How God Reconciles

Pray

Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

What I just read

is arguably the most powerful verse in all

of the Bible.

That if the Bible

had only one verse

this would be it.

Some argue that it would be John 3:16.

And they have a strong case!

John 3:16

is a powerful verse

in emphasizing

the need

to believe in God

for salvation.

But 2 Corinthians 5:21

tells you

how

God actually makes it happen.

The mechanics of salvation.

Which is our title this evening:

How God Reconciles.

So if you are a mechanic

or maybe an engineer

you might argue more

for this verse.

So in summary

if John 3:16

emphasizes

the need

to believe

in God

for salvation

2 Corinthians 5:21

emphasizes

that salvation itself

is unbelievable.

(repeat).

And that is our main point this morning:

The way in which God accomplished salvation is unbelievable.

1. Unbelievable mercy

Look at the first 3 words,

‘For our sake.’

Now to get the full meaning

of our verse this morning

I need to explain

the context.

2 Corinthians

is a letter

about God

comforting the suffering

in order to restore them.

False teachers

came into the church

after Paul planted the church in Corinth

and they almost led the church

into complete rejection

of the very person who founded it:

Paul.

And one of the arguments

they used

to convince the church

to not follow Paul

was that Paul

suffered too much.

The assumption

was that a high and mighty apostle

would not be living

a life of so much pain

and suffering

and that

is evidence

that Paul is

not

an apostle.

So Paul has to completely change

how they see suffering

by teaching

that suffering

is indeed

part of the Christian life

and that he is

indeed

a minister of the glorious

new covenant.

And because Paul has been brought

into the New Covenant

through the suffering and blood of Christ

he has been completely

transformed.

In v.13-15

he says,

‘For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this that one has died for all therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and as raised.

The false teachers said

don’t listen to Paul

he’s crazy!

He’s insane!

He’s not in his right mind!

He’s travelling all over

getting beaten

and beaten

and beaten.

And then beaten again.

Why would you listen to someone like that?

Paul says

because it’s for God

and for you.

Because the love of Christ controls us

that he died for all

that all who live

might no longer live for themselves

but

for him

because Christ died

and was raised.

That is why

Paul no longer sees anyone

according to the flesh

in v.16

because he used to look at the Lord Jesus

as a wretched criminal

because he was beaten

and nailed to a cross.

And yet that same man

was God himself

in the flesh.

Because as it says in v.17

those who are in Christ

are a new creation

they are transformed first on the inside

which is why you can’t just judge a book by it’s cover.

Every human being

male or female

young or old

white or black

yellow or brown

strong or disabled

if they are in Christ

have the infinite

almighty God

living inside them.

And you would never know that

by just looking at them.

So all of this

the transformed way

in which Paul looked at people

no longer by the flesh:

no longer looking

at their ethnicity

their money

or class

and the fact

those in Christ are a new creation

v.18

all of this

is form God.

It’s all God

because Christ reconciled us

to himself

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

Why does God need to reconcile with us?

v.19- in Christ

God

does not count your trespasses

against you anymore

which means this

that outside of Christ

you are an enemy of God.

Without Christ

your sin has separated you

from a Holy God

and when He sends the Lord Jesus

to return

He will wipe you out

and all sin in the world with it

because no sin

can be in the presence

of Holy God.

And yet

in

Christ

he does not count

your sins

against you

any more.

Romans says

the wages of sin is death

meaning you have a debt

to God.

Meaning because of sin

you owe God

death.

The penalty for sin

against God

is death:

eternal punishment.

But God reconciles you to Him

by not counting your trespasses against you

if you are re in Christ.

This is why Paul says in v.20

that he is an ambassador for Christ

because God gave him the mission

the ministry

of reconciliation.

Meaning God

wants to reconcile with you

if you are not in Christ.

Meaning it is God

who is the one initiating

the reconciliation.

God is the one

who wants to make the relationship with you

right!

Imagine you got hit

by a car from the rear

which means

it’s completely their fault

not yours

they were not paying attention

looking at their phone

and you know

and they know

its their fault.

You sit back and relax

because you know

the insurance

got your back.

So the other driver at fault

comes to you

says sorry

and becomes really nice

because he wants to reconcile with you

and wants peace

and the best possible outcome

hey maybe you won’t even submit it

to the insurance!

This literally happened when I was riding

with our members to a conference

over a month ago.

But now imagine this.

Imagine the same exact scenario.

You’re hit in the back

it’s completely the other guys fault.

And you

the innocent one

go to the guilty driver

and say “I’m sorry”

is everything ok

here’s my insurance

please take it

I hope you’re not mad at me!

