Second Corinthians 5:18 gives us important insight into the way God sees us: “But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]” (emphasis mine). What does it mean to be reconciled to God? It means “your account is in balance.” You don’t owe anything! I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “I
owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” I immediately realized that was the mentality I lived with for years. I felt that I owed God something for all the wrong I had done and I tried every day to do good works to make up for my mistakes. I wanted to be blessed by Him, but felt I needed to earn His blessings. I finally learned that we cannot pay for His gifts, otherwise they are not gifts at all. God has received us into favor, which means He does good things for us even when we don’t deserve them. He is merciful and kind to the just
and the unjust. He loves us, looks favorably on us, and wants to bless us. He is not angry and frustrated with us, nor does He seek to punish us for every mistake we make.
God sees the heart of man and His dealings with us are based on the kind of heart we have. I don’t do everything right but I do love God very much. I am very sorry for my sins and it grieves me when I know that I have disappointed Him. I want His will in my life. I am sure that if you are reading this book your heart attitude is the same as mine. Perhaps like me, you have been tormented for years by feelings of guilt and fear, but knowing that God loves you unconditionally releases you from those negative emotions and allows you to enjoy yourself while you are changing. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul emphasizes again the reconciliation and favor God extends to us and encourages us to believe these things: “So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.” Paul is actually begging the believers of his day to take hold of what God is offering and I also urge you to do the same. Don’t wait another moment to believe that God accepts you, views you as being in right standing with Him, and loves you unconditionally.
Think about It
Do you really believe you are reconciled to God, that He is not angry with you, and that He is completely satisfied and pleased with who you are?
