The cross reconciliation

Reconciliation = restoring relationships. That's what the cross does. It changes everything. The moment we give ourselves fully over to God because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, life changes completely. Nothing will ever be the same again. And if we think that stops at us, we're totally wrong. What starts in our individual lives has a ripple effect out into the lives of others.

Pastor Matt Chandler puts it like this: 'Think of the Gospel as a stone landing in a pond. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus are the cause of many ripples; they are the epicentre of God's work in the world.' And he reckons the ripples go out like this: the first one restores our personal relationship with God; the second helps us restore and create human-to-human relationships to make up the worldwide Church; the third ripple happens when we move ourselves out and take the message of Jesus to those who are not yet a part of the Church.

Essentially, Pastor Chandler is saying that God 'reconciles' us to himself, and that makes us able to go out and let him use us to restore other people's relationships with him. Once we're brought into beautiful relationship with God, it makes sense to share it with those around us.



So what now? Thank Jesus for the cross, the pivotal point in history where he came down to live with us as humans, and reconciled the world to himself. Thank him for doing this for you!





— SCRIPTURE —

'God...reconciled us to himself through Christ.' 2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

Num 1-2, Luke 23:50-56, Ps 144:1-8 , Pro 10:19-21