All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth. It's not the Corinthian church.
It's the church at Corinth. There is not a Corinthian church
and a Roman church and a Crow, West Virginia church. There is
the church at Corinth, Rome, Crow, wherever. Paul's second
letter to the Soon as I say that, now I gotta make sure I'm gonna
say that. The church at Corinth. 2 Corinthians chapter five. Read
the last few verses of that chapter. 2 Corinthians five verse 17. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. and all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry, or that is the service, of reconciliation,
to wit, in other words he said I'm going to explain again, or
explain this, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, at
the same time that this was taking place. You see it? That God was
in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word, or
that is the declaration of reconciliation. Now 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. For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Consider this, reconciliation. What a word. Reconciliation. Let me state from the beginning,
there is but one reconciliation. There is but one reconciliation. Reconciliation has, I might say,
three facets, but there are not three reconciliations. It's all
one reconciliation with three facets to this reconciliation. This is something that most of
professing Christianity does not understand. And I know that,
not because they talk about three reconciliations, but because
they teach this. Jesus died to make it possible
that we be reconciled if, and then they add in things that
we do. Now they are, in effect, teaching
that there are different reconciliations. What Christ did wasn't really
a reconciliation, but it can be if. Then we move or act toward
God, and then God will act mercifully in reconciliation toward us.
That is not what Paul says here. Is it? It's not what he says
here. Man The unregenerate man can
even read the scripture and he will read into his own mind what
he thinks the scripture's saying because he or she cannot bow
before God's word when it declares exactly who God is and what he's
done. Reconciliation in all its fullness
will be realized. Reconciliation in all its fullness,
in all three facets will be realized because my title is this, and
it's indicated here in the text, God Did the Reconciling. You see it? God Did the Reconciling. That's my title, that's my subject. Three things briefly. God did
the reconciling. No one reconciles themself. Somebody says, be ye reconciled
to God. Yeah, he doesn't say go get reconciled to God. Look
at what it says. And all things are of God who
hath, it's past tense, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, not by anything we did, even those things he gives us
as free gracious gifts. but he reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ to wit, that God was, past tense, that God
was in Christ, reconciling the world. And what's he mean? He
means Jew and Gentile. He means men and women. He means Chinese folks or Australian
aboriginals. That's what he's talking about.
He does not mean, and nowhere does the scripture teach that
Jesus Christ reconciled all mankind without exception. Because it's
clear to wit, I am explaining, Paul says, that God was, past
tense, that God was in Christ, reconciling, that's a past tense,
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Whoever this world is that Jesus
Christ reconciled, God is not putting their trespasses to their
charge. And that's past tense. God did the reconciling. In other words, any present or
future receiving of reconciliation flows from the actual reconciliation
being accomplished. That's what he says here. And
thirdly, God did the reconciling. The reconciling. God reconciled
the world to himself. He did not make it possible for
the world to reconcile themselves to him. God was, in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. What a gospel subject. Hmm, what
a gospel reconciliation. Reconciliation is, let me give
you three things again. Remember, there are three facets.
I've talked about God did the reconciling. God did it. God
did the reconciling. That is God did the reconciling. And God did the reconciling. Three things again. What is reconciliation? Well, reconciliation is, number
one, to bring, this is scriptural reconciliation, not Webster's
Dictionary. Now, Webster's Dictionary is
certainly correct concerning reconciliation. The basis of
the word in the meaning of it is true, but we're talking about
what the Bible means when it's talking about reconciliation.
Number one, it means this, to bring two vastly different parties
together. and I emphasize vastly different. God, the Holy One. Us, ungodly
sinners. The world. The world. Often when God talks about the
world, it's done with disdain. The title is used with disdain.
to bring two vastly different parties together. Secondly, reconciliation
is to bring the one offended party. Now in this reconciliation
in scripture, there's only one offended party. In the world,
sometimes we have to reconcile two offending parties, right?
and both offending parties must give or take a little. In the
scripture doctrine of reconciliation, the meaning is to bring the one
offended party full satisfaction of justice. That's the teaching of scripture.
