4. We have complete reconciliation with God by the blood.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
The reality is that Jesus and His work is so much more powerful in effectiveness and scope over Adams that it almost sounds too good to be true. It can even appear to sound like universalism or ultimate reconciliation. The problem with those philosophies is they operate only on a half truth. Yes, God in Christ has already forgiven the World. He is not holding any one's sin against them! However, no matter how free a gift is given we must respond to receive it!
Here is a great explanation of this mass reconciliation. God through Christ has thrown humanity a party. All the party favors, food, music, and venue are bought and paid for. We don't have to "bring" anything to the party! All that is required is to simply RSVP the invite! God is simply looking for one to respond to what He has already accomplished. So the choice is left in the heart of mankind. There is no earning or working to deserve anything!
Now this reconciliation through the blood also gives us free access to God. We can come before Him in praise and adoration. We can come cleansed! We can come without any sense of fear. We don't have to shrink back. We can embrace Him. He isn't looking His nose down at you and how often you come short of "pleasing" Him! He has so much love for you. Being loved by Him is the greatest testimony!
In Ephesians, we see a portrait us being together and not separated.
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Ephesians 2:12-19
The blood of Jesus has brought us near to God. It hasn't driven us apart. We are no longer separated from Him. We need to realize this when we pray or when we worship. He is not some far away deity that has nothing to do with us. He has made a way for us! He made a way for us to have complete fellowship with Him. He also did this apart from our efforts, our purposes, our plans, our striving! He made a way because He loved us that much!
One thing we also need to understand is our worship our praise is effected by not believing right. If we keep singing songs that tend to convey the idea that God is far away we are being untrue to His finished work! We all know these lines. "Come by here my Lord". Or "visit this place". Or "take us into the Father's heart". I don't know about you but I am already in the Father's heart! I am with Him and He said He'd never leave me. So for Him to come by or visit would mean He left sometime and now is coming back! We need to renew our minds to this truth. We need to believe right concerning His presence. We will see stronger manifestations of His work when we acknowledge His ever abiding presence!
Also, this idea that God is wrath-filled and angry is not in line with God's Word! God loves you and is not mad at you! He reconciled us and put us into right standing with Him. Praise God for His goodness and grace!
"photo contributed by pixtawan courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net"
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