RECONCILIATION!

RECONCILIATION!

Rom 5:8-10

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

2 Cor 5:18-21

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

           To reconcile means to cause warring parties to be friendly and harmonious again. Man’s disobedience and rebellion in the garden opened a deep rift between man and God and passed on the tendency toward rebellion to every son thereafter. William Barclay said: “Never once is God said to be reconciled to man; it is always man who is reconciled to God.” But how is this reconciliation accomplished?

           Religion is man’s feeble attempt to be reconciled to God. All such efforts fail because the trappings of religion fall short of the offense. God stepped in to effect the reconciliation Himself. He named the cost and paid the price.

           The word “not imputing” in verse 19 is borrowed from banking. It means not depositing to one’s account. If we read the verse again it says that our sins are not deposited to our account but to Jesus’ account. God provided for cross-posting so that Jesus’ rich account and my bankrupt account were switched.

2 Cor 8:9

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.

           In order to clear our bankrupt account, Jesus had to empty his account of righteousness. He became poor so that we might be made rich. We have been brought back into a friendly and harmonious relationship with God. Not only that but God has named us in his will and adopted us into his family.

Dear Lord, my account was not only bankrupt but overdrawn! Thank you for making your deposit into my account. Thank you for making me part of the family. AMEN