"..we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” -2 Cor 5:20b-21
To be reconciled in a biblical sense means to restore an alienated relationship by bringing peace. As believers we have been reconciled unto God, we are now friends of God and sons and daughters of God through Christ Jesus. Sin alienated us and separated us from God but the Son brought us back by making peace with God. How did He make peace you say? He did it by taking our righteous punishment upon Himself on the old rugged cross. He “who knew no sin” became “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That is to say; the sins of the world, past, present, and future were placed upon Christ as the unblemished (sinless) sacrificial lamb at the altar. He never sinned but He bore yours and mine. The Father then had to turn His back from the Son at the moment this took place for He cannot look upon sin. This is why Christ said “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mt 27:46)
The Father turned His back on His Son so He could turn His face toward you, now He asks us to turn our back on our sin so we can turn our face toward the Son. Christ took our sin and we took His righteousness, if that is not love I don’t know what is! Because of Him we have peace with God, because of Him I have been forgiven - my debt has been cleared and cancelled, the blood of Christ has been applied to my behalf. How can one understanding this, the gospel of God - the good news of the cross not accept it? This is why “we implore you on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God.” We preach reconciliation because we have experienced reconciliation, God doesn’t use unredeemed angels to share this message but He uses redeemed sinners to reach sinners. The message is simple.. turn for the better, turn from your sins and turn to Christ!
The Father turned His back on His Son so He could turn His face toward you, now He asks us to turn our back on our sin so we can turn our face toward the Son. Christ took our sin and we took His righteousness, if that is not love I don’t know what is! Because of Him we have peace with God, because of Him I have been forgiven - my debt has been cleared and cancelled, the blood of Christ has been applied to my behalf. How can one understanding this, the gospel of God - the good news of the cross not accept it? This is why “we implore you on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God.” We preach reconciliation because we have experienced reconciliation, God doesn’t use unredeemed angels to share this message but He uses redeemed sinners to reach sinners. The message is simple.. turn for the better, turn from your sins and turn to Christ!
- THE CROSS HAS POWER TO SAVE BUT DOES IT HAVE POWER TO MOVE YOU? HOW HAS THE CROSS MOVED YOU TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE OF PEACE WITH OTHERS?
- "If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." -Augustine