Romans 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
To reconcile means to restore a friendly relationship or to bring back into harmony. For example, two people may be good friends for many years, until something happens that causes a rift in their friendship. In order for that friendship to be restored, reconciliation needs to take place. They need to be brought back into harmony with each other.
You might also think of reconciliation this way: suppose that you have two people of equal height and equal weight standing on a giant balancing scale. Then someone places a large sack of flour on one of the sides, so naturally that side sinks lower and the other side rises higher. Now the two individuals are no longer at the same level, seeing eye to eye, and the only way to bring those two back onto the same level once again is to bring them back to how they once used to be.
We, because of our sin, die. Because of our sin we have been separated from the presence of God and we dwell in a place of enmity(the quality of being an enemy), but what Jesus does, what He did for us, is take our sins away and restore us back into a right relationship with the Father. He reconciles us through His death on the cross, becoming the sacrifice that we need.
Ephesians 2:16 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
We should follow and mimic the life of Christ, imbedding the attributes that He showed. Through His forgiveness He reconciles us to the Father. These two things are what everyone has access to through Christ, and we need to be able to show these qualities to others as well.
Speaking of Christ, Paul wrote,
Colossians 1:18-23 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
Once again we read that because of our wicked works, i.e. sin, we are alienated from the heavenly Father. We no longer are “eye to eye” with Him, in a harmonious relationship with Him, and it is only through Christ that we can be reconciled, “if we continue in the faith.”
Likewise, just as the Lord forgives and reconciles us, we need to be able to do the same. This is not a command that can be ignored. This is what the Lord Jesus wants us to do. Reconciliation is such an incredibly important and central part of our faith. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:22-24 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Even before bringing a gift to God, Jesus taught that if a brother was upset or held something against you that you needed to go and be reconciled with your brother first, before giving a gift to God. To make things right, the way that they used to be. To be filled with love.
Can you do that? Can you show what Jesus shows each and every one of us? Can you forgive, and reconcile?
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 