“RECONCILED TO GOD!”

“RECONCILED TO GOD!”

2 Corinthians 5:18-21                    (ESV)

“18 All this is from GOD, WHO through CHRIST reconciled us to HIMSELF and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 that is, in CHRIST GOD was reconciling the world to HIMSELF, NOT COUNTING THEIR TRESPASSES AGAINST THEM, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for CHRIST, GOD making HIS appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of CHRIST, be “RECONCILED TO GOD”.

21 For our sake HE (GOD) made HIM (JESUS) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in HIM (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of GOD.”

Growing up in church you get exposed to certain words or language that you feel must have good connotations, but finding out FOR SURE what these words mean can open your eyes to revelations that enables a Belief to emerge strong enough to base your FAITH upon.  “IMPUTATION” is one such word.  According to the dictionary I use, the word “Imputation” means — 3 Theology: to attribute (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to a person or persons vicariously; ascribe as derived from another.

ALMIGHTY GOD, in HIS Divine foreknowledge, willingly gave HIS SON to become sin, even when HE had lived a perfect life in “this world”, so that “we might become the righteousness of GOD.”  One might ask why HE would do such a loving, merciful act when HE could have created us to worship HIM with no doubts or inhibitions?  In Luke 19:39-40 JESUS said to the Pharisees, “And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." HE answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."  

Evidently GOD wanted more than rocks to worship HIM, HE wanted we who have a choice to Believe HIM to express our need for a Savior and admit that HE in our ONLY HOPE!!!  Becoming “RECONCILED TO GOD” allows HIM to SEE the blood of CHRIST when HE looks at me.  Until we become “RECONCILED TO GOD” we cannot know how HE could ever be so merciful, but we who have been drawn into HIS Mercy can, by FAITH, accept HIS love toward us (Romans 5:8)!  

Believing that a HOLY, RIGHTEOUS GOD would sacrifice SO MUCH for a worthless wretch like me is almost impossible to believe!  But SEEING that HE is that loving and merciful is part of HIS Plan that I have to have my eyes opened to BY HIS GRACE!  Being “RECONCILED TO GOD” is admitting that HE provided EVERYTHING we needed in JESUS CHRIST (Colossians 1:15-20) according to HIS Plan!!!