41. Reconciliation Series

[IN GOD’S IMAGE 41 - RECONCILIATION]

This message is part of a series of 90 sermons based on the title, “In God’s Image – God’s Purpose for humanity.” This series of free sermons or the equivalent free book format is designed to take the reader through an amazing process beginning with God in prehistory and finishing with humanity joining God in eternity as His loving sons and daughters. It is at times, a painful yet fascinating story, not only for humanity, but also for God. As the sermons follow a chronological view of the story of salvation, it is highly recommend they be presented in numerical order rather than jumping to the more “interesting” or “controversial” subjects as the material builds on what is presented earlier. We also recommend reading the introduction prior to using the material. The free book version along with any graphics or figures mentioned in this series can be downloaded at www.ingodsimage.site - Gary Regazzoli

Last time we talked about the justifying work of Jesus Christ, which was necessary to satisfy the legal requirements necessary for the relationship between a holy God and His creation to be restored.

• However, the ultimate goal of atonement is not just to satisfy the legal obligations, it’s the restoration of the relationship, or at-one-ment.

• This is the point where “justification” passes over into “reconciliation.”

• Jesus’ incarnation (lowering Himself) and act of justification (making us right with God) has made it possible for mankind to respond to his gracious act of love.

• So now we pick up the subject of reconciliation.

As with the rest of the story of salvation, God is the one who takes the initiative in the process of reconciliation.

• Jesus joined us in our humanity so He could act on our behalf.

• He lived a righteous life so it could be credited to us.

• And He suffered the judgment of God against our sinfulness and imputed His righteousness to us so we could stand justified before our God.

• Justification stresses setting us right with God whereby He forgives us and imputes Jesus’ righteousness to us.

• Reconciliation, on the other hand, stresses God joining us in our humanity in order to draw us back into fellowship with Him.

• We need to think of the process of reconciliation in much the same way as the process whereby Jesus justified us.

• Just as Jesus the judge stepped around the bench and assumed the position of the man judged in order to justify us, so with reconciliation, Jesus acts on behalf of sinful mankind and responds in perfect obedience as God’s beloved “Son.”

• So now rather than acting in His justifying capacity as the “judge,” Jesus now acts in His reconciling capacity as a faithful “son” of God.

• We learned earlier how man’s natural inclination since the fall is enmity towards God.

• Now, out of the midst of our fallen human condition Jesus turns man’s natural enmity towards God into a son’s loving response, thereby restoring fellowship with God.

• Jesus maintained this loving response even through the hell of the cross when confronted with the combined forces of evil, both human and spiritual.

• During this awful ordeal, the bond of love between the Father and Son held firm.

• Jesus lived His perfect life of loving obedience from the manger to the grave, responding to and trusting His Father every step of the way. He is in fact acting as God’s beloved son in the true image of God.

• The voice from the cloud at His baptism and transfiguration was more than a nice platitude. It was God the Father acknowledging the first human to respond perfectly to His overtures of love (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5).

• Even more incredulous is the fact that because of what Jesus has done, the Father can now say the same thing to us, “You are my beloved sons.”

• 1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

• Jesus has invaded our sinful humanity, defeated it and turned it back to God so that we are no longer enemies pushing God away, but sons in loving fellowship with our heavenly Father.

• Jesus through the incarnation has brought the two parties together, God, through Jesus, lovingly approaching mankind, and mankind, again through Jesus, lovingly responding.

• The barrier preventing reconciliation between the two parties has been removed.

• Peace between the two parties has been restored.

• Colossians 1:19-21 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.