Thirdly, reconciliation is to bring the offender, okay, to
bring the offender to reverse. and willingly submit to God. That's what it means. Now you
don't hear people preaching, they talk about giving your heart
to Jesus. They walk down the aisle with usually not even a
tear or two, chewing their bubble gum and blowing bubbles and popping
and just smiling away. When we're talking about reconciliation
of ungodly men and women before a thrice holy God. Reconciliation is to bring the
offender and it's individual. We don't come in as a group. We come in individually in this
matter. to bring the offender to reverse and willingly submit
to God. Our crimes, and I use it that
way intentionally, because I'm trying to express, we don't know
how bad sin really is in the sight of God. We got an inkling
of it, as believers do, but we really don't. It probably frightened
us out of our minds. You know? Joe, what little bit
I do know about it frightens me out of my mind. Our crimes
offend God. Now, Mason and I talked a little
bit about something along this line. You know, in God's holy
law, certain sins, certain trespasses, certain breakings of the law
demanded physical death. Others did not. But there is
a passage in scripture that is sounded forth by the prophet,
the soul that sinneth, it shall die. That's not physical death.
That's absolute separation from God. That's what it is. And that means any sin. It doesn't say the soul that
murders. It doesn't say the soul that commits adultery. It says
the soul that sinneth, it shall die. My soul, this soul has sinned. Yeah, it's a crime against God. It's a crime against God. And
God in his holiness demands my death. Separation from him. And let me tell you, there is
a sense in which every man and woman on the face of this earth
ought to be thankful that right now they're not separated from
God. Because I don't care what you're going through, how bad
it is, it will get worse at the judgment outside of Jesus Christ. Our crimes offend God. Let us
know this. We need reconciliation, not God. That's it, amen. God was reconciling
the world to himself. He wasn't reconciling himself
to the world. He don't have to reconcile himself
to the world. He's not offended the world.
The world has offended him. Reconciliation cannot, that is
the scriptural teaching, reconciliation cannot diminish God's holiness.
It must be honored fully. Reconciliation cannot diminish
God's character. Reconciliation cannot diminish
God's law. Justice must be satisfied fully
in reconciliation. And God must be fully honored
and satisfied in reconciliation. God will take nothing less than
absolute justice. And this is something else that
professing Christianity does not preach. Moreover, it's tighter than that. It's tighter than that. God determined
what the need was. God determined what was actually
needed to accomplish reconciliation. Here's what I mean by that. No
human opinion was asked. No debate was set forth. No negotiations were entered
into. No exceptions. God alone determined
what was needed for reconciliation. He does not ask us about it. Christ has reconciled. That's what Paul said, did he
not? God is not imputing the trespasses of the reconciled
to them. Is that what he says? That's
what it says, doesn't it? God sends his ambassadors to
proclaim this reconciliation, to serve it, to announce it,
and to cry out, be ye reconciled to God. And as I've said two
or three times, this declaration is three-faceted. Somebody says,
well, what does he really mean? He means everything that reconciliation
entails. And when he says be ye reconciled
to God, he means everything that that entails. All of it. Our minds love to find what is
the one real meaning. It means everything that the
whole thing means. There's three things that is
this be ye reconciled to God. It is first of all, this is the
foundation. This is the foundation of it. It is a declarative accomplishment.
Be ye reconciled to God. We'll look at it in a minute.
It is secondly, an evangelical command. Be ye reconciled to
God. And it is thirdly, an associative
encouragement. Be ye reconciled to God. And we will look at these three
things. As I said, it's a declarative
accomplishment. Joe Dunn read it to you this
morning. Look at how Paul states reconciliation in Romans chapter
five. This is how he states it. He
gives more details to the actual reconciliation here. Look at
what he says, Romans five and verse six. For when we were yet
without strength. Now, can you take your place
there? Will you take your place there? Can you, will you, will
you, can you? As Joe said, it doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter. For when we yet were without
strength, in due time Christ died for who? the ungodly, can
you take your place there? Will you take your place there?
