The marks of a testimony

Sermon notes from 4 February 2018

2 Corinthians 5 verses 17 - 21

What is a testimony?  An account of the grace of God in a man`s life and heart.  Paul is saying take a look at this man, a man saved by God`s grace.  Take a look at him.  Maybe in doing that we can look at our own lives.  What are we revealing to an ungodly world?  Paul says here for the man professing salvation there is something to be noted.

A relationship that is formed.  When I look at the cross what do I see?  In verse 19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.  The creator, sustainer God was in the Lord on the cross of Calvary, reconciling the world unto himself.  That is what God did for your soul.  God sent his only begotten son to Calvary that he might suffer and bleed and die for you tonight.  What a tremendous thing.  That is the transaction that happened.  A reconciliation that was made.  We were out of favour with God because of the sin from the Garden of Eden - "as by one man sin entered into the world."  Romans 5 verse 12  Our sin needed something real and special.  We needed to be reconciled to God again.  The only way was through the death of his Son on Calvary.  Hand on heart have you that relationship?  Not talking about a set of rules, don`t do this or that on Sunday, don`t go here or there, rather it is a relationship with Christ and when that relationship was formed.  Jesus spoke to a religious man one day, a student of the word of God.  He told him "you are not far from the kingdom of God."  God knows those that are his tonight, whether in Christ or out.  A relationship to be in Christ.  The apostle Paul speaks in Ephesians, a little church, takes them back to a time when not saved.  At that time you were without Christ.  We can go back to such a time if we are saved tonight.  Without him means no awareness of forgiveness of sin, lost, without hope for eternal life.  Thank God we have this hope.  Death is not the end, we go straight into the presence of God for all eternity.  To have no intimate knowledge of Jesus who came into the world to save sinners.  Exodus 12 when God would pass through Egypt and the firstborn would die.  Imagine going down into Egypt the next day and coming down the way is a man with a boy.  When he introduces his son he calls him his firstborn, you know immediately he has a relationship with Christ because God promised that it was the blood of the Lamb applied to the door post of the house would save his people who were his own.  There was a time when people knew all about Christ.  It was all in their head not in their heart.  Out of touch with God.  There is no hope for me but yet the greatest hope I could ever have started in God`s presence.  Have you got that relationship?  Is it real tonight?  The woman at the well knew all about the well, about the history of the well.  She could say "I know when the Messiah is coming but I have no relationship with Christ himself."  Is is possible that you have no relationship with Christ?

There is a reformation of character.  He is a new creature.  "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature."  You are a reformed character.  If you have any part of the relationship with Christ it is his part to renew your heart, to forgive you of your sins, to set you free.  Have you been renewed by the blood of Christ?  Transformed?  Know your sins forgiven?  Jesus spoke of the heart - "for out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts ... out of that heart comes all these things evil thoughts, murderers, adulterers, false witness, blasphemy."  That is a unredeemed heart.  Ezekiel "a new heart will I also give you. I will take away a stony heart and give you a heart of flesh."  Have you known this change of character?  God applies that which will redeem me.  The good things cannot come out until it is cleansed.  The heart needs to be restored and cleansed just as the tree cannot bear figs and thistles.  At the same time as the world looks down today a man professes Christ - is it a reformed character.  Paul was  a man with a reputation, he became known as the man who persecuted the Christian church.  Now he preaches the about the Christian faith.  It came about on the Damascus road.    He left Jerusalem, got his orders to tear apart the Christian church.  At the midday hour he was brought to his knees.  He came into a living relationship with Christ.  He was a reformed character.

A rejection of the past.  The old things have passed away.  If I am to be saved tonight, to know the Lord as Saviour, what does he expect me to do?  To turn from a past life, to give it up.  This is your part - you have to repent.  The Thessalonian believers rejected their worship of idols when they came to Christ.  They rejected the idols and took Jesus as Saviour.  Was there a turning away from sin in your life?  The Ephesian believers had to do the same thing.  They were reading books full of witchcraft and when they found Christ they took these books out and burned them in the town square.  Those believers had to reject the past.  We have to do the same.  Sometimes people will say "I prayed that prayer, that the Lord would come into my heart, forgive me but somehow nothing has happened."  Maybe there is not a sincerity of going through with God.  To be saved means a complete break with the past, not running back into the old haunts, being satisfied with Christ and him alone.  Jesus speaks of the dealer in precious stones.  He found a pearl of great price, the most beautiful he had ever seen.  He went away and sold all he had because he wanted only that one.  Is the most precious thing in your heart to know the Lord as Saviour, to be saved for all eternity?

A renewal of the present - verse 17 "old things have become new."  The excitement of finding something new.  That things are new to us, this book becomes new to us (the Bible) because it is so precious.  We get a hunger and desire for it we never had before.  It is a real relationship with Christ.

A reformation of character, a rejection of the past, a renewal of the present will bring a residence in heaven.  Have you a home in heaven tonight?  Is that where your treasure is?  Are you a child of God, saved by God`s grace?  These are the marks of a testimony tonight.