Reconciled Theology - Proper Direction and Purpose
BE RECONCILED TO GOD
Properly directed theology is fully reconciled to God.
Properly directed theology is fully reconciled to God.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. 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." (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
BUILD UP THE BODY OF CHRIST
Properly directed theology is for the edification (the building up) of the body of Christ.
Properly directed theology is for the edification (the building up) of the body of Christ.
"And he gave some... teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ..." (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Edification educates, enlightens, inspires, and nurtures.
By nature, Reconciled Theology always edifies (builds up) the body of Christ.
In contrast, improperly directed theology confuses, perplexes, puzzles, clouds, darkens, and obscures. If anything about Reconciled Theology does this, it is not Reconciled Theology.
"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:17-18)
THE PROPER DIRECTION AND PURPOSE OF RECONCILED THEOLOGY is:
"again to make friendly the study of God" for the edifying of the body of Christ.
IN CHRIST
ONCE FAR-AWAY, NOW NEAR
ONCE LIVING DEAD, NOW LIVING ALIVE
NOW
TOGETHER WITH CHRIST
SAVED AND RAISED
RECONCILED TO GOD
ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF CHRIST
HE IS OUR PEACE
AND
WE ARE HIS WORK
CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS
BEING BUILT TOGETHER — EDIFIED
BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD
INTO A DWELLING PLACE FOR GOD
NOW
HAVING ACCESS TO THE FATHER
BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH
IN CHRIST
“And you were dead by reason of your trespasses and sins, in which you once lived according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the realm of the air, of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience. Among them we also all once lived in the passions of our flesh, gratifying the desires and impulses of the flesh, and were by nature children of wrath, just like everyone else. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the ages to come the incomparable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His work, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should do them. So remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision — made in the flesh by hands — remember that at that time you were apart from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were at that time far away have come near through the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down the dividing wall, having abolished in His flesh the hostility, the law of commandments and regulations, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, having put the hostility to death in Himself. And He came and preached the good news of peace to you who were far off and of peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have access by the one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
(Ephesians 2:1-22 MOUNCE)
