Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! Because our heavenly Father has accepted His Son’s sacrifice made on the cross, anyone who acknowledges Jesus as His Savior is born anew. The sins of the past, terrible and tragic, are gone-the worries, gone; the hurts, the concerns, the fears, all gone. In Jesus, we are God’s new creation born by grace. We are free to witness to the Lord’s love and the Christ’s blood-bought forgiveness. Truly, the new has come and all God’s people are new creations. Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. So, are you? For 72 hours, two men at a convention seminar had committed every transgression they could get their hands on. At the end of the weekend as they were traveling to the airport, a sinfully sacrilegious idea came to one of the men. “Why not top off the trip’s depravity and debauchery with a shockingly scandalous bit of irreverence?” Quickly, he challenged the other: “I dare you to go into the first church we come across and confess to the preacher everything you did last night. I’ll bet $100 you can’t do it.” His companion, feeling up to the challenge, accepted by saying, “Sounds like easy money to me.”
The first church they came across was Roman Catholic. They stopped, walked in, and the man found the priest. He began, “Father, forgive me for I have sinned.” Then in graphic detail, he told of the previous evening’s escapades. The perceptive priest, discerning the man’s insincerity, replied, “My friend, I give you a simple penance. Go to the front of the church, kneel before the statue of Jesus, look into the Savior’s suffering face, see the nails in His hands and feet, the crown of thorns on His head and say, “Jesus, all this You suffered for me, and I couldn’t care less.” Well, our man came out of the confessional and demanded his friend pay up. “Oh no, you haven’t won this bet yet. First you have to do your penance.” Having gone this far and not wishing to lose the $100, the confessor went to the altar, looked up to the Christ depicted on the crucifix and facetiously said, “Jesus all this you did for me and I …” At that moment, the teachings from a long-forgotten childhood Bible class washed over him. Something he learned and ignored flooded his head and heart. He cleared his throat and tried again, “Lord Jesus, all this you did for me …. ” And then he burst into tears and the Savior Christ reclaimed and redeemed a lost soul. That man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, became a new creature.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. So, are you? A lawyer moved into a new community, hung out his shingle and buried himself in his new practice. In the morning and evening, townspeople would watch him walk alone to his practice. His head would hang, his shoulders would stoop, and always there was an expression of sadness and sorrow upon his face. One day the lawyer did manage to confess to a Christian artist that when he was just starting out, he had committed a grave error. Yesterday’s sin was still stalking him even now. The artist listened. He gave no guidance or suggestions-at least, not then. Weeks later, he did invite the lonely lawyer to see a new painting at his studio. The attorney arrived for the viewing and was led to a portrait displayed by the window. There he saw a picture of himself. It was himself, but it was different. In the picture he was standing with his shoulders back, his head lifted up, and a look of hope was shown in his smiling face. Behind him, in the background of that picture, was a hill and on that hill was an empty cross. At the foot of the cross had been placed, along with many others, a great, heavy package. Evidently, at least according to the artist’s intentions, he left his burden at the cross and had found something there which had changed him, which made him a new creation. The artist explained what he painted. He pointed out the other packages. They were, he said, packages filled with the sins and worries of others. One of those packages, he didn’t say which, had been his. The other boxes belonged to other Christians. They, too, had left their packages at the cross.
The artist concluded his one-man exhibition by sharing when Jesus is your Savior, when your sins are washed away, you become a new creature. Then the artist left, leaving the lawyer some time to contemplate and consider the picture. “Was this how God wanted him to look? Could he really leave his burden at Christ’s cross? Would it be possible?” And to all those questions, God answered, “Yes.” Yes, he could look different. He could be different. His sins could be left at the cross. This was more than a possibility. It was reality. That man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, had become a new creature.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. So, are you? Making new creations at the cross is what God does. At the cross of Christ, sinners become saints. The troubled have their transgressions taken away and those who are heavy laden find their lives lightened by the love of the Lord. At the cross, God takes the worst thing that humankind could do to His Son and transforms it into the best thing He could do for humankind. At the cross, God doesn’t simply confront us through Calvary’s cross. He converts us and makes us new creatures. All that was dark and evil is gone. All that is bright and good and forgiven has come.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. So, are you? You need to know there is an awesome power in the cross of Christ. There is wondrous hope to be found in Jesus’ empty tomb. At Christ’s cross, human hearts that are hardened find themselves charged, convicted and condemned. At the same cross, sufferers find solace. Repentants find redemption and the unforgiven find freedom from their past. The compassion of the cross, the grace of Jesus’ grave have been the targets of cynics and the focus of adoration for the forgiven. The centuries have idolized Christ’s cross, and despised it. Leaders have gold-plated it and tried to trash it. People have worn it and burned it. You can do just about anything you want to the cross and empty tomb, except ignore them. You can’t disregard a cross upon which your sins were crucified. You can’t discount an empty grave that says, “Here death has been defeated.” The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are saved, it IS the power of God to create a creature” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. So, are you? Possibly you are listening to this message and think, “I’m doing just fine, thank you very much. I’ve looked around and compared to most folks, I’ve got my act together. Good spouse. Good children. Good job. Good friends. I’m, well-I’m pretty good.” You’re not alone in that feeling.
