Great Doctrines of Salvation, Reconciliation

All right, everybody, do we still... We are in Chapter 8 of the Basic Doctrines of Salvation and Reconciliation. Any other question sheets? Do we have any? Do you need a Chapter 8? Do you need one back? Crystal? I wouldn't get too close to him. Just kind of a personal observation. Yeah, there's some more back there. Here we go. All right. First of all, because a couple have actually asked for it and I like it too, we're going to quickly Where's my daughter? There she is. Quickly. She loves my quicklies, which usually ends up to be five or ten minutes, and it's much too much on the review. Quickly, let's go through some of the terms that we've already gone through. Repentance. What does repentance mean?

Anybody. Everybody. One person. Yes, to have another mind, a change of mind. What does conversion mean? turn, to turn or return. It's different from repentance in that it is not necessarily a change of mind. What does regeneration mean? Regeneration. Stumped him. Yeah, again creation or again birth. Yeah, it's rebirth or new birth, new creation, regeneration, something completely new. What does redemption mean? To buy back or purchase. Right. Justification. To be declared righteous. Yeah, to be declared. And who does that justification for us? Do we declare it? No, God declares it. So He declares us to be righteous. What's that?

Yeah, you know, the more and more we study all these terms and everything, I'll get into it a little bit too, you know. I was getting back a little bit more into the Greek a little bit today and looking at the the mood, the tense, all the different things. And I'm still amazed at how many times it is passive.

We are having things done on us. We do nothing. It's God doing the work. It's God providing the action. It is very little that we are required to do. We get into all the commands, the logical commands that we're supposed to do, and that's just logical that if you are a new creature in Christ, you should do this. It's not a moral, if you do this, here are the consequences. So there are lots of things we are to do, but that's just an outcome of who we are in Christ. But as far as what we are required to do, Really, there's only one thing.

What is that? Believe. Believe. Believe in what God's Word says. The more we study all these words and terms, most of them have very little with what we are doing or what we're to do. What does forgiveness mean? Somebody take a crack at it. Come on. Be brave. Right. Good. To release from bondage or imprisonment, pardon of sins, letting them go as if they had never been committed. So, it's a complete removal or pardon of sins. So, forgiveness. And hopefully you'll know what the last one is.

Assurance. We had that last week. Assurance. This is not a good thing. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that question. Never mind that one. Assurance. It's another word for it. Confidence. Confidence. The confidence that the right relations exist between oneself and God. It's that confidence, remember, that we don't have to worry.

You know, I think last week I kind of, which I usually don't do, raise your hand if you've ever thought that about, you know, you ever had that doubt? You know, have you ever had the doubt that you, and many have expressed it, you know, when you woke up and nobody was in the house? Just that little uncomfortable feeling that you got? You know, and nobody told you that they were all leaving to go get coffee or something? And you just suddenly have that Don't have that assurance. We have the assurance. They're just out for coffee. Remember that. If the Lord comes, He's taking you. If you are one of His, there's no question. No question.

My anchor verse for so long had been John 10, 28. Who can get me out of God's hands? Look at that verse. Nobody, no one, no how, no where, nothing. can get me out of God's hands. So once you're in God's hands, I can't climb out of it. Nobody can take me out of it.

I'm there. So when you wake up and nobody's in the house, get in the car and go find where they had coffee because you're not left behind. And everybody has that. I mean, it was kind of interesting because I think every one of us at some point in our Christian walk has that doubt that Am I really good enough for this? Yesterday, I was kind of bad. Maybe God just frowned on me, and this is the day He was taking everybody away, and He was a little chapped at me and left me. There's that doubt that people have, and the more in your spiritual walking maturity, you just have that assurance that there is nothing, just kind of what Norm said at the beginning.

What do we have to do? Very, very little. Just believe. So, we don't have to do the spiritual push-ups. We don't have to do all this, or the fear of being left behind, or the fear that the Lord just really isn't going to love me, you know, like He did last week.

You know, that was the other verses in Romans, where, you know, who is able to separate us from the love of God? Remember the whole list? You know, I don't think there are any loopholes in there. Who can separate you from the love of God? Nobody, no how, no way. and John 1028 can't get out of his hands, he can't be separated from his love? What are you worrying about? For you, probably the older generation, the Mad Magazine, remember Alfred E. Newman, What Me Worry? That should be our attitude. Why worry? We have the assurance. We have the assurance.

