RECONCILIATION
[p. 169] RECONCILIATION
Colossians 1: 19 - 23; Luke 7: 40 - 43; Luke 10: 30 - 37; Luke 15: 11 - 32
I suppose that the great part of those to whom I am speaking have some interest in the communications of God in the Scriptures, and some acquaintance with them. I take that for granted in what I have to say. I want to bring before you now a subject of great interest and importance, and that is reconciliation, and to indicate the steps by which it is effectuated in us. Reconciliation has already been perfectly effected for God, looked at abstractly, but then reconciliation has to be made effectual in regard to us, and indeed in regard to all things. It is more the application of it, than the thing itself, that is, all things have to be brought into reconciliation, but reconciliation is there for them to be brought into, and we are now brought into it. It is a purpose which God has been pleased to make known to us. When the Lord Jesus was here all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Him, and there was a purpose connected with it, and that was “by him to reconcile all things unto himself”. Reconciliation was to be effected by Him. There is another kindred passage, 2 Corinthians 5, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”. I understand the passage to refer to that which was true when the Lord Jesus was here upon earth, We see in Luke 7 that God did not impute trespasses, for in Christ He was reconciling the world unto Himself. Now reconciliation has in a sense been effected in Christ, and whatever work was carried on by the apostles, and whatever work is carried on now, is in principle the continuation of that which began in Christ. In Hebrews 2 we are told that the great salvation began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; so too, reconciliation began in Christ, but the ministry of reconciliation was continued in the apostles,
[p. 170] but specially in Paul. The apostle Paul speaks of himself in that way as one to whom the ministry of reconciliation had been entrusted. He says, “and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation”. Then he goes on to say how he besought men to be reconciled unto God.
Now I want to give you an idea of what reconciliation means. Evidently reconciliation is for God; man comes into it, so does everything, for everything in the universe has been dislocated by sin. Sin has had its effect not only on things on earth but on things in heaven, so that things on earth and things in heaven have to be reconciled. Confusion and alienation have been brought in by lawlessness, and hence all things are to be reconciled. Reconciliation means this, that where distance was, there should be complacency. I do not think anything short of that gives the idea of reconciliation. We have an illustration of it in the case of the prodigal. There had been distance, but there was complacency. He had on the best robe and the ring and the shoes and it is the father who says, “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad”. “Make merry and be glad”, are the marks of complacency, but the point is it was where there had been distance, and I have no doubt that is the principle of reconciliation. It will go on to all things. Wherever there has been moral distance there will be complacency.
Now Christ is the One in whom all this is accomplished. All was dependent on the Son of God becoming man, hence we read, “that God was in Christ”. The thought and purpose of God was that everything was to be taken up in Christ, and hence everything was regarded as on a different footing the moment Christ came in. God was presenting Himself in an entirely different attitude in regard to man. “Reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses”. The secret was that the point of reconciliation was there, Christ was regarded from [p. 171] heaven as the point of complacency. You see that over and over again in the gospels: at His birth, at His baptism, on the mount of transfiguration, again in John 12. He was God’s beloved Son in whom God was well pleased, He was the point of complacency. Hence He was the reconciliation. But then there was another thing, and that was by redemption to remove the distance caused by sin, so that there should be both the distance removed, and a point of reconciliation. That is what has now come to pass, and reconciliation entirely depends upon everything being brought into subjection to Christ; what subsists in Christ is divine complacency in man, the distance removed in the work which Christ accomplished. The prodigal was in a far country, in the place of distance. Christ entered into the distance, but He entered into it according to the righteousness of God to remove it. He was forsaken of God, had real experience of the distance such as no other ever will have; but we read, He “was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father”. All things are to be reconciled by being brought into accord with Christ. That is the divine thought, and it is that which Christ will most surely effect, as He has the power to subdue all things unto Himself. Many are now brought, and many will yet be brought into accord with Christ. Israel and the nations will in a sense be subject. God’s Spirit will be poured out on all flesh, all will be brought into accord with Christ, and in that way all things reconciled. Whether you understand me, or not, I have stated what is of immense importance, that in spite of all that we see in the world, confusion and moral evil, God is carrying out His blessed purpose, and in spite of what men may think or believe the point of reconciliation is there, and, for God, the distance and alienation have been removed in the death of Christ. It is said, “he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Everything has to be reconciled in Him. There is terrific self-assertion at the present time on the part of man, but [p. 172] behind and above all that, God is accomplishing His purpose in Christ, and after all man is only a poor dying being. The beggar and the prince, the rich and the poor, come to one common end. They are gathered together, the grave swallows them all, so wherein is man to be accounted of?