A number of years ago, when personalized license plates were first being introduced in Illinois, the Department of Motor Vehicles received over 1,000 requests from people who wanted the plate which simply said “Number 1.” The state official whose job it was to approve those plates said, “I’m not about to assign that number to someone and disappoint a thousand people.” His solution? He gave the coveted “Number 1” license plate to himself.
Maybe you think you’re OK. You don’t need to be a new creature. In the Garden of Eden, the devil convinced Adam and Eve they, not God, were “number 1.” He’s been doing the same ever since.
Once I overheard a little brother and sister sharing a ride on one of those mechanical horses situated in front of a department store. The little boy, riding in front turned to his sister and said, “If one of us would get off, there would be more room for me.” Are you like him? Do you think you don’t need to be a new creature, reborn in Jesus’ love?
We can believe I’m OK and you’re OK, but we’re not. Take a look at your life – an honest look. Are you truly happy? Do you feel blessed? Do you have peace? Go to the library. Visit a bookstore. There you will find countless volumes telling you how to be successful as a parent, a spouse, or a lover. You will find books on how to be a good manager, a good employer, a good employee. There is no aspect of your life where someone isn’t telling you how you can do better and be better. With all of this advice, you would think the world would be at peace, we would be content, and our homes would be happy. In truth, discontent, disharmony, discouragement and despondency are still featured on the menu of daily living, and are served up on great heaping plates for your daily fare.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. Are you? Were you content and happy yesterday? Will you be at peace tomorrow? I grant the world can offer an education which will make you smarter, it can offer you great career opportunities which have the potential of making you wealthier. Without the cross, you can buy a nice home which will offer some creature comforts, but only the cross of Christ can offer you a way to have your heart, soul and mind recreated by the gift of God’s salvation which comes to us through Jesus Christ the Lord. The only answer for man’s deepest needs and heartfelt longings is God’s gracious love and salvation. Only Christ’s cross can create a new heart within you, can offer you a new spirit. Only the cross can dispel the old, destroy the sin, and create a new life of joy in this world and the next.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. Look in the Bible’s New Testament and you will find countless people – regular, everyday people like yourselves, whose lives were transformed, made infinitely better because of a contact with and belief in the Christ.
There is the Gergesene demoniac who lived naked, alone, and wandered in the cemetery of his town. Jesus cast out his demons and made him a new creation, a man who would be a living witness to the new life Jesus had given him (Mark 5: 2-20). Then there was the blind man of John 9 who not only received his sight, but also found a Savior. He became a new creation. There was a leper, one of 10, whom Christ recreated. His body was healed, most certainly, but he also found in his thanksgiving, a healing for his soul. For that leper, the old had gone, the new had come. Scripture tells us about Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector for the Romans. No doubt he had pilfered and picked the pockets of his fellow countrymen. But when Jesus came into Zacchaeus’ home and heart, he became a new creature (Luke 19:2-10). The old was gone. The new had come. Should we talk about the thief who hung next to Jesus on the cross? Even as he was dying, Jesus made him a new creation, a new man. How about Paul, the apostle? Once Saul, the murderer, Jesus erased the old name, the old mindset, the old ways, and created within him something new. So many times contact with the Christ and His cross has changed people. Orphans become God’s adopted sons and daughters. Lost, they find a heavenly home. Lonely, they find a friend who is with them always.
