Reconciliation

Not every post has an interesting insight or well thoughtout (um, or long winded) explanations. Sometimes it's just something I run across. Here is the scripture I was looking at today...

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21

Implications - an analogy

Here's something I was thinking about this week, from a sermon I heard some weeks ago...

Ephesians 1: 4-5
"For He (the Father) chose us in Him (Jesus Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves."

Remember from my last post (way back in June), that we were all condemned due to the sins we have all committed. So, here is the analogy I was thinking about...

• We were in prison, rightly condemned for our own actions...
• The king himself chose to pardon us. But more than that...
• The king himself chose to pardon us and then adopt us. But more than that...
• The king himself chose to pardon us, adopt us and willingly give up his son to take our place, to make that happen. And, one last thing...
• The king's son was the author of that plan.

I don't think I stand amazed as often as I should.

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Romans 8: 22

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8: 17-17