2 CORINTHIANS 5, 14-21
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Someone once said, “In any marriage over six months old there are always grounds for divorce. The key, however is to find more grounds for reconciliation!” Take two sinful human beings, and put them together in the same house day in and day out, and there is bound to be friction. We’re sinners. We will say things we shouldn’t. We will not say things we should. We will get stubborn and refuse to apologize until the other one apologizes first. We will get overly sensitive, and will be bothered by something that usually wouldn’t bother us. Walls will be built up! Doors will be slammed! Silence will be deafening! Arguments will be violent. What else can you expect when two sinful people are living in the same house.
Same thing applies to all relationships. Parents and Children! Siblings! Friends. Put two sinful people together and you can always find grounds for destroying a relationship.
But Christians will always ask, “Is there any chance of a reconciliation? Please let there be a chance of reconciliation!” And then the process begins. Each side listens! Each side talks. And even though we may be miles apart, concessions will be made. Each one will admit their mistakes. Each one will ask for forgiveness. Each one will apologize. And before you know it, we are back together as one! We are reconciled.
Our readings this morning spoke about this very thing happening to our relationship with God. Job! The terrified disciples in that boat. God’s ways don’t make sense! He doesn’t seem to know what He’s doing! He gives me the impression that He doesn’t care about me. So, we get angry with God, and we move away from God. And suddenly you have this huge gap between us and God. And the fear is this relationship may end. But in these verses the apostle Paul encourages each of us, “BE RECONCILED TO GOD!”
I
There is a huge divide between God and us. And the usual approach for reconciliation just won’t work. You’ve got God on one side who is holy, just, and can’t stand imperfection, and hates any sin, and any sinner. And He can’t budge from that position. Then you’ve got us who are steeped in sin. From the time we were conceived, we can’t do what God says, we sin constantly and anger God continuously. And we can’t move from that position either. God can’t change, neither can we. So, we are at an impasse. There is nothing we can do to bridge that gap. We are doomed to be separated from God forever!
But then God did the impossible. “All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” God made a promise to Adam and Eve that an “offspring from the woman,” the Messiah, the Christ, the one chosen and anointed by God will come to bridge that gap, and reconcile us to God. And how will He be able to do that? Well, this Christ was God, and existed with God before time began, and was holy and perfect, and pleasing to God. And then this holy God became a human being, and lived in our world just like every other person. With one exception. He was not born in sin, like every other human being! Nor did He commit any sin throughout His entire life.
And then “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus was God. Jesus never sinned once. And even though Jesus never sinned, Paul says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” God placed on Jesus’ shoulders, each and every sin, committed by each and every sinner who ever lived on this earth, or will live on this earth. And then Jesus carried those sins to the cross, and was punished by God as the worst sinner this world has ever seen. And the reason. “So that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God punished those sins. Every sin! Of every person! And because God did that, He now sees us as sinless creatures who are acceptable to Him. Because of Christ’s work, that huge gap is bridged, and we are saved!
We are reconciled to God! Not because we were able to make some adjustments and make ourselves more presentable to God. And not because God changed His criterion and graded on a curve so he could make us acceptable to Him. No, we’re still stuck to this wall because of our stubborn sin, and God is stuck on His side because of His holy perfection. We are reconciled to God because God punished Jesus for the sins we committed, so now those sins are gone. The gap is bridged, and we and God are reconciled.
So, when Paul tells us, “BE RECONCILED TO GOD,” he is not telling us what we need to do to become more acceptable to God! He simply tells us, “Keep your eyes on Jesus.” Realize what Jesus has done for you. Our sin, our pride, our arrogance, our stubbornness, makes us enemies of God. You can’t get anywhere near God. But Jesus suffered the consequences of our sins. Because of Jesus, I am reconciled to God! I am a child of God, and will always remain a child of God. I am in God’s hands, and He will protect me and bless me, even when I’m going through the roughest time in my life, and even when huge storms threaten to capsize my little boat. We can rejoice, because we are RECONCILED TO GOD.
II
So, now that I am reconciled to God, what does that mean for me? Well for one thing Paul says, ‘And he died for all that those who live should no longer lives for themselves but for him who died for them, and was raised again.” God made me His precious child. So, God tells me “Live like the precious child God made you!” People in this world live for themselves. What’s best for me? What will benefit me the most? If it will help them, they will do something nice. But if it is not in my best interests, I’m not going to do it.
We are different. We don’t live for ourselves! We live for Jesus. Not, what is best for me and what benefit my interests. But what is best for Jesus and His kingdom. Should I help this person? Well, what would Jesus say? What would Jesus want? Should I stand up for what is right, even if it might make people think I’m a fool? Not what’s best for me? But what’s best for Jesus. If Jesus leads me through difficult times like Job, then patiently follow. If I am in dire straits because my little boat is buffeted by the winds and waves, trust in Jesus and know He keeps you safe in the palm of His hands. I live not for me! I live for Jesus.
And the second thing Paul says, ‘So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” When the world looks at a person what is important to them? His skin color! His stature! Do I know him? Does he look like a nice person, or does he look shady? What type of job does he have? What type of car does his drive? Do I have anything in common with him? Does he look like a success? Or a failure?
Paul says, “that may be the way the world looks at people. But not you!” “From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” A person’s outside appearance are just earthly things. What type of job he has, how much money he makes what hobbies does he have, is that someone whose company I might enjoy, those things are insignificant. Look at each person the way Jesus would look at him. The only important question is this, “Is this person already reconciled to God and an heir of Heaven?” Or does this person need to hear “the message of reconciliation” so he can be reconciled to God?
That’s why Paul reminds us, “All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Not only did Jesus reconcile us to Himself for our sake. He also gave us the message of reconciliation so that we can bring others into a relationship with Jesus. Every person we meet, regardless of all the outward things the world thinks are so important, needs to know that their sins have been forgiven. If they have never heard it, we need to share it with them. If they have heard it and believe it, then we can rejoice with them as fellow children of God. Or if we can’t share that good news with them, then we pray that someone else down the road will be able to share it with them. As we look at people in this world there are only two things that really are important. Not whether they have hurt us, or whether they are enemies of ours. The only thing that is truly important Paul tells us is the question, “Is he already reconciled to God? Or does he need to hear the message of reconciliation?
If we are totally honest with ourselves, it is easy to become a Job, or frightened people like those disciples in the boat. It’s easy to question God’s wisdom and love. It’s easy to ask, “God, don’t You care?” And suddenly we see that gap between us and God get wider and wider. And it’s not because God has moved! It’s not because Jesus has taken away His sacrifice. It’s because our pride and our sin has moved us back to our little corner and we stubbornly cling to our own merits in hopes of pleasing God. You and I can’t bridge that gap. And suddenly we realize the grief and pain and miser we’ve brought upon ourselves. That’s when we listen again to Paul who tells us, “BE RECONCILED TO GOD!” Give up on your own efforts and turn your eyes and your hope to Jesus. Recognize the sacrifice He made for you, and you will never again question the love and the wisdom of your God. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and you will realize it’s no longer a matter of trying to “BE RECONCILED TO GOD!” It’s a matter that we “HAVE BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD! AND ALWAYS WILL BE!
