For example, consider the debt ceiling talks that are going on. Or a few years back, the talks about health care reform. Or there are always talks about social issues like abortion, gay marriage, welfare, immigration, and so on. These are all issues which have deeply divided the political realm, all of which have spilled into every day conversations.
Now, as a political science major, these ‘conversations’ are very interesting to me. It is a great passion I have! And as it is a passion, I, of course have my opinion on everything. Opinions are not wrong, mind you. However, the way we present our opinions has become so hostile! People use fear mongering tactics, fallacies, and outright lies to discredit the other side, without even coming to the table to discuss the issues. Now we have a problem where if one affiliates with a particular group, they are automatically written off by an opposing group! If I am a liberal, I will write off the conservative and she will write off me! Jesus famously said “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand”. It is clear to me that if this, or any country wants to prosper and continue, there needs to be reconciliation!
Reconciliation is a very powerful word. The dictionary lists these definitions for reconcile:
To settle or resolve.
To become compatible or consistent
To reestablish a close relationship, as in marriage
Just within the example of politics that I listed above, one can see how far from reconciliation things really are. But it is not just in politics! What about those people who are at odds with a spouse? Parents and children? Co-workers? Churches that have split? How about the divide that exists between classes, races, and religions?
What about the divide between man and God? Isn’t there a gap between us? Scripture indicates so:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” (Colossians 1:21)
And
“… while we were enemies of God…” (Romans 5:10)
An enemy of God?!?! WHAT? Isn’t that like the Devil or something? Yes, the devil is the enemy of God, but if man is called God’s enemy, due to the depravity and inclination towards rebellion against God, then man will face the same fate as that old wicked Devil- God’s eternal wrath.
Sounds depressing, eh?
It would be, but God has given us hope. Let’s look at the rest of Romans 5:10, 11:
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
And Colossians?
Colossians 1:19-23
“ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.”
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 says it like so:
“16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
WOW! How great it is to know we are no longer enemies of God is we are in Christ! God’s wrath is satisfied, and we are made righteous before Him. We are reconciled to God, through God, for God. How insanely awesome is that?
But you know what?
While being reconciled to God is what saves us, it is just the beginning of reconciliation in our lives. What about those who we are separate from? As I said above, what about family, spouses, ex’s, children, co-workers, churches, friends, etc? There is indeed biblical proof to bring about reconciliation:
Ephesians 4:24-27
“24…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.”
And
Matthew 5:23,24
“23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Scripture makes it absolutely clear that reconciliation between people should be a top priority for the believer. You are even supposed to leave your worship towards God at the altar to first make right what is wrong between you and another. And we are not to let the sun go down on our anger, because this gives a foothold to the Devil. Footholds, as my mentor told me, become fortresses over time. In war, you send up a small force to hold a strategic spot. It’s not big and glamorous, but it gets the job done. From that small foothold, the forces can call in air or naval bombardment, to clear out the oppositions’ defenses. Once the opposition is on the run, the attacking forces can build up the small foothold to become fortresses- large bases of operation which can continue to call strategic strikes against all defensive positions. In the same way, if we give the Devil an inch, he’ll take a mile. We should not give him a strategic spot to allow him to completely bombard us with attacks! Therefore, we should not even go to sleep without first having reconciled our differences with another. The longer you hold it off, the easier it is to be attacked.
It is quite clear that God takes reconciliation serious. It was said to me that the greatest problem in this world isn’t the myriad of sins out there. There are some pretty wicked things that go on, but at the root of them all is a broken relationship and subsequent alienation. What did Christ do? He “reestablished a close relationship, as in marriage” making us “compatible and consistent” with God’s will, by “settling and resolving” the issue of sin. Now we are made right with Him, and we can be made right with others. Reconciliation without Christ is doomed to fail.
This issue of reconciliation has hit home with me. Within the last week, there was an issue that came about which put a rift in a friendship of mine. Instead of immediately reconciling, I went away from the friend angry and hurt. In that anger and hurt, I began to think some pretty bad things about this person. But I was so blessed to have the Holy Spirit speak conviction in my heart, showing my sin. Immediately I sent a message to this person, asking for forgiveness for any wrong I did, and for feeling that way. Now, things seem okay. So I praise God for showing me a clear example of reconciliation in my life!
Yet, I ask for prayers! There is another who I desire to reconcile with. This person has been very important to me, but circumstances caused a rift between us. Before, we would talk every day, but now we no longer speak at all. I want nothing more than to be the friend of this person once more, even knowing that we cannot have that same friendship as before. So please pray that the Holy Spirit would discern to me what must be done to reconcile with this person.
I pray this message will convict your heart, my friends. I hope my experiences would cause you to think of your own experiences. I pray you make things right with whoever has wronged you, or who you have wronged. Who has been forgiven of many things should, in turn, forgive others of their many things. Don’t let the sun go down before you reconcile with whoever it may be.
Grace and peace,
Thomas
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