ACQUAINTANCE WITH CHRIST AND RECONCILIATION (2)
ACQUAINTANCE WITH CHRIST AND RECONCILIATION (2)
2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
In reconciliation it is that all is for God’s own pleasure; it is from His side. We come under His eye for His satisfaction. Romans 5 only just touches the subject.
God’s righteousness is ministered; this is difficult to illustrate. What if a landlord, instead of receiving rent from the tenant, changes places with him and pays rent to the tenant! The prodigal’s reception is not understood by the elder brother - the good man; the ground of the father’s dealings is the glorified Man Christ Jesus. The more you advance the better you are received, as in Dr. Doddridge’s dream.
God works downwards from Himself, but man seeks to work up - as it were evolution versus devolution All the recent trouble about eternal life was from wanting to work man up. In the gospel it is Christ comes to me - in the church I go to Christ.
In chapter 5:21 sin is gone from the eye of God and Christ subsists - new creation. Do you prefer Christ to Adam? For this we have to depend upon God. God’s feelings towards you, rather than, Are you happy now? is reconciliation, which many conceive to be a change in their own feelings towards God.
In chapter 6 we have the minister: verse 4 is the outside condition, verse 6 the inside condition and [p. 22] verse 8 things from others, opposition, etc., but the minister is superior. Here are ‘orders’ to be taken - we all want the credit of being servants, or wish to be servants. The servant’s path does not brighten towards the end - on the contrary. In Asia Paul did most work, yet “all who are in Asia... have turned away” - his sun set in obscurity. It is not pleasant rest in the evening of your days, but deeper trials rather.
In verse 2, Christ is the One heard and succoured in the passage quoted, but it is for us; as in chapter 3, “the Lord is that Spirit” so here. It is new covenant. If I say, I am not up to this or that, there is succour now for me; I must not cry, “I am undone” as did Isaiah in the presence of His glory, for there is help to be had - succour commensurate with what He received. He is accepted and we have stepped into His acceptance. Otherwise we should be receiving this grace in vain. (Compare 1 Corinthians 15:10, “by the grace of God I am what I am”, etc.) Grace here is on our side,