Adam enjoyed perfect fellowship
and communion with God before he disobeyed Him in
the Garden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God that
fellowship was broken, and Adam tried to hide
himself from God (Genesis 3:8-11).
That broken relationship with
God needed to be restored or man would be eternally
separated from God’s holy presence.
The apostle Paul tells us God
“reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us
the ministry of reconciliation: that God was
reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not
counting men’s sins against them. And He has
committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2
Cor. 5:18-19).
God “makes one” that which was
formerly a broken relationship. The word “reconcile”
properly denotes to change, like exchanging money,
and in relationship to persons, it is to change from
enmity to friendship, and thus to reconcile.
This is what God accomplished
by exercising His grace toward us sinners on the
ground of the death of Christ for our sins. We are
the ones who needed the change from enmity to
friendship with God. We needed to be reconciled to
God.
Because of the atoning
sacrifice of Christ men in their sinful condition
and alienation from God are invited to be reconciled
to Him. The change in attitude is on our part, not
God’s. Sinful, rebellious, disobedient men are the
ones who need to change. God in love and grace
reached down to man and provided a means whereby He
could reconcile us to Himself.
The change that is needed on
our part is repentance and faith. A spiritual birth
brings about this change in our hearts toward God.
The apostle Paul tells us that
we were the ones who were reconciled to God in
Christ. “For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much
more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by
His life” (Rom. 5:10). We were the enemies and
hostile to God. Until this change takes place in our
hearts we are under condemnation, exposed to the
wrath of God.
How can God reconcile us to
Himself? The death of His Son is the reason of
removal of God’s wrath and thus we receive the
recondition.
The emphasis of these passages
is on the attitude of God in grace acting toward us
to change our attitude toward Him. We love Him
because He first loved us.
We receive “reconciliation”
because Christ offered atonement for our sins.
Therefore, God can act according to His unchanging
righteousness and lovingkindness toward sinners. He
did not forget that we are sinners, nor does He
“make up” with sinful men. We needed to be
reconciled to God because of our enmity.
Sin always separates and
destroys relationships. Just like God went searching
for Adam after he sinned (Gen. 3:9), He comes
searching for us and reconciles us to Himself.
The only person who can mediate
between the guilty sinner and God and bring
reconciliation is Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). The
barrier that separates us from God was removed by
the death of Christ. Our reconciliation to God is
made possible because of the sinless sacrifice of
Jesus as our substitute. God reconciles us to
Himself through the redemption in Christ. It was an
act of God because “God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto Himself.”
It is an act of grace. We do
not deserve it, but God in His love took the
initiative and removed the barriers (2 Cor. 5:21).
The reconciliation for the believer is complete. He
has removed all enmity and nothing stands as an
impediment to peace with God. Have you been
reconciled to Him?
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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