Speak, O Lord. This evening we come again to hear the voice of our good shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, as he speaks to us through the Apostle Paul from 2 Corinthians. If you would turn with me in your copy of the scripture to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians 5.17, a familiar passage to most of us, but a passage I hope will be a blessing to us, to encourage us this new year to set our minds on what is important, looking at what's ahead of us on Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our faith. 2 Corinthians 5.17, this is the Word of God. But through the apostle Paul, Paul writes, that therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God abides forever. Let us go into the presence of God again once more to ask for his blessing. Father in heaven, we come again. this evening, this New Year's Day, to seek your blessing. We know that you have called us to be your servants. You've called us to be your children. Lord, we know that because of our faith in Jesus Christ, the love that God has shed abroad for us, we are children of God. And because we are children of God, we share in a union with Christ, we share together in a past deliverance, and we share a future of a new heaven and a new earth. And so, Lord, as we have these things in common, as we look forward to the future, where we will forever be with the Lord, we ask, Lord, that you will settle our hearts on these things. I pray, Lord, that your word will come forth with power and will speak to the hearts of your children, your sheep. Lord, that you'll use it to encourage and build them up. We ask, Lord, that you would speak through me, that you use me as an instrument, so that I will speak, thus saith the Lord, and that you would be glorified and honored. Now may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts Be acceptable in your sight, O Lord. God, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. Second Corinthians 5.17. This is a common saying this time of the year. Many of us have heard it and many of us have probably used it. New year, new you. Or new year, new me. As the new year rings in, many of us are making resolutions. I'm sure some of you probably already have made resolutions this new year. The common New Year resolutions probably involved cutting off strain times and maybe cutting back on food or maybe exercising more, doing less travel, earning more money, and the list could go on and on. But I think many of us are already aware that the most prominent or the one that comes up the most is about losing weight. and practicing a healthier lifestyle. And while this is something that our world is consumed about going into the new year, this is not something that as Christians we ought to be as consumed about. This is not to say we shouldn't have New Year's resolutions or that we shouldn't set priorities for the new year, but our priorities as Christians into the new year should be priorities that are Christ-like priorities. That's why we go to a text like 2 Corinthians 5, 17, to remind ourselves and to be challenged that this new year, we should be mindful of who we are in Christ, our union with Christ. And as we go into the new year, we should be mindful as well of God's deliverance, how we've been delivered from the power of the devil, and that we no longer live under the tyranny of the devil, and we no longer live with shame and guilt, but we live as those who have been changed by the power of Jesus Christ and have been put into a new family. And finally, we live in this new year as those who have hope, a hope of God's restoration of our world, giving us a new heaven and a new earth. And I believe as Christians, as we keep our minds and our hearts focused and anchored on God's word and his promises of not only who we are in him, but the hope that we have in him, This should help set our hearts as we look forward to the future, as we live to the honor and glory of our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so as we look at 2 Corinthians 5, in verses 17, it comes within a context. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, a church that is known for its immorality, a church that is known for its problems. And so when the Apostle Paul writes to this church, he expects that chief among those that he wrote to, a man who had been involved in incest, who had married his mother, his mother-in-law, that the church would take action against him and dismiss him, but the church would not comply. And so Paul is in correspondence with these believers. to discipline a member of their own and they're refusing and Paul is also addressing their sin, especially the sin of immorality that was rampant in the church. And so when Apostle Paul is writing when we come to chapter 5 and especially starting verses 11 and following, Paul is at a place now in his ministry with the Corinthians where they have disciplined his brother. And he had been put in a place where he was kicked out of the church and he had repented and he was needing to be restored. The church also struggled with false teachers that had come in and with commendations from Jerusalem. And so when Paul is writing in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, he's writing and addressing not only the reality of the conflict of immorality and sin that is going on in the church, but also the conflict of of false teachers that have affected the church and how the church and the members of the church had gone astray. And Paul is not writing to commend himself, but he's writing as someone who is a minister of God to call the church to see themselves in light of their Christian testimony. You are a Christian, Paul would say. God has saved you and God has delivered you and God has created you, a new man, to live in a certain way. And so live in a manner that is worthy of the calling that God has given to you. And so this is the context in which Paul is writing here, that if any man is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old have passed away, and behold, all have become new. So the first thing we want to see is that as new creation in Christ, as those who have been born again, those who have been given eternal life, to be mindful of our union with Christ. Because we are united to Christ, because we are in Christ, God expects us to live a life that is worthy of our Christian testimony. This is also a text that talks about these Christians within the context of their problems that they must be reconciled to God. And so Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5 and verses 11, therefore, he says, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it's also known to your conscience. And in verses 20, he says, we are ambassador for Christ. God making his appeal to us and through us, we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Because for our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God. Working together with him then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. And Paul continues his passage on reconciliation all the way through verses 