Reconciliation

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Lk. 2:13-14). Today is Christmas day. Christmas is full of miracle messages. One of the miracles associated with Christmas is the above declaration of the angels in heaven: the outreach of reconciliation from God to man by the child who had been born, Jesus. This miracle of reconciliation is so great, that a multitude of angels cried out aloud from heaven in praises because of it. We are separated from our God in the first place because of our sin. The word of the LORD to the prophet Isaiah said, "Behold the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lipe have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity." (Isa. 59:1-3). The same sin also separates and divides us from one another. Our nations are divided with hostility, our communities are divided, our families are divided. However, the child born on Christmas is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29, 34), and reconciles the world to God. The blood of the Lamb also reconciles us with each other, if we will allow it to do so. This is the ministry that was given to Christ, and to us - the reconciliation of man to God: "Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:18-20). As we know, the world is in desperate need of being reconciled to God. Everywhere we look, there are divisions and estrangements, even within the household of faith. We have this powerful ministry of reconciliation, created for us by the Father through Christ Himself. This is the perfect time of year to revive ourselves in the meaning and timely importance of this ministry of reconciliation. The Sabbath readings this week also carry the same message. They are from Gen. 45 and Ezek. 37. This group of readings is called Va'yigash, meaning "And he drew near". That title has a wealth of meaning to us, especially at this time of year. In Gen. 45, Joseph is miraculously reunited with his brothers, and afterwards, with his father, Jacob. These same brothers plotted to kill Joseph because they resented him and the prophetic dreams he had. They ended up selling him into slavery instead. They lied to their father, Jacob, and told him that Joseph had been killed. Joseph ends up as a slave in Egypt, but by the favor of God (the meaning of reconciliation includes "restoration to favor"), he was elevated into the second highest position in Egypt. Only Pharaoh was of higher rank. Rather than being offended, angry and bitter during the unexpected reconciliation with his brothers, Joseph was overcome with emotion at the reunion. In order to comfort them, Joseph told his brothers that all had worked out for him according to God's purpose. The reconciliation work of God causes us to be able to see His purpose, even through painful trials and rejection. Because of this reconciliation of Joseph with his family, the seed of Jacob would have provision and safety throughout the famine. The second miraculous reconciliation is found in this Sabbath's haftarah reading found in Ezek. 37. It is the reconciliation prophesied to the divided nation of Israel. The reconciliation taking place in this chapter takes place on several different levels. Israel had been divided into two separate kingdoms. God prophesies through Ezekiel that they would be joined together again. On another level of reconciliation, God promises that Israel would be one nation with one King, one Shepherd, even David, for ever. Here in this level of reconciliation, God is promising Israel the Kingdom of Messiah. On the third level of reconciliation, the Jews and the half-Gentile tribes, represented by Ephraim (Joseph's son by his Egyptian wife), would be joined together like two sticks or branches becoming one in God's hand. This same promise is given to the Church in the new covenant through Christ's ministry of reconciliation: "For if their (Israel) being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?...blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." (Rom. 11:11-21, excerpt). From Ephesians we read, "...that at that time you (once Gentiles in the flesh) were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and wiithout God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation..." (Eph. 2:12-14). The miraculous work of reconciliation, announced on that long ago night in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ, is still working miracle reconciliations as promised by our Father. May we walk faithfully in that ministry in the image of Christ, Who reconciled the world to His Father, because our Father has given us the ministry and word of reconciliation. If you would like to draw nearer to Jesus as He reaches out to draw near to you, you can begin with this prayer: "Lord Jesus, You have reconciled me to the Father in heaven by cleansing me of my sins. I believe you died for me, and that You rose again from the dead. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may minister this same reconciliation to others in Your name. Amen."

Reconciliation

Scripture in 2 Cor. 5, tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and all things have become new. Yes, we have become new, but this scripture says "all things" have become new with us. How is this accomplished?
Verses 18-21 in the same chapter continues the thought:

"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word (logos-living voice, decree) of reconciliation..
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Paul is writing to a church of believers in Corinth, yet he is pleading with them to become reconciled with God (verse 20). Aren't believers already reconciled with God?
The meaning of the word "reconciliation" in Greek, refers to the exchange of currency. Unlike coins are made equivalent by a rate of exchange. Although the coins may have nothing in common, they are made to relate to each other, and to equal one other.
If we use this understanding of currency exchange, we might be able to say that man's sinful and dying nature is being exchanged or made equivalent, to the holy, everlasting nature of God by the application of Christ's sacrifice. As it says above "that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
This exchange is an ongoing application of the blood of Christ, and the person of Christ to our souls. If anyone is IN Christ, he is a new creation. Jesus said to abide IN Him (Jn. 15:4).  To abide means to remain, continue, to be held, kept continually, to remain as one, not to become another or different.
The importance of this reconciliation between ourselves and our Father, is that this same reconciliation that the Father desires with us, He also has desired with the world, with "all things". In that same desire, He has imparted to us a ministry of that reconciliation. We apply a "living voice, a decree" from our mouths of the reconciliation between our Father and the created world through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As we become reconciled with our Father, so does all creation - "ALL things have become new".
In 1 Thessalonians 1:8, the Apostle Paul tells the church:

"For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."

This church might have expected or hoped to impact their immediate surroundings, mentioned in the above verse, but they were probably unaware that the Word of God spoken from that place affected ervery place in the world. The Word of God is Spirit. It is alive, and cannot be bound nor fettered (2 Tim. 2:9). It is not limited to the human ears of listeners, but reaches beyond to "every place".
As we speak the Word, as we sing the Word, as we pray the Word of Reconciliation, we are operating in the Ministry of Reconcilation between God and His creation. That which has been broken is repaired. Where there is a gap between God and man, we spiritually stand in it, to make the connection again:

"Those from among you shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In."
                                              Isa. 58:12

A "breach" as described above, is something that has been broken open, broken apart, or broken in pieces, sometimes with the use of violence. The relationship between our Father and man, was broken into pieces by our own rebellion and rejection of Him. He has made a way to repair what was broken by us. We, who understand what He desires to do, can be repairers of that destruction.
Sometimes we view the destroyed spiritual condition of our nation, and we judge it, and we despair over it. But our Father has instructed us to repair it.
Moses is described as a man who stood before God in the breach between God and His people, who had turned away from Him (Psalm 106:23). In doing so, Moses prevented the judgment that the people deserved for their rebellion.
This is the ministry with which we also have been entrusted. As we have heard and read many times in 2 Chron. 7:14,

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."

The reconciliation begins with us. We are to be newly reconciled with our Father every day. Why must it be done every day? Isn't once enough? No- the scriptures tell us that the mercies and compassions of the LORD are NEW every morning (Lam. 3:22-24). This newness means "refreshed, renewed, repaired". The renewing and repairing are available to us every new day, not just once.  As we live, and walk in that reconciliation, it doesn't just affect our own lives, but it will be sounded in every place, even to the healing of our land.
Having been given this ministry of reconciliation, we must now walk in it. How sad it would be for our Father to say over our lives'

"So I sought for a man among them , that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."
                                                                        Ezek. 22:30

It is the heart of our Father to be reconciled with His creation, so much so that He paid with His own blood to do it. We cannot doubt, despite the wickedness we see, that this is His desire. We need to be reconciled to His desire, and speak forth the Word of Reconciliation.

Our Father is Reconciliation.



"A Beautiful Exchange"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bUZj1bkoE

"We'll Stand in the Gap"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5jKnP8sKXc

"Song of Reconciliation"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzSbbldJ488

"Take Me to the King"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8TAr9jgA9A