RECONCILIATION

We live in a generation which is tragically marred by broken relationships of varying kinds and for differing reasons. All of these need reconciliation. Some are illustrated by (2 Timothy 3 v 1 ff), ‘But in the last days perilous times shall come….

In family settings when two people such as a husband and wife, who married with the intention to enjoy an unbroken relationship of love together are separated from each other through differences of views or opinions, the right and natural desire is that they should be reconciled to each other.

Since the essence of sin is that man goes his own way instead of God’s way, thereby forsaking God, the consequence of sin is to be separated from God and to have a distance between us the creature and Him the creator. This was seen in the disobedience of Adam. (Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; Romans 5 v 12)  The dire outcome of that disobedience is judgment upon sin (the wages of sin is death, Romans 6 v 23) and separation because of our sin from a holy God. In His love God always ultimately respects our freedom of choice and He gives us what we choose. So death passed upon all men for that all have sinned (Romans 5 v 12).  Mankind is thus in a hopeless state. There is therefore an urgent need for us to be reconciled to God on His terms and not ours.

However such reconciliation is costly. In Roman law a mediator had a clear brief: he must perfectly represent both parties, and he must do everything to bring together those estranged parties, whatever the cost might be to himself. No one but the Lord Jesus could fulfil this role in perfection. Even in the days of Job we read of that desire for a mediator to bring the two estranged parties together. (Job 16 v 21 O that there were arbitration for a man with God as a son of man for his friend) and in Job 9 v 33, ‘Neither is there any daysman (mediator) betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both.’

The Lord Jesus came as perfect God and perfect man, the sole mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2 v 5), and the Lord Jesus reconciled us to God having made peace by the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1 v 20).

Paul writing to the Ephesians spells out for them and for us, our spiritual condition before we are made alive in Christ: ‘You were dead in trespasses and sins… you were without Christ, aliens … strangers… having no hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2 v 1 and 12).

This is man's helpless and hopeless condition before God, brought about by his sin and rebellion. Further since God by His very nature is vigorously opposed to all that is evil, the only way possible for reconciliation is to take away the cause of the estrangement. It is for this reason that Jesus ‘now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.’ (Hebrews 9 v26).

The barrier of sin being now removed, it is possible for man to be accepted into God’s presence, when, before, this would have been totally unacceptable. Through our self-willed rebellion we had made ourselves enemies of God. But such is His love that even ‘whilst we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.’ (Romans 5 v10).

Indeed it is entirely through the Lord Jesus that ‘much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’ (Romans 5 v10).

Elsewhere Paul writes ‘But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.’ (Ephesians 2 v 12-16).

Further since the work on that cross removes the distance between sinful man and a Holy God, God now makes His appeal to the world through His people: ‘We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Corinthians 5 v20).