Reconciling Things

Sometimes even a neighborhood poker game can have its tense moments -- for instance, when a big pot or first place is at stake. In children's games, the result can be everything from yelling to hurt feelings and bruised relationships. (Yes, we know this; ask some of our relatives.) But adults ought to be able to put those moments behind them -- "burying the hatchet" and letting bygones be bygones.

The dictionary defines such a grown-up approach as being reconciled to each other. And in a recent post, we noted how believers need to be reconciled to God. Why is that necessary?

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. -- Romans 3:23

God wants to develop a glorious relationship with us. But God is perfect (Matthew 5:48) -- and while humans are told to be perfect, we all fall far short. So we need that reconciliation. And thankfully, God provided a way for that....

That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. -- II Corinthians 5:19

When you accept Jesus as your Savior, your sins are applied to Him. They're covered in Christ's shed blood, as our perfect sacrifice (Romans 4:7-8). And after that happens....

....And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. -- 5:19b

That's the message we're bringing here. Be reconciled to your fellow poker players, even if they bluff you out of a small fortune. And even more importantly, become reconciled to God -- to build a glorious relationship which can last for eternity.