Completely Changed, Completely Adjusted

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:14 — 48.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. It would be very easy to spend the rest of the year studying this one passage and the Biblical doctrine of reconciliation. We will only be here until Easter. Paul spent his entire life studying the Scriptures. After His salvation, God completely reconciled/changed his theology by completely changing Paul’s heart to agree with God’s Law. An understanding of this amazing doctrine is not only necessary for a Christian’s daily living, but it also opens our eyes to help us see how much God loves us and what He has done to save us. Reconciliation means “someone or something is completely changed to a new standard.” Let’s begin with a basic overview of this wonderful doctrine. 

1. THE CONCEPT OF RECONCILIATION! Reconciliation is always an act of God, something HE does for man because He is the highest Standard. Scripture teaches that reconciliation allows 1 = God to take man back into fellowship with Himself. Sin broke our relationship and our fellowship with God. It “changed” us from being His friends, to being His enemies. Reconciliation means God is able to restore us to a place where we can fellowship with God. Scripture also teaches 2 = God restores His relationship to us, not just as friends, but as children. Christ’s righteousness is imputed/given to us allowing God to reestablish His relationship and fellowship with us.
2. RECONCILIATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. Leviticus 8:15 addresses atonement. It is interesting to note the very basic meaning of the word means “to smear with pitch or tar.” Interesting isn’t it? Later, in sacrifice, the word carried more of the idea of atonement, meaning to cover or pacify wrath, or cover transgression. It never means complete satisfaction for sin, because all the OT relation to salvation was only a picture of the work of Christ. See Heb. 4:10. Reconciliation became reality for all the OT saints at Calvary. We must also consider
3. RECONCILIATION FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. In Romans 5:6-11 we find Paul’s commentary on the necessity of the whole world being reconciled. This part of the doctrine is one of the most misunderstood because people think everyone is automatically saved, because Christ died for the whole world. Although salvation extends a universal invitation, it is still necessary for EACH individual to see their desperate need of a Savior and ask to be saved! Paul uses four words that help us see this truth. 1^st = we are weak. Our sinful nature has no power whatsoever to meet God’s standards of holiness and righteousness to save us. 2^nd = Sin also makes us ungodly against BOTH God an others. Ungodly means “hostile toward God, deliberately acting contrary to both tables of the Law. 3^rd = we are sinners. This form of the word is well defined as “one who forfeits a correct relationship with God by his hostile attitude toward God’s Law, living in conscious opposition to it.” And 4^th = we are God’s enemies, which is the attitude of the unsaved toward God. All this is more information, but here is the beginning of the application: what are you willing to do/give personally so all this isn’t wasted? Do you want the same level of relationship/fellowship with God as He does with you?

If we can help you with answers to your spiritual questions call us at (574) 643-9419.