Corinthians 5:18-21 Reconciled to be Righteous

Intro:

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Transition

The key idea in this paragraph is reconciliation.

Because of his rebellion, man was the enemy of God and out of fellowship with Him.

Through the work of the Cross, Jesus Christ has brought man and God together again.

God has been reconciled and has turned His face in love toward the lost world.

I. Reconciled thru Christ vs. 18-19

In our process of being reconciled to be righteous we need to be reconciled thru Christ

We can’t get right with God unless it goes through Jesus

All roads don’t lead to heaven

You have to be reconciled

The basic meaning of the word reconcile is “to change thoroughly.”

It refers to a changed relationship between God and the lost world.

God wants to change you and He initiates it

God Initiated it

God initiated this ministry of reconciliation, even though He is the innocent party in the estranged relationship.

He reconciled us to Himself; we did not reconcile ourselves to Him.

We aren’t looking to get right with God

So he sent his son Jesus

While hilasmós , propitiation (1 John 2:2; 4:10) and hiláskomai (2433), to make reconciliation (Luke 18:13; ), aim at averting God’s wrath; katallássō implies God has laid aside or withdrawn His wrath.

God has withdrawn his wrath because of His Son’s sacrifice

Heb 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Not Counting Our Trespasses

Because Jesus reconciles us to God, He doesn’t count our sins against us

There are 3 words used for sin in the Bible

Sin = miss the mark in archery

Iniquity = which means perversion; deliberately twisting and distorting God’s word and will for selfish ends.

Transgression or Trespass = to fall by the wayside. Fault, lapse, error, mistake, wrongdoing.

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Your sins have been forgiven

The account has been settled

There is no balance due

Balance on 2nd loan with church

Ministry of Reconciliation

Because Paul had been reconciled to God he was given the ministry of reconciliation

He was to go out and reconcile as many people to Jesus as possible

II. Righteousness of God vs. 21

Because you are reconciled thru Christ you are now Right before God

The term Reconcile is a banking term

It means so settle all accounts

As you sin it accrues debt before God. There is nothing you can do to repay the debt of your sin

Only something that is without fault can cover the costs

Jesus lived a sinless life and was a satisfactory payment

His shed blood makes you right before God

God is completely righteous

Isaiah 45:21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

We cannot attain righteousness on our own

Isaiah 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Human nature is the opposite of righteousness

Romans 3:10–18

Righteousness is not attained by works

Romans 4:18–25

Strict legalism cannot make us righteous

Galatians 3:11–21

Our God-given righteousness is armor against Satan’s attacks

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness

The righteousness of God is the claim which God has upon man.

In order for man to recognize and fully submit to that claim of God upon his life, he must receive God as He offers Himself and His righteousness to him as a gift (Rom. 5:17).

Man can only accept the claims of God upon his life as he repents of his sin and receives Christ as His Savior by faith.

He thus becomes a child of God, realizing God’s claims upon him by the miraculous regenerating action of the Holy Spirit

III. Ambassadors for Christ vs. 20

Because we have been reconciled and are now right in God’s eyes we are ambassadors

How does this wonderful doctrine of reconciliation motivate us to serve Christ?

We are ambassadors with a message.

God has committed to us the ministry and the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18–19).

In the Roman Empire, there were two kinds of provinces: senatorial provinces and imperial provinces.

The senatorial provinces were made up of people who were peaceful and not at war with Rome. They had surrendered and submitted.

But the imperial provinces were not peaceful; they were dangerous because they would rebel against Rome if they could. It was necessary for Rome to send ambassadors to the imperial provinces to make sure that rebellion did not break out.

Since Christians in this world are the ambassadors of Christ, this means that the world is in rebellion against God.

This world is an “imperial province” as far as God is concerned.

He has sent His ambassadors into the world to declare peace, not war.

“Be ye reconciled to God!” We represent Jesus Christ

To function as a representative of a ruling authority

We serve as those who have been delegated by Christ’ or ‘our work has been specially assigned by Christ.’

Ephesians 6:18-20 making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

God Making His Appeal thru You