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Basic
Accounting 2
Corinthians 5:16-21
Greek katallage: “to change from enmity to friendship”
“God
. . . settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us
to settle our relationships with each other.”
— Eugene
Peterson’s The Message from 2 Corinthians 5
BUT REALITY: UNSETTLED RELATIONSHIPS
Native Americans, African-Americans, Southerners, women,
denominations, families, churches, others.
RECONCILIATION: STOPPING THE
MADNESS Ephesians 2:11-22
Racism in the Church — Jews & Gentiles
Wall-Breaking Power — Jesus Himself
Greek apokatallaso: “complete change from enmity to friendship without
any impediment”
Result: One New Body From Two (2:16),
One Holy Temple with Christ the
Cornerstone (2:20-22)
Our National Dilemma
Christ “reconcile[d] to himself all
things, whether things in earth or things in heaven, by making peace
through his blood, shed on the
cross.” —
Colossians 1:20 NIV
“Christ reconciled ALL things to Himself”?
How does God reconcile demonic principalities and powers (“things
in heaven”) to Himself?
Answer:
A PERSON’S RECONCILIATION TO GOD:
Divine visitation or awakening to new life in Christ.
“He is a person who is visited by the love of God and who is thus
awakened to love.” — Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary
of the New Testament, I, 256.
Alternative: judgement, hell.
A NATION’S RECONCILIATION TO GOD:
Divine visitation, revival, or awakening.
Alternative: judgement.
“In Ephesians 2:16, reconciliation to God also brings
reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles, and in Colossians 1:20 the
reconciliation of men to God also carries with it that of
supraterrestrial beings. . . . ‘so that the reconciliation of all
things leads to their subjection to Christ.’” — Gerhard Kittel,
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, I, 259.
THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY!
A Chemical Reaction in the
Spirit world
Somehow in the spiritual world, when reconciliation
happens, something like a chemical reaction occurs. Paul said it
is, indeed, a mystery:
“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Jesus Christ”– Ephesians 3:6 NIV.
Paul's Job: “Make Plain” this
Chemical Reaction “Mystery”
"I became a servant of this gospel . . . to preach to the
Gentiles . . . and to make plain to everyone the administration of this
mystery . . ." – Ephesians 3:8-9
How the Chemical Reaction Takes Place
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom
of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly realms” – Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV.
Through a unified
body (i.e., the church) God’s intent is to make known to the demonic
principalities the manifold wisdom (i.e., the mystery of
reconciliation) of God! Through a reconciled body! Through
reconciliation!
Therefore, the gospel is
preached through the Unity of the Body.
“May they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved
them even as you loved me”
– Jesus in John 17:23
NIV.
The demonstrated unity of the Body of Christ announces the
violent rushing in of God’s Kingdom into the spiritual kingdoms of this
world.
From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of
heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of
it”
– Matthew 11:12 NIV.
CANOPY OF RECONCILIATION
Over a City Opens The Door For God’s
Work
EXAMPLE: PAUL IN CORINTH
Acts 18:9-11
This announcement in a city or region through believers’ demonstration of reconciliation and demolition of racism erects a new canopy or new altar of worship to the Lord Christ.
Result of Reconciliation:
Open Heaven to Approach God
Boldy in Corporate Prayer!
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom
and confidence” – Ephesians 3:12 NIV.
This forced submission of the enemy through reconciliation puts
us in a position to approach the Lord in prayer about our crime rate,
our conversion rate, our unemployment rate, our church growth rate, our
suicide rate, revival, and spiritual awakening.
Therefore, “make every effort
to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There
is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when
you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father
of all, who is over all and through all and in all” – Ephesians
4:3-4 NIV.
Reconciliation and Open Heaven is the purpose of the Five-Fold Ministry
“It was he who gave . . .
apostles, . . . prophets, . . . evangelists, . . . pastors, . . . and
teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” – Ephesians 4:11- 13 NIV.
Conclusion:
Reconciliation
1- creates a demonstration of the presence of God’s kingdom and
2- destroys the hostile wall of racism resulting in
3- the unwilling subjection of demonic principalities to the Lord
Jesus Christ which causes
4- the advancement of the Kingdom of God in bringing
5- an influx of revival, spiritual awakening, and liberation of
captives.
Created July 18,
2003
Updated November 29, 2003