2COR 5:19 -"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

>>To rightly understand the doctrine of reconciliation, we must first understand what the word reconcile means.

>>In the Webster's Christian Series,---"to conciliate anew: to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement; ..."

Point one The friendship the affections which have been alienated--and how they were alienated.

Point two The qualifications required of such a mediator to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore a Holy God, and a fallen man back into friendship or favor after estrangement; ..."

Point three God reconciled unto the world from His side, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

Point one The friendship and the affections which have been alienated--and how they were alienated.

GEN 1:26a - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

>> Adam was not placed in a position of grievous servitude,-- Adam was placed in a Kingly place.

GEN 1:26b - and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

>>The position in which God had placed Adam can be very well compared to the position King Pharaoh placed Joseph.

GEN 41:40b - "...only in the throne will I be greater than thou."

GEN 41:43 - "and he made him to ride in the second chariot which we had; ..."

>>Adam was truly created in the image of God and was placed in dominion over all that God had created, but he was admonished "in the throne will I be greater than thou."

Gen. 2:16-17, - "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

>>God had created Adam as the jewel of his creation, in the state of innocence and capable of perfect obedience. Adam was created capable of fulfilling the purpose for which God had created him,

ISA 43:7 - ". . .for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

REV 4:11 - Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

>>Submission to the authority of God--and His Word--are the only way in which God can be glorified.

PSA 97:1-2 - 1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

>>The purpose of God's creation was that God would be glorified in Man's perfect obedience, with Adam as the head of the covenant of works.

JOH 15:8-10 - 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

>>Righteousness---Conformity of life to the divine law--- and judgment and\or equity--- are the habitation of his throne.

PHI 2:8-11 - 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

>>Through rebellion against God's authority--Satan said man would become equal with God.

GEN 3:4-5 - 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

>>Through rebellion man became an enemy of God.

ROM 8:7 - Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

JAM 4:4 - Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 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.

>>Adam lost the image of God and became spiritually dead upon the transgression of the law.

>>So we must analyze what was required for God and sinners "to conciliate anew: to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement; ..."

Point two The qualifications required of such a Redeemer and\or mediator to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore a Holy God, and a fallen man back into friendship or favor after estrangement; ..."

>>To qualify as the Redeemer for fallen man, and the head of the covenant of grace;

First---Christ must be able to perfectly replace Adam in his state of innocence---He must be very man

>>We must first understand the word redeem.

1) To purchase a farm on contract---Adam was to earn eternal life.

2) To redeem Christ must pay the debt we cannot pay.

3) To redeem, Christ must pay the balance owing on the contract---to complete the purchase.

4) The redeemer must be able to stand in the exact position of the original debtor.

>>A popper cannot redeem a King, a Redeemer must be at least the equal of the one who needs redemption.

The rebellion of fallen man was to exalt himself to be equal with God---Therefore God would require the condescention of one who was His equal to voluntarily stoop to be His servant.

>>Jesus Christ qualified as Redeemer-- being equal with God!!

PHI 2:6 - Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

>>To be our Redeemer He took upon Him the form of a servant.

PHI 2:7

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

MAT 12:17-18

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

ISA 49:6 - And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

>>Adam was placed in a kingly place--Therefore God would require man's Redeemer to hold a kingly station to redeem fallen man.

MAT 2:1-2 - 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

MAT 21:4-5 - 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

>>Man's redeemer must be very man.

ROM 8:3 - For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

PHI 2:7 - But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

HEB 4:15 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Point three God reconciled unto the world from His side, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

>>To qualify as the Redeemer for fallen man, and the head of the covenant of grace;---Christ must be able, as head of the covenant of grace, to perfectly pay the same penalty threatened upon disobedience.

We must hasten to point out that if Adam had not lost the image of God as the result of his fall---the blood of Christ,----apart from His obedience--- could have reconciled Adam to God

>>If Adam still had the image of God he could have again rendered perfect obedience---after the payment of the penalty.

>>For God to be reconciled with fallen man the penalty must be paid--to remove the debt---and obedience must be restored.

1 SA 15:22 - "...Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...."

>>Reconciliation is clearly two fold--God is reconciled unto His Church in Christ from His side---When rebellion is brocken, the sinner will be reconcilled from his side.

2CO 5:19-20 - To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

>>God was reconciling Himself unto His church while they were still enemies.

Rom. 5:8-10, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

>>The enmity was slain by the cross, so making peace---or reconciliation.

EPH 2:15-18 - 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

>>To qualify as the Redeemer for fallen man, and the head of the covenant of grace Christ must, as the head of the covenant of grace, be able to pass the same test of obedience--for the same promise earned.

Phil 2:8 - "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." And as it says in verse 11, "...to the glory of the Father."

>>We must see this also in context with

Heb 5:8 "Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; ..."

>>In verse 7 we read, - "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; ..."

Lk 22:43-44 - we see wherein he was heard:"And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

>>And wherein was the Father glorified?--- Oh, see that perfect submission---that perfect obedience.

>> -- and what did our lovely saviour say? "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

>>In the garden of Eden disobedience and rebellion was the first sin.

Ron 5:19 - "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, ..." Reconciliation could be had only by obedience: "...so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

>>God was reconciled with His church from His side from eternity.

ROM 5:10

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

>>Whereas it says "we are saved by his life," we must see what Scripture says about the life of Christ.

Joh 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 5:26 - For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; ..."

Joh 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: ..."

In Jn. 10:17 we read, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again."

>>When speaking of the life of Christ, we must understand that Christ lives from eternity to eternity.

Rev 13:8 - And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

Heb 7:25, "...He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

>>God was reconciling himself unto the world in Christ from eternity in the sacrifice and perfect obedience of Christ, in the stillness of eternity, from before the foundation of the world.