AN IN-WORKING RECONCILIATION
"And having made peace
through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself;
by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And
you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to
present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight." [Colossians
1:20-22].
It is the declared purpose
of God, that He shall ultimately "gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him."
[Ephesians 1:10].
The words "gather together"
come from the Greek word "anakephalaioo" and means: to bring back to and
gather round the main point. The compound preposition "ana" signifies "
AGAIN ." Thus pointing back to a previous condition where no separation
existed, and to which we are being restored. Paul is clearly stating that
God contemplates a RE-GATHERING, a restoration to that former condition when
all things were in perfect harmony, perfect unity.
The questions are
rightfully asked: "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ
with Belial?" [2 Corinthians 6:14-15].
If there is going to be an
INNER STATE of harmony, as we are joined in a covenant relationship with our
Lord, "to live and breathe as one," then it is obvious that there is a need
for a tremendous work of reconciliation, so that there will be no internal
opposing forces. ONENESS is the pre-requisite! Therefore, HE who is even now
UPHOLDING ALL THINGS by the word of His power, is also "the propitiation for
our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
[1 John 2:2].
Before we become too
starry-eyed, gazing out to the far yonder of the ages to come, when all
things will be reconciled, and there is only glory everywhere, we need to
have a PERSONAL INWORKING of this reconciliation now. There has to be more
than just enjoying a beautiful meeting, with joy and blessing lifting us
upward for an hour, and then find that as we return to our homes we are
again depressed, with an inner unrest, while passions rage, and we begin to
ask ― if I am so spiritual, why am I thus? Indeed, we find identification
with David, when he said, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? why art thou
disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the
help of His countenance." [Psalm 42:5].
The tempter made his pitch,
Adam and Eve bought it, and reached out to partake of the fruit of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil. In due time God said to the serpent, "I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed..." [Genesis 3:15]. Enmity ― hatred, hostility, to be an enemy, one
in opposition to. A conflict that certainly continues to this day.
Furthermore, having
partaken of this realm of the knowledge of good and evil, we have produced
this inner DUALITY, which produces inner conflict and hostility. Only in the
outworking of a complete reconciliation will there be an end to this
conflict, a restoration into wholeness and oneness, where all is at peace.
"Abraham made a great feast
the day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham,
Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not
be heir with my son, even with Isaac." [Genesis 21:8-10].
Paul explains that all of
this serves an allegory of greater things. "But as then he that was born
after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is
now." [Galatians 4:29].
"For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
[Galatians 5:17].
Indeed, "Know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will. be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God." [James 4:4].
"Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." [Romans
8:7-8].
Thus Paul came to the
conclusion, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good
thing." [Romans 7:18].
So what is our first answer
to the problem? "CAST OUT the bondwoman and her son." This is usually our
first answer when the hostility becomes too severe. Either we try to CAST
OUT the cause of the problem, or else, just try and walk away from it,
ignore it, get away from it as best you can. We are ready to make a
division, cut it off, have a separation, CAST IT OUT!
"They went out from us, but
they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have
continued with us." [1 John 2:19].
In this walk of progression
with our Lord, going from faith to faith, being changed from glory to glory,
until we shall truly, and fully express HIS LIFE, there does come a time
when you no longer have to GO OUT. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar
in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." [Revelation 3:12]. If
there still isn't harmony in our midst, they will go out from us, because
they are not of us, but we will not have to go out from them. There comes
that experience where we begin to STAND FAST IN THE LORD, and in the power
of His might. Yes, to "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
[Galatians 5:1]. However, this is not the fulness of reconciliation. That is
only a transitional working of God within the confines of a certain time
period. That which goes out from us, because it is not of us (ONE WITH US),
still must needs go through that processing which shall bring about a
reconciliation.
It is true, there is a
blessedness in finding our own place of stability in God, so that you know
that you know that you know ― so that when "At my first answer no man stood
with me, but
all men forsook me," yet you know that
"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me." [2 Timothy
4:16-17]. The Spirit of Christ dwelling within continues to UPHOLD ALL
THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, IN US, to make us strong within, and able
to endure the separations. God does teach us how to stand alone, not
dependent upon group therapy for our support. We are able to say, "All my
springs are in Thee." [Psalm 87:7] .It is a part of our internal development
and growth. We must learn to LIVE BY THE CHRIST WITHIN.
