Importance Of Moral Reconciliation

TRACT 36 TRUE RECONCILIATION

There are strained relations and sometimes hatred between people in our society: between man and wife, parents and children, different social and ethnic groups, members of different political parties, school teachers and pupils and employers and employees.

Unfortunately, the focus is on man’s relationship with man, but until a right relationship exists between man and God, then there can never be peace.

Romans 5:10 says: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

In this verse, there are four explicit truths outlined:

1) The persons reconciled – ‘were enemies’.

2) The means by which reconciliation is effected – ‘by

4) The power which brings reconciliation – ‘saved in his life’.

The Bible’s teaching regarding reconciliation is that God produces in us (not in Himself), a thorough change from enmity (we were enemies of God) and unbelief to faith and love; hence God’s purpose in the death of Christ was not only to bring men to Himself, but to bring men to each other.

Therefore, we read the effect of faith in Christ is to break down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles. Ephesians 2:16 says: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

This applies to the relationship between Aborigines or indigenous and ‘White Australians’. Both need the Lord Jesus Christ to take away their sins, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) before true reconciliation can take

For example, the Anglican 39 Articles at article X on freewill says: The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God. And so say all the creeds of Christian Churches like the Baptist (1689), Presbyterian (Westminster), Congregational (Savoy), Lutheran etc.

Martin Luther, the 16th century Reformer and founder of the Lutheran Church saw the rise of freewill notions via Erasmus as a menace to the grace of God in the Gospel. He refuted this ungodly view in his book “On The Bondage Of The Will”.

The 19th century Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, treated freewill notions with disdain, noting that the word ‘freewill’ only occurs a handful of times in the Old Testament in connection with freewill offerings.

Friend, if someone from the Church or in a gospel meeting or an evangelistic rally has told you that you have a freewill then FORGET IT. All unconverted people are in bondage. Jesus said, ‘No-one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him’ Do not listen to a lie. Flee to God, asking for mercy, seeking salvation and forgiveness