Pentecost 2

1. Texts:  1 Samuel 15:34-16:13; Ps. 20 (p. 726); 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:26-34.
2. Subject:  transforming power of Christ.
3. Topic:  the reality of the power.
4. Aim:  educate, challenge.
5. Proposition:  “We are challenged to believe this:  the other guy is a new creation in Christ.”

Hymns:  594, 351, 494, 358, “Seek ye first”, 333

A NEW CREATION? OH, RIGHT, SURE…

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Look: I know the Bible is the authoritative and normative word of God. I know it is inspired and that nothing external to the Bible can be imposed on us for our salvation. But reading the Bible can be a dangerous thing and this one verse from 2 Corinthians proves that. Any time we open the Bible, we could find ourselves in trouble.

The trouble with this one verse is that we are challenged to actually believe what it says and to change our lives accordingly. That could be downright scary. Listen to it again: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” If you read it slowly and carefully, the danger in this verse begins to seep into our lives.

“If anyone is in Christ…” The Bible doesn’t say, “If the person I like is in Christ…” or “If the person I agree with is in Christ…”. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ…” It doesn’t matter if I like them or agree with them. It doesn’t matter if they are a part of this congregation or some other. If anyone is in Christ, then there is a new creation. Being in Christ makes an entirely new creation.

Now, be careful with this and read the verse carefully. “If anyone is in Christ, then there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” It is not just the old person has become new in Christ, all of creation has become new. Everything old has passed away; everything has become new. The entrance of a single person into Christ makes all of creation new. Here’s how this works.

The entrance of a single person into the kingdom of God results in a brand new set of relationships inside that kingdom. Those new relationships created by the salvation of one person make the whole kingdom new. All of creation is transformed by the salvation of one person. Everything becomes new just because of one person’s entry into Christ. Can you sense the danger we’re approaching? All of creation is made new by the entry of one person into Christ. In practical terms, the one person we’re actually concerned about is likely someone we know or someone whose entry will have an impact on our lives. We’re probably not going to be clearly affected by someone in South Africa entering Christ. But closer to home, this means we’re made new by the entry of that one person, who may be a person we don’t even like. We’re made new by someone else’s spiritual journey. From this point, we have to work out two understandings more clearly: 1) we have to sort out what it means to be “in Christ” and 2) we have to think about what it means for us to be a new creation. “If anyone is in Christ…” must clearly refer to living inside the life, love and existence of Christ. Being in Christ means having Christ as the centre of your own personal universe, the centre of your relationships, your understandings and your decisions. It seems to me that Jesus would have worded being in Christ like this: “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again from above.” The citizens of the kingdom of God are in Christ precisely because they are born again from above. Those whose lives and relationships are transformed by the indwelling power of Christ become the impetus for a transformation of the kingdom. But, St. Paul did not write, “If anyone is entering Christ from outside…” or “If anyone is becoming a genuine disciple of Christ…” He wrote, “If anyone is already, now in Christ.” This is becoming scarier. This must, then, include those who are already in Christ instead of just those who are entering into Christ. “If anyone now is in Christ….” Thus, if any of us now in this room are in Christ, then we are all a new creation. The process of our own transformation into a new creation includes all those people who are already in Christ, many of whom we already know and perhaps already don’t like or don’t agree with or won’t willingly associate with. The current and future citizens of the kingdom of God are busily at work transforming us by their relationships within Christ. So now we have to figure out what it means for us to be a new creation. Here, perhaps a parable would be in order.

Can you sense the danger we’re approaching? All of creation is made new by the entry of one person into Christ. In practical terms, the one person we’re actually concerned about is likely someone we know or someone whose entry will have an impact on our lives. We’re probably not going to be clearly affected by someone in South Africa entering Christ. But closer to home, this means we’re made new by the entry of that one person, who may be a person we don’t even like. We’re made new by someone else’s spiritual journey.

From this point, we have to work out two understandings more clearly: 1) we have to sort out what it means to be “in Christ” and 2) we have to think about what it means for us to be a new creation.

