Page Three: “The Wisdom of God’s Purposes” 11/04/12
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There are a few terms in the Bible that stand out above many, many others. This term “reconcile” is one of them.
You may have some idea about this term if you’ve had a broken relationship with someone. When either you or the one with whom you had a broken relationship with come to quote “reconcile,” that broken relationship is restored. Nothing in the world can be greater than the restoration of those broken links in our lives. But multiply that by about one million and you will get a glimpse of what God sent Jesus here to do. He sent Him here to reconcile sinners with a perfectly holy God. Jesus came here to die in your place. He came to be the Substitute for your sin. He took your sins upon His body and paid the full penalty for all your lies and thievery and filthiness and disobediences. Christ died for the ungodly. He died for you and me. And He did all that at the Cross. The Cross of Christ is clearly a conundrum if you don’t see yourself as opposed to God by nature and by choice. But, once you see yourself as the sinner that you are. And once you see that the Cross is the place where God provided reconciliation. Then you understand, even if it’s to a small degree, the power of the Cross of Christ. God’s work in the world today is the application of the work of Christ to souls right here in this room. Can you say these words in full belief and conviction. “I am reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ”? You see, what God does today is what He has been doing every day since Jesus was crucified. He’s bringing people into His kingdom by applying the blood of Christ to their souls. The blood of Christ that was shed at Calvary is the good work of the Cross. It was for me He died on Calvary. It was for me He bled to set me free. Today, I am reconciled to God by God’s work on my behalf at Calvary. Hallelujah!. |
First, God’s concern for you and me.
Second, God’s good work on the Cross. Third, why did God allow Jesus to be crucified? Please look again at your Bible. Colossians 1:21 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:…” The grand design of the Cross of Christ is for the purpose of changing you and I into something we could never be by any other means. God’s goal can easily be seen at the Cross. Here it is: “to present you holy and unblameable and unrepro-veable in His sight.” First, “to present.” It means “to stand before.” “Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so.” Everyone already knew the couple before the wedding. Yet, once the ceremony has been completed, the minister can quote “present” to couple to them. Two of the greatest prophets to ever live were Elijah and Elisha. Both of these men saw themselves in this same light. Here’s how Elijah described himself. I Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. I Kings 18:15 “And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to day.” |