Old or New: How God Makes Men

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16–21 (ESV)

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This is the grace of the Gospel… Jesus makes old things, brand new!

Imputed Righteousness – The righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to believers, making them justified before God. It is a legal or forensic term that indicates that Christ’s perfect obedience and sinless life are accounted to believers as if they were their own.

Where we see the mess in the middle, God saw the end from the beginning.

6 Unique Roles for Man

1. Child

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

This is WHO we are.

A Father instills

– Identification

– Affirmation

– Validitation

A child re-presents the Father

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9–11 (ESV)

2. Custodian

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

This is WHY I am here.

Custodian – one who has been given responsibility to care for something or someone.

Subdue – to tame or bring chaos into order.

Dominion – rule, maintain, and expand that kingdom order.

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it…” Romans 8:19–20 (ESV).

3. Cultivator

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 (ESV).

This is WHAT we do.

“Work it”… labor or produce but also minister or worship.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

“Keep it” … guard it and grow it.

4. Companion

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” Genesis 2:18 (ESV).

This is so we don’t do it alone.

“Helper” – adds strength.

“Fit” – in front of, opposite of.

Remember, you complement one another, but cannot complete one another.

5. Coparent

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 (ESV).

This so we leave a legacy.

6. Champion

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (ESV).

– Enmity – hostility between two people.

– Crush – downward pressing to crush.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (ESV)

Where God sees a son the enemy wants you to see a sinner.

God spoke three powerful statements in the beginning:

1. Man was very good

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

2. Man was blessed

3. Man was without shame

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:25 (ESV)

The enemy, who is crafty, entered the garden:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 (ESV)

Look at his tactics:

– He Steals (kelpto) – it’s his nature to take what is not his.

– He Kills (thyo) – to slaughter or sacrifice.

– He Destroys (apollymai) – to ruin it.

We see a work in progress, Jesus saw the finished perfection!

Never judge a work in progress.

“For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

Jesus saw the man in the mess, and came to set him free!

Remember: The enemy wants you to focus on what was lost, Jesus keeps His focus on what is revealed!