Can’t we just get along?
Why can’t we all just get along? The world would be so much better if we could. The relationships among us would be so much brighter if we would.
Rev. L. D. Reed, Sr.
And it seems like such a simple and easy thing to do. But if it were so simple and easy, surely, we would be doing it. But we aren’t, in good enough measure. And it’s not because we can’t.
We have a problem. We have a sin problem. Sin caused the problem. Sin is the problem.
We were created by a relational, divine, loving and holy God who loves communion, intimacy and real fellowship. Man had that real fellowship, that true intimacy, that divine communion with God and one another until he sinned.
Sin separates us from God. Sin separates us from one another. Sin is the separator that leads to divorce. Sin is the separator that leads to conflicts amongst siblings, like Cain and Abel. Sin is the root of racism, classism, sexism, ageism and any other ‘ism’ that creates division, disharmony and lures us to diverge from God’s will led astray by our own lust.
Sin compelled God to drive man from the Garden of Eden for man could not constrain himself, would not be restrained by God, hellbent on maintaining his own way.
But God so loved the man, despite man’s sinfulness and stubbornness. God wanted that relationship repaired and restored. He couldn’t count on man to fix it, being too fickle, faulty and frail.
He would have to fix it Himself. He took it upon Himself to take the lead to reconcile the relationship, even though He was not the offender.
And how did He do it? How did He begin the reconciliation? He sent His Son.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 says, “That 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. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The God who commands us to forgive one another as He has forgiven us was prepared to forgive. He was prepared to sacrifice to make things right. He was prepared to let it go.
We don’t always want to work towards forgiveness. As a matter of fact, sometimes we want people to pay for hurting us. We do that because we are in the grip of bitterness and sin. The problem with that is if we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven.
The other issues are vengeance, lust for retaliation and meting our justice our way. The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God, but just multiplies sin on top of sin. We don’t know what is right and best apart from God. Our sinfulness makes us pitiful judges. There is one judge and lawgiver, the Lord, therefore vengeance belongs to Him.
Another problem we have with forgiveness is we often don’t want to make the first move. If they did wrong, then they should initiate making things better. But that doesn’t always happen. The Lord expects His own to leave their gift at the altar and go and make it right with their brother. He wants us to take the initiative out of love for the person, value the relationship and do what it takes to make things right for love of God.
It is sometimes necessary to forgive those who are not even sorry for their actions. There are times you can attempt to make things right, acknowledging your wrongdoing and find the other party uninterested in your apology and unmoved by your attempts to make amends. You may forgive them and move on, but in order for the relationship to be restored, both parties must cooperate, participate and reciprocate.
God, who is righteous and merciful in all His ways, stands ready to forgive. And so, should we. He could have taken vengeance, but He was willing to cover our fault with mercy. And so, should we. He was more concerned about our wellbeing than His own feelings, for He understood the weakness of man. And so, should we. Because He desires us to be restored with Him, He is willing to cast our sin away as far as the east is from the west. Micah 7:19 records, “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
There can be no remission and forgiveness of sin without sacrifice and without the shedding of blood. The law gave the knowledge of sin, but it could not change, nor save the heart or soul of the man within. God had something better in mind.
Hebrews 10:4-7 says, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”
Jesus Christ became our sacrifice to do what the law could not do and satisfy God’s requirement that we may be made right with God, set at one, redeemed and reconciled.
The last Adam, Christ, came to restore what the first Adam lost. By faith you can be reconciled to God. We must acknowledge that we have fallen short of His expectations of us. Own that He didn’t transgress against us, but we transgressed against Him, grieving His Spirit. Then we must do what it takes to be reconciled. Rather than trying to justify our wrongdoing, we must repent of it, turn from our sin and accept His forgiveness and saving grace.
Those who have been reconciled to Him are called to the work of helping others be reconciled to Him, and helping others be reconciled to each other. It is challenging, necessary, precious and humbling work, with earthly blessed opportunity and eternal consequences. Those who truly desire to please God, make the sacrifice. They let go and let God. Those unwilling make excuses. Let us be about our Father’s business. Come, let us reason together. Be ye reconciled to God and each other.
