An Experience That Manifest Evidence
2 Corinthians 5:17
I once heard about an old country fellow and his son that went to the big city for the first time. They had never been off the farm and were amazed at all the things they saw.
The thing that amazed the old farmer the most was an elevator. They were standing in the lobby of this building when they saw this old woman with wrinkled skin with a walker step into the elevator. The door closed and in a few minutes opened and out stepped this beautiful young blonde lady.
The farmer said to his son, "Wait right here. I’m going home to get your mamma and run her through that thing."
Though the farmer did not understand what happened, he did know there had been a change.
Our text verse declares to us once a person has enjoyed the experience of the saving grace of God that person is forever changed.
When the Apostle Paul wrote this, I imagine he was thinking of himself.
I. THE MESSAGE WHICH IS INCLUSIVE – “If any man be in Christ ”
These words speak of impartiality. Salvation is for anyone and everyone who will repent and receive Christ by faith. In others words, it is
A. Universal in its appeal
It is for all men. None are excluded but all are invited.
“Whosever will” let him come!
B. Individual in its application
I cannot come to Christ for you. It is an
individual matter.
This message is sufficient for all but only
efficient for those who come.
During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanting to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds.
When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt’s face. Now he understood -- the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely.
II. THE MIRACLE THAT IS CREATIVE “…he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new”
When a man gets saved by the grace of God, he becomes a new creature in Christ.
The American Red Cross was gathering supplies, medicine, clothing, food and the like for the suffering people of west coast of Africa Inside one of the boxes that showed up at the collecting station one day was a letter. It said, "We have recently been converted and because of our conversion we want to try to help. We won’t ever need these again. Can you use them for something?"
Inside the box were several Ku Klux Klan sheets. The sheets were cut down to strips and eventually used to bandage the wounds of black persons in Africa.
From symbols of hatred to bandages of love all because of the new creation.
A. The difference Christ will make in a life
“…old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”
1. Visible change – to others and to ourselves
2. Thorough change – “all things are become new”
3. Radical change – “new creature”
B. The relevance Christ will manifest in a life
We are now under new management.
The story is told of a poor couple that got saved through the ministry of the Salvation Army. Neither one could read or write. But both were so happy that they had been saved. A revival meeting was going on and when the husband came home he seemed so depressed. His wife asked him what was wrong. He said, "Everyone at the meeting has a coat with nice letters on it. I wish I had a coat like that."
His wife said, "I believe I can do something about that. I will put you some letters on your coat." Since she couldn’t read or write, she wondered what she would do. She looked out the window and saw a sign in the store across the street. She copied the letters on that sign and sewed them on her husband’s coat.
The next night her husband came home so happy. She asked, "How did everyone like the letters on your coat?"
He said, "They all said I had the best coat of them all." The wife had sewed the letters on his coat that read: "Under new management."
1. The new creature serves a new master.
a. He’ll serve Him Faithfully.
b. He’ll serve Him Fervently. (with all his heart)
2. The new creature speaks a new message.
3. The new creature sings a new melody.
a. It will be a song of joy.
b. It will be a song about Jesus.
III. THE MOMENT WHICH IS DECISIVE
“ behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now
is the day of salvation”
God does not know of a better time to come to
Christ that now.
During WWII, the Allies knew that the future of the free world would be decided by the invasion of France in June 1944. Now known as D-Day, it was the largest single military invasion in the history of warfare. Yet, General Dwight Eisenhower had difficulty deciding when to attack because he was obsessively worried about the poor weather conditions.
Finally, he gave the order to move. He said, "No matter what the weather looks like, we have to go ahead now. Waiting any longer could be even more dangerous. Let’s move it!" Eisenhower understood that there comes a point after which the right decision becomes the wrong one, if it’s made
too late.
There is no better time to accept God’s salvation and receive the forgiveness of sins than NOW. It is impossible today to do anything yesterday, for that day is gone and will not come again. Further, it is too dangerous to put off salvation until some future day; none of us can be certain that we will live beyond the present moment.
A. It is in this moment in which a new relationship is acquired
One can go from a child of the devil to a
child of God in a moment.
John 1:12
Galatians 3:26 “For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
A language arts teacher was stressing the need of a large vocabulary to her English class. “Using a word seven times,” she insisted, “will make it yours.”
Mary was in love with John and she
wanted to make him love her. So she said seven times, “John, John, John, John, John, John, John.”
But just as repeating John’s name didn’t
make him hers, so repeating the name of the Lord won’t make Him yours. But repenting and receiving Him in your heart will.
B. It is in this moment in which a new resource is available
Galatians 4:6 “And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts”
The Holy Spirit of God comes into your life to make the person of Jesus Christ real in your life. The Holy Spirit is greater than anything you or I will ever face in this world. He has power to make you what you ought to be if you will yield to His working in your life.
1. He can be restrained
He is restrained when we fail to allow Him to do in us that which for which He was given to us.
2. He may be released
He is released in us as we allow Him to live in us as He show desires.
a. He wants to emancipate us from fear
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
b. He wants to enable us with power
c. He wants to enrich us with love
d. He wants to us enlighten us with discernment
All this takes place in
proportion to the measure in which we surrender to Him.
Conclusion
A crook was once asked, “Why did you steal the purse?”
“I was feeling bad,” he answered, “and I thought the change would do me good.”
Well,in our text there is a change that will, and it all begins when you make Jesus Christ your personal savior.