Now I will indicate the way by which reconciliation is reached in regard to us. I do not need to speak about “all things”, because all things, except as a matter of interest, do not concern us immediately. I think you will see it in the three parables I read. They are a group of parables quite peculiar to the gospel of Luke. You will not find any one of them in any other gospel. They accord with the spirit and character of that particular gospel. In that gospel you get the great idea that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them”. The first point in it is the attitude of God toward all men. I believe that to be a matter of the last importance. It is brought out in the parable in Luke 7, “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both”. There are certain things on the part of God which are provisional, and it is by these things man is being tested. When God brings final things to pass testing will all be over. And the attitude of God in regard to the world is in a sense provisional. God is giving opportunity, and the mind of God toward man universally is forgiveness of sins. When the Lord Jesus was here God was not imputing trespasses. The Lord said to a woman, when she was manifestly sinful, “neither do I condemn thee”.
Now the ministry of the apostles was a continuation of that, or rather an advance upon it. They made known to men that forgiveness of sins was in the mind of God, in regard to all men. That is what marks this moment, and is really made known to us in the parable in Luke 7. “When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both”. Many may be indifferent to the mind of God, blind in regard to it, and they do not get the good of it, just as a blind man does not get the light of the sun, but none the less the mind of God at the present moment in regard of all men is forgiveness of sins. I admit it to be provisional, not final, men are being tested by the truth at the present moment. The question is, will men accept Christ as Head? If they do, they get forgiveness of sins. The first principle of reconciliation is that the attitude of God toward man without distinction is forgiveness of sins. The glad tidings are preached to every creature under heaven, the glad tidings are of a risen Christ, in whose name is preached repentance and forgiveness of sins. That is where faith comes in on the part of man.
What I mean is, that man’s faith apprehends the attitude of God made known in testimony. It is set forth in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the faith of man apprehends it, and the history of a soul with God begins when that soul apprehends the attitude of God. Men do not know it naturally, that is certain, they think of God in some different way.
I pass on to the next step, supposing that the attitude of God is apprehended. It comes out in the second parable; and it is a step on our part, that is, it is a question of our appreciation. The point is, that the testimony of God’s grace has reached us in Christ. Now, God could not have Christ to be ignored, for it is He who has become Man, to accomplish redemption, and hence of necessity Christ must be the foremost of men. He is man’s Neighbour. That is, the one who has mercy; Christ is not simply Neighbour to them that believe, but to every man, very near to every man. That Samaritan brought himself near to the man that fell among thieves. He came where the man was, and so Christ has brought Himself in testimony very near. If there be a preacher, the person speaking is not the preacher, Christ is the Preacher. He came preaching. Whatever preaching there is, that is worth anything, is really preaching by the Spirit of Christ. The [p. 174] vessel is nothing. What is the preacher worth? He is simply the vessel of the Spirit, it is Christ who is speaking. The Lord Jesus said: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God”. I bring that forward to prove to you how very near Christ brings Himself at the present time; the second step in reconciliation is the appreciation of Christ. Now, you will remember what the Samaritan did to the man that fell among thieves. There were three things; he bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, then he set him on his own beast, and he took care of him. Now, to give you an idea of what I suppose is intended to be conveyed, I will take up the case of the apostle Paul. There came a moment in the history of Saul when he was very sorely wounded. There had been a time when Saul thought himself a very sound man. He was orthodox to a degree, more zealous than his contemporaries for the traditions of the fathers. He would have given himself credit for rigidity. But a moment came when he was sorely wounded in his self-esteem. He found that his orthodoxy would not do, that Christ was in heaven, and himself an object of mercy. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” That was an expression of mercy, and Saul saw his own heart as he had not seen it before. The Lord healed him, not by patching up his wounds, but in a very efficacious way, by communicating to him of His Spirit. Christ is the great Physician. He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He pours in oil and wine, the gift of the Spirit. Then another thing, “he ... set him on his own beast”. Paul had experience of that. He had buffetings and hunger and thirst, and sometimes things abounding, and sometimes necessity, but be says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me power’. He would not confess to necessity. He says, ‘I can do all things’, he was upheld by the power of Christ; and at the end of his course he said, “The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me”, and “the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom”. I think the apostle had the satisfaction of knowing, not simply that Christ had bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, not simply that he was carried along by the power of Christ, but that the Lord took care of him, that He would deliver him from every evil work, would not commit him to the power of his enemies, but would preserve him to His heavenly kingdom. You can understand what kind of appreciation the apostle had of Christ. He recognised the mercy of Christ, so we find Jude speaking of “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ”. What was seen in regard to Paul was mercy, the mercy of the Lord. He had mercy on Paul from beginning to end. Christ was Neighbour to him, and his one thought in regard of Christ was that he might have Him for gain. He was prepared to be divested of anything that might give him self-distinction — that he might have Christ for gain. That indicates his appreciation of Christ, and then Paul acted like Christ. He went about ministering mercy. He was not always well treated, even at the hands of those who professed to be christians. In spite of that, he knew that Christ was his Neighbour, and had shown him mercy, and took care of him, so he followed the injunction of the Lord Jesus to the lawyer, “Go and do thou likewise”. That is the second step. The way in which I would desire to help you is in the appreciation of Christ as neighbour. He is at your service until He has you with Himself. You do not need to complain of weakness here. You might be able to say with the apostle, “the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work”. I think that might be echoed in many a heart.
