"AN EXPERIENCE THAT BEARS EVIDENCE"
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

INTRO: Salvation from the condemnation and the eternal damnation of sin is
the greatest experience known to man. A person does not grow into
the salvation experience nor is he or she educated into it; the person
must be born into it. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5-8—"Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
And in John 1:12-13 we read—"But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God."

The Bible surely teaches a time and place experience of the marvelous
grace of God, and once a person has enjoyed the experience of the
saving grace of God that person is never the same again. The hymn
writer got it right when he wrote:

"What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
since Jesus came into my heart."

Friends, what does it mean when one gets saved? Is it merely a
profession or does it spell permanent change in a person’s life? The
Bible declares the Salvation is AN EXPERIENCE THAT BEARS
EVIDENCE! Listen to the words of our text and meditate upon what
the Bible says—"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become
new." Paul tells us in this verse that there are three things we see in
a true salvation experience. Note with me today that…

(1) IN SALVATION A GREAT CONDITION IS REALIZED
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17a—"Therefore if any man be in Christ…"

A. THE GRACIOUSNESS OF THIS CONDITION. Friends, it says here—"If
any man…". These words speak of impartiality. Salvation is for any one
and everyone who will repent and receive Christ by faith. In others words,
any man who wishes to be in Christ can be!

ILLUS: During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the
work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
came to her, wanting to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough
Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His
men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds.
When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was
told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face. Now
he understood -- the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was
simply ask and they would be given freely.

That's how a sinner receives eternal life. Salvation is a gift. If it could
be bought at an auction, millionaires would compete for the purchase
and most people would be excluded. But God's forgiveness is free for
the asking. Nothing we can do will ever earn it.

B. THE GOAL OF THIS CONDITION. The goal of the salvation experience is
that a person "be in Christ." Friends, there is no greater condition to be in
than this! What does it mean to "be in Christ"? It means:

SECURITY. The believer is IN CHRIST as Noah was in the Ark. He is safe. He is secure.
STABILITY. All who are IN CHRIST are as stones in a building. 1 Peter 2:5 tells us—"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
VITALITY. Believers are IN CHRIST as a branch is in a vine. Jesus said in John 15:5—"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

C. THE GUARANTEE OF THIS CONDITION. Notice that little word "be" in 2
Corinthians 5:17? It guarantees and implies a certain period of time.
What is that time? It is NOW! The person who trusts in Christ is NOW "a
new creature." The Christian is not waiting to be a NEW CREATURE he is a
new creature at this present time!

IN SALVATION A GREAT CONDITION IS REALIZED and…

(2) IN SALVATION A GLORIOUS CREATION IS PERFECTED
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17b—"…he is a new creature…"

A. BY NATURE THE OLD MAN IS A CHILD OF WRATH, BY GRACE THE
NEW MAN IS A CHILD OF GOD. Ephesians 2:3 tells us—"Among whom
also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others." But once we trust in Christ for salvation
we become one of God’s dear children. In fact, 1 John 3:1 assures us—
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not."

ILLUS: Once upon a time there was a prince who fell in love with a fair
maiden. But his enemy captured the fair maiden and held her captive
in a tower. Now the prince had a plan to rescue her, so he recruited the
help of two small animals to send a message to the maiden. First there
was Claude Caterpillar. Claude was a nice guy, and he didn't mind
helping fair maidens in distress. But Claude was kind of a crusty old
character. You might wonder, Did he get up on the wrong side of the
bed? Maybe he has a migraine headache or something. Anyway, the
prince gave him the message, and he started inching along toward the
tower. Being a fat little caterpillar, he had to work hard to get there,
even sweat a bit. He thought to himself, Wouldn't you know it, the sun
would have to be shining today! Just then the weather began to
change. Clouds moved in and little drops started coming down all
around him. He grumbled, "Rain, of all things. And I just had this suit
cleaned." But Claude wasn't a quitter. He made it to the tower and
searched for a way up. A vine growing along one side was the obvious
answer. Inch by inch up the vine Claude went, only to discover that it
was a climbing rose bush. All the way up you could hear, "Ouch! Ouch!
Ouch!" When he finally reached the window he heaved himself onto the
ledge and said to the fair maiden, "Hey, lady! Come here! Are you the
maiden in distress?" She nodded as she looked down at this sweaty,
muddy little caterpillar. Claude gave her the once-over and said,
"You're kidding. You mean I came all the way up here for the likes of
you. I don't know what the prince sees in you. He sent me with a
message, and you wouldn't believe how hard it was for me to get here.
His message was: 'Get Ready.' He's coming to get you. Five o'clock
sharp! Understand? All right! Good-bye!" And off went Claude.

