinthians 5:17 : Isa. 43:18, 19; Rev. 21:5; [Isa. 65:17; Eph. 2:15; 4:24;Heb. 8:13]

D.    2 Corinthians 5:18 : Col. 1:20; See Rom. 5:10; 1 John 2:2

E.     2 Corinthians 5:18 : Rom. 5:11

F.     2 Corinthians 5:19 : Ps. 32:2; Rom. 4:8

G.    2 Corinthians 5:19 : [See ver. 18 above]; Rom. 5:11

H.    2 Corinthians 5:20 : Eph. 6:20; [Mal. 2:7; Gal. 4:14]

I.       2 Corinthians 5:20 : ch. 6:1

J.      2 Corinthians 5:21 : Rom. 8:3; Gal. 3:13; See Rom. 4:25

K.     2 Corinthians 5:21 : See 1 Pet. 2:22

L.     2 Corinthians 5:21 : See Rom. 1:17; 1 Cor. 1:30

Let's look at what the Bible teaches. We will read Second Corinthians 5:17-21, but we will really be focusing on verse 21: God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him, we could become the righteousness of God.

This text teaches us that God made Jesus our Representative. At times we need someone to represent us. God did not set us up for failure by assigning us a hopeless representative. He gave us the best.

This text teaches that Jesus identifies with us. Because He is sinless, only He knows the full power of temptation and struggle.

This text teaches that Jesus is our Substitute. Knowing everything there is to know about us, He willingly takes our place.

This text teaches that Jesus offers us an Exchange. He trades His destiny for my doom.

How do we respond? How do we get in on the exchange? Repent and believe.

Repentance involves two aspects. First we acknowledge our wrongdoing and then we repudiate it (this means we say, “never again”).

Believe is a personal word and involves two aspects. Asking Jesus into our lives and giving Him full permission to live within us.

There is no better time that right now to accept Jesus' offer and come to Him in repentance and belief.

Let’s bow our heads to pray:

Jesus, Thank you, so much that you loved us enough that you were willing to die for us. Thank you Jesus that you can represent us; that you, Father, loved us so much that you sent your best; You sent your own son to be a representative. Thank you Jesus that you know what it’s like to be human; that you identify with us, fully, that you identify with me, fully.

Thank you, Jesus that you were willing to die on the Cross, in my place, in my stead. And thank you Jesus that you were willing to die and exchange your destiny for my doom, when you died upon the Cross.

Jesus, draw me ever closer to yourself and help me to live my life, in light of your grace.

Rev. George Sinclair

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/8698/good_news_020_sept30.mp3