January 2008

Reconciliation

We have just celebrated Christmas and have had in the main, times with Family or Friends. Some we may not have seen for some time. We will have renewed or restored friendships or relationships, but it will have been man to man, and probably not man to God. The most frightening thing is the one relationship we need to have security in is the one we least think about. Our relationship with God Him-self.

Our sin and selfishness has put a barrier between ourselves and God and so we need to have this relationship restored, we need to be reconciled to God

 

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1
The Greek word for Reconciliation means:

A change or reconciliation from a state of enmity between persons to one of friendship. It comes as a result of redemption, the divine act of salvation, the ceasing of God’s wrath.

From the Root Word - Reconcile: Used of the divine work of redemption denoting that the act of redemption in so far as God Himself, by taking upon Himself our sin and becoming an atonement, establishes the relationship of peace with mankind which the demands of His justice have hitherto prevented.
God is the subject and man is the object.

Dictionary: To reconcile - Make friendly again after an estrangement. To harmonise, make complete.

Reconciliation is the thing that marks the Kingdom of God on His people.
We are heralds or proclaimers indeed evangelists of this message. The wrath of God has been appeased through the shedding of Christ’s blood to enable us to be restored by God to Himself for the purpose of fellowship with Him.

God is the subject: that means He is the one we need to have relationship with.
We are the object: His target for us to be restored and put back into meaningful relationship with Him.

The Ministry of Salvation: This is where the whole thing for us starts [healing spiritually].
We were separated by sin and rebellion from God in the Garden of Eden. There was no way because of the corruption of the flesh that we could work at the re-establishment of our relationship. So as it says in Isaiah 59:16 He worked salvation for Himself and made the way clear for reconciliation to take place.

As we reap the fruit of this relationship, so then He is able to inspire us through His Holy Spirit to continue that work and our inner desire is to see others brought into this relationship.

The Ministry of Healing: To undo the works of the corruption that has been borne through the separation of man and God.

Physically: because the body decays through death and the work of death, borne by our rebellion. Exodus 15:26

Emotionally: Inner or emotional healing is needed to help us to overcome the effects of lifestyles and pressures that have been put on us by the stress of living in a world without God, one of hopelessness. Proverbs 13:12, Psalm 147:3.

Socially: The result in our families, communities and every day lives has an effect on us as we find an inward desire for togetherness. Both within the family of God and also within our own nuclear families.

The bible tells us God hates divorce Malachi 2:16

Society breeds divorce and even now caters for it. It is in direct opposition to the word of God which promotes unity and family.

Divorce now in society is not seen as an evil, but as a necessity.

The two greatest commandments support the whole canon of Old and New Testaments. ‘Love the Lord our God and love your neighbour.’ Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 5:43-48

God speaks again and again of laying down hostility and promoting family and unity. Indeed the strongest parables are built around union between peoples and families.

Jesus demonstrated by reconciling and restoring. The lepers, the social outcasts, tax collectors. He did not differentiate between them.

This is the real Gospel of Hope that has been entrusted to us. In the west today we see broken churches, broken homes, and broken relationships, because firstly we have not allowed reconciliation in our own lives. We try to please God on our terms and not His. We have missed the simplicity of the message and people are no longer being drawn to God through Christ for the right reasons.

We try to let people enjoy the wrong relationships while they forget to build on the right relationship with God.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Maybe you have realised that you need the power of reconciliation restored in your life. If you have not invited Jesus into your heart this would be your first step.

Jesus says in John 14:6 'I am the way and the truth and the life, No-one comes to the Father except through Me'

Peter said of Jesus
'You have the words of eternal life' John 6:68

The Lord Jesus is ready to help you as soon as you ask to know Him as Lord. Jesus Christ has paid for your sin, my sin and every ones sin by living a life free from sin and dying in our place so that we might know forgiveness of sin, and freedom eternally from the power of death and fear.

The bible says in Romans 10:9-10 'If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.'

Remember you can only deal with your own sin. Everyone has to answer to God for what they have done, but God is merciful and will forgive them too, when they are ready to come to Him. He will always accept you, and makes you the offer now of real, genuine love and resurrection life.

You need to say sorry to God for having offended Him by your sinful actions, and choose to walk in His ways instead. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins, repent of your sins and tell God you need His help to stop living in a way that pleases you, and tell him you want to live to please Him.

Invite Jesus Christ to come and be Lord of your life. Thank Him that He has bought you back from the road of darkness and destruction by giving His life for you, and releasing you from the burdens of rejection, guilt and shame. Bringing you fully into His wonderful light. Thank Jesus for this, and acknowledge His death and resurrection and ask His Holy Spirit to come into you right now and give you the power to change and you will find real acceptance in Him and He himself will show you the way forward.

Next step is to tell someone you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and find a church that really loves Jesus and lives for Him.

It will not be easy but will be the greatest and most joyful decision you have ever made.

If you have made this decision today E.Mail us and we will send you a Gospel of John and some helps to get you started in your new and exciting walk with Jesus.