Welcome to a month of Christmas celebration! I want to invite you to church this weekend at New Hope West! I have a special message on Sunday, December 5th: God’s Promise to the Church. But now, for today’s lesson: it may take you by surprise because learning God’s ways will not always match the way we were raised or what we were taught. Yet, His Word must always be the final Word! Read on …
Today's Reading:
Romans 5,6,7,8
Scripture
“… But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us … For if while we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved through His life.” (Romans 5:8, 10)
Observation
Paul gives us the starting point of reconciliation. The reconciliation process does not begin when a person finally changes their life, receives Christ, and rehabilitates their ways for good. Jesus initiated the reconciliation process while we were still in our sin—“enemies” of the cross! This proves His unconditional love for us... and it does not begin after we get our life together.
Application
How often, in my case, reconciliation begins only after a person has turned his life over to Christ. When he’s finally repented and his regeneration proven, then I start to love him … but not until then! It’s almost as if they first have to prove their worthiness to earn my reconciliation.
A rude awakening for me is when I realize that my love is often not like God’s love. If I distill it all down, my love is conditional, and I reconcile people to God only after they’ve proven their “worthiness.”
2 Cor. 5:18 echoes what Romans says: “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation — namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
A ministry of reconciliation has been assigned to us, and this calling will have these facets:
- The reconciliation process begins before they get their act together
- Loving them while yet enemies proves unconditional love
- We reconcile them to Christ, for only He can change the human heart
Reconciliation does not necessarily mean that we are unaware of the devastating effects of sin nor are we gullible to repeat them. Instead, we have forgiven and we watch God’s Spirit bring beauty from ashes.
Prayer
Father, please give me Your love. There’s so much I need to learn about the accuracy and definition of Your love. I can easily adopt man’s love and err. Show me Your love, oh God. Please teach me Your ways. Mentor me, I plead. I am so far from being the man You want me to be, but I will commit to being an avid student of Your heart and ways!
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