A Dramatic Reading of 2 Corinthians 5:7-6:2
A: So if anyone is in Christ,
B: in Christ,
C: in the body of Christ,
B: in the truth of Christ,
C: in the freedom of Christ,
B: in the love, hope and grace of Christ (2 Tim. 2:1),
ABC: in Christ.
A: If anyone is in Christ—
B: There it is!
C: Look;
B: look again—
C: There it is:
A: new creation;
B: new,
C: creation.
B: Like the first creation
C: when God the Spirit hovered over the waters.
B: First creation:
A: light where there was darkness,
life where there was chaos,
breath into flesh (Gen. 2:7),
B: first creation.
A: Only now, everything old—
C: the old order of things—
A: has passed away.
B: Look:
A: Everything has become new!
B: Look again:
A: What is new has arrived!
C: No need to remember past events;
no need to think of what was before (Isa. 43:18).
A: A new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1),
B: the place where righteousness will be at home (2 Pet. 3:13);
C: a taste of the time
B: when hunger and thirst (Isa. 49:10),
death and mourning and crying and pain,
ABC: are no more (Rev. 21:4),
B: are swallowed up (1 Cor. 15:54).
C: All this comes from God,
the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2);
B: the fountain of life (Ps. 36:9),
C: of living waters (Jer. 2:13);
A: our refuge (Ps. 62:8),
our rock and our salvation (Ps. 62:2).
C: All this comes from God,
A: in God,
B: in Christ.
A: And so now—
C: now is the day of salvation.
A: As new creatures in Christ,
B: as reconciled to God through Christ,
A: now in Christ Jesus
B: you who were once far away
have been brought near to God through Christ (Eph. 2:13)
C: when he made peace (Col. 1:20).
He himself is our peace (Eph. 2:14),
B: becoming sin who knew no sin
C: by his death on the cross (Col. 1:20).
A: This is the righteousness of God,
B: the righteousness that is of God,
the righteousness that comes from God (Phil. 3:9).
C: As new creatures in Christ
B: we are now ambassadors for Christ,
A: appointed and anointed agents—
trusted agents—
B: called in righteousness (Isa. 42:6),
A: given the ministry of reconciliation,
C: to be a covenant for the people (Isa. 49:8).
B: And so now that we are reconciled,
we are called to reconcile.
C: We urge you:
ABC: Be reconciled to God
B: as we work together with him.
ABC: Accept this grace of God.
C: Now is the day of salvation
B: as we become
ambassadors for Christ,
A: standing firm in Christ (2 Cor. 1:22),
C: as God’s righteousness,
as God’s handiwork (Eph. 2:10),
B: making God’s appeal through us,
C: God’s ambassadors.
A: Now is the day of salvation.
C: God is in you,
B: re-creating you in Christ.
A: Now is the day of salvation.
C: All this comes from God:
B: new creation;
A: new creatures in Christ.
ABC: All this comes from God.
Amen.