Biblical Reconciliation
Presentation for the PNW Study – 2021.
What is reconciliation from a Biblical point of view? How do two parties that are at odds unify in peace?
Faith and Schrödinger’s Cat
Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
In 1935, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger proposed a scenario of a cat sealed in a box with a flask of poison and a radioactive source, its fate uncertain because we could not observe the cat. The famous conclusion was that the cat was both dead and alive, simultaneously. This was a quantum mechanics problem.
Fortunately for us, faith is not nearly as complicated as quantum mechanics. Hebrews 11:1 demonstrates that our faith is not in what we see, but that is not the same as being uncertain. The Psalmist affirms, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of Yahweh is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” Psalms 18:30
The question is, “Do we trust in Him?” I don’t mean do we say the words, but do we truly trust in Him? Do we trust that God will do all He has promised or do we see His promises as a cat in a box?
When we view our faith like this cat, we are allowing for doubt. It might sound positive to say the cat is both dead and alive at the same time, but we all know that it can only be one or the other. If, for discussion sake, God has promised to protect the cat, the cat is alive. With man, the cat is dead — with God, the cat lives!
The fact is faith is only faith when it is applied. James puts it this way, “faith without works is dead.” James 2:20,26
Let’s go back to the cat. We can’t see the cat, but we trust God that it is alive.
Do we? Have we left its food dish out where it will expect to find it upon returning to the house? Or are we looking for another cat but holding off for just a while to see what really happens?
How about in our lives? Do we step out in faith knowing that God is faithful or do we just say we trust Him?
I say the cat’s alive and I just bought it a brand new bag of food. How about you?
The Thief on the Cross
Jesus on the cross of Calvary is simultaneously an awful and wonderful event. Awful because of the brutality of the crucifixion and because Jesus had to die. Wonderful because of the incredible gift we have only through the death of the perfect Lamb of God.
The thief on the cross gets an undue amount of attention in the context of the day. His story is not the headline, but another story of the cross. He was one of two thieves that hung beside Jesus. His story is important, but the question that is derived from his circumstance risks overshadowing the true importance of the events of Calvary.
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Salvation is of the Jews
Jesus has a wonderful interaction with a Samaritan woman in the city of Sychar which was in Samaria. He talked with her of living water and told her details about her own life that He did not learn from gossip among strangers, but because He has the mind of God. This is the conclusion of that conversation:
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:19-26
I want to notice a particular short phrase that Jesus utters in His conversation with her at the well. He says in John 4:22, “salvation is of the Jews.”
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Living in the Present
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
How do we look at our lives? Do we live in the past? Are we resting on our successes or dwelling on our failures?
Paul could look back at his life and see epic failure as one who stood against the cause of Christ … one who was at times solely responsible for the imprisonment and death of His disciples! What a heavy burden!! Surely thinking of this, he writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 that he is the chief of sinners.
Paul also had the opportunity to enumerate the great successes of his life as one we could argue was the greatest of all the Apostles, planting many churches and leading countless souls to Christ .. but that was not his way.
Though the landscape of his life was littered with failures and successes, he teaches us that the past is the past. What matters is what we do today, looking forward to our Heavenly goal.
What occupies our minds each morning when we wake up? Are we present in this day, eager for the challenges that await us? I too have spectacular failures and some pretty fantastic successes in my yesterdays … but I challenge myself each day to focus on what this day holds.
The Psalmist declares, “This is the day Yahweh has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 With this mindset, we can let yesterday be yesterday and press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!