Yes, we appreciate times of
gathering, fellowship, sharing with our brethren in corporate worship. But
our spiritual life must be so rooted in HIM that we are not diminished when
we return home to walk alone with God. We come to "know in whom we have
believed," and our security is in Him. Yet this aloneness and development is
only a prelude to that hour of reconciliation, for there must be a oneness
brought forth where we are ALL one in Him.
Jesus did teach the people,
"Wherefore if thy hand or foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from
thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than
having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire." [Matthew
18:8].
The context is dealing with
offences, even against "one of these little ones." And it is better for us
to be "maimed" than for them to be offended. But that is not the end of the
matter, perhaps it is better to live under a sense of partial mutilation and
incompleteness, than to perish in the enjoyment of all one's powers. But
such times of restriction and mutilation still do not speak of times of
INNER RECONCILIATION. Cutting off all that offends is better than offending
― but it certainly leaves one very incomplete. With all our heart we are
desiring wholeness, completeness in Christ.
Job makes a very
interesting observation: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should
I think upon a maid." [Job 31:1]. He had control over his eye, so there was
no need to pluck it out, but there still was an INTERNAL TURMOIL ― that
which went on in his mind ― to think. He had made his covenant, he had
control over the exterior enough so that he didn't have to cut off his hand
or foot, nor pluck out his eye, but there was an essential inworking that
still needed to take place. His inner thought was not at one with his
outward covenant with his eye. More processings would be needed before there
was perfect harmony within and without.
So, returning to the
passage in Matthew 18, after Jesus had spoken of plucking out, cutting off,
He did not leave the situation there, but went on to state, "For the Son of
man is come to SAVE
that which was lost." (verse 11).
Save ― from the Greek word
"sozo" meaning: to make SOUND, make WHOLE, or to HEAL. He came to save, to
make whole everything that was lost. The word "lost" is the Greek "apollumi"
meaning: to be marred, wasted, suffer loss. Had it been necessary for a time
to cut it off, you would have suffered a loss. Had you plucked it out, you
would have been marred. Indeed, we have endured much LOSS, because they went
out from us, because we were not yet reconciled to them. And while we admit,
God may have enabled us to now stand alone, (perhaps only on one foot, the
other being cut off), yet there is also a sense of incompleteness. This is
not the ultimate, standing alone, as a mutilated soul. This is only an
interim processing, until HE finishes His work in us, brings us together in
a WHOLE BODY, all of us being joined to "the head, even Christ: from whom
the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." [Ephesians
4:16].
HE will save that which is
lost ― wasted, marred. But that which is to be done on a corporate level,
must also be wrought in us INDIVIDUALLY. We need to be made complete WITHIN
― and when we are whole within, we shall also find we are whole with one
another ― ONE IN CHRIST ― thus able to live and breathe as one, in perfect
peace and harmony, within and without.
What a blessed inworking of
His grace, IN US, then in the corporate body, and then in ever expanding
measures until the whole of creation is fully reconciled, and God is truly
ALL IN ALL.
Hebrews 12:6 speaks of a
"chastening." Might we term it a PRUNING, or even a time of CUTTING OFF. It
becomes a deep wounding ― for "no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous." But it is all with a purpose! "For our profit, that
we might be partakers of His holiness." And if you are saying "holiness" you
are also saying "WHOLENESS." For in the bringing forth of the "peaceable
fruit of righteousness" we are also making progress into His wholeness. So
the writer goes on, verse 12-13, Williams translation, "Tighten the grip of
your slipping hands; stiffen the stand of your knocking knees, and keep your
feet in straight paths, so that limbs may not be dislocated, but instead be
cured."
