Note that when Paul urged people to be reconciled to God he was addressing Christians. This may strike us as rather unusual. Are we not taught that Christians are already reconciled to God through Christ? Why then does Paul plead with Christians to be reconciled to God? The answer is that the Corinthian church was so riddled with problems that Paul despaired of many of them being truly Christians. He writes to sinful Christians and urges them to be reconciled to God. Elsewhere he wrote of the danger of believing in vain (1 Cor.15:1-2) and of the need to examine oneself to see whether one is actually in the faith (2 Cor.13:5). When believers live like non believers we must go back to basics. Be reconciled to God, Christians and non Christians.

Consider the plea to be reconciled to God. First, there is a need for reconciliation. You are by nature alienated from God and need to be reconciled to him. Reconciliation is the coming together of two parties after a period of estrangement. When sister argues with sister, or husband with wife, or church with church, there is need for reconciliation. There is need for every human being to be reconciled with God the Creator. By reason of Adam’s fall you have become separated from God. He is the wronged party. You are the wrongdoer. O that each one of us will acknowledge our need to be reconciled to God. We have no peace until we make peace with God.

Secondly, there is way of reconciliation. It is through Jesus Christ. God the Father has made him to be sin for us. The way of reconciliation is through the substitutionary death of Jesus. Here is something very precious. What you could not do, that is, pay the penalty for your sins, God has done by ordaining his Son Jesus to carry the penalty for you. Jesus was punished on your behalf. He knew no sin but for your salvation he took your sins and bore the penalty for them. He is the sinner’s perfect substitute.

Thirdly, there is a plea for reconciliation. The Bible is clear. God uses his people, beginning with his holy apostles and continuing with his gospel preachers to plead on his behalf. Paul says, “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us.” That God should plead with sinners to repent and to be reconciled to him shows that people are not deprived of a free choice. Everyone has freedom of choice. This does not mean freedom of the will, but it does mean God does not violate your freedom to choose. Hence he pleads with us, through his preachers to be reconciled to him. Have you chosen this day who you will serve? Have you chosen to heed God’s gospel of reconciliation and come to him for salvation?

Fourthly, there is a fruit of reconciliation. Paul makes it clear that the result of reconciliation is righteousness before God. Those who are reconciled are deemed to be righteous before God. They are accepted by him and have entered into a living and loving relationship with him through Christ Jesus. It is crucial to know the difference between imputed righteousness and infused righteousness. Imputed righteousness means God sees us as righteous through Christ even though we are not yet perfect. Infused righteousness means God actually makes us perfectly righteous when we believe. The former is what the Bible teaches. The latter is neither taught in the Bible or substantiated by human experience.

Let us this morning heed the plea of Paul and let us be reconciled to God through faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus. There is opportunity today. As I close in prayer I urge you to pray with me. Be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and so become the righteousness of God in him. Please pray with me. Afterwards let me know if you have prayed this closing prayer for reconciliation to God. I will rejoice with you and pray for you. Amen.

(Summary of sermon by David Yan)