If at this moment, anyone hearing my voice says, but I'm not ungodly,
then you got no right to believe Christ died for you. Period. This is what it says. Christ
died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will one
die, yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to
die, but God, commendeth his love toward us. Notice Paul saying,
and this thing of God is actually opposite of what men do. You
see it? But God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, can you take your place
there? Will you take your place there?
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Who? These sinners
that he's talking about. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, for if,
when we were enemies, not friends of God, not believer, before
we were even believers, for if when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God, and now he says it, how? By the death of
his son. That's what God says it took.
by the death of his son, and he said, it's done. Much more
being, and some say you could actually read that, having been.
And as far as I've checked, that seems to be most appropriate.
Being reconciled, much more, wait a minute, let me read it
again. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, how?
By the death of his son. That's it. By the death of his son, much
more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. You see, he died to accomplish
the reconciliation, and he lives to make sure it finds its fullness. Isn't that what that says? I
didn't just draw these things out of thin air. This is what
the book teaches. The one who wrote out the will,
you know what I mean? Someone's gonna die, before they
die, they write out a will. And then they, what does it take
to bring that will into force? The death of the testator, the
death of the one who writes that will out. But that one, in human
terms, once you die, you got no power or authority over it
anymore, do you? But the Lord God of heaven and
earth and the person of his son died to ratify that will but
he lives still to see that it is carried out. Yeah, yeah, that's what it says. It's a declarative accomplishment. You remember what Christ said
to that leper? That leper said, Lord, if thou
wilt, thou can makes me clean. What'd he say? Here's a declarative
accomplishment. Be thou clean. You see it? That's what he means when he
says be reconciled to God. It's a declarative accomplishment.
Why, based upon the death of Jesus Christ. Think about this,
Christ's death has infinite merit. Our deaths have no merit. Merit! His death had infinite
merit! Well, if it's just death, why
don't each person die for their own reconciliation, right? But
that's natural mind. That's trying to enter into negotiations
after God done settled it all by himself. And plus it says
the wages of sin, that's what you get for what you do. The
wages of sin is death. Jesus Christ did not earn anything. He died willingly under the judgment
of God Almighty, and thus his death had infinite merit. Do you see the difference? It's
the difference between look who died on that cross, Jesus of
Nazareth, and see me hanging on that cross. Total different
worlds. I would have deserved to hang
on that cross. He didn't deserve to hang on
that cross. Did God let you see the difference?
And Joe, that's but just a smidgen of it. Just a smidgen. Think
of it. His death was penal. Turn back to Isaiah, if you wish
to. We'll do this pretty quick. His
death, here's the infinite merit. Here's three of them again. It
was penal, Isaiah 53, the first part of verse 10. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. Do you see that? Bruise him,
not that, and then you get a bruise. The word in the Hebrew means
crush. Crush! God the Father crushed his son
when he hung on Calvary's tree. He crushed him! You say, what's
that like? I don't know. And I don't want
to know. Yet it, please, that doesn't
mean God's sitting up there laughing. No, we're talking here about
some satisfaction. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath
put him, who did? God put him what? To grief! To
grief! When thou shalt make his soul. Not just his body, Mason, but
his very inner being. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin. That's infinite, that's penal.