“If anyone is in Christ…” must clearly refer to living inside the life, love and existence of Christ. Being in Christ means having Christ as the centre of your own personal universe, the centre of your relationships, your understandings and your decisions. It seems to me that Jesus would have worded being in Christ like this: “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again from above.” The citizens of the kingdom of God are in Christ precisely because they are born again from above. Those whose lives and relationships are transformed by the indwelling power of Christ become the impetus for a transformation of the kingdom.

But, St. Paul did not write, “If anyone is entering Christ from outside…” or “If anyone is becoming a genuine disciple of Christ…” He wrote, “If anyone is already, now in Christ.” This is becoming scarier.

This must, then, include those who are already in Christ instead of just those who are entering into Christ. “If anyone now is in Christ….” Thus, if any of us now in this room are in Christ, then we are all a new creation. The process of our own transformation into a new creation includes all those people who are already in Christ, many of whom we already know and perhaps already don’t like or don’t agree with or won’t willingly associate with. The current and future citizens of the kingdom of God are busily at work transforming us by their relationships within Christ.

So now we have to figure out what it means for us to be a new creation. Here, perhaps a parable would be in order.

Once upon a time there were two brothers, one a little older and the other a little quieter. But the older brother kept picking at the younger one. He’d arrange the games so that he would win. His larger size allowed him to dominate. His quick tongue enabled him to chisel away at his younger brother. And still, the quiet brother took it all in. One day, though, it got to be too much and with a speed that could hardly be matched the younger brother bit his older brother on the arm and loud crying was heard throughout the house.

The parents of the two brothers, trying to be good parents, insisted that the younger brother apologize to the older one. “I’m sorry,” he said in a tone of voice that said he wasn’t really sorry, but at least he said it. “That’s ok,” said his older brother. “No,” said the parents, “it’s not ok. If your brother did something for which he had to apologize, you have to forgive him.” “I forgive you,” said the older brother. “And now,” said the parents who were trying to be good parents, “you can never bring this up again. He has apologized and you have forgiven him. It is finished. Now you both have to start over without ever reminding each other of this day.”

This is what it means to be a new creation: to have so experienced the love, grace, forgiveness and presence of God that you have to start over without ever reminding yourself of the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day.

Being a new creation means allowing someone else the freedom to have experienced the love, grace, forgiveness and presence of God in such a way as to admit that they have never had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day.

The new creature is this transformed creation has a new and life-giving relationship with all the other new creatures. The redemption that he or she has experienced is to be shared with everyone else. Remember, we who are citizens of the kingdom of God have been born again from above. We are no longer the people we once were. And as we in the kingdom have been transformed by the indwelling presence of Christ, everyone else in the kingdom or even entering the kingdom are similarly transformed. The love, grace, forgiveness and presence of God that each of us has experienced in our own salvation marks our relationships with all those who have also experienced salvation. Our salvation, both individual and communal, recreates us in the image of the Christ in whom we dwell. This is what it means to be a new creation in Christ.

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” By definition, the Church is a new creation. Everything old has passed away and everything has become new! This is a positively glorious and absolutely earth-shattering realization. Think about what it means.

It means none of us are allowed to hold grudges against any others. We don’t get to gripe about former rectors or nurse disagreements with other groups in the congregation. We don’t get to say, “Well, remember when they did such-and-such?” We can’t hold past occurrences against others. After all, Christ has said, “I forgive you,” and so we must be forgiven, which means that we must also forgive. We don’t have the luxury of not loving someone. Oh, perhaps we don’t have to exactly like them, but we certainly have to love them. We—and they—are a new creation.

Being a new creation means that we must love one another as Christ has loved us and given himself up for us. What did Jesus say? “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is exactly what the new creature in Christ does, sacrifices his life for the sake of others. Our status as born again citizens of the kingdom of God obligates us to this sacrifice of love.

Now you can see how dangerous this Bible stuff can be. Just reading this one verse has obligated us to changing our lives and our relationships. We actually have to allow the Holy Spirit to amputate the anger, hurt, frustrations and aggravations of the past. That can be painful. We have to live in the love, grace, forgiveness and presence of God in such a way as to allow others the same privilege. This one verse challenges us to be the fulfillment of Christ’s own prayer, when he prayed, As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,f so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

And as hard as walking that path may be, let us praise God that it is the path he has set for us.

AMEN.