Reconciliation: From Enemies to Beloved Children in Christ

Summary

In Romans 5:10, we encounter a profound truth about our relationship with God. This verse encapsulates the essence of the gospel, highlighting the transformative power of Christ's death and resurrection. When we were enemies of God, He reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son. This reconciliation is not merely a change in our attitude towards God but a fundamental shift in our standing before Him. It is an objective change in our relationship, initiated by God, where His wrath is no longer upon us, and we are no longer seen as enemies.

The Apostle Paul emphasizes the logic of salvation, arguing from the greater to the lesser. If God has already accomplished the greater task of reconciling us while we were His enemies, how much more will He ensure our final salvation now that we are reconciled? This assurance is rooted in the life of Christ. We are saved in His life, meaning that our salvation is secure because we are now in Christ, drawing life and strength from Him.

The death of Christ was necessary because of God's justice. God's love and justice are not opposing forces but work together in harmony. The cross is where God's justice and love meet, providing a way for us to be reconciled to Him without compromising His righteousness. This reconciliation is not just a past event but a present reality, as we are now in the life of Christ, eternally secure and assured of our salvation.

Key Takeaways:

- Reconciliation with God: Our reconciliation with God is an objective change in our relationship, initiated by God through the death of His Son. It is not merely a change in our attitude but a profound shift in how God views us, moving from enemies to beloved children. [12:16]

- The Logic of Salvation: Paul uses a logical argument to assure us of our salvation. If God has already done the greater work of reconciling us while we were enemies, He will certainly complete the lesser task of ensuring our final salvation now that we are reconciled. [06:16]

- The Necessity of Christ's Death: The death of Christ was essential because of God's justice. God's love and justice are not separate; they work together in the cross, where God's justice is satisfied, and His love is demonstrated. [29:18]

- Security in Christ's Life: Our salvation is secure because we are now in the life of Christ. Being in Christ means we are eternally safe, drawing life and strength from Him, and assured of our final salvation. [36:29]

- God's Indivisible Nature: God's attributes of love and justice are indivisible. He acts as a whole, and the cross is the ultimate expression of His character, where His justice and love are perfectly displayed. [30:17]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Introduction to Romans 5:10
- [00:35] - The Greatness of the Theme
- [01:15] - Assurance of Salvation
- [02:16] - The Love of God
- [03:12] - Logic and Salvation
- [04:10] - Analyzing the Argument
- [06:16] - The Greater and Lesser Argument
- [07:18] - Our State as Enemies
- [12:16] - Reconciliation Explained
- [14:47] - God's Attitude Towards Us
- [20:18] - The Role of Christ's Death
- [29:18] - The Necessity of the Cross
- [36:29] - Saved in Christ's Life
- [42:48] - Our Security in Christ

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Romans 5:10
- 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
- John 3:16

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Romans 5:10 reveal about our initial relationship with God and how it changes through Christ? [00:15]
2. How does the sermon describe the concept of reconciliation with God? What is the significance of this reconciliation being initiated by God? [12:16]
3. According to the sermon, what role does the death of Christ play in our reconciliation with God? [24:00]
4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between God's love and justice as demonstrated on the cross? [30:17]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our reconciliation with God is more than just a change in our attitude? How does this affect our understanding of salvation? [14:47]
2. How does the sermon use the logic of "greater to lesser" to assure believers of their final salvation? What does this imply about God's commitment to us? [06:16]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the necessity of Christ's death in relation to God's justice? How does this shape our view of the cross? [29:18]
4. How does the sermon describe the security we have in Christ's life? What does it mean to be "saved in His life"? [36:29]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How does understanding reconciliation as an objective change initiated by God impact your view of that experience? [12:16]
2. The sermon emphasizes the assurance of salvation through the logic of "greater to lesser." How can this assurance influence your daily life and decisions? [06:16]
3. Consider the balance of God's love and justice as presented in the sermon. How can this understanding help you navigate situations where you feel wronged or need to forgive others? [30:17]
4. The sermon highlights the necessity of Christ's death for our reconciliation. How does this deepen your appreciation for the sacrifice of Jesus, and how might it affect your worship or prayer life? [29:18]
5. Being "saved in Christ's life" suggests a continuous relationship with Him. What are some practical ways you can draw life and strength from Christ in your current circumstances? [36:29]
6. How can the understanding that God's wrath is no longer upon us change the way you approach God in prayer and worship? [23:23]
7. The sermon discusses the indivisible nature of God's attributes. How can this understanding help you trust God more fully in times of uncertainty or difficulty? [30:17]

Devotional

Day 1: Reconciliation Transforms Our Relationship with God
Our reconciliation with God is not just a change in our attitude but a profound shift in how God views us. Through the death of His Son, God initiated an objective change in our relationship, moving us from being His enemies to becoming His beloved children. This transformation is a testament to the power of Christ's death and resurrection, which reconciles us to God and removes His wrath from us. It is a divine act that changes our standing before God, ensuring that we are no longer seen as adversaries but as part of His family. [12:16]

Colossians 1:21-22 (ESV): "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him."

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt distant from God. How does understanding your reconciliation with Him change your perspective on that experience today?

Day 2: Assurance Through the Logic of Salvation
The Apostle Paul presents a logical argument to assure us of our salvation. He reasons that if God has already accomplished the greater task of reconciling us while we were His enemies, He will certainly complete the lesser task of ensuring our final salvation now that we are reconciled. This assurance is rooted in the life of Christ, as we are saved in His life, drawing life and strength from Him. Our salvation is secure because we are now in Christ, and this logical progression offers us confidence in our eternal security. [06:16]

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you struggle to trust God's promises. How can the logic of salvation help you find assurance in His faithfulness today?

