Advent Week 3; God and Sinners Reconciled

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.” Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With th’angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem.” Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

If Jesus came to earth as a baby to reconcile us to God, then there had to have been a state of estrangement between us and God. Ephesians 2:3 says that we were by nature children of wrath. And Ephesians 2:12 says, “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” We were separated, alienated, estranged, and had no hope. Reconciliation is the message that there was separation and enmity between God and us caused by our sinful state but because of who Christ is and what He did for us, we now are at peace with God and have security in our restored relationship with Him.

We see this truth as Ephesians chapter 2 continues. The passage goes on to say, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

In Christ, we go from being alienated to being in his family. We move from slavery to our flesh to freedom to serve Christ (Romans 6:20-22). In Christ we are dead to sin (Romans 6:11), spiritually alive (Romans 6:11, 1 Corinthians 15:22), forgiven (Colossians 2:13, 1 John 2:12), declared righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21), God’s possession (Titus 2:14), an heir of God (Romans 8:17), blessed with all spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3), a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20), free from the law (Romans 8:2), crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), free from the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:24), declared blameless and innocent (Philippians 2:15). And Scripture goes on and on with all the truth’s of our position in Christ. In Christ, we are right with God. In Christ, we have been reconciled to God. It is because of Christ’s perfect life, blood atonement for our sins, and resurrection that we have this positional standing before God. And we can start this beautiful, redemptive story at the manger.

Christ by highest heav'n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

The incarnate Deity humbled himself in the earth so that we could be reconciled to God. Our reconciliation with God is as secure as who Christ is. This is true not because of our working but because of our gracious Savior’s working. And that is a truth to rejoice in this Christmas season.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).