Tag Archive: reconcile

I Can’t Comtrol the Orbit of Saturn

This is the report of a prayer time earlier this week in which the Holy Spirit interrogated me about how a passage in Colossians 1 that I was praying through applied to my life, as enlarged by some later meditation. God is able to take care of even of the people I worry about and other believers I’ve hurt, Reconciliation comes only from Him.  Enough people have watched me tear myself apart this year with worry and self-condemnation that I knew I should make it public to reassure them that I’m still listening to God.  It may also be helpful to other chronic codependent worriers who hear it.

Failure to reconcile an offense “quickly” — debtor’s prison awaits!

When I have offended another believer, I must seek reconciliation quickly, before they have had time to form a final judgment against me and form a grudge. I must not procrastinate. Once a grudge forms, I will be imprisoned outside of their lives, unable to give or receive the things God wants to give us through each other, unless and until God intervenes to change their heart toward me.

Notice of Open, Confessed and Uncorrectable Hypocrisy

I will now, in my own heart, become a hypocrite because others in authority say I should.  I must overlook the continued existence of a justified grudge another believer holds against me and return to ordinary service in the church.  But I will not cover up my hypocrisy.  I hereby declare my hypocrisy openly.

The Four Types of Reconciliation

Link: The Four Types of Reconciliation read as a YouTube video. 1. God’s Reconciliation toward Me This aspect of reconciliation is almost identical to the Atonement.  From the beginning, God loved me so much that he gave his unique Son Jesus, who was one with him from eternity, to provide for forgiveness of my sin, give me true life, and…
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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 2, The “Then”

Link: The Command to Go and Be Reconciled–Part 2, the “Then,” read as a YouTube video. As I said in Part 1, Jesus’ command to go and be reconciled is stated in Matthew 5:23-24, which is a single conditional sentence even though it is divided into two verses in modern Bibles: [Reference Link: Matthew 5:23-24 (WEB)], The part of this…
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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 1, The “If”

In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus gives what appears to be a simple command, though one that is almost never obeyed: before I may offer worship to God before other people, I must see that any offenses which I am aware that others hold against me are being reconciled and have been reconciled at least to some degree. This post covers Jesus’ extreme example of this—the need to interrupt even a Temple sacrifice ritual to go and be reconciled.

Paul also approved of mediation of disputes between Christians by other believers

The theme verse of this installment is Philippians 4:2-3, in which Paul first exhorts Euodia and Syntyche to put their differences aside and agree with each other, then encourages one of the other leaders in Philippi, who he calls his “true partner” to help the two women come into agreement: Philippians 4:2-3 (WEB). This appears to be a request by…
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The Apostle Paul approved of arbitration of disputes between Christians by other believers

The theme of this installment is a question Paul asked the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 6:5 (WEB) While the process Jesus described in Matthew 18:15-20 (see previous series of installments) is the ideal procedure, the one most likely to produce reconciliation–which is the goal of all such procedures–the New Testament is not rigidly inflexible in demanding that only this…
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“If two of you shall agree on earth” refers to the reconciliation procedure

Jesus’ promise to answer prayers made by any two believers who are in agreement is a part of his discussion on reconciliation of offenses. Strictly, it applies to prayers made as a result of reconciliation. This underscores the importance of reconciliation between believers to Jesus.

There are Two Things God Can’t Do!!!

The two things God cannot do are: 1) lie; and 2) force us to be reconciled to himself or to anyone else. Supporting scriptures are discussed briefly.