[Roundtable] God was In Christ

[Jefferis Peterson]

"that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19, RSV.


I've been thinking about this phrase this past week as the Lord opened my
eyes and gave me some revelation into it. If I may say it another way:
God was in Christ, reconciling the whole world to himself not counting our
trespasses against us...

As we have been studying Jeremiah, I have been depressed about the state of
our nation and its similarity to Judah of Jeremiah's day. I've been upset
about the political blindness and self centeredness, even the stupidity that
won't try to prevent illegals from smuggling nuclear weapons or biochemical
agents across our borders. And I've been upset by the compromise of the
republicans and by the negativity and complaining of the democrats who are
against everything and pointing figures of blame at all opponents, but who
are FOR absolutely nothing coherent themselves.

But this week I caught a glimpse of God.

We tend to want justice and righteousness and vindication of the good, but
that isn't God's concern. In his eyes, justice has already been served, the
punishment for every evil deed has already been meted out, the penalty has
been paid, and the accounts are already settled. Every evil the politicians
or the Islamists or the Jews or the Christians or the corporate thieves or
the Church does - God has already executed justice and judgment upon it. He
put his own Son to death for those crimes. His justice has been satisfied,
and the price has been paid. God has gotten even with sin!
God is not interested in earthly justice or settling scores; he is
interested in being reconciled to his enemies and saving them. Yes, he is
still angry at the unearthly powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness who
inspire evil deeds, but he is not keeping track of the sins of people. That
is not his major concern. Christ died for every last sin. God is not
counting sins. He is not keeping track of them. He is NOT paying attention
to them. His only concern is reaching the lost and reaching out to them to
save them. 
 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also
for the sins of the whole world,"- (1Jo 2:2). Every sin has already been
atoned. Every wickedness was foreseen and punished on the Cross.

So this is so hard for me to grasp, but God is not keeping track of the sins
of homosexuality. or abortion. or rape, or murder, or abuse or of those who
advocate for immoral policies and lawlessness. Oh yes, these sins still
cause pain and still have consequences, sometimes bringing moral and
spiritual as well as physical destruction, but God is not counting the sins
of the advocates for sexual sin, nor is he keeping track of the persecution
of his church. He wants to redeem those under the darkness of those demonic
power and bring them into the light of his presence. His whole motivation is
his great love for fallen humanity and to rescue them from their lostness
under the powers of this age.
 
God was in Christ, reconciling himself to us. And he has sent us out as
ambassadors of this great love.
I had to pray to the Lord to give me his kind of love for his enemies; to
give me his overwhelming compassion so that all I care about is their
salvation, not about their sins. I prayed to see these lost and estranged
enemies with his eyes and through his heart of compassion, that I may
minister to them, not his judgments but his sacrificial love.

Certainly to see things his way is not natural to me. I want justice in the
political sphere, but my justice and his are far different. I want just
laws, but he wants an end to the motives of sin in the human heart. And he
knows the only way that is possible is if his enemies are reconciled to him.

What does it mean that he is not counting the trespasses? It means judgment
is the furthest thing from his mind:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent
to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen
gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!" -  Lu 13:34

Yes there is a consequence for rebellion, rejection, and refusing to be
reconciled to God, but God is not counting that sin either. Every sin that
was, is, or ever will be has been executed on the Cross of Christ.  He
already got even with us for our sins.  Now it does not count.

So what should our attitude be towards sinful man and sinful laws? Because
there is still a restraining function of the law to protect the weak and the
innocent, there is a point to doing what we can to establish temporal
justice. But our motive towards our enemies should be not merely to seek
political victory or legal justice, but an overwhelming desire to see these
people reconciled to Jesus Christ - and we should be not counting their sins
against them. 
That means, it may not be helpful to my spirit to watch the nightly news or
listen to Rush Limbaugh, or watch either Fox News or CNN, whose advocacies
for partisan causes stir the blood and foment either anger or fear; or whose
focus on every injustice causes the in us desire for vengeance or resort to
force of arms. These things distract from the cause for which Christ died.
I'm not saying we should be ignorant of these things, but only that we
should give a passing glance to the Goliaths of the land, and fix our gaze
upon God and his beauty, and by our rapt attention, be conformed to his
image so that we may reflect his glory, his love and his compassions.

God is not counting the sins of CNN or Schumer or Kennedy or Barney Frank or
Bush or Cheney or Rove or Fox, but God was in Christ reconciling himself to
them.... 

In Jesus,
Jeff 


~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jefferis Peterson, Pres.
Web Design and Marketing
http://www.PetersonSales.com