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Week:10, Season:1,
2013
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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If Anyone Is In Christ
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Scripture：《
2nd Corinthians 5:16-21
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5：16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
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16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Bible passage tells us: look! “The old has gone and the new is here.” In other words, it tells us the world will end and Jesus will come. We will then move to a new home where only “the new creation” can enter. Those who do not believe in Jesus are “the old creation”; they stay in blood, flesh, sin and the world. They cannot enter the new heaven. But if someone is in Christ, he is “the new creation.” The old means: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, and lying. The new means: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, honesty, and goodness.
What does “being in Christ” mean? It means your life is bound to and communicating with Christ; it is to believe in Jesus, accept his salvation, live and die with Jesus. There are two core concepts in Paul’s theology; to “be in Christ” and to “be justified by faith.” We received salvation because of faith, and this makes us be “in Christ.” When we are in Christ, God no longer see us as sinners but disciples of Jesus and children of God.
God is righteous. He does not see sinners as innocent. We cannot fulfil the requirement of God by what we do. The mercy of God comes through the precious blood flowing from Jesus on the cross. He died for us and rose on the third day so that we could have eternal life. When we accept Jesus and believe in his salvation, Christ is with us and makes us “a new creation.”
One of the biggest news stories in Taiwan in early July 2012 concerned the bribery case of the former Executive Yuan Secretary-General, Lin Yi-Shi. Lin was accused being bribed with 63 million NT dollars from businessman George Chen during his term as legislator in 2010. On the 10 March 2012, Lin was accused of bribery for 83 million NT dollars during his term as Executive Yuan Secretary-General. The evidence was conclusive, so Lin admitted his involvement in the corruption and issued a paper statement saying that he would repent, return the money, and engage in charity works.
A few days after his public statement, the press discovered that Lin had admitted receiving the bribes, but had denied that he was involved in corruption. He only admitted his involvement in fraud. His mother and wife tried to save him from the courts and took out all of the money they had hidden at home, which the amounted to around 10 billion NT dollars. Where did the money go, and who were the accomplices? A battle between the defendant and the prosecutors began. People in Taiwan also spread the news through the Internet, accompanied by black humour and sarcasm.
People cannot be saved by themselves
Will a person repent with the help of their own conscience? It seems lying has become the expertise of politicians and also the old trick of sinners. George Chen who accused Lin said, “It is outrageous to believe that a 40-year-old man has shouted swear words at me, a 60-year-old man, for 8 minutes.” Chen had been bribed by Lin several times, and finally decided to sell him out.
It is human weakness that we tend to forget who we are when the temptation of money and power comes to us. A man cannot know himself without knowing the creator God first. We will not see our filthy, hateful, and wretched sins if we do not meet with the highest one, the holy God. We will not repent sincerely if we are not made shining by his glory. We will become like the insects which change their colours with their environments in order to survive.
After The Weekly Edition broke the news about Lin Yi-Shi’s charge of bribery, Lin wanted to sue the businessman who reported him and also The Weekly Edition. Lin’s arrogance was so great that he said to the press, “Come on! Show the recording of the voice accusing me, and if I am convinced you can kill me now!” His ridiculous statement soon became a joke on the Internet. The voice recorder which was tagged as “kill me now” even sold well. Where was Lin’s repentance? The human conscience is unreliable. Even Christians cannot be saved only by their consciences, for many, after declaring to be Christians, do not often study the Bible and pray. We need to pray often, focus on the communication with God and reflect our faith to not fail in the tug-of-war between holiness and greed.
Give our holiness to God
The news reported that Lin Yi-Shi’s mother hid several billion NT dollars from the bribery under her shrine. In Taiwanese folk religion, a shrine is the centre of faith for a family, where the family connects with gods. Would not the gods and the ancestors feel restless to see bribery money beneath their feet? Would the gods keep silent during the three daily worship times? If so, do the gods also receive briberies?
Christians must learn to give our holiness to God. Even though we may need to fight with Satan’s temptation for our entire lives in such an evil world, we should work even harder to be like Jesus. Because Jesus hates evils. We cannot communicate with Jesus if our heart is full of sin.
A Christian does not become a new creation overnight, or at the moment he claims to be a Christian. He needs to press on towards Jesus and get closer to God until the Judgement Day comes.
We shall not judge others by human standards
We are limited and weak. We shall not judge others or judge God by human standards. The Bible says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” The newspapers reported that Lin Yi-Shi was tall, strong and eloquent. His wife Peng Ai-chia, a newsreader, was also beautiful and eloquent. They were a powerful couple whom their contemporary legislators respected. Unfortunately, the wealth built up by men easily falls apart in one night. And it is because of their high social status, once they had done wrong, more public notice and opinion came to them compared to ordinary people.
We judge people by human standards, but God does not. He sees the inner side of human hearts. Praise Lord that the society of Taiwan received a shocking lesson from Lin’s corruption. People witness how fast corruption can sink a successful married couple. People witness how much they need God. People witness that wealth is a dream; so many people dare not to spend their money when they own a fortune. And when their wrongdoing disclosed, they throw the money into a pool; they burn the money; they flushed the money away in a panic. What do we really need? Isn’t a peaceful mind what we truly need?
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For discussion：
1. The case of Lin Yi-Shi was the biggest news in early July 2012. Do you remember this case? What reflection did it give you? What did you learn from it?
2. Please share your thoughts about being a “new creation.” Do you have any unforgettable experiences?
Please pray for：
1. The world is evil. Pray for our churches and brothers and sisters for the temptations they will meet. May we follow Jesus, read the Bible and pray often. With the help of God we can get closer to our holy God and be more like him.
2. That Taiwan’s politics can be just. May God have mercy on the government leaders who are greedy and bribed by people. May they repent in time and leave their bullying thoughts behind. May they suffer what people are suffering and lead a better life. May all of the people can live safely and happily.
Prayer：
Almighty God, the Creator, you made the earth and us. You gave us the privilege and duty to manage this earth for you. You gave us beautiful Taiwan. Please help people in Taiwan in every field do their duty; help the leaders establish policies and be the role models for society. Sadly our social values are being damaged because of our greediness. Our expectations are often failed. May the justice of God be revealed in dark places. May your mercy shine on the people and bring hope. May you open our minds and shine on us wherever we are. We are not children of darkness but children of light. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Something you can do：
1. Try to do something to further the social reform movement. Try to understand and speak out against unfair and unjust events. Your care has the power to benefit people and nations.
2. Social resources are always imbalanced and it seems that those who know how to use gain more than others. Many underprivileged and socially marginalised people do not know how to use social resources, therefore they are always the ones with less information. Try to offer help to minorities and introduce relevant organisations where they can receive care.
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