Oh, it’s not always that way. King Herod, the man who tried to murder the infant Jesus, died in his sins and without a Savior. Herod wished no other king in his life. Judas, Jesus’ one time disciple and part-time friend, traded His Lord for a handful of silver. He could have been forgiven and recreated by the cross and empty tomb, but he wasn’t. Ananias and Saphira, early converts to Christianity, lied to the Lord and showed their hearts were still filled with jealousy and greed. They died without Christ, not recreated or made new.
What I’m trying to say is the Lord wants to make you part of the body of Christ. He wants to save you. He wants to dispel the old and give you a wonderful new life, but He isn’t going to force you. He will give you the opportunities such as the one right now. He will make the offers. He will create the situations where your heart should be ready. But God is not going to drag you, screaming and swearing, cursing and kicking, into heaven. He doesn’t work that way. He didn’t force the children of Israel into the Promised Land. If they didn’t want to go, so be it. He let them die in the desert. He didn’t grab Lot’s wife by the neck and force her to keep looking away from burning Sodom and Gomorrah. He told her how to be saved. He warned her but if she wanted to look back, He wouldn’t forcefully stop her. Nor will He stop your wanderings, if that’s what you really want. But know most certainly, today the Lord is calling you to Christ’s cross. Today, the Lord is saying you can be a new creature. I know it sounds strange. It sounded strange to the Jews of Jesus’ day who wanted a strong and powerful king to defeat their enemies. It sounded strange to the Romans, who thought of the cross as a cruel punishment, rather than a life-changing, soul-altering, heaven-giving gift of God’s grace. But so strong is this symbol of God’s grace, today the cross is a subject of hope and happiness, forgiveness and salvation.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. How about you? What is holding you back? Is it because you have seen Christians who didn’t seem to be new? Is it because you encountered a Christian who exploited you, a church that offended you, a preacher that turned you off? Is it because you’ve seen Christians go to church on Sunday and live like unbelievers from Monday to Saturday? Is it because you’ve heard us pray, ” Forgive us our trespasses,” but you know for some of us our hearts remain filled with bitterness? Is it because we are people who supposedly saved by the Christ, seem to be just as old, just as tired, just as greedy and ungracious as everyone else? Do not judge the Master by the behavior of His servants. We are sinners. We cannot deny it. We make mistakes, grievous errors, and gigantic sins. Forgive us. And also remember, we saved sinners who are not the ones that can give you salvation. Jesus is alone. Your faith needs to be in Him, not us.
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. How about you? Do you hesitate because you think your sins are too great for Jesus? They are not. There is nothing a sinful human can do more powerful, more far-reaching than the love of God, the forgiveness of Christ, the welcoming of the Spirit. Do you drag your feet because you would be embarrassed to stand before family and friends and say, “I belong to Jesus, washed in His blood. I am a new creation?” Far worse I believe is to stand on judgment day and say, “I was too proud to call Jesus my Savior and Lord.”
Scripture says if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. How about you? Look beyond your familiarity with the cross. Look beyond your past prejudice toward God’s sinful people. Look beyond your friends and family members who might be shocked and surprised if you were to kneel before the cross. Look beyond these things and look instead at Jesus dying for you. Look into the empty tomb and see a living Lord whose presence and promise says, you too can live forever. Look at what God has done and know, because of His grace, you can be a new creature. The author of Hebrews said it: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles …. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross, scorn(ed) its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him …” (Hebrews 12:1-2). The Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart. You know it to be so. If you need help to make the next step, Lutheran Hour Ministries will help you. Call us. We will give you a number as part of today’s broadcast. Call that number. Become, in Jesus, a new creature. By His blood, the old can be gone. The new can come.
And for those of you already cleansed by the Christ, redeemed by the Savior, let me tell you a story. Some years ago, when our family was vacationing at Camp Arcadia on the shore of Lake Michigan, we were out on the front porch watching the sunset. It was magnificent with its reds and golds, purples and grays. As much as we enjoyed what we were seeing, another man seemed to enjoy it far more. He waited till the last glow had faded and seemed thrilled through and through by the beauty of it all. Finally, someone, not me, because I wasn’t that bold, asked him, “You certainly enjoyed that sunset. Are you an artist?” The man replied, “No, I’m a plumber, but I was blind for five years.”