Slipping hands ― knocking
knees ― dislocated limbs ― they need more than just a tightening,
strengthening, they need to be HEALED. You can bolster them up, help them
along ― but keep the vision before you of being made whole. This is more
than a series of "how to" formulas. HE is the Healer, HE has come to save
that which was lost, wasted, marred. Thank God for all the ministry of
helps, and love, and comfort we receive, but all of this is only to prop us
up for the time we wait for HIM to come and finish the work in us that He
has begun. Praise God for that expectation of that "grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." [1 Peter 1:13].
"Follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no .man shall see the Lord: looking diligently
lest any man fail ( fall from) of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." [Hebrews
12:14-15].
Note the word "trouble"
from the Greek "enochleo" meaning: to excite a tumult in. How often has
someone come along, and with just a few words caused a tumult to be stirred
up within you. It signifies that there is something within us that yet
responds negatively. Little roots, springing up, cause tumults. How we need
to be INTERNALLY MADE WHOLE, until "the prince of this world cometh and hath
nothing in me." [John 14:30]. No, they are not allowed, no inside traitors
to our peace. Nothing within that can be stirred up into a raging tempest.
It shall be totally and completely HIS LIFE possessing us, and manifested
through us. The vision is for a permanent healing. Bless His name!
"Come, and let us return
unto the Lord: for HE hath torn, and HE will heal us; HE hath smitten, and
HE will bind us up. After two days will HE revive us: in the third day HE
will raise us up, and we shall live in HIS sight." [Hosea 6:1-2].
Notice all the emphasis on
who is doing this processing in us. HE! The Author and the Finisher of our
faith! The creature begins nothing, the creature continues nothing, the
creature finishes nothing, it is GOD ALL THE WAY, working out all things
after the counsel of His own will, in us, both to will and to do of His good
pleasure.
When God fulfills the
promise, "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh," [Joel 2:28], then I
assure you, all flesh will do what HE wants them to do. Nothing of man will
produce the desired results, and satisfy the deep longings within us. HE is
our salvation, and in Him we trust. HE will bring about a total
reconciliation in us, in our nation, in all the world, as "in Christ shall
all be made alive. But every man in his own order." [1 Corinthians
15:22-23].
Thank God He is imparting a
revelation of PEACE, of completeness within, but it also has some very
stringent terms ― no peace, no wholeness without RIGHTEOUSNESS!
"Know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God." [James 4:4].
"Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world." [1 John 2:15-16].
Lust of the eye ― must we
pluck out the eye? Nay, rather, LET IT BE HEALED. God is able to work such a
PURGING, PURIFYING, that our eye becomes pure unto Him. "The light of the
body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is
full of light." [Luke 11:34]. What a work of restoration, to bring us to
that SINGLE EYE for God. No more a wandering eye, no more the wandering of
our desire to lust after the world, but we find IN HIM that which fully
satisfies the desires of our heart. That is HEALING!
Then shall it also be
fulfilled, "Unto the pure all things are pure." [Titus 1:15].
This is an INTERNAL
WORKING. Conditions can be in a filthy mess, sin rampant on every side, but
with our eye single to God, there is that spirit of holiness within that
controls, and there is not awakened in us any passion for those things
without. If ever we are to have that beautiful covenant relationship with
our Lord, when we shall live and breathe as one, then it is obvious that we
need to come into this victory where "unto the pure all things are pure."
And that it is an internal state of being, is seen by the rest of the verse,
"but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even
their mind and conscience is defiled." Note the words: believing ― mind ―
conscience ― these all speak of the inner realm, and when there has been a
cleansing and healing within, so that we are filled with HIS FAITH, renewed,
into His mind, with a pure conscience before God, then it is obvious that
"unto the pure all things are pure."
How grateful we are that
"The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world." [Titus 2:11-12]. His grace
will bring us SALVATION ― into wholeness, and will TEACH US, train us,
develop us into a righteous walk with our God. It is a certainty ― wherever
grace is found, righteousness will abound, because grace teaches for
holiness!
Grace is teaching for a
RECONCILIATION, a glorious salvation, to bring us into oneness with our God.