11 of chapter 6. But just nestled in the midst of that, we have this text of our union with Christ. Because the believers had been delivered. Because we as Christians have been delivered from the power of the devil. Because we have been given a new life in Christ. Paul writes, as though this is a final reality that if any man is in Christ, if anyone is a Christian claiming to be or have professed to be a Christian, he's a new creature. And this verse speaks of our union and communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Rick Gaffin writes this, he said, for those in Christ, this union of solidarity is all-encompassing, It extends from eternity to eternity. They are united to Christ, not only in their present possession of salvation, but also in the past, once for all accomplishments. In their election, before the foundation of the world, and in their full future glorification. Another way of distinguishing these different aspects of union is our eternal, our incarnational, and our existential. God from eternity past have brought us into the relationship of Jesus Christ. The scripture tells us that he was crucified before the foundation of the world. In time, Christ came and suffered and bled and died for us. And so we have this present reality of putting our faith in Christ and receiving the offer of God's eternal life. And we have this future reality. And then those of us who are in Christ, the scripture tells us, we are. New creature, this is a language that speaks of us as passing from an old state of existence into a new. Those of us who were born according to the fashion of this world, we're born in Adam, in fallen humanity. We were destined, scripture tells us, to eternal condemnation. But Christ came in the fullness of time. And wherewith his great love in which he loved us, the scripture tells us, that he was crucified for our sins. He died, he was buried, and he rose again. And so as we faced a new year, we faced a new year with this reality, with this realization that our faith is anchored in our union and communion with Christ. Scripture tells us because we are united with Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. And so we hope in nothing more And we have an expectation of nothing less than our Jesus, who is our blood and righteousness, is our life, our death, and our new life. The old have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. But let's talk about the old life that the scripture tells us have passed because it's not only talking about our reality as Christians, our lives as Christians is something that has had a final, not only something that just happened in time for eternity past and present and have a future existence, but God is speaking out to us and telling us that if we're in Christ, the old things about us has passed. We are new creatures, the old have passed, but what is this old that has passed away? We've talked some about that. It's about our old nature, who we were. And what does it mean that our old nature has passed away? We know that we live in the body, we live in the flesh. One of the things that the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5 is that our earthly existence is like that of a tent. 2 Corinthians 5 in verses 1 and following. He said, for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hand, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. If indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked, for while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed but that we would be further closed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God and who has given us the spirit as our guarantee. And so Paul paints the picture of us, of a spirit that has been given to us, of our guarantee of the life to come, new bodies, immortal bodies that will be forever living with the Lord. But the scripture tells us that in this time, in this tent, that we live and we groan, as it were, we are pained. We live with pain and we live with suffering, whether inflicted by friends or relatives or those around us and those that are far, those who are even near. We live and we groan because of the effects of sin. And those of us who are familiar with the reality of sanctification, even though the scripture speaks to us as those who are already sanctified, the scripture tells us that we live with remaining sin, indwelling sin. And sin, the scripture says, should not have power over us. What is this old man, the nature of the old man? Someone defined it this way. The nature of the old man is that of the flesh, which manifests itself through self-centeredness, self-gratification, self-righteousness. He is characterized by an attitude that is antagonistic to everything genuinely associated with God. Although he will gladly wear the mask of religion to suit his self-righteousness, he's having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. This is the old man. The scripture says these things have passed. In essence, the scripture is telling us that these things, in other places Paul tells us, these things ought not to be named among us. And so as we go into the new year, we look at the fact that we are in Christ. We are united with him through his death, burial, and resurrection. We have this new life, this new state of existence. We've been taken out of the old man that is according to death and corruption, and we've been put into Christ, the new life. that is destined for eternal life and peace with God. But while we live in this life, God expects us to live lives that are holy, that we're putting off the old man. The old things are past. We're constantly fighting, we're warring, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers. Not against our brothers and sisters, but against the devil who would like to see the church and God's people destroyed. The old man that is self-centered, that Paul says in Galatians 5.19, the marks of the flesh, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. And then he says, of these I tell you before, as I have also told you in the past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And as we go into the new year, as we look forward to living a life that pleases the Lord in this new year, to resolve not only to see ourselves as those who are united to Christ, but to see ourselves as those who are being sanctified and who are putting off the old man and putting on the new man. The new man consists in the fruits of the spirit, the scripture says, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And Scripture says, against such things there is no law. And so we put off the old man and put on the new man. If any man is in Christ, God says we are new creatures. We have been united to Christ. We have hope of eternal life. The old things are past. In essence, God has already forgiven us our sins and our transgressions. But God expects us to live in a manner worthy of our calling. While the scripture teaches us that God himself is sanctifying us, he tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, because it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to do of his good works. And so we strive, even in this new year, we strive. As those who will put off the old man and put on a new man, we would be like David. when he was confronted by the prophet, Uzziah. