Showing posts with label Reconcile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reconcile. Show all posts

Monday

Do Sins Separate Us From God?

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. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Do you believe God, when he says through the Word of God that he is not counting men's (your sins) against you? Or, are you believing men when they say, "that God has made it possible for us to be pardoned from our sins and transgressions of the law. God offers us the gift of forgiveness if we believe that Jesus Christ died in our place."?

Which is correct today? Did Jesus forgive you of all of your sins and not counting them against you, or do you need more forgiveness by God today? If God is not counting your sins against you, then your sins are not separating you from God. Your transgressions (sins) are already pardoned (forgiven). God is not offering forgiveness today; God is offering salvation of eternal life. God freely gave us all forgiveness. We can choose to confess and agree with God and receive it (accept it, believe it, grab hold of it, rest in it, place faith, confidence, and trust in it, settle it, reconcile it in your heart) or not. It's your choice, and be sure not to go down the wrong path with men placing heavy weights upon your shoulders, taking a verse or two from the bible out of context, as many do. Read about understanding 1 John, and the Lord's Prayer before and after the cross.

Forgiveness is Not a Vending Machine

Forgiveness Vending Machine

Forgiveness is not a vending machine from God. You don't place your requests for pardons for lying, worrying, cheating, stealing, lusting, adultery, anger, and murdering transgressions in to God, and out plops forgiveness for sins. No one gets their sins forgiven today!

"What did you say, are you crazy!?"

Your sins have already been taken care of. God forgave everyone their sins on the cross 2000 years ago. Not believing, or trusting, or feeling like it, or placing faith that God forgave you, doesn't negate the fact that God did indeed forgive you.

The only consequence (wages) of sin before God today that needs corrected is death to life. The consequence of sin is death, not lack of forgiveness. Are there consequences for sins today in the world? Yes, but not by God. God keeps no records of your wrongs.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

We are all born into this world dead (spiritually dead) and need spiritual life. Sin's affect was spiritual death for all of mankind. God forgave everyone their sins at the cross, so that everyone that believes in him receives eternal life and is saved from death, unto life eternal. Jesus broke down the sins separation barrier with his sacrifice on the cross, once for all sins. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit," 1 Peter 3:18 Believe in him and you shall receive life.

The message of the bible is clear, that God was in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to himself, not counting any mans' sins against any person today. Does that mean that everyone is saved? No way! Salvation is eternal life. Most people want to get their sins forgiven by something they say or do, or feel sorry for, or some form of works mentality, or doing some form of penance, or using a single verse of scripture, taken out of context, (see understanding 1 John 1:9) as a sort of Christian bar of soap to make themselves righteous before God. But it is only by faith in the finished work of Jesus that a person can come to salvation and eternal life. Not everyone by faith receives forgiveness in Jesus's life; not everyone receives eternal life. In fact, refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit of God their entire lives, and not receiving Jesus by faith alone is the only sin not forgiven. All other sins, every sin, of all of mankind is forgiven by God. 1 John 2: 2

John the Baptist said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus said before his death on the cross that took away all sins, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Mathew 12: 31-32

Jesus has committed the message of reconciliation to me. I am Christ's ambassador, as though God were making his appeal through me. I 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, you, me, and everyone that believes might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Be thankful to God that he has broken down the sin barrier for you. He tore in two, the curtain of separation from the top, down to the bottom that separated us from himself. Praise Jesus and his name for ever and ever!

Please read the Welcome message.

Sunday

Why Do I Need Jesus? Why do you Need the Cross?

The question is, does God grade on the curve? For most people, they do think that God grades on the curve, and that their own things they do wrong are not as bad as everyone else.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Let's take a look at that statement from the bible. Do you think you are included in the word all? Come-on, answer truthfully.

Now, how does that fit with what the popular teachings of men, that state man is basically good?

Comparing what the bible teaches and what man teaches, and reflecting on your own heart, what can you conclude about man? Is man basically good or sinful? I think if you were to be honest with yourself, you would say that man is sinful.

In 1 John 1:8 the bible teaches that people that claim to be without sin deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them.

Once again, the truth is not in a person that claims to be without sin.

Reading a little further in 1 John 1:10, people that claim they have not sinned are calling God a liar. In fact, those same people have God's Word no place in their lives. This is no different than spitting in the face of God.

A person claiming to be without sin would have no need for a Savior.

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12

According to Romans, no one is righteous, no one that is good, and no one that seeks God.

The Whole World is Held Prisoner


The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Sinful man without the Spirit of God, does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. These things are foolish to the sinful man. The natural man can not understand the things that come from the Spirit of God.

Since the Spirit of God is foolish to the natural, sinful man, they have turned to their own way of dealing with everything.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

The picture of sinful man is like sheep that have gone astray.

Everything Not of Faith is Sin

The definition of sin in Romans 14:23 is summarized as: "...and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

According to Luke 19:10, the natural (sinful) man is described as lost. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." This verse also shows that Christ came to save the lost.

Natural men and women throughout the ages have spent a life of guilt, worry, anger, fear, loneliness, anxiety, emptiness, and a lack of purpose in life.

Sinful Man is Already Judged

The natural man is condemned already.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:17-18

The reason the natural man is condemned already is because God's wrath remains on him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. John 3:36

Natural Man is Alienated From God
Enemies in the mind of the sinful man.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. Colossians 1:21

The mind of a natural man, also called sinful man, is classified as dead and hostile to God.
The mind of sinful man (Or mind set on the flesh) is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind (Or the mind set on the flesh) is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Romans 8:6-8

There is no way that the natural man can please God because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God.

According to 1 Corinthians 15:50 flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Because, the flesh is perishable and dead to God.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23

Jesus said: "... In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ..." John 16:9 So, we can see that Jesus summarizes sin as unbelief in him. But, there is good news for the believer.

The Good News for the Believer

God made him who had no sin to be sin [Or be a sin offering] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— Colossians 1:22

Believe. Place your faith in Jesus and what he did on the cross for your sins, not what you are doing, or the works you do that you might think are earning you brownie points with God. Remember, God does not grade on the curve, only perfection will do. Trust in his perfection, not yours.

Please read the Welcome message.

God has Reconciled You, Through Jesus, so Be Reconciled to God

Reconciliation is seldom used in our daily vocabulary today. Its meaning is to reestablish a close relationship, to settle or resolve, to make compatible and to bring (oneself) to accept.

When the bible talks about reconcile, the word is used in all aspects of the meaning.

Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and reconciled the world to himself, not counting yours, mine and the world's sins against people. Additionally, he also provided the means for people to have a close relationship between God and man.
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. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

God now, requires people to believe it, by faith. This is the part where a person accepts the finished work on the cross. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. Now believe it.
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 5:19-21
So, be reconciled. Reconcile your way of thinking with God's way of thinking. Make your thoughts his thoughts.

This is not rocket science folks. Reconciliation is such a beautiful term, especially as it is described in the bible. If you are trying to reconcile yourself, you are not believing God when the bible clearly teaches that you have already been reconciled.

Once again, the good news is you have been reconciled. Shout it out. God is not counting your sins against you! God is not counting my sins against me!

Please read the Welcome message to understand what this Christian blog is all about.

Bob George Ministries

Click here for more Bob George Ministries biblical teaching publications, books, CD and DVDs and Bible studies available for purchase online.