The word "reconcile," from
the Greek "apokatallasso" which has three parts: apo ― meaning: from, kata ―
meaning: down, llasso ― meaning: change. Thus, to change-down-from, or
literally, TO CHANGE THOROUGHLY. A
complete change from the present state of hostility, enmity, hatred towards
the things of God; turning us away from minding the flesh and the world,
bringing us back into harmony with the righteousness of God. Yes, a thorough
change.
In the effecting of an
internal reconciliation, God must, by degrees, work this change in us, "from
glory to glory," as we are delivered FROM all of the old carnality of the
flesh, and rise into the newness of His Spirit.
Jeremiah prayed it well,
when he said, "Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew
our days as of old." [Lamentations 5:21].
We shall be changed! We
shall be turned unto Him again! But what is the key in this process of
reconciliation? "Having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to
reconcile
all things unto Himself; ― And you,
that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet
now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present
you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight." [Colossians
1:20-22].
The CROSS... through
DEATH... these are not meant to be negative words, they are the POSITIVE
MEANS by which we are turned from the old, that we might be partakers of the
new life in Christ.
Note the beautiful example,
in type, found in Genesis 25:8-9. "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died
in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his
people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him." Long ago Isaac and
Ishmael had been separated. CAST OUT the son of the bondwoman, Ishmael, and
so they went their separate ways. Never the twain to meet? Ah, yes, but it
would require a death! When Abraham died, his sons ISAAC and ISHMAEL came
together to bury him. Abraham was the father of them both! And now he
reconciled them in his death. As a parable, this serves to give us a preview
glimpse of that greater victory when, to wit, "GOD was in Christ reconciling
the world unto Himself."
Ishmael, type of the flesh;
Isaac, type of the Spirit; must there always be enmity between these two?
Must MY flesh always be in a warfare against the Spirit? NO! By the
inworking of HIS CROSS, through death to self, there can be a reconciliation
made ― flesh and spirit can become one, harmonized in the peace of His
righteousness. The more we are made partakers of "the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made conformable unto His death," [Philippians 3:10], the
more we shall see an end to the hostility within us, and experience that
internal peace of God which passeth all understanding. All it takes is an
INWORKING of His death, to end all the tumults within us.
In Genesis 32, we have
another illustration of reconciliation, and this time it is between Jacob
and Esau. Was there a death this time also? Not outwardly, but there
certainly was one inwardly in Jacob. He had wrestled all night with the
angel, finally confessing that his name, state of being, was that of being a
supplanter ― being a devious man, conniving to gain his own way. And then he
was re-named, to be called Israel (verse 28). It was an inner death
experience, and a rebirth as well. Then he went out in humility to meet his
brother Esau. But Jacob had been MAIMED, "And he was limping because of his
thigh." (verse 31, Amplified).
Jesus, our SALVATION, had
not yet come. Though "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning
things to come." [Hebrews 11:20]. And will there not be a reconciliation
between all of Israel and all of Esau? Certainly! Obadiah 21, "And saviours
shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom
shall be the Lord's." Inasmuch as all judgments are for the purpose of
correction unto restoration, this clearly signifies that the day will come
when all of Israel having been duly judged and CHANGED, healed, made whole,
then they can also become instruments of bringing this same blessing to all
of their Esau brethren. And then shall the kingdom be fully manifested as
the LORD'S in every part and way. In His kingdom there will be a total
reconciliation of Zion (Israel) and all of Esau.
"For He is our peace, who
hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition;
having abolished in His flesh the enmity... for to make in Himself of twain
ONE NEW MAN, so making peace. ― By the cross, having slain the enmity
thereby." [Ephesians 2:14-16].
There are many applications
for this ― for IN CHRIST we find the wall broken down between the divided
tribes of Israel. We find the wall removed from between Israel and all other
nations. etc. But more important right now, keeping in harmony with our
subject, IN CHRIST we find that there is no longer a barrier between spirit
and flesh. HE took spiritual realities and brought them together in HIS BODY
with all of the natural, physical realms. He did it by the working of His
cross, to bring forth ONE NEW MAN, a new creation species which shall
manifest His righteousness and glory. No more enmity to dwell in us against
the Spirit, but perfect peace and harmony, so that the life expressed
through the body will be a revelation of His nature.