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, he wrote, after he had killed Bathsheba and he had been convinced of his sin and he had been convicted of his sin and he had turned from his sin, he writes in Psalm 51, to God, he says, have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love and according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgression and my sin as ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin that my mother conceived me. Behold, you delight in truth and inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop. and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out my inequities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. This is David. a man of God, a man after God's own heart, a man who we would say is a saint, that God is forgiven, that these verses too would be true of him, that all have passed and behold a new has come. But here is David setting for us a life, an example of repentance, repentance towards God. And this is something that should characterize our lives as Christians. Even as we go into the new year, repentance is not something that we do once when we're being saved, But repentance is a lifelong discipline for the Christian. We daily live in repentance, and we live in repentance unto the Lord. And so the old have passed. God sees us as those who have been washed, those who have been purified. But yet God says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And so we work. And part of that work is coming to the Lord in prayer and asking for his forgiveness and repenting of our sins, living a life of repentance, remembering where God has brought us from. We who were dead in trespasses and sin, and God for where we're in it with his great love, he loved us and delivered us. Now he's given us a hope. And so finally as we look to the new year, Not only are we to anchor ourselves in our union with Christ, not only are we to be rejoicing and thankful and repenting as those who have been saved, but we are to be those who look forward with hope, a hope and expectation of the new life, the new heaven, the new earth. What God is preparing for us. Christ told his disciples, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, dare ye may be also. And so we know that God in Christ, even now, is preparing a place for us. He says, in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. And so we have our hope in Christ because we are in him, we are united to him. We have our hope in Christ because we've been delivered by the power and work of Jesus Christ. But we have our hope as well in the future. Our future as Christians is always bright because our God is always on the throne. He is sovereign. He's the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He is the one who has all things under his control. He is the one who will bring all of his enemies in subjection to himself. And so this is the God with whom we have to do. And this is the God that the Apostle Paul is calling the Corinthians to be aware of. He says, we will all appear in 1 Corinthians 5 before the judgment seat of Christ. That everyone will give an account for what he's done in his body. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Verses 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. And so this God with whom we have to do will hold us accountable. We will all appear before him to give an account. And so as we are looking forward to the new year, looking forward to living in light of our relationship, our union with Christ, looking forward to living a life that is worthy of our calling, as we are looking forward to the hope of eternal life, we also ought to be mindful that we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and we will all have given account of everything we've done in this life. Paul says, whether good or evil. And so in light of that, the scripture calls us not only to be reconciled with God, but to practice reconciliation among ourselves because we will all give an account to God. And so we live in light of our rooted union with Christ. We live in light of our deliverance from sin. We live in light of our hope that Christ is coming and we will all give an account to him. Revelations 21, verses one through five concludes this way. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning nor crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Even as we look around us in our world, we look around us in our community, we look at our pain, we look at our struggles, we look at our concerns, we have a hope of a God who is not only sovereign, who is in control, We don't have a God who will ignore things and never settle things, but we have a God who will in the end. Scripture tells us he will wipe away tears from our eyes. He'll take away our pains, he'll take away our sorrows. And so while we might not be able to settle everything in this life and in this time, we have hope of a future where God will settle every account and nothing, nothing, that we've done will be overlooked. Good deeds that we've done for God will be commended. Things that we've done against him will be rebuked, but nothing will be overlooked, and we have a future and a hope that God will restore all things. 2 Peter 3, verses 10 to 12 tells us, the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heaven will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed by intense heat, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. The day of the Lord will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt with intense heat." 2 Peter 3, verses 10. As we look forward to the coming days in the new year, as we are grounded in our union with Christ, as we are reminded of our deliverance from the tyranny of the devil and sin and its power over us, as we look forward in hope to the coming of Christ in the new heaven and new earth and the changes he'll bring, we say with the Apostle John, Maranatha, even so come Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, I pray that your grace and mercy will be upon us, even as we continue to reflect on your beauty in your word. Lord, we come with hearts that are heavy. We pray that you will bind our hearts, you set captives free, you make the lame to walk and the blind to see. We pray for your grace, Lord, even as we look forward to this new year, We ask, Lord, that you help us to be reminded that we are your children. And unlike the world, we have union and communion with you. We are one with Christ. And we have been delivered from the power of the devil and from the tyranny of sin, the power and the consequences of sin and the guilt. Lord, we have the hope of eternal life in heaven stored away for us. We pray that you give us the grace and wisdom that we need to anchor ourselves in our hope and this grace to come. Our hope in Christ, we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.