You who once were blind, but now can see; you who were once in darkness, but now live in the light of the Lord. Live your lives with thanksgiving to Jesus. Your weighty packages of sin have been laid at the cross and faith is yours. Now, I encourage you not to become disheartened or discouraged as the world and the devil press in on you. Live your life as a thanksgiving witness to those unsure, uncertain and unbelieving. I can tell them not to judge the Master by the examples of His servants, but they won’t listen to me. Unbelievers tuning in today may hear my words, but they are watching your example. Let them see how the Lord has made you a new creature. Let them see in your face the truth of these words: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for July 13, 2003
ANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Our topic today is faith. A listener wants to know, “Can a weak faith save you?” This might be one of those questions that seems simple at first but gets more complex as we get into it, I suppose.
KLAUS: I think you’re right, Mark. But I think after we establish our parameters, we can give the listener a fairly simple answer.
ANNOUNCER: We’re going to have parameters?
KLAUS: It’s probably not as painful as you might think. First, let’s talk about the word “faith.” What do you think that word means to most people?
ANNOUNCER: Most people would say faith means they believe something to be true.
KLAUS: I agree. Now, if we say a person can be saved because they intellectually think or know something, that’s probably not going to do the job.
ANNOUNCER: I don’t know if I understand.
KLAUS: Let me explain. The devils in hell know the truth about Jesus, don’t they?
ANNOUNCER: Well, they know He’s real.
KLAUS: They also know Jesus came into this world to seek and save sinners, to pull people from darkness of death into God’s marvelous light of salvation. They know Jesus is God’s Son. They know He died to buy us back from all that is evil. Still, even though they know all these things, they’re not going to be saved.
ANNOUNCER: So knowledge of what Jesus did is not enough to save them?
KLAUS: Correct. To be saved, you need more than to merely know something. By the Holy Spirit’s power, you also need to accept that knowledge as being true. Then the final step for a saving faith is to trust or rely on that truth as being the only thing that can save you. Years ago, a famous tightrope walker by the name of Blondin strung a cable across Niagara Falls. Carrying his long pole for balance, he made the trip across the wire in front of a breathless crowd. They began to breathe again when he came back and greeted his return with their applause. But Blondin wasn’t done. Blondin asked one man, “Do you believe I can carry you across?” “Yes sir.” “Well then, let’s go” Blondin urged. “Not on your life.” The people knew it could be done. They had seen it done. Some of them even accepted the fact that Blondin could make the trip with a passenger, but they didn’t trust him. Eventually, one man did get on him and make the trip. But we need to say more about this question, Mark. It’s not enough to have faith if you have faith in the “wrong” thing. For example, if I believe up is down, and right is wrong….
ANNOUNCER: In that case, your faith doesn’t make it so.
KLAUS: No. You can sincerely believe all you want in the wrong thing, but that won’t make it right. You have to know the right thing, accept the right thing is true, and trust the right thing.
ANNOUNCER: And in this case the right thing would be …
KLAUS: Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saving substitute from sin. John 3:16 is that essential part of the Christian message, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
ANNOUNCER: That doesn’t seem to be asking too much.
KLAUS: It isn’t, but it implies so much more. Things like, how we fell into sin? Who judges sin? How Jesus takes away our sins. How we can be led to faith by the Spirit’s power. There are things a Christian wants to know as he grows in his love for the Savior who first loved him.
ANNOUNCER: So a weak faith in the right thing …
KLAUS: . . . is still faith. The thief on the cross probably didn’t have a great deal of knowledge or Bible training. Still, he was saved. But that doesn’t mean we should be content with a faith that stays small and undernourished. Saint Peter said, “Like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk, so by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
ANNOUNCER: So Christians with a weak faith should fill up on God’s pure Word so they might grow in faith. Any final thoughts?
KLAUS: Well maybe this: John Wesley once received a note that said, ” The Lord has told me to tell you He doesn’t need your book learning, your Greek, and your Hebrew.” To that letter, Wesley answered, “Thank you, sir. I know the Lord has no need for my ‘book learning’ as you put it. However, although the Lord has not directed me to say so on my own responsibility, I would like to say the Lord doesn’t need your ignorance either.” That may be the proper balance. Christians don’t need great human wisdom nor great human ignorance to be saved. Instead, they need to rely on God’s truth given to them by the Holy Spirit. Having that truth, we want each day to grow closer to the Lord who has saved us at such a high cost.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. The next Lutheran Hour message is titled, “Why Bother?”