He punished him. He punished him as a criminal,
though a criminal he personally was not. But when he hung on
that tree, he hung there as a criminal. Because he bore our sins in his
own body on the tree, and God seen him there. God the Father,
the Holy God, seen them there in his Son, and he crushed him. And he put him to grief. And
God said, this is what I demand. This is what I demand. Not only
is it that, not only is it penal, but it's vicarious. Look at verse
eight. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall
declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the
land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. Thus saith the Lord. It was vicarious. He died in the stead of a people. Here called my people. And nowhere
in this book do we read that every human being without exception
is God's people. They are all his creation. But
they're not this my people. In other words, Joe, if he died
for me, he died in my place. He didn't just die to show me
how men ought to die. That's of no value whatsoever. He died in my place. What he went through, he went
through. So you and I, if he died for
us, don't have to go through it so that we're not crushed
and put to grief by God. even though we all still today
deserve it in ourselves. But it was also thirdly satisfactory. Look at verse 10. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.
He shall prolong his days. That is, he's raised from the
dead. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. He shall see the travail of his
soul. And shall be, what? Satisfied. Amen. God said, this is full satisfaction
of justice to me. Yes, sir. And somebody says,
well, I don't understand all this. God's not asking you to
understand. He's saying, bow down to it.
That's it. Bow down to it. This is what
I demand. Bow down to it. Yes, sir. This is what I demand
in your place. Bow down to it. Bow down to it. Oh, and then is it what Paul
said, 2 Corinthians chapter 5? Last verse there, for he hath
made him to be sin for us. Who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. That's all that Joe summed up
right there. And Paul's even like bringing a quote, a partial
quote from the book of Isaiah itself. Oh what a glory, but
I also said it's evangelical command. You have an idea of
what I'm talking about. Look at Acts chapter 13. It's
evangelical command. Be ye, it's what we're talking
about. Be ye reconciled to God. The first meaning of it is this.
As Christ told that withered up leopard, nastiness and sores. He said, I will. Be thou clean. That happened at Calvary, Mason.
That happened at Calvary. But it's also an evangelical
command. Look at chapter 13 of Acts, verse 38. Paul's preaching
Christ here. And he says, be it known unto
you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sins. That can only come when God's
been, what, when God has reconciled someone to himself. Can't happen
any other way. But notice he says, not offered,
not offering anyone forgiveness of sins, is proclaimed, preached,
declared, that through this man is, not through your, asking
forgiveness through this man is preached unto you forgiveness
of sins. Who do you know that was then? How do you know then? Look, and
by him all that believe are justified from all things. Jesus Christ
came to forgive the sins of believers. And believers only. Look, and
by him all that believe are justified from how all things from which
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses, beware therefore. Lest that come upon you which
is spoken of in the prophets, this ain't for everybody. Isn't
that what he goes on to say? This ain't for everybody. Now
how many preachers are preaching that today? They won't, they
refuse, why? Because they will not be reconciled
to God. Look, beware, therefore, lest
that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, behold, ye
despisers, and wonder, and perish, for I will work a work in your
days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man
declare it unto you. Better look out. Better look
out. You might be one of those who
won't believe no matter what. Now you see how Paul preached
the gospel? It is a evangelical command.
Believe Christ. What's that mean? Bow down to
him. Believe who he is and what this book says he did. It means to lay down your weapons.
Be reconciled to God. Lay down your weapons. I mentioned
this to Joe. I don't think I told him Story,
you all remember the one about the chicken and the pig? Huh? You know the one about the chicken
and the pig? Chicken and the pig were walking down the street
early one morning, and both of them were quite hungry. And they
were discussing about how hungry they were. And they walked along
the street a little more and looked across the street. There's
a restaurant, says, bacon and eggs for breakfast. And the chicken
says, pig, look, bacon and eggs for breakfast. How's that sound
to you? And the pig said, oh, no. Oh, no, not for me. For you,
it's a contribution. For me, it's total surrender. You get what I'm getting at?
For me, it's total surrender. Folks, that's what we're talking
about. This thing of being reconciled together in its evangelical facet
is total surrender. Don't try to negotiate with God.
Don't try to debate with God. Don't try to question God. What
am I talking about? What weapons? Here's just a few.
