Efficacious Atonement - Part 5

Reconciliation

March 11, 2001 - Brett Baker

Genesis 3:1-24

v      The atonement of Christ was successful in accomplishing five things:

þ      Justification -         Although previously found guilty, now declared righteous before the law.

þ      Propitiation -         To appease God and turn aside His wrath.

þ      Redemption -         The payment of a ransom to secure the freedom of those whom the Father gave to the Son.

þ      Crucifixion -                 To put to death on a cross.

o      Reconciliation -       The establishment of peace where there once was hostility.

v      Introduction & Review

As we have studied these five tenets of Christian theology it has been very clear how central they are.  If we are confused or mislead on any of these points then we misunderstand a significant portion of the Scriptures and our own salvation.  These truths represent the headwaters of Christian doctrines and error at this point means abundant error downstream.  Today we will consider the last of the “fruits” of the atonement of our Lord—reconciliation.  In order to understand this last attribute, we must look at the beginning of humanity.

v      Reconciliation

It began with the fall of Adam

¨       In the garden we see the deception of Eve and the rebellion of Adam.  Adam had been given the command to not eat of the tree and his actions were in direct disobedience to God.  The result of this disobedience was that He and Eve would be banished from the garden and therefore from the tender presence of the Lord.  Adam became an enemy of God and the paradigm for humanity.

The fall of Adam meant the fall of the human race.  Romans 5:12-13

¨       Adam’s fall was itself also efficacious.  All of those who inherit the nature of Adam fell with him and are enemies of God as well.  Note that our condition before God is that of an enemy—there is no ground of neutrality.

The descendants of Adam are by nature enemies of God and objects of His wrath.  Colossians 1:19-23; Romans 5:6-11

¨       There is no escaping the separation between humanity and God.  But our separation from Him produced more than a banishment from His presence—the Sons of Adam are the objects of His wrath.

Jesus Christ came as the last Adam to proclaim reconciliation through His atonement.  Romans 5:16-19; 1-5; Eph. 2:14-18

¨       Just as through the first Adam we became separated from God and therefore His enemies, the Last Adam has accomplished the work of reconciliation which unites us to the Father through Christ by means of justification.  The result of being justified is the establishment of peace.

¨       In His mercy, God has gone even well beyond the establishment of peace.  We have also been brought into the household of God such that we are able now to call Him Father and refer to the Lord Jesus Christ as our Brother.  Even further, as part of this family we have been given an eternal inheritance sharing in the dominion of our Brother.  We have been given the promise of the resurrection and the redemption of our bodies.  Finally, we have been given the promise of glorification where we will be made spotless and blameless forever and will dwell in His presence forever.

The ministry of reconciliation is now proclaimed by the Church.  2 Corinthians 5:17-21

¨       It is this glorious message that Christ has commissioned the Church to proclaim.  God, in His wisdom, has seen fit to entrust the declaration of the message of reconciliation to the Church.  As she by faith declares the gospel of the Atonement and the accomplishments contained therein, God is pleased to reveal His grace in the Elect so that we might know the riches of His mercy.

¨       It is a travesty that the Church cowers before the world.  We have been entrusted with a message of goodness and peace made possible by work already completed.  There is no question about whether our message is true or not or whether Christ will actually be able to secure the Atonement.  We are proclaiming a message about work already accomplished.  The world will proclaim its hatred of God without embarrassment and yet the Church is hesitant to make these truths known.  Pray that God would grant us clarity of doctrine and boldness of purpose.

This reconciliation is made evident by holiness.  Colossians 1:21-23

¨       Not only does the reconciliation granted by God have eternal, spiritual implications, but because this reconciliation was made so that He might present us spotless and blameless, we should see evidence of this sanctification in our personal holiness.

¨       As we have considered throughout this series, these fruits of the atonement are efficacious in that they actually atone and have effect in the lives of the Elect.  We should live with the expectations of fruitfulness and should consider faithlessness to be indicative of the fact that God has not begun a work.  Where God does begin this work, it produces the fruit of righteousness. 


Questions for Younger Saints

Efficacious Atonement - Part 5

Reconciliation

Read Colossians 1:19-23

1) Reconciliation is where those who were once enemies become peaceful friends.  From the verses you read, who are the enemies of God? (verse 21)

 

 

 

 

2) What caused the problem between God and His enemies? (verse 21)

 

 

 

 

3) How did God make peace with His enemies? (verses 19-20)

 

 

 

 

4) Now that God has made peace and made us His children whom He loves, how should His children live their lives? (verse 23)