Reconciliation - Day 2

Good to see you again!  Today we are talking about how God was able to bring about a reconciliation between Him and mankind.

Read Romans 3:21-28 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A21-28&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)

Jesus was given the responsibility to come here and live a righteous life and then to die on a cross.  Two things were needed from Jesus in order that we might be reconciled to God.

1. Jesus needed to live a life without ever sinning.  Paul writes in 2 Corinthains 5:21 that Jesus knew NO sin.  That means He lived a righteous life.  There was never a time that He rebelled against God.  He never had a sinful thought, word or even action.  He was righteous. 

We needed Him to live a righteous life because He would transfer our account for His.  Ours is full of debt because of sin and as a result we would never be able to be with Him in heaven.  Our debt is paid in full by Jesus on the cross.  All of God's anger and hostility is put on Jesus because of us.  He took all of our sin, past, present and future upon Himself.  God has to punish sin and Jesus took it for you so you don't have to.  Wow!

2.  He needed to die in our place.  As Paul writes in Romans 5 that one sin judged us all, so one act of righteousness could be a blessing for all.  He died so that we would have life in Him instead of death through Adam.  Death is death physically, spiritually and eternally.  God accepted His sacrifice. We know that because of the resurrection.  In that moment God raised Jesus from the dead God was saying, "I accept the sacrifice that was made for all of mankind through Jesus.  Whoever believes in Him will never die but have eternal life with Him.

Reconciliation was possible because Jesus lived and died for you and me.  That is what we call grace.  We don't deserve the possibility of eternal life but it is available.  It is not something you earn or buy.  Reconciliation is a gift through faith in Jesus.  When you surrender to Him, you and God are no longer enemies but a family.

Tomorrow we will talk more about this family we now become a part of.

As you close:  Pray for our worship services.  Pray that God will touch every heart that attends.  Pray that many find Jesus for the first time.  Pray that many will surrender completely to Jesus.

God Bless.