Pride. Pride yourself. Hatred. Mainly hatred for God. I don't like that, God. That's
hatred for God. That's not what I believe. That's hatred for
God. God said this is what it is. This is what it is. Excuses,
not today, not today. Self-justification, but. Well,
that may be true, but. And you start to justify yourself. Self-righteousness, I don't really
need that. It ain't that bad with me. Yeah,
it's that bad with me. It's that bad with you, it's
that bad with me. Self-will, I just don't like
that. Doesn't matter what you like,
bow down to God. bow down to his son, throw your
weapons down. And aren't we glad that according
to Paul in the same epistle, put it this way, chapter 10,
God's gonna make some people throw down their weapons. That's
the glory. That's the glory. Look, 2 Corinthians
10, verse four, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,
casting down, what? What's up here in my mind? casting
down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ. If you're one of this world that
Christ reconciled, God will bring you down. How many people are preaching
that out there that profess to be Christian preachers? God will
bring you down. Isn't that what Paul said, right
here in our text? Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature. Amen. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. You see, when God crushes you,
crushes your hand, it's like a bloody nub. Even when you try
to reach down for another weapon, Mason, you're reminded, God's
crushed that weapon out of my hand. Here it is. He says, what? I'm a new creature.
Why? When once I had those weapons fighting against God, now they're
crushed. My castle walls have been crushed
and obliterated, and I'm exposed for what I really am. And I see
Christ for who he really is, and I thank God for it. I thank
God for it. Remember the chicken and the
pig. Oh, God, make us see that we're pigs. Total surrender. Total surrender, but I said it's
also associative encouragement that is being reconciled to God. What do I mean by that? Turn
to Philippians, and I'll just let the scripture define itself. Turn to Philippians chapter four.
It is this, it is be thou reconciled to God. Be ye reconciled to God.
It is associative encouragement. It means to unite to and dwell
upon this. Look at what Paul wrote to the
Philippians and to us as well. Whether he knew it or not, Joe,
he was writing to us. Philippians four, verse eight. Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things have a good report, if there be any
virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Reconciliation is one of those
subjects, folks. Be reconciled to God. Comfort yourself with
it. Do you see it? Comfort yourself with it. It's
okay. God says it's done. God's crushed your castle walls.
He's crushed your weapons in front of you. You know it now. You see yourself exposed and
conquered by Jesus Christ. Rejoice in it. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. Total surrender
is a good thing. This world hates it, don't they? But there's a world that he reconciles.
and he reconciled them through an accomplishment 2,000 years
ago. And he's sending out messengers
crying out, crying out, be ye reconciled to God, bow down.
That's our part in reconciliation, what, bowing down to what God's
done and saying, that's what it boils down to. And then associative
encouragement. In other words, when all's said
and done, God gets all the glory. Why? Look at it again, our text,
2 Corinthians 5, and all things are of God. The declarative accomplishment,
Joe, that was of God. The evangelical command, sending
out somebody, giving them the ability to speak, everything,
giving you the ability to hear, all of it, is what? It's of God. The associative encouragement,
being encouraged by this to continue on. Stay down in the dust before
God Almighty. Stay there before God Almighty,
and then when He needs you to stand, He'll lift you up. He'll
lift you up. Why? Because all things are of
God. And then go back to Romans 5,
where Paul was actually defining this reconciliation. 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.
And not only that, he said, and not only so, but we also joy
in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received. the reconciliation. That word
says atonement, but you check it, I'm right, it means reconciliation.
That's the word. You see it? So Mac, who gets
the glory in all this? God gets all the glory. And guess
what? We reap all the benefits. And
that ain't about a good deal. That's about God Almighty being
honored. Isn't it? Now that is reconciliation. Oh God, teach us these things. Help us to declare them, preach
them, but not only that, Lord, help us to believe them. Bow
us down before your son, and Lord, enable us by your grace
and mercy and compassion to rejoice in it and be glad for it. In
Christ's name, amen.