Reconciliation With God Means Eternal Glory

ReconciliationReconciliationWith GodWith God

MeansMeansEternalEternalGloryGlory

Eternal GloryEternal Glory

We’re going to read the entire 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians.

It paints a wonderful picture of the hope we have in Jesus.


2 Corinthians 5:1 NET For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in,

is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human

hands, that is eternal in the heavens.


2 For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put

on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be

found naked.


4 For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down,

because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that

what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.


5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord

—


7 for we live by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Our Ambition Is To Please HimOur Ambition Is To Please Him

9 So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body,

whether good or evil.


11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to

persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences

too.


12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward

appearance and not in what is in the heart.


13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have

died.


15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for

themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 16 So then from now on we acknowledge no one from

an outward human point of view.


Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we

do not know him in that way any longer. 17 So then, if anyone is in

Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away — look, what is

new has come!

Ministry of ReconciliationMinistry of Reconciliation

18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Message of ReconciliationMessage of Reconciliation

19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,

not counting people's trespasses against them, and he has given us

the message of reconciliation.

Ambassadors For ChristAmbassadors For Christ

20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on

Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God!" 21 God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would

become the righteousness of God.

Jesus Took Our PunishmentJesus Took Our Punishment

The 21st verse says it all! God made the one who did not know sin That could only be Jesus. to be sin for us, If we

review Isaiah 53 and other Scriptures it becomes evident Jesus came to take

our punishment for sin.


He knew no sin, but our sin was put on Him. so that in him we would become

the righteousness of God. Why did Jesus humble Himself and take on human form and offer to take our

punishment?


19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,

not counting people's trespasses against them, and he has given us

the message of reconciliation.


All of this was done so we, have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is

eternal in the heavens.


And so we, would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Because of this great gift, 9 So

then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.


Our ambition, goal, what keeps us going, should,NO, MUST, BENO, MUST, BE

PLEASING GOD!PLEASING GOD!With this in mind, we are given marching

orders in the last few verses we read.


Verse 18…has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19…given us the message of reconciliation. Verse 20…

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ. How are we to accomplish our

task? We try to persuade people,…."Be reconciled to God!"


Why do we strive to please God serving as Ambassadors for Christ, fulfilling

our ministry by spreading the message of reconciliation? So that as many

people as possible receive their eternal home in the heavens.

Let’s Glimpse Into HeavenLet’s Glimpse Into Heaven

What a place Heaven will be. The Apostle John was given a glimpse

into heaven.

Let’s take a look and see what he saw.


Revelation 21:1 NET Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the

first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no

more.


2 And I saw the holy city — the new Jerusalem — descending out of heaven from God, made ready

like a bride adorned for her husband.


3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: "Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with

them.


4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist

any more — or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist."


5 And the one seated on the throne said: "Look! I am making all things new!" Then he said to me, "Write it

down, because these words are reliable and true." 6 He also said to

me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.


To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the

water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be

his God and he will be my son.


8 But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who

practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and

sulfur. That is the second death."


9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and

spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the

Lamb!"


10 So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out

of heaven from God. 11 The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliancebrilliance

is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clearcrystal-clear jasperjasper.


12 It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels

at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel

are written on the gates.


….18 The city's wall is made of jasperjasper and the city is pure goldgold, like transparent glasstransparent glass. 19 The

foundations of the city's wall are decorated with every kind of

precious stone.


The first foundation is jasperjasper, the second sapphiresapphire, the third agateagate, the fourth emeraldemerald, 20 the fifth onyxonyx, the

sixth carneliancarnelian, the seventh chrysolitechrysolite, the eighth berylberyl, the ninth topaztopaz, the

tenth chrysoprasechrysoprase, the eleventh jacinthjacinth, and the twelfth amethystamethyst.


21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearlspearls — each one of the gates is made from just

one pearlpearl! The main street of the city is pure goldgold, like transparent glasstransparent glass. 22 Now I

saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God — the

All-Powerful — and theLamb are its temple.


