"His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility" ~ Ephesians 2:15b-16
In this passage, Paul is talking about the bitter division that existed between Jews and Gentiles, both of whom were included in the "new humanity", the body of believers saved and justified through faith in Jesus. It was important for them to remember that, whatever they had against one another, reconciliation was possible and required in Christ. The same is true for you and I today. We are still in a fallen world even while we are being sanctified more each day, which means we will offend one another and be offended. Yet, in Christ, who made reconciliation between God and His offenders possible, we can and must pursue reconciliation with our brothers and sisters. It's not easy, but it's obedience, and obedience is always worth it. This week at Friendship, we'll make "The Case for Reconciliation", as a follow up to last week's message on forgiveness. We'll address why it's a requirement of those who follow Jesus and the damage done when we are unwilling to pursue it. Join us for this challenging but encouraging message!
