God

1
Gods Hedges

• 2 Corinthians 5

2
I Certainty Of Death, Judgment, 1-10

• A tent is temporary, 1
• Feast of Tabernacles
• Permanent dwelling follows this life, 2
• Do you long for heaven?
• Our ambition, 9
• The whole life of a good Christian is holy
  longing
• His judgment seat, 10
• The divine subpoena
• A reversal of roles

3
II Fear Of The Lord, 11

• Fear ranges in meaning from panic and fright to
  awe and reverence
• When we face a divine Judge, fright and awe unite
  into one
• Hb.1027, 31 Hb.1229
• Ph.212, the effect
• You may juggle human laws, you may fool with
  human courts, but there is a judgment to come,
  and from it there is no appeal

4
III Love Of Christ, 14-21

• 1. Compels us, 14
• To hem in no other option, thus it impels,
  urges on
• Fear is a good motivator, but nothing compares
  to love
• Lk.438 837 1943 2 Co.514
• Ac.185
• The Love Of God

5
2. Controls us, 14-15

• One for all (14) causes all for One (15) live
  for Him....
• Every man for himself changes into live no
  longer for themselves

6
3. Creates us, 17

• New creature (ASV)
• A new creation a common rabbinical
  description of a converted proselyte
• In Christ, he becomes a new person
  altogether (Phillips)
• Old things have passed away
• He has given us a new way to look at things

7
All things have become new

• Jn.33, born again
• Ep.210, created
• Ep.423-24, new man,
• Existence turns into life
• Swords turn into plowshares
• A house turns into a home
• The Rule of gold turns into the golden rule

8
4. Claims us, 18-19

• We were His enemies (Ro.510)
• He brought us back to Himself by Christ
• Hellenistic religion the man seeks restoration
  of the gods favor
• Christianity God seeks the sinner, using His
  Sons death to bring about reconciliation

9
5. Cleanses us, 21

• Jesus knew no sin
• The idea of a man w/o sin was alien to Jewish
  thought
• God did not make Jesus a sinner
• He would not make anyone a sinner, much less His
  own Son
• A sinner cannot be a Savior

10
He made Him sin for us

• He bore our sin
• He bore the punishment we deserved
• He did this to deliver us (1 Pt.224)
• God treated Him as if He were the embodiment of
  sin

11
Isa.536 Ga.313

• God allowed his Son to suffer as if a condemned
  sinner, so that we might be delivered from the
  penalty of our sins (Chrysostom)
• The Father made Him a victim for the sins of the
  world (Cyril of Alexandria)
• God requires satisfaction because He is holy, but
  He makes satisfaction because He is love

12
Paradoxes

• Man sinned, but God suffered
• God made Himself the sin of men, and men are made
  the righteousness of God

13
IV Lessons

• God gave us what we need
• If our greatest need had been worldly
  knowledge, God would have sent us an educator
• If technology . . . programmer
• If money . . . a rich man
• If fun . . . an entertainer
• If forgiveness . . . a Savior

14
2. God understands our greatest need

• Reconciliation
• Men refuse it do not understand
• The horror of sin
• Those who have committed no fault want no
  pardon
• The enormity of guilt, 10-11
• Sin is a clenched fist and its object is
  the face of God

15

• Consequences
• Eternity in hell
• Separation from God
• Evil associations
• The love of Christ, 14. Mt.26
• The debt we owe, 15

16
3. Christ died to save us

• Mt.2740, 42
• To save others, He did not save Himself

17
4. We must show our appre-ciation for His
sacrifice

• We show it by
• Gladly assembling. Ps.1221
• Saving others. 1 Co.922
• Giving thanks. 1 Co.1557
• Some people complain because God put
  thorns on roses, while others praise Him for
  putting roses among thorns