#74-G20 ~ Galatians 1:3-4a
Our subject is reconciliation. God has addressed the sin barrier that existed between us and God. Jesus Christ went to the cross and paid the full debt for our sins. This was God’s part in paving the way for us to have complete reconciliation with God. His part is done! But to benefit from this and to gain full or complete reconciliation, one must express personal faith in what He has provided. That’s why man is commanded to BE reconciled with God [2 Corinthians 5:20]. That means one must accept by faith the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the means to this full or completereconciliation. When or if that occurs, salvation is granted. This provides for us once and for all complete reconciliation with God [Colossians 1:20]. What peace of mind that provides! We never have to be concerned about that again. We are then no longer thought to be an enemy to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 spells all this out for us. Our home is now in heaven. Meanwhile we are now personal representatives of Christ. Our main objective needs to be to represent Him well. Our main mission needs to be to lead others to this understanding so they, too, can be reconciled to God. Apart from faith in Christ’s provision people end up in a place of perpetual suffering. For all eternity they will be in what is called the Lake of Fire.
Another great passage on reconciliation is Colossians 1:20-22. There the emphasis is on the peace we gain by faith in what Christ did for us. This “peace” is to do with the reconciliation that comes to us by faith in what He provided through the work of Jesus Christ–His death, burial and resurrection.
Colossians 2:6-9 is still another passage on this, but the emphasis here is on our manner of life AFTER our salvation. As a believer we are in the second phase of our salvation. The final phase will be our PCS, our Permanent Change of Station to step into eternity and be in our new home, heaven. But meanwhile we are here to represent Christ by our manner of life and by the things we communicate to others.
Titus 2:13 is still another passage on all this. Here the focus is on our “blessed hope” and final place of rest. We will ultimately have a new and perfect body in which to dwell forever.
Colossians 1:14-16 is even more on all this. Here we are told that Jesus Christ is the Creator who provided this marvelous opportunity for each of us.
Galatians 1:4 then takes us into what Jesus Christ had to do to provide all this blessing for us. Here we’ll begin to look at how what Christ did at the cross He did for ALL mankind, not just some. We’ll continue more on this in the next lesson. I hope you’ll take a look at it.
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