Christ is Lord Over His Church

Part II

by A.W. Tozer

From his book “Reclaiming Christianity: A Call to Authentic Faith”

 

The Mystery of Reconciliation

Here is what the Scriptures state that we are to tell the people: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5: 17). That word “creature” is the right one there. He is a new creature, a new creation, and all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.

What is reconciliation? Reconciliation occurs when two enemies come together in love. God, who is the enemy of sin, and man who is the enemy of God, were reconciled together in Jesus christ. And when Jesus, who is God and man, died on the cross for man, He brought the two together through the mystery of reconciliation.

Note that it was not man who reconciled himself to God, but God who reconciled Himself to man. And through that act He has given 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” (2 Corinthians 5: 19).

Note that God did not say, “You will be reconciled if you feel reconciled. He said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”; he has been reconciled. And if you experience reconciliation, you will want to go out and tell someone else about it. That is evangelism at the grass roots. Evangelism in depth, you might call it now.

Here’s another admonition from the Holy spirit through the apostle Paul: “Giving thanks unto the father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath transplanted us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1: 12-14).

God has made us worthy to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. There is no apostle Paul, Frances of Assisi or saint anywhere that has any more right than we have. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature”, he has been reconciled, and God has made him to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Now there is a translation I believe in: the translation out of the kingdom of darkness.

When you hear of the terrible things men are doing, do you wonder why? It is because they are under the power of darkness. But when they hear about this virgin’s Son – this wonderful, mysterious man who came from the world above and who reconciled us to God – and they believe, they are delivered from that darkness and are translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

This is what happened when you were converted. You were made worthy to be a partaker in the inheritance. You were not worthy, but God made you worthy; and when God makes anybody worthy, it is so. You have been forgiven, so act like it. “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou unclean” (Acts 11: 8). If God cleanses you of anything, you do no one any good by lying down like a hipped spaniel. So get up and thank God that you have been made worthy to be one of His children, delivered out of the power of darkness, and redeemed through His blood.

 

Chosen and Blessed

In Ephesians 1: 3, Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Some people think that a “heavenly place” is a church, but the word “places” in verse 3 should not be in the English translation. The Greek word for “heavenly” is actually plural; it means “heavenlies” in the realm of the Spirit and of heavenly things. Thus, what Paul is saying is that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. He has already done this. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ, just as “he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world” (verse 4).

God is eternal and has already lived all our days. He is at the end of time as well as the beginning, for time is simply a little incident on the bosom of God. God surrounds time and has already lived all the tomorrows. Back before time was, God saw you, knew who you would be and knew what your name would be. He knew how tall you would be, whether you would be a man or woman, whether you would be married or single. He knew whether you would be American or German or Japanese. He knew all about you, smiled and laid His hand on you.

You say, “Oh, but why didn’t I know it sooner?”

It is a mystery, but I do know this: You would never have come to Him if He had not turned to you. Do not ever get up, stick your chest out and say, “I sought the Lord.” You sought the Lord after He made it tough for you and pushed you and urged you. He is the aggressor, not you.

You did not do anything but respond, and the Lord had to get behind you and push. That is the way all God’s people came to Him, so do not feel bad about it. And He chose you before the foundation of the world. God knew your name and my name before there was a sea or a mountain, before there was a star or a planet.

 

to be continued…

Part III: Accepted in the Beloved