Reconciled Through Jesus Christ

MEMORY SELECTION: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:1-11

IN OUR previous lesson we saw how Jesus gave himself as a willing sacrifice to take Adam’s place in death and thereby provided for the releasing of Adam and all of his progeny from condemnation and death. In the first two verses of the fifth chapter of Romans the Apostle Paul explains the effect of the ransom price provided by Jesus: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith unto this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

The word “peace” in the Greek carries the thought of being set at one, or being reconciled. And so the thought is that the estrangement caused by Adam’s disobedience has now been rectified by the blood, or the merit, of Christ that has been applied on behalf of those who believe. This privilege of being reconciled to God in this present time is not extended to all. It is given only to those who are truly endeavoring to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Reconciling the remainder of the world of mankind to God is the work of the next age.

The Apostle Paul emphasizes the two salvations or arrangements whereby reconciliation to God is to be accomplished, in II Timothy 1:9,10, where he says that “God … hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”

To understand what the Apostle Paul is really saying in this text we must define the difference between life and immortality. Immortal life is deathproof; it is not dependent upon outside sources to exist; it is life within itself. On the other hand, any other life is dependent on outside sources and is not deathproof—even one possessing eternal life, not immortal, is dependent upon outside sources, and therefore death could be a possibility.

The Gospel, according to the dictionary, is good news, and the Apostle Paul associates the good news with God’s promise to Abraham, saying, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8) The original promise to Abraham recorded in Genesis 22:15-18 emphasizes the fact that it was to be Abraham’s seed that would be used to bless all the families of the earth. And in Galatians 3:16 the apostle identifies the promised seed of blessing as Christ, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

The word Christ is the English translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means Anointed. The word anointed is associated with the pouring of oil upon a person, thereby consecrating him to God. Kings and priests were anointed on taking office. In a like manner, Jesus Christ as a King and Priest is spoken of as being the Messiah or the Anointed. (Acts 4:27) In I Corinthians 12:12,14 the apostle really identifies The Christ as being made up of many members and he compares The Christ to the human body, that is a single unit and yet composed of many members. And so in Galatians 3:27-29 the apostle explains that Christ is composed of many members, but in addition he states that these members are part of the seed of Abraham which will bless all the families of the earth.

This is the “holy calling” referred to in II Timothy 1:9, and is that arrangement of God according to his own purpose and grace which was expressed in his promise to Abraham.

The opportunity for the world to gain life, which was also brought to light through the Gospel, (II Tim. 1:10), will be during the kingdom, or the times of restitution. It is during this time, when the dead will be resurrected and Satan will be bound, that under very favorable circumstances the people will be expected to learn obedience. Those who are obedient will live and be reconciled to God. Those who do not learn obedience will be cut off from among the people.—Acts 3:19-26; 4:1,2; Rev. 20:1,2

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