new creation

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Corinthians 5:14-19, NRSV)

When we are washed in Christ we are a new creation the old has gone and the new has come.

We are no longer beyond by the old Adam, but are set free in the new life we have ahead of us in Christ.

It is the caterpillar becoming a chrysalis and then a butterfly. The old had gone and the butterfly is a new creation!

You are a butterfly so spread your wings and fly into the new life you have in Christ!

one man

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19, NRSV)

Sin came into the world through 1 man…

Or 1 man and 1 woman…

But Sin was not known until we partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is not to say it didn’t exist, we just had no knowledge of it…

But sin entered and man died because of his sin. And then entered Jesus!

And through the sin of 1 man we all die, and through the gift of 1 man we are all covered by grace!

It is like the single candle, the single light shining in the darkness. Lighting our whole world!

die

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11, NRSV)

Christ died for you. And here Paul tells the Romans that Christ died for the ungodly…

And we know what Paul says is true. I know a Secret Service Agent, and when they are on protection duty they have to protect the President or the Vice-President, or whom ever they are on detail for, whether they like them or voted for them or not! And it is not about the person, it is about the position. They are willing to die to protect the person they are on detail for. How many of us would do that?

And Christ died for us when we were far from God, when we were still sinners!

So Christ died for you and for all the world, so we are all in the same boat, dead without Him.

So go and love and tell them all what He has done for them!

save me

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. (John 12:20-33, NRSV)

Glory comes from God.

And we can give Him glory by following what He is leading us to do.

Which you can see from the reading sometimes isn’t even what Jesus wants to do.

Jesus said, “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

So even Jesus didn’t like what God told Him to do, but He did it. Because that is what gives God glory.

And ultimately Jesus’ faithfulness is what saves us!

Shout Aloud and Sing!

You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 12, NRSV)

I give thanks to God!

For you Lord were angry with me, and you were right to be. But you turned away from your anger as a loving parent and picked me up and loved me. Even in my dirtiness! Even in my sin!

You loved me and I praise you for your love and give thanks to you!

I will sing to you for you are my salvation and the rock of my life.

I will praise you with my life and shout aloud your praises to all the world!