Opening Prayer

Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Do you truly know who you are?

Who We Were...

The problem has a number of dimensions as to who we once were (and strive against):

It is a humanity problem. No one is above the rest of the pack in having some special nugget of truth. (Genesis 3:1-7)

It is a cultural problem. Every culture under heaven has been tainted by the sinfulness of humanity. (Exodus 32:7-8)

It is a community problem. Every aspect of who we are as a people with shared values and customs is directly affected by our former enmity with God. (Judges 2:8-10)

Its is an intimate problem. The most deafening issue is that the problem of sin is far beyond our comfort. Sin has deep roots in the heart of every man and woman. (Romans 3:22-25)

Three Responses:

Discipleship—There is a God given conviction to surrender all we are before God, regardless of the cost. (Matthew 16:13-20)

Disbelief—We have no need for God because we fool ourselves to turn a blind eye to the evidences of God. (Luke 10:13-15)

Indifference—Yes, there is a God, I may even believe in God, but he is far off and there is no hurry to do as He commands, or to accomplish His charge in my life. (Acts7:51-53)

BUT God’s Son has made those who repent and believe into something more...

Who We Are...

In the same breath Paul now points out the transition of our plight to whom God has made us by the power of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Risen Jesus Christ:

Jesus takes the reproach. Where Adam falls by the powerless and cowardice wrought by sin, Jesus stands as the path to to intimacy with God. (1 John 2:1-3)

We are part of God’s redeeming plan. As we are revived from sin, our old affections are put to death, while God gives us joy through new affections that focus on, and magnify Him. (Acts 1:8)

We belong to a new community. As Jesus reconciles us to God we are no longer orphans, exiles left to die. We are now a part of a people. We are a new royal priesthood, adopted children of the Living God, coheirs of God Almighty. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

We are intimately loved. Each one among us is, or has been a rebel and the work Jesus accomplished through His birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection has removed the stain of sin. While in times past we were destined to damnation by sin, through the reconciliation of the cross and the resurrection we stand before God as blameless, under the crimson flow of Calvary’s cross. (1 Peter 4:7-8)

Do you know who you truly are? Do you know where you are meant to be?

On Whom We Are...

It is more than a philosophy. Christianity is more than a worldview, or a set of objective foundational convictions. It is more than a way to perceive and carry out life.

It is more than religion. Religion is not bad, as many would make it. Religion in itself is a set of believes that guides one’s beliefs. We stand on more than a set of religious traditions or practices, which are empty when left to their own ends and devices.

It is more than a moral code. Morality is neither good or bad, it is what each person makes of it. That is why morality outside of the Christian faith leads to all sorts of misguided actions and beliefs. Look at the lives of leaders whose sole moral authority was the best outcome for their situations (Mao, Stalin, Hitler, etc.).

It is about the true foundation. The solid stance for all Christians is the person, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not Mary, the apostles, the church fathers, denominations, or your favorite pastor(s). Our rootedness is the one that reconciles us to God as His perpetual ministry.

Do you know who you really are in Christ? Do you know your place in God’s redeeming work?

Where Our Hearts Struggle For...

Our hearts struggle for relationship. Because you and I are spiritually bankrupt we seek ways to restore our value. The only One who can restore us is King Jesus, God’s perfect Son. In the reconciliation we receive we are made sons, daughters, and missionaries for Jesus Christ. (Mark 5:24-34)

Our souls are striving to eternity. The world that we sense and experience daily is but a shadow of eternal realities. Our very act of living is both a result of God’s grace and an act of continual worship on our part. When we surrender to God’s Kingship over everything we are experiencing eternity inside time and space. We are either God’s or we are victims of Satan’s oldest lie, thinking the universe owes us something. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13)

Our minds contend for truth. Satan, the World, our minds, and the voices around us position themselves to give us “truth” to understand the world, but in our reconciliation we are given one truth that has remarkable and lasting effects. The Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, disclose the truth that all truth is founded on—Jesus Christ is the only way to God Almighty. When Jesus said that he is “The Way, The Truth, and the Life,” he did not use it lightly, as to make a potent argument. Jesus is truth, everything else is either a reflection of that truth or a blatant lie. (John 18:33-38)

Our Hands long for purposeful work. The Christian faith is more than a call to eternal life, it is a call to eternal worship. Worship is, at its core expression, to encourage and exhort others to magnify God. Whether in our family life, our work, our leisure, our suffering, and our dismaying, everything is purposed to be a platform for the Gospel to reach others for Jesus Christ. In our reconciliation to God we are given the highest calling, to serve God by sharing the Word and work of God’s word in our lives with those who will hear. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)

As it scopes in from humanity to individual means, the focus of it all leads beyond us.

Stop being a pew warmer; a back door critic, or a penny watcher. Study the Word, Serve alongside the saints and pastors, share the good news with all who will hear as God provides opportunity. If you are reconciled then we have much to celebrate and we have work to do for God’s glory and not our own.

John 3:16-20 testifies to the need for reconciliation, Dear ones.

Do you know Him? Have you surrendered to King Jesus?

If you have not repented of your sins and pledged your life to King Jesus, do so today, because tomorrow is not promised. Do it now, because if you wait until his return reconciliation will no longer be available.

A King and Kingdom of Reconciliation