Reconciled

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying

 

Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

 

God does NOT want us to be HIS if we aren't right with OTHERS.

 

We are NOT GOD'S if we have others against us and do NOTHING to be reconciled to them.  If we have angst with others we are NOT being God's.  If we've made others turn against us by our actions WE are NOT being GOD'S.

 

Jesus is teaching us to LOVE above ALL else.

 

To CHOOSE the good of others even before we choose our own good.

 

So we do NOT dare insult our God by trying to show our love to HIM when we will not show love to others as HE WANTS US TO DO!

 

He is our example. We talked yesterday about imitating Christ and we can ONLY do this through the GRACE of Christ, through HIS power, through the HOLY SPIRIT.  When we submit to God, when we surrender to God, when we allow ourselves to hold God as our CREATOR, our REDEEMER, we are INVITING HIM to take over our lives.  As He takes over our lives, we are able to imitate HIM.  When we are living IN HIM and HE in US, we will LOVE OTHERS as HE intends us to love them.

 

We will have NOTHING against others and we can freely offer to God all that we are.

 

Reconciled to our brothers.

 

Webster's -  'To conciliate anew; to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement; as, to reconcile men or parties that have been at variance.'

 

If we believe we can hold grudges against others for wrongs they may have done to us, we are wrong.  Forgiveness to ALL.  We have no right to hold back forgiveness, none.

 

If we hold back forgiveness then WE ARE NOT FORGIVEN.

 

Remember this--

 

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 

We truly are forgiven as we forgive.

 

How we live our lives with others is what God sees, what God knows of us and our Savior is teaching us how we MUST love others. 

 

We must, by HIS GRACE, learn love.