Last week the Lord took me into a teaching on reconciliation that was revelatory and full of power. There were several people who approached the front for prayer who had received healing just from hearing the Word preached. Praise the Lord! In this devotional today I want to share a few points from that teaching that I hope will be a blessing to you. Our text will begin over in the book of Romans.
Romans 4:17-25 (KJV)
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
I like this passage as it highlights the importance of standing on the Word of promise against all opposition and not staggering in unbelief when we are challenged. It is clear according to Scripture that God cannot lie and therefore, He will watch over His Word to perform it in the lives of those that honor it. Abram was a man who God renamed him by calling him, Abraham. What God was doing, was changing the way Abram talked. In fact, every time Sara would call out, "Abraham," she was calling her husband a father of many nations. Can you imagine how the outsiders reacted when they heard Abram who they knew him as; was referring to himself as a father of many nations? Why, I believe they probably thought Sara and Abram were mad. They probably assumed they wanted a child so badly that they were willing to talk nonsense. I mean really! Abram was very old (100 years old) and Sara's womb had obviously dried up through years of her own barrenness. Nonetheless, Abraham as God called him, did not grow weak in faith, nor considered his own body impotent. But believed the promise and he did not stagger in unbelief, but was fully persuaded that God who had made the promise to him would perform it.
Because Abraham believed God, He imputed it to Abraham for righteousness. But this gets even better! It goes on to say in verses 23 and 24, that this story was not written for Abraham's sake alone.No! It also includes us when we believe on God's promises as well. In other words, if you have dreams that have seemingly been buried as though they are dead. Look to God, and His promises which have the power to resurrect the things that appear to be deceased and make them alive again. Remember that God is able to do the impossible! Quickly let's go over to 2 Corinthians and read something of great importance to you and me.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 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.
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.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This passage of Scripture gives us a good place to reflect on our new life as we get the right heavenly perspective no matter how dead our circumstances or dreams may look at present. In this 17th verse we read that anyone who is in Christ Jesus, they have become a new creation. My dear friends, that is God's statement and not mine. He goes on to say, that our old nature has passed away, and all things have become new. Now look at verse 18 and be amazed at the ability of God. It says, the "All things" are of God. So in other words, He is saying that Jesus reconciled (transform) us from our old nature into a new and divine nature. Now here is the amazing part to all of this! We also have received this same ministry of reconciliation (transformation). So what does that mean exactly? It simply means that you and I have received the gift of transforming lives. To express the magnitude of this ministry of reconciliation even further, consider how Jesus said we would do the same works that He did, and even greater than these. Jesus spoke to withered hands, blind eyes, demonized people, diseased and sick people, and even those who had already died. Yet, Jesus reconciled or (transformed) those situations into a newness that amazed the people who witnessed the miraculous results.
Remember in Romans verse 17 that we read earlier, how God was quickening the dead and calling things forth as though they were already manifested? This is the same ministry that each one of us has received when we accepted Jesus Christ into our life. The old has died and now we have become new by the reconciled work of Christ in us. In addition, Jesus handed that same ministry of reconciliation over to you and me. Praise God! If we read on down further to the next verse we will find in 2 Corinthians that Jesus has committed (Himself to back it) unto you and me the "Word" of reconciliation. I tell you this has rocked my world the very moment I perceived this revelation of ministry in which we have all received from Christ. That word "reconciliation" means to: exchange or change; from enemy to friendship.
Friends, no matter what we are confronted or challenged with in this life. We must understand that our ministry of reconciliation has the power to transform any situation for the glory of our Father. It is His will and purpose to restore man to his rightful position in Christ with power, and establish him in the authority that he has received from what Jesus accomplished on Calvary. In contrast to this, we must always appropriate our faith on the promises of God which are yes and Amen, and refuse to stagger in unbelief by placing our faith on the problem. We are to do the works of God here on this earth just as Jesus demonstrated while He walked here in human form. Jesus validated that we too will do the same works and even greater than these that He, himself did.
As we close this devotional today let me pose a couple of thought provoking questions. Do you understand that you now have an incredible ministry that is fueled with transforming power when you believe it and act on it? And do you realize that the Word of God in you is waiting to be expressed that it may do the miraculous? We have received such an awesome treasure within these earthen vessels; that we must learn to ignite this power within and reconcile everything that we may be faced with that is in contradiction to the Word of God, and transform it into a newness that all may know that nothing is impossible for God whom we belong!
