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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, September 30th , 2012)
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| Rev. George Sinclair |
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:
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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