Act of Reconciliation on the Cross
Bro. Ravi Jesupaul

The great man of God, Bakht Singh, was once asked what aspect of the gospel he stressed when preaching to those of other faiths. Did he preach the love of God? He replied, “No. The human mind is so polluted that if you talk about love it immediately thinks of sex.” Did he talk about the wrath of God? “No. Indians believe that all the gods are angry. An extra one makes no difference.” He was then asked what his main message was. “I preach the forgiveness of sins. That is what all of us deep down inside are longing for.”

Forgiving is the kernel of Christianity and unique to Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord has not, just forgiven our sins; He has forgotten all our iniquities, sins, short comings, insincerities (Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 38:17) and made us reconciled with the Lord Almighty.

The Bible says, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son. (Romans 5:10)

The reconciliation through Jesus can be viewed in three dimensions.

The first dimension is upward, Reconciliation with God.

The Bible says, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. Colossians 1:20, 21, 22

We were definitely enemies for God earlier. Without Holiness, no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). Lord Jesus reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you and I holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. What a privilege to be a child of God.

Having no reconciliation experience with God through Jesus Christ, we have no portion with God. We will be left out, when the Lord comes as King in the sky.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Psalms 2:12

Anyone in this morning, who has not reconciled with God, Jesus is calling you. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation Hebrews 2:3.

The second dimension is horizontal. Reconciliation with man.

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Mathew 5:23, 24.

Cross is always in two directions. One is upwards with God and another is horizontal with men.

Here are some of Paul’s valuable instructions to the us. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13

Lord’s Prayer says, And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Mathew: 6:12. Jesus continued in 14th word, If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15th But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

One of the pretty serious commands, eventually, many Christians don’t have knowledge about this, OR, they don’t take it serious.

Many says, I have already forgiven the sins against me, But I could not forget those sins. You know, how much I was wounded, how much I suffered loss.

Reconciliation is not just forgiving the sins which others committed against us and also forgetting them. As if they have not done anything against us. This is what Lord has done for us.

In Mathew 18, Peter came to Lord and asked an interesting question. “21Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Lord therefore, narrated an interesting story.

A certain servant borrowed Ten Thousands Talents from the King. According to Answers.com, this sum is equivalent to Two Hundred Fifty Million dollars US (250 M$ ~ Rs. 1250 Cr). King asked the servant to repay back the money. When he couldn’t pay back the debt, the servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. The servant would have been very happy indeed.

On the way back home, the same servant found one of his fellow servants who owed him only hundred denarii. According to Answers.com, this sum is equivalent to just two thousand dollars US (2000$ ~ 1 Lakh). And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’. So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt (of 250 M$), because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.

Lord cancelled all the sins of us, as the King did for his servant. Lord expects the same fair treatment between fellow men too, from us. If not, the bible says, God will not forgive our sins too.

In Luke 17, Lord said “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. “

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. Luke 17:3-6

The disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith to forgive the brother. Is it unbelievable? But it’s true. Many people are having bitterness, grudges, unhealed wounds, revenging rage, as sycamine tree, against their brothers in their hearts.

It’s the time to ask the Lord to increase our faith to pluck out the bitter tree out of our hearts. This tree of bitterness is blocking the blessings in many lives. Many become sick and some even slept (I Corinthians 11:27-31), as they are insulting the Body of Christ with their unworthiness, to be one in the body of Christ, while they are partaking in the Holy Communion without reconciling with fellow brothers.

In particular, oneness should be maintained at home between the husband & wife, at any cost. Few Christian couples are maintaining outward Christian life, without proper peace with the spouse. It’s nothing but dichotomy. They are “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (II Timothy 3:5). I would sincerely advice the Christian couples to have perfect peace at home. Lord can stay in the home, where there is peace and perfect cohesion.

Let us take this command very serious. Let us forgive others and reconcile with them, so that the Lord can do the same for us.

The third dimension is in “Z” direction, Reconciling the society with God.

The Paul says in II Corinthians 5, 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The effective ministry of reconciliation is through Prayer. Our Lord Jesus Christ was enduring the pains of crucifixion; the executioners had just then driven the nails through His hands and feet. He must have been, moreover, brought into a condition of extreme weakness by the agony of the night in Gethsemane, and by the scourging and cruel mocking, which He had endured all through the morning. Yet neither the weakness of the past, nor the pain of the present, could prevent Him from continuing in prayer. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34.

The Lamb of God was silent to men, but He was not silent to God. Dumb as a sheep before her shearers, but He continues in His heart crying unto His Father, and no pain and no weakness can silence His holy supplications. What an example our Lord herein sets to us!

As ambassadors for Christ, we are called to stand in the gap between the God and the people. See many God’s servants in the bible; like Abraham, Moses, Nehemiah, Ezra, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They were all standing in the Gap, pleading unto the Lord to forgive the sins of the people and the nation.

Have you ever had an experience of pleading to the Lord to forgive the sins of people? Has anything happened in your city and your country affected you and made you to cry out to the Lord to forgive them.

Let us continue in prayer so long as our heart beats.

Secondly, The Lord has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore (plead) you (gentiles) you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Using the word of reconciliation, Is not our responsibility to plead unto the people, on behalf of Jesus, to reconcile with God. Is not this ministry entrusted on every one of us?

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14,15

Friends, “Reconciliation” what powerful word.

If not the reconciliation with God, I have no hope of reaching God.
If not the reconciliation with men, I have no hope of forgiveness by Lord.
If not the reconciling with God, people have no hope of eternity.