Next the prince sent Barney Butterfly. Barney was not so sure of
himself with the rain and wind, but he said he would try. His soft wings
lifted him gracefully into the air. He struggled with all his might against
the wind as it blew him back and forth. Just as he was about to reach
the window, a bird swooped down and nearly ate him alive. After a
frantic chase, Barney flew inside the window beyond the bird's
snapping beak. He flew about the room until the maiden noticed him.
She reached out her hand, and he landed softly on her finger. She
brought him close as he relayed the Prince's message: "Lovely and
favored maiden, the prince loves you dearly. At the sound of his voice,
jump from the window and into his arms." The maiden replied, "Thank
you, beautiful butterfly. You are very sweet. But tell me, why did the
caterpillar bring the good news in such a nasty manner? He seemed so
rude and rough." The butterfly replied, "Oh, you mean Claude? Well,
that's just Claude. I used to be that way, too, until I was transformed."
(James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp.
52-53.)

B. BY NATURE THE OLD MAN IS DEAD, BY GRACE THE NEW MAN IS
ALIVE. We read in Ephesians 2:1—"And you hath he quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins" Friends, we were dead because of sin but
God’s grace has made us alive! No human birth can compare to the
supernatural birth of a child of God. --James Montgomery Boice (Edythe
Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry# 875).

ILLUS: Paul's testimony is repeated over and over again as persons respond in
faith to God's gift of Christ, as they are given His Spirit and become
new creations. I heard of such a miracle recently. The American Red
Cross was gathering supplies, medicine, clothing, food and the like for
the suffering people of Biafra. Inside one of the boxes that showed up
at the collecting depot one day was a letter. It said, "We have recently
been converted and because of our conversion we want to try to help.
We won't ever need these again. Can you use them for something?"
Inside the box were several Ku Klux Klan sheets. The sheets were cut
down to strips and eventually used to bandage the wounds of black
persons in Africa.

It could hardly be more dramatic--from symbols of hatred to bandages
of love because of the new creation. Nothing else matters, says Paul.--
Maxie Dunnam, Commentary on Galatians (James S. Hewett, Illustrations
Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 51.)

C. BY NATURE THE OLD MAN IS AFAR OFF, BY GRACE THE NEW MAN IS
BROUGHT NIGH. Ephesians 2:13 tells us—"But now in Christ Jesus ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."

D. BY NATURE THE OLD MAN IS POOR, BY GRACE THE NEW MAN IS
RICH. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 8:9—"For ye know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." All of this is because of
"the riches of his grace" according to Ephesians 1:7.

IN SALVATION A GREAT CONDITION IS REALIZED, IN SALVATION A GLORIOUS CREATION IS PERFECTED and finally…

(3) IN SALVATION A GRAND CLEAN-UP IS DEMANDED
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17c—"…old things are passed away; behold all
things are become new."

A. SALVATION DEMANDS A CLEAN-UP OF OUR HEARTS. Friends, PRAISE
THE LORD this is His work and not ours! The Lord invites in Isaiah 1:18—
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be
as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool."

B. SALVATION DEMANDS A CLEAN-UP OF OUR TONGUES. Ephesians
4:29 tells us—"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but
that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers." The Bible tells us that the most vital and yet the most difficult
thing to master is our words. It is not so much what goes in one ear and
comes out the other that bothers us, it is what goes in one ear, gets garbled
in the process, and then comes out the mouth! (Fay Angus in Running Around in
Spiritual Circles. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 16.)

C. SALVATION DEMANDS A CLEAN-UP OF OUR LIVES. Paul wrote in
Ephesians 4:31-32—"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you."

CLOSING: Friend, have you been saved by the grace of God? If not, you can
have this wonderful experience today. All you must do is turn from
your sin and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He died for
you—in your place and for your sin—so that you could spend
eternity in Heaven with Him. Will you throw yourself fully onto the
mercy of God and enjoy the forgiveness only He can give? If you
will, then you will have an experience to know, a joy to feel, and a
testimony to give.

Salvation is AN EXPERIENCES THAT BEARS EVIDENCE. Friend,
Can that be said of your life? Does your profession line up with
your walk?

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING