Reconciling The Enmity

Chapter 3

Reconciling the Enmity “...if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 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. 21 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.” (2Corinthians 5:17-21) Reconciliation is wholly an act of God. While men and women have been given a part as ministers of reconciliation, it is by God's power that reconciliation is made effectual. As workers together with Him, man has been honored with the opportunity to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, for in expressing the goodness of God to others we are, ourselves, further convinced of His love and watchcare. Each of us are challenged to more fully appreciate what doctrine, reproof, correction, and/or instruction in righteousness God is attempting to impart to us in the above verse of Scripture. Two things are immediately clear; God has reconciled the world to Himself through Christ and He has committed to those who are "in Him" both the word and the ministry of reconciliation. Having been blessed with this great and wonderful privilege, it is needful to understand both what the “word” of reconciliation is, and how it is to be ministered. I would like to suggest a thought to ponder as we continue this study. The word of reconciliation that has been committed to us is: agape (love). John 1:1-3, & 14 informs us that this Word is Jesus, Jesus is God, and God is love. 1 John 4:8 Regardless of how we view it, God would have us “Love one another.” He also desires that His law be written in our hearts and minds, that it may be loved out in our lives. His law finds its fulfillment in love – the love we have for one another. See Romans 13:8, Galatians 3:13 & 14 and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd books of John. In the first few words of 2Corinthians 5:17, a prerequisite is established; one who ministers reconciliation will have become a new creation. Old things (old thoughts and ways) will have passed away, all things will have become new. The enmity against God and His goodness will have lost its hold and the enmity that comes from God, given as a gift in the Garden of Eden, will now have abolished it. (See Ephesians 2:15) Everything in our lives will be "of God" who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. We will have realized that God does not hold men's trespasses against them and neither will Christ's ambassadors hold the sins of their fellow man against them. Christians, as representatives of God, will plead and implore on Christ's behalf that all be reconciled to God as though He were pleading through them. They will share the Good News that Christ has become Sin for them, so that they might “become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).” As workers together with Him, we are told to plead with our brothers and sisters that they not “receive the grace of God in vain.” (2Corinthians 6:1) In verse 2 we are admonished; “I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succoured thee: Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” What a blessing it is to know that not only was God (the Father) in Christ reconciling the world to Himself at the cross, but He was also there, in Him, when Jesus took little children into His arms. When Christ forgave sins, cleansed lepers, received sinners, mingled with them, ate with them, the Father was there, in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. The Father, the Son, and the Holy 10

Spirit are one, 1John 5:7 they always have been and, always will be. Too often, we separate them, one from another, and thereby diminish the power that is provided for our salvation. Conciliate is a verb that was derived from the Latin root word concil from which we get the English word, council. Much deeper meaning is found in this word when it is accompanied by the various Latin endings. The word, itself means, 1. To overcome the distrust or animosity of; win over; placate; soothe. 2. To gain, win, or secure (favor, friendship, or good will, for example) by friendly overtures. 3. To make consistent; reconcile... [Latin conciliare, to bring together, unite, from concilium, union, gathering, meeting.1 When we speak of things being made consistent, we speak of being made consistent with the thoughts and ways of God. Hatred of Sin becomes “natural” for those who are born of God. (1John 3:9) The word, reconciliation, finds importance from a Biblical perspective in that Christ's mission was one of reconciliation as recorded in Hebrews 2:17 and Colossians 1:20. It was not only to reconcile the world to Himself that God sent His Son, but to reconcile all things, including things in heaven. By the blood of Christ the whole universe has been reconciled to the Father. But, for that reconciliation to be effectual, there must also be a mutual, reciprocal reconciliation on our part. To state it simply we must be able to at least say, “Ok God, I guess you‘re not quite the ogre you’ve been made out to be.” At least, that’s where it started for me. His faithfulness and love toward us must be faithfully returned to Him by those who realize that they have been reconciled. He has shown His willingness to be reconciled by the gift of His own Son. He now asks us to present ourselves "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service." And we must also not be “conformed to this world,” but “transformed by the renewing” of our minds. (Romans 12:1 & 2) Because man is unconscious of the evil enmity that exists, it is by God’s power only, that this reconciliation can be accomplished, and mankind be saved. Without His unfailing intervention and prompting of our hearts we will, indeed, die. In spite of our sinful condition He is still able to save all who will come to Him in repentance. To be reconciled, Webster tells us, is “to make friendly again or to win over to a friendly attitude” and “bring into harmony.”2 How appropriate this description is to the topic under discussion. Jesus, of course, is called “a friend who sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:” (Ephesians 1:2-11) We cannot, of ourselves, overcome the evil enmity that exists within each of us, and just as the work of reconciliation is wholly a work of God, so is the work of revealing to us that the enmity that exists. In His own time, and in His own way, God reveals this to each of us, so that we might see Sin for what it really is and then, choose to overcome it in His power. God, reconciling Himself to us, is the objective Gospel, while our being reconciled to Him is the subjective Gospel. As discussed more in a later segment of this book, Jesus’ life and death reconciled all mankind to the Father and assured us of eternal life, but we must receive Christ’s death as our own, by faith – be crucified with Christ -- , or

1 2

From The American Heritage Dictionary, 1981 edition. Webster’s New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, copyright © 1972

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The Father has been reconciled to us but we cannot be reconciled to Him unless we reciprocate, do that which is required to complete the act of reconciliation. And Micah 6:8 clearly reveals, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of the, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” What does it mean to do justly, if it is to not judge others wrongly? And what is it to love mercy, if it not to show it unconditionally to others? Showing mercy means not judging, jumping to conclusions, or presupposing the intentions of others (that would be evil enmity working). It is exercised in leading others to Christ that He, by the power of the Holy Spirit, might bring about the needed changes. And what is it to walk humbly with thy God, if it not to live a life emptied of self, and filled with the gifts of the Spirit of Christ? Christ is our one and only example and, by far, the best example of walking humbly. Only as we exemplify Christ can we lead others to Him. We can not look at other men, nor ourselves, to establish the requirements of God; we must look to God and His Word to discover His requirements are for each of us. This is true in terms of an individual relationship with Him, a relationship with His church or a relationsip with the world. 2Corinthians 3:18 pronounces, “...we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” God tells us in Philippians 4:8; “...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Thinking on these things will develop within us the godly enmity which Christ died to provide. Through recognizing the evil enmity that caused men to slay Him and choosing not to partake of it, and by experiencing the godly enmity that prevailed and reconciled the world to Himself, we are changed, renewed by the Holy Spirit of peace… new creatures, in Christ.

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