Reconciliation Through Christ

Justice is the foundation of divine government

There is a law that must be kept, and a correct judgement that must be passed

Psalm 89:14 “14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”

Therefore it’s clear, that the first reason Christ was sent to the earth and die, was to meet and satisfy the claims of justice against the sinner

The death of Christ magnified the law of God!

It demonstrated the mercy of God and by extension His grace to freely and rightly flow to guilty people

All of this we discussed in previous weeks… the demands of law and of justice were fully met and satisfied by the sin-offering of Christ

God now offers salvation to the whole world, on the condition! , that they submit to Him in obedient faith, fulfilling what He asked us, to receive it

Why isn’t the whole world saved?

Why hasn’t every man and woman on the earth submitted to the benevolent call of the gospel?

Luke 13:34 “34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”

“I would have it! … but you would not”

What manner of person would be saved?

One with ‘will’. It takes 2 wills to accomplish the task, both God’s and yours

Excludes infants/mentally challenged as to not comprehend

Only those responsible for their actions

Before one can be saved, there MUST be a concurrence of the will of God and the will of the sinner

God’s will: to pardon, justify, sanctify, save …without which we are hopeless

Sinner’s will: to receive the blessings of God… without which we are hopeless

God compels no man, He stands at the door knocking,

Revelation 3:20 “20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

2 Peter 3:9 “9 … not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

The reason then, that all are not saved, is that they don’t will it to be so, or certainly not strong enough to fulfill the demands of the gospel, submission, surrender, etc.

It is a will controlled by their own desires, skewed by the alurement of sin, and works contrary to will of God

The second reason Christ was sent to the earth to die, was to change the disposition of the sinner

Ezekiel 36:26 “26 “… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

To remove the hatred and make us willing to become a child of God and heir to heaven

Colossians 1:19–22 “19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—”

Why would any man be hostile towards God?

Because there is no in-between!

Either faithful or unfaithful

Either loyal or disloyal

Either obey or disobey

God commands everyone to repent, and the world stays on course!

God commands we unite with Christ in baptism and a large percentage deny it’s essentiality!

To neglect the law of the government is to disrespect the government… the same with God!

Matthew 12:30 “30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

There is no neutral ground

Where did the hatred begin?

It began in each of us, when we allowed the germ of temptation to infest our heart. That germ then developed into sinful thoughts which beget sinful actions… ‘evil works’ as Paul put it in Colossians 1.

Well how does that make us God’s enemy?! Unbelievers rarely even talk about God! Unless its a slur of course

Because the injurer always becomes an enemy to the injured

If A, for example, slanders B, he at once becomes B’s enemy

If A takes B’s property, or trespasses on the rights of B… that moment, his heart is filled with resentment towards B

The garden

Adam LOVED God, but the MOMENT he transgressed the command of God, he was filled with enmity

And when the voice of God RANG through the garden, he hid himself, knowing HE had made himself an enemy of God and His will… Colossians 1:21 “21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,”

Isaiah 45:9 “9 “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker”

How is this hatred/enmity removed?

How can a wicked heart who loves not God, have the evil removed, and be filled with peace, joy, and love towards God?

Can it be done, by keeping hold of your sin? No

Can it be done, by getting it right in the afterlife? (purgatory) No

How?

By beholding the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen

1 John 4:19 “19 We love, because He first loved us.”

Although we made ourselves ENEMIES with NO HOPE of reconciliation… the love of God stretched forth His hand unto you, through the offering of His only begotten Son

It is the power and WEIGHT of God’s unfathomable love that has the power to break the most hostile heart on earth!

And like the prodigal, it is that man who will say, Luke 15:18–19 “18 ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’”

And before he gets very far, the father comes running to embrace him, clothes him with better garments than the filthy ones he had, garments of a son.

He realizes that God is not stern, severe, unloving… but that the father loves his children, provides a place for them

It is because of that love, that cords of hostility will break, if one sees that the Lord is good

Conclusion

No matter who you are, this is your privilege in Christ our Lord.

God says to every man

Isaiah 55:1 “1 “Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.”