RECONCILED! That is a big word, isn’t it? What does it mean?
A friend told us a story once of how he went for a stroll one day along the waterfront. He decided to take a walk out to the end of the pier that jutted far out into the sea. Part way along the pier he came upon two dogs growling at each other so fiercely that it seemed a fight was inevitable. One dog was larger than the other, but they both bared their teeth and snarled at each other in a dreadful manner. Our friend moved to the far edge of the pier in order to get around the angry beasts and so continued his walk.
By and by when he was returning the two dogs were nowhere to be seen. But looking over the edge of the pier he was surprised to find they had both fallen into the water below.
How different things were now! The dogs were both swimming for shore, and the big dog was swimming alongside the little one as if to make sure that he got safely in. In a short time they reached the shallow water and together they walked up the sandy beach—no longer enemies, but friends! They were reconciled!
In the Bible we read this verse: “Be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Cor. 5:2020Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20). When sin came into the world it put distance between God and man. We are all sinners. God is holy and cannot have sin in His presence.
Not only are we sinners, but in these natural hearts of ours there is enmity (or hatred) against God. Perhaps we may try and hide this feeling, but it is there nevertheless. Man proved he was an enemy of God for when the Lord Jesus came into this world he put to death God’s beloved Son. He needs to be reconciled to God.
But the Bible never speaks of God having to be reconciled to us. God loves man in spite of this enmity against Him. It was He who sent His Son into this world to save guilty sinners such as we. He died upon the cross to put away our sin. Those who trust Him as their Saviour not only have all their sins put away, but that old enmity is taken away too. They have a new nature which delights to please God, and they can say, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
Let us read those verses, Colossians 1:21, 2221And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (Colossians 1:21‑22). “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled... through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight.” The Lord Jesus, when He was a Man on earth, was Himself holy, without blame and faultless bore God. And those whose sins He has put away He presents before God in all the value of Himself and His work—they too are holy, without blame and faultless.
Not only has the Lord Jesus died for sins, but He is a living Saviour. He keeps His own day by day. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10).
Dear young reader, are you reconciled to God?
ML-07/08/1962