Enemies - reconciled

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. – Romans 5.9-11

Enemy seems a very harsh word, doesn’t it? Man being called the enemy of God does not seem very nice or sound very caring.

But that’s where we were before Christ. Our sin had put us on the opposite side of the battlefield from Him. We were enemies of the Almighty. Our sin had separated us from Him and we had no mean of going to peace talks. We had nothing to offer but our sin and that has no power for reconciliation.

I am reading a book about an Irish doctor who served in the Royal Air Force in World War 2. He served in France before being evacuated from Dunkirk and then was sent to the Pacific campaign. He was captured and kept in unreal conditions in Japanese POW camps for 2 ½ years. He was being held captive in Nagasaki when the second atomic bomb was dropped. The author is a historian who also relates surrounding events. This is where his story ties into ours.

After the second bomb was dropped the Japenese leaders knew they had lost all negotiating power. They had nothing to offer at the peace table. They could continue to endure the wrath of the Allies or they could surrender.

Now I realise that every illustration breaks down at some point. The picture is not perfect – but there are lessons. The Japanese, because of their transgressions, were at the mercy of the west, espcially the Americans. They had nothing to do to reconcile. So they surrendered and almost immediately began receiving aid and support in rebuilding by the Americans. Instead of punishment the Japenese were aided in recovery and now are one of the US’ greatest allies.

We too were enemies of God. We could offer nothing at the table. All we could do was surrender. And when we did God rebuilt us and gave us new life and began to reconstruct us and conform us to His image.

By God’s grace and by nothing but our surrender God reconciled us to Him!