Today’s Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Thelma Jo Sterling is sitting up and talking. The Lord be praised. But the coma has left some loss of memory and confusion. Keep her in your prayers as she progresses. Also remember Stephanie Johnson (Rob’s wife) in your thoughts and prayers. She suffered a miscarriage this week in Kentucky. Those of you who have suffered the same know how to pray.
In a world of so much pain and disappointment, it is good to know we work to make it better as stated in this text.
The key idea in this text is reconciliation. Because of his rebellion, man was the enemy of God and out of fellowship with Him. Through the work of the Cross, Jesus Christ has brought man and God together again. God has been reconciled and has turned His face in love toward the lost world. The basic meaning of the word reconcile is "to change thoroughly." It refers to a changed relationship between God and the lost world.
God does not have to be reconciled to man, because that was accomplished by Christ on the cross. It is sinful man who must be reconciled to God. "Religion" is man’s feeble effort to be reconciled to God, efforts that are bound to fail. The Person who reconciles us to God is Jesus Christ, and the place where He reconciles us is His cross.
Another key idea in this section is imputation. This is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means "to put to one’s account." When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit. When Jesus died on the cross, all of our sins were imputed to Him—put to His account. He was treated by God as though He had actually committed those sins.
The result? All of those sins have been paid for and God no longer holds them against us, because we have trusted Christ as our Savior. But even more: God has put to our account the very righteousness of Christ! "For He has made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
Reconciliation is based on imputation: because the demands of God’s holy Law have been fully met on the cross, God can be reconciled to sinners. Those who believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior will never have their sins imputed against them again (Ps. 32:1-2; Rom. 4:1-8). As far as their records are concerned, they, share the righteousness of Jesus Christ!
Enjoy the day and look kindly on those around you.
Michael