Day 3: The Cross as the Intersection of Love and Justice
The death of Christ was essential because of God's justice. God's love and justice are not separate; they work together in harmony at the cross, where His justice is satisfied, and His love is demonstrated. The cross is the ultimate expression of God's character, where His justice and love are perfectly displayed. This reconciliation is not just a past event but a present reality, as we are now in the life of Christ, eternally secure and assured of our salvation. [29:18]

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV): "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."

Reflection: Think about a time when you felt unworthy of God's love. How does the understanding of the cross as the intersection of love and justice change your view of God's love for you?

Day 4: Security in the Life of Christ
Our salvation is secure because we are now in the life of Christ. Being in Christ means we are eternally safe, drawing life and strength from Him, and assured of our final salvation. This security is not based on our efforts but on the life of Christ, which sustains us and guarantees our eternal future. As we live in Christ, we are empowered by His life, which provides us with the assurance and strength we need to navigate our spiritual journey. [36:29]

John 10:28-29 (ESV): "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel insecure. How can you draw strength from the life of Christ to find security in that area today?

Day 5: God's Indivisible Nature of Love and Justice
God's attributes of love and justice are indivisible. He acts as a whole, and the cross is the ultimate expression of His character, where His justice and love are perfectly displayed. This understanding of God's nature helps us see that His actions are always consistent with His character. The cross is not just a demonstration of love or justice but a harmonious expression of both, providing a way for us to be reconciled to Him without compromising His righteousness. [30:17]

Psalm 85:10 (ESV): "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you have struggled to balance love and justice. How can you apply the understanding of God's indivisible nature to that situation today?

Quotes

"Now here we come to one of these great and glorious and resounding statements which are to be found scattered with such profusion in the writings of this particular apostle. We indicated last Friday evening that actually the Apostle Yana is in a sense just repeating what he's already laid down as a proposition in verse 9 but he does it in such a way and with such elaboration and with such additional detail that one is not conscious of the repetition when thanks God that he said it again and said it's still more magnificently." [00:40:43]

"Whatever one may ever be given to say about the love of God to us in Christ Jesus there's always something much better to be said and when you've said that there's still another it is the theme of the Angels in glory it is the anthem the song of all the redeemed it is the thing that will occupy us throughout eternity but you know we are able to look at it together this evening." [01:10:67]

"The Apostle is anxious that we should all have assurance of salvation that should be clear and certain about the finality of our salvation that we should know that if we are justified by faith well then we are eternally safe that's his argument and he's been developing the argument as we've been seeing and it's brought him to this peculiar particular question of the love of God and our realization of it." [02:36:91]

"Now what does he mean by saying when we were enemies a most important statement this and the most significant one and we must be very careful that we attach the right meaning to it what does it mean then to say when we were enemies it does he mean that when we were in a state of enmity against God does he mean that well he does include it but if we think that that is all that he means then I suggest we are missing the point of his argument altogether." [07:40:41]

"Reconciliation again means primarily a change in the relationship existing between God and men and men and God in other words it involves and implies and I say this deliberately and reverently our change in God's attitude towards us before it leads to a change in our attitude towards God now that's the whole point reconciliation does not only apply to us and what happens within us it starts with God's attitude towards us." [14:16:36]

"God was in and through Christ reconciling the world unto himself how did he do that well this is how he did it, not imputing their trespasses unto them that so he doesn't strict law demands that God should impute our trespasses to us we have sinned against God we've broken the law and the Lord amends injustice that hits that it's verdict and it's condemnation should be carried out." [19:39:19]

"Now in other words we must regard this question of reconciliation in an objective manner we must realize that it starts by something that God has done in order that he may not impute it our trespasses to it and in order that he may not treat us any longer as enemy that's the first thing that was essential so it is something on the god word side not on the men word side the man word side follows it is only after God has done this that man is brought to see it and then his attitude changes and he rejoices in it." [21:00:50]

"God has so loved us though we were enemies that his even sent His only Son his only begotten Son his well o beloved son even to death and even the death of the cross for us you see the argument and again we speak with reverence and deliberately there is nothing more that evil God can do than this but he's done it I say the argument is from the greater to the lesser if you like I should have said it's from the greatest to the lesser even God can do nothing beyond this he has given he has sent His only begotten Son." [24:32:97]

"God is one and God is indivisible and God always acts as a whole you mustn't put the love of God against the justice God acts always as a whole he always acts in love he always at the same time acts in justice and you must never say that God's love acts apart from his justice or apart from his righteousness neither must you say that his justice and righteousness act apart from his love God acts as God and you must never put a wedge between these different attributes of his holy and eternal being." [30:14:37]

"Though we were in this state of enmity God has found a way of forgiving us and of loving us freely and of reconciling us unto himself and yet his glorious character and being remain undisturbed his justice shines out as gloriously as it has ever done and so does the love all the attributes are displayed in the divine perfection in that act which took place on Calvary's hell that's what he say it is God's Way of reconciling us it is the only way whereby we can be reconciled unto God." [32:10:36]

"Much more shall we be saved in his life but not only that you see we are literally joined to him we are in him we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones that's why I took the trouble to correct his translation much more shall we be saved by his life yes that's true but he goes beyond that much more shall we be saved in his life in it we are in his life we are engrafted into Christ we are the body of Christ ye are the body of Christ and members in particular of his flesh and of his bones." [42:52:35]

"Now in the life of Christ and because we are in the life of Christ we are eternally safe we are eternally secure very well there is the mightiest argument you've ever heard in your life and you'll never hear a greater one for it while when we were enemies we were reconciled into God by the death of his son how much more having been reconciled we shall be saved in his life he's in heaven yes says Paul to the Ephesians we having been quickened with him and having been raised with hidden are now seated with him in the heavenly places." [44:40:54]

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Transcript

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