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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
WHAT IS RECONCILIATION WITH GOD?
In MAT 6:33 we read, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Seek first the kingdom of God. What does that mean? It means to seek to serve Him according to His will; His will becomes the highest desire and priority of our hearts. What is the Lord’s will? It is that we will have such a desire to come under His authority and to walk under His sovereign rule that it becomes the highest priority of our lives.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness..." is the next area to consider. What is His righteousness? It is our right attitude under the second table of the law. The first table is to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. The second is loving our neighbour as ourselves; this is righteousness. Then we need not be anxious about the things of this life or eternity. Nothing will make us anxious. God will add all we need; He will take care of all of it.
What is the first thing we learn from the history of Enoch walking with God? We learn that he was reconciled with God. The word "reconciled" sounds like a common word, but what does it mean? Man was created in a state of conciliation with God. God and man were in perfect harmony, but it was broken in the fall. To be reconciled means to be restored back into the former state of conciliation. How can you or I ever be reconciled to God until we become conformed to the image of Christ? Until our highest desire is to be reconciled to God, we are not conformed to the image of Christ.
From God’s side, reconciliation is in place in the sacrifice of Christ. But now He says by the mouth of His messengers, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For [See His condescension as He pleads the fact that He made reconciliation possible from His side!] he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2CO 5:20-21.
Faith’s view of such condescending love must break our rebellion and stubbornness and hard heart, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" 2CO 5:14, or moves upon our heart irresistibly. The call of the gospel is, "Repent." Be reconciled with His will. We must be reconciled with the will of God from our side, before we can claim salvation.
See how God pleads with you and me to become reconciled with His Holy Will. He not only tells us to be reconciled, He beseeches us as we see in the next verse. He was the offended party, and He has given the unspeakable gift of His own Son to open the way to become reconciled, and now He pleads with us to break our rebellious enmity. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," 2CO 5:21.
See how the God of heaven, the Creator of the universe, sends His ambassador to you and me? He pleads and reasons with us. Notice that verse 21 begins with the word "For." In other words, He is showing us where reconciliation can take place. The Lord Jesus Christ became sin for us; He knew no sin. It was so we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The penalty of sin has been taken away; it has been paid. The only barrier between God and you and me is our stubborn will. The way is open, the penalty paid, and all that stands between God and us is our rebellion and hardness of heart. How can we ignore such pleading and love? Look at what God has done; He opened the way. He gave His own Son who knew no sin to be made sin for us, to stand in our place, and satisfy God’s wrath upon our sin.
We can be made the righteousness of God in Him. That means we can stand perfectly righteous before God in Christ and His atonement, but there remains one barrier. Reconciliation must come from both sides. We must become reconciled with the will of God from the heart! We must be delivered by God’s grace from our hard, rebellious, and stony heart that refuses to submit to the will of God. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God," ROM 8:5-8. Amen.
These on-line devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion. See also our sermon notes. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.