Sunday, April 19, 2009

Reconciliation

Monday, April 20, 2009: 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
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.
Background: Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church a second time knowing there are those who question his apostleship. Here Paul uses a banking analogy of reconciling accounts.
Whose deposit does God using for our overdrawn checks? Imputing means putting on someone’s account: Christ’s account of payment for sin balances our overdrawn trespasses.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009: 2 Corinthians 5:20–21
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.
Does God open up a new account for us? Yes, a savings account is opened up as God’s righteousness.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Romans 5:10–11
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Background: the analogy used here in Romans is former enemies, now on the same side.
What is the result of Christ’s death and resurrected life in a believer? Christ’s death reconciles us with God as Father; His life brings us into the joy and good of God’s family.

Thursday, April 23, 2009: Romans 11:13–15
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
What does the writer of Romans hope that the reconciling of those who are not Jews will do? He hopes that some will look at us and turn to Christ.

Friday, April 24, 2009: 1 Peter 2:24–25
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Now that our debt of sin is paid for, what is added to us? What we now live for is doing what is right: now our good works go into a savings account!

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