Reconciled To God
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
Paul tells mankind that they have been reconciled to God through Christ. Not that they can be, but the whole world has been reconciled. Those of us who hear and believe this good news are the share it with others as ambassadors.
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
God is reconciled to the world. But most of the world doesn't realize it yet because few are telling them about it. The church doesn't do it. It focuses on what the world must do, not on what God has done in Christ Jesus. We are told in Scripture that we are saved by grace and are the work of God...
"For in Grace, through faith, are you saved...for his achievement are we..." (Ephesians 2:8-10).
He has the ages in which to complete His work of making us in his image. This will occur even for those who seem too evil to change, or too stubborn. In time He will successfully complete his plan of becoming All in All.
"He who undertakes a good work among you will be performing it...that God may be All in All" (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 15:29).
God has entrusted judgment to His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31; II Corinthians 5:10; II Timothy 4:1; Romans 2:16). He died at the hand of both secular and religious men and yet prayed for them to be forgiven...
"Father forgive them, they do not understand what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
God resurrected Jesus to life and Jesus promised he would return to resurrect mankind to newness of life. SINNERS ARE FORGIVEN, and from God's point of view are reconciled. In studying the Scripture we should interpret passages which are hard to harmonize with that in mind. Those passages which we do not now understand fully we should just wait for an explanation until the Lord comes...
Paul tells mankind that they have been reconciled to God through Christ. Not that they can be, but the whole world has been reconciled. Those of us who hear and believe this good news are the share it with others as ambassadors.
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
God is reconciled to the world. But most of the world doesn't realize it yet because few are telling them about it. The church doesn't do it. It focuses on what the world must do, not on what God has done in Christ Jesus. We are told in Scripture that we are saved by grace and are the work of God...
"For in Grace, through faith, are you saved...for his achievement are we..." (Ephesians 2:8-10).
He has the ages in which to complete His work of making us in his image. This will occur even for those who seem too evil to change, or too stubborn. In time He will successfully complete his plan of becoming All in All.
"He who undertakes a good work among you will be performing it...that God may be All in All" (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 15:29).
God has entrusted judgment to His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31; II Corinthians 5:10; II Timothy 4:1; Romans 2:16). He died at the hand of both secular and religious men and yet prayed for them to be forgiven...
"Father forgive them, they do not understand what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
God resurrected Jesus to life and Jesus promised he would return to resurrect mankind to newness of life. SINNERS ARE FORGIVEN, and from God's point of view are reconciled. In studying the Scripture we should interpret passages which are hard to harmonize with that in mind. Those passages which we do not now understand fully we should just wait for an explanation until the Lord comes...
"...wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God." (I Corinthians 4:4-5).