RECONCILED TO GOD
Under the law of sin and death it was commonly understood that there was no way you could see God and live.
Judges 13:22And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”
Of course, in the case of Manoah and his wife, they did not die.
Moses saw God and did not die, but he was not allowed to see God’s face. As close a relationship as Moses had with God, even he saw only what was safe for him to see, while God passed before him.
Exodus 33:18-20
18And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” 19Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Moses went up the mountain of God often to talk with God and hear God talk to him. God also wanted all Israel to relate to Him individually as Moses did (Exodus 19 & 20). But when God had Moses tell them to prepare to hear Him speak and see the signs of His presence on the mount, He warned them not to even touch the foot of the mountain or they would die. The holy state of God’s being has such power in its purity, it would destroy anything defiled by human flesh in its sinful state.
The Old Covenant law revealed how perfect man would have to be to approach God (Hebrews 9:8 & 10:1). As pure in heart as Moses had become (the most humble man on the earth), even he could not look on God’s face. This is the reality of man at his best under the law. This state of separation between God and the creation of His love (mankind) existed only until a perfect payment could be made to bring about reconciliation between God and man.
Hebrews 10:11-17
11And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
The scripture given to us by the Spirit of God details the perfect work of propitiation wrought by Jesus Christ (1 John 4:10). This work of Christ was so perfect and complete it removed the veil of separation between God and anyone who accepts Christ as their propitiation (Savior). This word “propitiation” includes not only payment made for our sin, but also reconciliation to our God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Notice the incredible reality we step into as new creations. Old things (our sin) has been so completely done away with that now verse 21 says we be-come the righteousness of God in Christ. God’s righteousness is demon-strated by making us righteous as we believe. All that is required of us is to trust that Christ has done everything to completely pay for our sin; past, present and future.
Hebrews 10:8-10
8Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The word “sanctified” in verse 10 means we have been made holy. This is important, for we must be holy to enter into God’s presence. But this is fully accomplished for us in the blood of Jesus Christ. Now with Him as our High Priest, we can approach God’s throne with confidence and expect to see Him.
Hebrews 10:19-22
19Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
If we are to believe the Scripture, the desire of God’s heart has been fully accomplished in the redeeming sacrifice of His Son to bring us back to Him. The work is finished. We can now approach God’s throne in the holy state of new creations with new hearts and new spirits who have been made one with His Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:17).
The Old Covenant sacrifices for sin never opened the way for men to approach God and live. But the work of Christ ripped the veil (made by human hands) in the temple from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This was a clear sign of the finished work by which Christ opened the way into the Holiest place in Heaven itself (Hebrews 10:19) for us to enter in now and boldly come right up to God on His throne.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
That’s great! Yet what the finished work of Christ purchased for us includes far more than that. Because of the blood of Jesus which removes sin forever (Hebrews 10:14, 17), the Holy Spirit places each believer into the body of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13). This means so much more than being included in the church. Paul was stressing this to the Ephesians when he said that we (all believers) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 1:19-2:6
19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
2:1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
It is so important that we see this. Verses 5 and 6 above: “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”. When you were at your worst, He died for you. Now you sit, in Jesus, where He sits.
Look at Romans 5:8-11 in the Amplified Version.
Romans 5:8-11 Amplified Bible
8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.
9 Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life.
11 Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received and enjoy [our] reconciliation.
Do not forget that now we are included in the body of Jesus Christ. Do not forget where He sits. Because wherever He sits in Heaven, we are right there with Him, in Him. How many scriptures in the New Testament declare over and over and over again that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father? When He sits down next to God His Father, you are that close to your Heavenly Father. When Jesus looks at His Father you can see what He sees. And God the Father is very very glad you are there. This is what He intended when He sent Jesus for you. This is what He paid such a high price for. Jesus has reconciled you to God your Father, now and forever!
Hebrews 10:1-22
1For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’ ”
8Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being (this word “being” is not in the original, nor in other translations) sanctified. 15But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.