We Need a Ministry of Reconcilation, Not Recrimination

"20Now 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. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 20-21)

We are reconciled to God because of Jesus:

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2 Corinthians 5: 18)

and also

"14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" (Ephesians 2:14-16)

and

"19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

"21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." (1 Colossians 1: 19-22)

 

We are reconciled to God through Christ Jesus. AA gives the impression, like religion in general, that the work is not done, that the debt is not paid, and that individuals must keep confessing their sins and work a stringent religious regimen of inventories and charity work just to stay one step ahead of a one particular perversion.

 

A number of pages in the AA book gives the impression that any time, we can be separated from God because of how we feel or what we think. Such conditional love drives people into unhinged despair. A sense of recrimination never goes away from those who think that they still live under a merit system with God, that at any moment He will turn away from us or go away from us if we are not conforming to what He wants from us according to thought, word, or deed.

 

What is the truth?

 

God is no longer angry at the world today, and He is no longer angry with any of us:

 

"8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

 

"9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." (Isaiah 54: 8-9)\

 

There is no only one sin, only one source of condemnation, which will send people to hell:

 

"8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16: 8-11)

 

"Of sin, because they believe not on me" -- because Jesus is our mercy seat today, paying for our sins and the sins of all the world (1 John 2: 1-2), we are condemned only if we chose not to believe on Jesus:

 

"16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3: 16-18)

 

We are reconciled to God, and all we have to do is be reconciled, accept it, and let our Good Shepherd carry us back to His fold (Luke 15: 1-7)