Now I come to the third step, and that is seen in the parable in Luke 15 — that is the climax, for we have arrived at a point where the father has complacency in the prodigal — not simply has the prodigal come back to the father, but he is there in such a way as to command the complacency of the father. Reconciliation has in view, not simply that man shall be brought back to God, in appreciation of Christ, but that he shall be set before God in [p. 176] such a fashion as that there might be entire complacency in him. If there were a spot in a man which would not satisfy the eye of God complacency could hardly be there, and in order that it might be in us we have to be according to Christ. That is the idea of reconciliation — that He might “present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”, that our state may be according to God, so that the eye of God may detect nothing unsuitable to Himself. Now if you have appreciation of Christ so as to maintain all that is of Him, your soul will find itself in the atmosphere where Christ abides. Do you remember the two disciples of John asked the Lord, “where dwellest thou?” The Lord said to them, “Come and see”, and they abode with Him that day. They never left Him after that — and I think the Lord would say the same to us. Have you ever raised the question in regard to Christ, “where dwellest thou?” If you appreciated Christ, you would raise that question, because you would desire to be where Christ is. If any one appreciated me they would like to follow me to where I abide. Where do you think Christ abides? I doubt if you will give me the right answer. Some would say in heaven. That is not the answer I would give. It is clear to me that He abides in the love of God, and that is the place where Christ would invite you to abide. If you say, “where dwellest thou?” He will say, “Come and see”, and when you come and see, you will find yourself in the love of God, and if you find yourself in the love of God, the effect will be that holiness will be promoted. Holiness is not by faith but by love. Nothing will promote holiness but the love of God. If you appreciate the One in whom the grace of God has come to you, you will be drawn into the love of God, and the effect will be advance in holiness. I will quote a verse to you which will confirm this. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us”. In that way we are formed by the Spirit of God according to God, so that we may be before God “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”. The [p. 177] prodigal when he was brought back was divested of his rags, and the servants were to clothe him in the best robe, the ring and the shoes, the clothing was to characterise him, so to speak, just as Christ characterises us when we put Him on, and then reconciliation is complete. We are suitable to the eye of the father. That is what God has in view.
I trust you have followed me in these steps. I do not think they are difficult to follow. The order in which the parables are put in Luke is an evidence of the divine character of the word of God. You could not alter the order without spoiling all. The attitude of God toward man must be the first thing, the appreciation of Christ the next, and to be suitable to God, for divine complacency, must be the climax. If you are suitable to God, God will have you in His own habitation. Christ not only brings us to where He dwells, but He makes us conscious of the Father’s love, and if the Father loves us He will have us in due season in His own habitation. Why do people go to heaven? Because God loves them. Why did Israel go into the land of promise? Because God loved them. God will satisfy His love. “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. Christ’s desire is that where He is there we may be also. I do not suppose that we often apprehend things in the order in which they are presented in Scripture, but I think God would have us apprehend them in divine order. I do not much mind how a person is converted, so long as the person is converted, but the time will come in our history when things have to be put in divine order in our souls. The more you have things in divine order the more capable you are of using those things for the benefit of others; and therefore the order in which things are presented in Scripture is of the greatest moment, because it is of the Spirit of God; hence [p. 178] the order of the three parables which I have just brought before you. The great thing is the appreciation of Christ. It is a wonderful thought that He is man’s neighbour, neighbour to the man who is needy, and He proves that He is neighbour in showing mercy. God is rich in mercy, and Christ has come close to man to be neighbour to him who is needy, and it is of all importance that we should appreciate the neighbour. He has come close to us in the mercy of God. As you sit there, and as I stand here, we are being taken care of by Christ. He will never fail to do it till the moment arrives when we shall need no longer care, and then He comes to take us to Himself, that where He is there we may be also.