23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory

of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will

bring their grandeur into it.


25 Its gates will never be closed during the day (and there will be no night there). 26 They will bring

the grandeur and the wealth of the nations into it,


27 but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does

what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose

names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Two AlternativesTwo Alternatives

Last week we looked at the alternative to pleasing God.

Eternal fire, darkness, no Eternal fire, darkness, no rest, separationrest, separation from all from all that isthat is goodgood… fromfrom GodGod.

Two AlternativesTwo Alternatives

Wouldn’t we rather focus our efforts and thoughts on gaining entrance into that

BEAUTIFUL,BEAUTIFUL,WONDERFUL,WONDERFUL,

PERFECT,PERFECT,CITYCITY

God has prepared for His people?

THE REWARDSTHE REWARDSOFOF

DISCIPLESHIPDISCIPLESHIP

FROM THE PEN OF PAULFROM THE PEN OF PAUL

A man who endured much hardship.2 Corinthians 11:23 NET Are they servants of

Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much

greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe

beatings, facing death many times.


24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I

was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I

suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.


Yet looked forward to, as we read earlier: A house not made with hands

2 Corinthians 5:1 NET For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is

dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is

eternal in the heavens.


The riches of God's grace Ephesians

2:7 NET to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing

wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.


A glorious transformationPhilippians 3:20 NET But our citizenship

is in heaven — and we also await a savior from there, the Lord

Jesus Christ,


21 who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that

power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.


A crown of righteousness2 Timothy 4:8 NET Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it

to me in that day — and not to me only, but also to all who have set their

affection on his appearing.


A heavenly kingdom2 Timothy 4:18 NET The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring

me safely 23 into his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and

ever! Amen.

FROM THE PEN OF PETER FROM THE PEN OF PETER

A man who likewise suffered hardship. 1 Corinthians 4:9 NET For, I think, God has

exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we

have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.

FROM THE PEN OF PETERFROM THE PEN OF PETER

10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we

are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, poorly

clothed, brutally treated, and without a roof over our heads.


12 We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused,

we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure, 13 when

people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world's

dirt and scum, even now


Yet looked forward to:An inheritance imperishable, undefiled,

reserved in heaven.1 Peter 1:4 NET that is, into an inheritance

imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you,


A new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:13 NET But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new

heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.


14 Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things,

strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you

come into his presence.

FROM THE PEN OF JOHN FROM THE PEN OF JOHN

A man who suffered tribulation and exile. Revelations 1:9 NET I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the

persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called

Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.

FROM THE PEN OF JOHNFROM THE PEN OF JOHN

Yet was blessed to be shown: The bliss of those who were triumphant

over tribulation - Revelations 7:9 NET After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one

could count,


made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing

before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with

palm branches in their hands.


10 They were shouting out in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God, to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ….13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These dressed in long white robes —

who are they and where have they come from?"


14 So I said to him, "My lord, you know the answer." Then he said to me,

"These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them

white in the blood of the Lamb!


15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day

and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on

them, nor any burning heat,


17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living

water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."


We already read about how he was shown the wonderswonders of HeavenHeaven

and the destiny of the redeemed, forever with God.

CONCLUSION CONCLUSION

Can there be any comparison? Between a few years of service,

even with hardship? And an eternity of bliss in the presence of

God?

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

We have read the words of those like Paul, Peter, and John. What if they could return and speak to us today? What if our loved ones who died in Christ could return and speak to us

today? Would they not tell us, "Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All"?


Whatever the cost of following Jesus in this life, may the words of

the Holy Scripture remind and comfort us to be faithful and

persevere.


Hebrews 10:35 NET So do not throw away your confidence, because it

has great reward. 36 For you need endurance in order

to do God's will and so receive what is promised.


It is imperative we strive to please God serving as Ambassadors for

Christ, fulfilling our ministry by spreading the message of

reconciliation!


ReconciliationReconciliationWith GodWith God

MeansMeansEternalEternalGlory!!!Glory!!!

Reconciliation With God Means Eternal Glory

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