What?

It’s my fault not yours.

Why are you coming

to me?

That is what God did.

He came to reconcile with us

when we

are at fault

not Him.

Romans 5:8 says

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How incredible

that God hunted us down

to reconcile with us

when we were the guilty party?

When we

were his enemies?

And God uses Christians

and sends them to unbelievers

to reach out to them

and appeal to them.

Appeal?

This word appeal

means to ask or request earnestly.

It’s used in Mark 7:32

where the deaf

and mute

begged Jesus

to touch

and healed them.

God is begging you

to be reconciled to Him.

The God of the universe

the infinite being or all glory and majesty

is kneeling before you

his enemy who deserves his wrath

to beg you

to be reconciled to Him

and He uses Christians to do it.

Now

we finally get to our verse

verse 21.

That was the context.

Verse 21

is the reason

why

you must accept God’s appeal

his begging of you

to be saved.

v.21,

‘For our sake.’

The heart

that drives God

in making reconciliation with you

is for

your

sake.

Meaning

that God

is compassionate

being concerned for you.

He’s not just thinking about Himself

He is thinking

about you

he cares

for you.

He does not want you to go to hell

He wants to save you.

God’s first instinct

is not to condemn you

it’s to save.

It’s why the first time He came

he came to save.

But the second time he comes

it will be different

he will judge.

God did not send Jesus the first time to condemn

but to save

because

His first instinct

is to have

mercy.

Oh how often

are we so quick

to want justice

but not mercy.

God is completely alien to us

that He is not like us at all!

He wants mercy!

We don’t deserve

to be thought of

to be begged

by Him

to be reconciled to Him.

We sinned against Him.

He created us

and we did nothing

but repaid Him

with sin

meaning

rebellion against God.

Like giving God the finger.

Every time we sin

that’s what it means to God

because

He made us

and He gave us life

and He did nothing but good to us!

And yet still

every day

we enjoy this beautiful weather

delicious food

and what do we to show him thanks?

Spit in his face.

No wonder

we deserve hell.

No wonder we deserve eternal

torment.

So then

how in the world

is it possible

for us to be saved?

If it says in Exodus

that God is abounding in love and steadfast mercy

but at the same time

will not let the guilty

go unpunished

how can He save us?

How?

If Hitler was caught on trial

it doesn’t matter

how many good works

even if he gave millions away

to the poor

no judge in their right mind

would say I’m a merciful

forgiving judge

you’re free to go Hitler.

Everyone would be furious!

And to God

we are the same

as Hitler.

There is no way

He will let us go

so how

is it possible??

2. Unbelievable treatment of Christ

Look again at v.21,

‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin’.

Let that sink in.

‘For our sake

he made him

to be

sin

who knew no sin.’

This is unbelievable.

Every single sin

that you’ve ever committed

God made Jesus

his one and only son

his most beloved

precious Son

and turned Him

into

vile

horrid

sin.

Look at Isaiah 53:9-10

Isaiah 53:9–10 ESV

although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

God took his innocent

sinless

precious son

who had no wrong

only good

only loved

turn Him into sin

so much so

that it pleased

it made God happy

to crush Him?

Every time we sin

we must recognize

that’s why Jesus went to the cross.

I sent Him there.

He became my sin

so that God

could crush it

and unleash his infinite wrath fury

taking all of it on Himself

and taking none of it for me

so that His just wrath

is satisfied.

This is how church

God can reconcile you

because God

made Him who knew no sin

to be sin

on our behalf.

3. Unbelievable treatment of us

Look at the rest of the verse,

‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’

God makes Jesus His precious perfect son

into the most vile awful wicked thing

and He makes us

the most vile

awful wicked thing

into the most precious

wonderful

good thing:

the righteousness of God.

Christ takes our sin

and He gives us his righteousness.

You see it’s not enough

for you to have your sins paid for.

God does not need just zero

or a clean slate

to enter heaven.

But in the end of Matthew 5

Jesus says

you must be perfect

as your heavenly father is perfect

which means

not just innocent

but perfectly

and infinitely righteous.

So that’s what God does.

He makes you Himself

in Christ

the righteousness of God.

This is the power

the glorious truth

of our entire life.

That Christ becomes sin itself

and that we become God’s righteousness.

There is no greater news

greater salvation than this.

In conclusion I’d like us to consider thse applications

Application:

Christians

Regard no one in the flesh - there go I but the grace of God

Show mercy and grace

3. Reconcile with one another 

Non-Christians

Be reconciled to God