Church Elder Don Bernard’s sermon on January 3rd prompted me to consider God’s reconciliation and just what it means to Christians. When I think of how great and magnanimous it was for God to reconcile us to Himself, I am in awe! The more I meditated on this subject, the more I realized just how incredible and inconceivable God’s reconciliation is. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the word reconciliation is defined: 1). to make compatible. 2). to re-establish a close relationship. It is because of God’s reconciliation that we are a “new creation” in Christ, “old things” have past away and “behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24). Furthermore, it is because of God’s reconciliation that we can zealously abandon worldly things and embrace heavenly things.
Although forsaking the “world” (its pleasures, lusts, allurements, etc.) appears to be quite a daunting task, it is a paltry act when set against God’s historical, monumental, and mind-boggling sacrifice made on our behalf! “What sacrifice?” you might ask. The answer—Jesus Christ! God sacrificed His only Son as a propitiation for the sins of ALL who would believe in Him (John 3:16; Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). God reconciled us to Himself, even though we were “dead in trespasses” (Ephesians 2:1), “following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2), “His enemies” (Romans 5:10), and destined for His “wrath” (Romans 5:9).
Incidentally, there was once a time when we were all “citizens” of this world, alienated from God and completely separated from Him (Ephesians 2:12; 4:18; Colossians 1:21). But, by God’s merciful grace, He reconciled us to Himself (Ephesians 2:19) and this free gift of grace was undeserved or unmerited by any of us. God granted us the privilege to be “citizens” of His Kingdom. He rescued us out of the darkness that we had embraced with willingness and delight. And exposed us to light, the light of truth that leads to salvation! Incidentally, God’s promise of salvation extends equally to all people. To the Jew and Gentile, the rich or poor; the healthy or infirm; to men, women; young, old, etc. All people can rejoice in this glorious truth! “For God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9).
Additionally, God commands us to forsake the world. The Apostle John writes; Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). This command does not mean that Christians cannot have or enjoy many activities, hobbies or leisures, just as long as they do not violate God’s commandments. So just what does “do not love the world or the things in it” mean? Briefly put, the “world” is anything opposed to God and His Word, or any thing that one might love more than Him. It is any thing or activity that occupies a majority of our time, interest or passion, and places God in the proverbial back seat in our lives. God desires that He be our first love (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37)! To have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3)! We must exalt heavenly things and denounce worldly things (Colossians 3:2). This is only possible by believing and confessing that Jesus is both Savior and Lord of our lives and embracing His sacrificial work on the cross (Romans 10:9-10)! Therefore, we can prove our gratitude to Him by living obediently to His written and revealed Word.
It is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that people can be reconciled to God. It is only through the shed blood of the Savior that we can be “citizens” of God’s kingdom. It is only through the shed blood of our Lord that we can gladly accept being “aliens” in this world and be zealous to obey Him. How oxymoronic it is to think that being an alien anywhere is something over which to rejoice. Yet, in this unique circumstance, it is absolutely normal! The Apostle Paul indubitably crystallized this point when he wrote: All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:18, 21). Is this not a glorious but humbling privilege given to us by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ? Knowing this truth and having God’s eternal promise ought to empower us to gleefully give thanks to Him and whole-heartedly embrace being “aliens” in this world! Amen!
Posted on February 1st, 2010 by Robert
Filed under: From the Pew