Second Corinthians 5:18-21 reveals the complete reconciliation of the believers to God, and Christ as the means of this reconciliation. This portion of the word shows three classes of people: the apostles who have been fully reconciled to God, sinners, and believers who have not been fully reconciled to God.
a. Through Him God Having Reconciled the Apostles to Himself
In 2 Corinthians 5:18 Paul says, “God... has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. ” This verse indicates that, through Christ, God had fully reconciled the apostles to Himself and that they were then sent to reconcile sinners to God and to reconcile believers to God in full. Because the apostles had been brought back to God, they had the ministry of reconciling others to God. In this way, the apostles were commissioned with the ministry of reconciliation, a ministry to bring others fully back to God.
b. In Him God Reconciling the World to Himself
In 2 Corinthians 5:19 Paul says, “God in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not accounting their offenses to them, and has put in us the word of reconciliation. ” On the one hand, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ. On the other hand, God carries out this work of reconciliation through the apostles who are fully reconciled to God through Christ.
c. On Behalf of Him the Apostles Beseeching the Believers to Be Reconciled to God
In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul goes on to say, “On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God. ” In verse 19 it was the world that was reconciled to God; in verse 20 it is the believers, who have already been reconciled to God and are to be reconciled further to God. This clearly indicates that two steps are required for men to be fully reconciled to God. The first step is to reconcile sinners to God from sin. For this purpose Christ died for our sins ( 1 Cor. 15:3 ) that they might be forgiven by God. This is the objective aspect of Christ’s death. In this aspect He bore our sins on the cross that they might be judged by God upon Him for us. The second step is to reconcile believers living in the natural life to God from the flesh. For this purpose Christ died for us—the persons—that we might live to Him in the resurrection life ( 2 Cor. 5:14-15 ). This is the subjective aspect of Christ’s death. In this aspect He was made sin for us to be judged and done away with by God that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. By the two aspects of His death He has fully reconciled God’s chosen people to God.
The New Testament tells us that we were sanctified by the blood of Christ ( Heb. 13:12 ; 10:29 ). Even the Old Testament has the thought that the redeeming blood can sanctify us ( Heb. 9:13 ; cf. Lev. 16:18-19 ). Sanctification by the blood is merely a change in position and condition outwardly, not a change in disposition inwardly. Before we were saved, we were one among many unsanctified sinners. When we confessed our sins and accepted Christ as our Savior, the blood of Christ sprinkled us and sanctified us, changing our position. The blood separated us from the sinful people in the world. We were sanctified unto God positionally by the blood of Christ.
Before we were saved, our condition was that we were under God’s condemnation. But by the Lord’s blood, which has been sprinkled upon us, our condition has also been changed. We are no longer under God’s condemnation, but we have been justified in the eyes of God by the blood of Christ ( Rom. 5:16 , 18 ; 3:24-25 ). Our condition is now one of justification, not one of condemnation. The blood of Christ has changed our position and our condition before God. We have been justified and reconciled to God.
The Crucial Revelation of Life in the Scriptures
Chapter 13 (LSM)
CWWL, 1969, vol. 2
My devotions this morning from “The Good Seed, ” had the lines of this hymn included so I went on a search to find it and here I am. Wanted to hear the melody too. Blessed and feeling ever so loved by such a loving God who spared nothing, not even His only Son, Jesus Christ. John 1:12, says it even better. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. ”
John 17:23 (ESV): 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
The Father loves us as He loves Jesus. This is hard for me to accept but is so true. Amazing!
What love has been bestowed on us! From being sinners reconciled through blood to being promised all that is His is ours! Lord, how precious are Your promises and the grace You give to us which motivates us to give our all to You!
This song has truly blessed me today during my Devotional with God. It's so wonderful to know that I am so loved by God with the same love with which He loves His Son, Jesus Christ, who is my Savior and Lord. Lord You are my peace, my Joy, You are my everything and I love You more than anything!
Thank those of you who wrote this song and for those of you who placed in my devotional book!! I thank God of for the person who gave this book to me as a gift that has truly blessed me, and still blessing me every day. God please bless her abundantly because she is a faithful servant of yours, and a good friend to me.
If we have seen the Lord's redemptive love, when we turn to worship the Father, the feeling of such worship should be based upon the Father's sending His beloved Son to redeem us. Thus, we should select a second hymn. If we select Hymns, #52, however, it may be too quick. We can also turn from the feeling of the Lord's coming to seek us to the praise of the Father's love, matching this with prayers that praise the Father's love and then proceed forward. Even though Hymns, #299, "A mind at perfect peace with God," is not a hymn on the worship of the Father, it can be used. After singing this hymn, it would be good if someone were to stand up and pray, "O Father, thank You for sending the Lord Jesus to seek us. In Your love we were sought and brought back. Now before You in Your house, we enjoy the love You prepared for us in eternity." After such a prayer, we can call Hymns, #43, "'Abba, Father,' we adore Thee, / While the hosts in heaven above / E'en in us now learn the wonders / Of Thy wisdom, grace, and love. / Soon before Thy throne assembled, / All Thy children shall proclaim / Abba's love shown in redemption, / And how full is Abba's name!" Singing this hymn can be compared to putting on a vest in fall; we feel just right, neither cold nor hot.
Our justification by resurrection is the positive side of the matter. He resurrected to impart a new life to us. This life is as righteous as the Lord. This life does not sin. When God sees this life, He reckons us as righteous. Christ's resurrection not only imparts a new life to us; it also hides our life with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). On the subjective side, Christ as our life is dwelling within us. We received this at the time of our regeneration. This life is the resurrection life. On the objective side, we appear before God in Christ and have a new position so that God sees us just as He sees Christ. The way God sees Christ is the same way He sees us. Therefore, when we come before God's presence, we do not have to tremble. We can say, "Hallelujah!" We may draw near to God with boldness and fullness of faith. We may say to God, "You are our Father, and we are Your children." It is God who justifies us; who is he who condemns? When we appear before God in Christ, nothing is more beautiful than we are. Hymn #299, stanzas 3 and 4 say, So nigh, so very nigh to God, I cannot nearer be; For in the person of His Son I am as near as He.
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A mind at perfect peace with God
h29930A mind at perfect peace with Gode70a9f2ec4145c0e801d09ef310a081f6f323080746e651439f14f2528ad0780d497cb320fdb5fa5https://www.hymnal.net/enencomplete lyrics archive