Redemption Brings Reconciliation
As my wife (Anne) and I sat at our morning Prayer on Wednesday the 3rd of April 2019 I was pondering on two words that came into my mind, so I asked the LORD about them. I asked HIM what was the difference between Redemption and Reconciliation. To anyone with a bit of common sense the answer to that seems obvious, One is about Redemption and the other is about Reconciliation. Yet I felt that somehow these two were to go together as a pea does to its pod.
What the LORD showed me was that Redemption was an action of the Cross, but Reconciliation was a Ministry of the Body of CHRIST JESUS. So let's take a look at these two words and see just what the LORD is showing us out of this.
REDEMPTION was an action of the Cross.
We all know that one of the actions of the Victory that our LORD achieved on the Cross was to redeem us back to our original position IN GOD and in this world. Back to what and where we were before sin corrupted Mankind and separated us from our Heavenly FATHER.
But this mornings revelation is something that the LORD is saying to the Church today, and something that I feel quite strongly that I am to set out before the Body of CHRIST JESUS. That Revelation is simply the truth that when our LORD went to the Cross on our behalf, HE opened the door for all of Mankind to be reconciled back to GOD.
Now that is something we all know, but what I feel the LORD is showing us here is that most of HIS Body have forgotten that truth. We, (myself included), have simply grown apathetic about it.
So many of us revel in the joy of the knowledge that we are going to Heaven; But what about the Ministry that our LORD has given to HIS Body? That Ministry is to take others along with us when we go to Heaven.
Can you imagine what it's going to be like when we're in Heaven? Just picture this if you will. The LORD is standing in front of a huge crowd of Saints in Glory, but HE comes down from the elevated dais and approaches you. HE holds out HIS Hand to you and simply says come. With that HE takes you to a large section of the gathered Saints, HE indicates in the direction of that large crowd and says to you, "Do you see these Saints, these are here because of the Works that I gave you to do. Well done good and Faithful servant".
This is the message that our LORD wants me to bring to you; HE wants so much to be able to say those words to each and every one of HIS followers, but unfortunately, there are so many who will fall short of hearing those wonderful words. HE has given to all of us a Ministry called "reconciliation. And that is where so many of us are falling short, (again, myself included).
RECONCILIATION was, and is, a Ministry of the Body of CHRIST JESUS.
2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, AND HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION;
JESUS, our LORD, has died in our place so that we can carry on the Ministry that HE started when HE walked upon this planet. HE started a Ministry of Reconciliation that is set to change the entire structure of this world. In this world, the devil, and those who follow him are out to send every last person on the face of this earth to hell (the lake of fire). We see this truth in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The devil is angry with Mankind because we were created in the Image and the Likeness of GOD, but he wasn't. Glory was given to Mankind when we were created, GOD's own Glory, because we were created to represent HIM. Therefore GOD covered Mankind in HIS Glory, so that all of the things we were meant to rule over would see GOD's Glory on us and bow down in obedience, not to us, but to GOD's Glory.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The devil is angry with Mankind, as the above verse shows, and those of us who have the Testimony of JESUS CHRIST (that HE died for our sins and has set us free from the dominion of satan) have now been given a second chance at being the Rulers that GOD created us to be.
The devil is doing his utmost to keep every last person away from their original purpose, (which was that they were to be the ones who ruled over satan, not to be the ones who are ruled by satan). GOD has searched this planet and called out those whom HE knows will follow HIM. The most wonderful thing has happened to those whom HE has called out, HE has given them the right to be reconciled back to their GOD. But now HE has given to these "Called Out Ones" a task to do, that is to go and do likewise as HE has done. HE has called us out of darkness into HIS Glorious Light, so now we are to go and call others out of Darkness also.
This is called reconciliation. This great gift of life that GOD has given to us is to be shared with every last person that GOD lays upon our hearts. No matter if it is the "Check out Chick" at our local store, or the person who cuts our hair, every last person is who GOD wants in HIS Kingdom. But it is given to us who call upon the name of our LORD JESUS to accomplish this task. JESUS started it, now HE expects that we, HIS Body, will finish the Task HE has started.
HE died so that we who read, study and understand HIS Holy Word would know what the weapons of our Warfare are. HE has given us HIS Word as a two edged sword to cut down the enemy, also HE has given us HIMSELF as our Spiritual Armour so that we are protected against the wiles of the enemy and we battle on.
When we say that JESUS is our Armour we are elaborating on what HE has shown us in Ephesians Chapter six. Let's look at that so we understand better just what protection we have as we do our Spiritual Jobs.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
First in verse 11 we see there is a purpose for us having the Armour of GOD, that we might stand against the wiles of the enemy. The word "wiles" means "trickery, Lies, wiles and travesty". These are the ways the devil tries to get us off track. Then in verse 1 we are told just where it is that we are to do our fighting; in the spirit realm.
Verse 13 reassures us that as we take this armour we will be able to stand. Verses 14 through 17 tell us just what this armour consists of. We stand when we have our inner being surrounded by the belt of truth, and who is the Truth according to John 14:6. JESUS. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We are to have our feet shod with the PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. PLEASE NOTE, we are not just to have peace, we are to have our feet shod with the PREPARATION of the GOSPEL of peace. Having our feet shod is an indication of our going. We are to go fully prepared by the Gospel of peace. Peace is to be the thing that carries us out into the world so that we can share the peace of JESUS. And who is the Gospel of peace? JESUS.
Next, we are to have on the Breastplate of Righteousness. The Breastplate covers our heart, and our hearts are to be righteous. But note, who is our Righteousness according to 2 Corinthians 5:21? For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The answer to that is "JESUS". Then we look at our shield of Faith, so we ask: "who is the author and finisher of our Faith"? JESUS.
Finally, we look at verse 17; the two things we see in this verse are our Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit. The book of Revelation shows us that the Sword of the spirit is the word of GOD. According to the book of John JESUS is the word of GOD, and our Salvation comes from and through JESUS.
Therefore we would ask, who then is the Armour of GOD? The answer is JESUS.
When we are in CHRIST JESUS, doing the things HE has commanded us to do and are going into the whole world and making Disciples, then we are reconciling the lost back to our FATHER GOD, via the Redemptive work of the Cross.
This is Reconciliation wrapped up in the Love wrapping of Redemption, just as tightly as a pea is wrapped up in it's pod.
Don Phillips 07/04/2019