Job foresaw this ultimate
victory, and stated, "Yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for
myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be
consumed within me." [Job 19:26-27].
For this last sentence, the
margin gives, "My reins within me are consumed with earnest desire for that
day." Job was certain that he would have that direct encounter with his God,
and he would see Him for himself. It would not just be how he saw God in his
brethren, or in a corporate body, wonderful as this shall be. But he knew he
would have a personal relationship ― until he could see God, being in a body
of flesh, and yet able to see God -because there would be no more enmity in
his flesh against God.
Perhaps it would be
somewhat of a play on words, and yet it will be true also, that "in my flesh
I shall see God." GOD DWELLING IN MY FLESH, because He has reconciled IN ME
all that was estranged. When my flesh is pure enough to look upon God, and
that God can dwell within me, then there will be PEACE.
Indeed, "Christ must reign,
till He hath put all enemies under His feet." [1 Corinthians 15:25]: Not
only .universally, and among all nations, but IN ME, until all enemies are
subdued, and there is total harmony within. "But now we see not yet all
things put under him (Adam-man). But we see Jesus ... that He by the grace
of God should taste death for every man." [Hebrews 2:8-9].
One of the prominent
features of HIS REIGN IN US is the outworking also of HIS DEATH in us ― a
death that destroys all other deaths, and brings the realm of the carnal
mind to an end. HE has personally experienced it for, in behalf of every
man, and He shall reign until it is experiential in every man. Thus bringing
an end to the old hostility of the flesh, and bringing forth every creature
into the newness of HIS LIFE. And while we see not yet this victory in
mankind, WE SEE JESUS, and in Him we see the reality of all that we are to
become. In Him all flesh and spirit are fully reconciled.
Psalm 85:8-11, "I will hear
what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and
to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely His salvation is
nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth
are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth
shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from
heaven."
How marvellous! "Truth
shall SPRING OUT OF THE EARTH." The same earth that once brought forth
thorns and thistles, has now been so purged and purified by His righteous
judgments, reconciled and made whole, HEALED, so that now it can bring forth
truth.
"God is a Spirit: and they
that worship Him must worship inspirit and in trut1i." [John 4:24]. Yet it
is also written, "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the
Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee."
[Psalm 22:27] .The only way all nations can come and worship before Him will
be "in spirit and in truth." Thus we have the most wonderful promise that
TRUTH SHALL SPRING OUT OF THE EARTH, as the many nations shall be
transformed by redeeming grace, and turn to the Lord.
Wonderful as that glorious
outreach is, we praise God also that in our own little earthen vessel, which
has once borne so many thorns and thistles, with the flesh lusting against
the spirit, yet NOW He is working an internal reconciliation ― all shall be
subdued before Him, and out of US shall truth spring forth, and we shall
worship our God from every fiber of our being, to magnify and exalt Him.
No more will we have to say
with Paul, Romans 7:23-25, "I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind, ...O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Yes, His
reigning within us shall bring an end to all internal warfare. HE IS OUR
PEACE! The outworking of His cross and death will bring an end to "this body
of death" and deliver us into that glorious liberty of the children of God.
Then, IN HIM, one in Him, we shall manifest the fulness of His life, to His
glory and praise. Bless His name for ever!
Blessed inworking of our mighty God,
Ending the conflict in this human clod.
A
reconciling so lasting and true,
Precious the healing that makes all things new.
Far,
far too long have we cast out our foes,
Although it leaves us wounded ― out it goes.
Pluck
out the eye that is offending thee,
Is
not the answer that He meant for me.
For
He comes to seek, to save all the lost,
Oh,
what a salvation, and what a cost.
All
that was broken and marred He'll restore,
Whatever the need, His grace 'boundeth more.
To
live in His life, internally whole,
Breath of His Spirit enwrapping the soul.
A
message of vict'ry yet to proclaim,
We
worship the Christ, exalting His name!
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