And today's topic is reconciliation. Anybody want to take a crack at that right off the bat and then I'll give you all the Websters and the Greek and everybody. Reconciliation, what does it mean? Change? Yeah? to change thoroughly from. Webster has it this way. I always like to go to Webster's for the first definition. Webster's, the three definitions that they had was to cause, to be friendly or harmonious again. Second one is adjust or settle differences. Third, to bring to submission or acceptance.

What do you think of those? I think they weren't bad, actually, for this one. It really wasn't too bad. Last week, when we had assurance, it was self-confidence. It's confidence in the Lord, not in ourselves. Where this one actually wasn't too bad. The cause would be friendly. It's thoroughly changed from. It's reconciliation. Now I'm really nervous now with Craig in here going over the Greek. My pronunciations, all that, I apologize for in advance.

The two Greek words, well, two of the Greek words, there are four of them that are in the verses that have reconciliation, but the two ones I looked at were katalaso, which means to change, exchange of persons, to change mutually, and that's in the Romans 5.10 verse. Somebody want to read that one? Romans 5, 10, 11. Who's got that? Anybody? Dave, you got that? Who's up for that? Wayne?

Yeah, go through. Okay, the word in there for reconciliation is the katalasso, and the interesting part about that again is, for if while 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. The reconciled in there, and I don't know if everybody has their fine Greek cheat sheet still, It's aorist, passive, indicative. Okay, aorist, what does that mean? You've lost all those cheat sheets.

I've got to print them up again. We're going to staple them to the inside of your book. Pass completed action. Pass completed action. It's done already. It's done. Not being done. Not going to be done. It is done. So, past completed action. Passive. So, we are the ones being talked about in here. So, it's passive. What does that mean? It's being done to us. We're not reconciling. We're being reconciled. Okay, again, it's the direction of this. Again, reconciled. God is the one who is reconciling. We aren't reconciling to God. And then the last is indicative. Fact. Done. No discussion. So, past completed action. God's the one who did it to us. Action not required by us. Indicative. It's a fact. No question. Not any doubt about it. So, what me worry? Why worry? The other one is a pocket lasso.

Sorry, Craig. to that means to reconcile completely and somebody can they look up Colossians 1 19 and 20. I brought this up just for a different direction. Colossians 1 19 and 20. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself. Okay, this reconciliation is aorist, active, infinitive. Okay? So, aorist, we know. What does that mean? Oh, come on. Short-term memory problems here? Pass. Completed action. Thank you. Next one is active. What does that mean? Subject. Who's the subject of this one?

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself." Who is the one providing the action? Right. God. It was God's pleasure to do this. So it's a little flip on the reconciliation. It is now explaining, this one, that God is the one doing it. So it is God reconciling all things to himself.

So it's an active form in the Greek. I don't know, was it mood tense? It's a voice. Okay, so God is doing it. And then the infinitive. What does that mean? You have the cheat sheets. Statement of purpose. This is his purpose, to reconcile. That was his purpose. So it's a past completed action. He did it. And who did it? God. And it was his purpose. It was a statement of purpose. This is what he wanted to do.

So the reconciliation is all from God. Let's go on here, because I think I'll get into some of that a little later. Number two, distinguish between reconciliation, repentance, and conversion. We've kind of gone through all those. What does repentance mean?

The definition. Change of mind. Conversion. Turn or change of direction. Reconciliation. Are you just shading yourself from the fan? Yes, it's a change right in the heart. The three different ways. I like the way March Banks actually put it. He had a good portion there.

Whereas repentance presents the change of mind which the sinner has about himself and about God when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. And conversion pictures the change of direction which comes when the believing sinner turns toward God. Reconciliation shows us the change which is wrought in the heart by which the heart which feared now has peace.

So, basically we have that peace. We don't have the fear. We have been reconciled. We are reconciled to God. God has reconciled us to Himself. It's okay. He has a change of heart for us. And why is that? Because of what Christ did. He now looks at us I mean, it still has love, but it's now, through Christ, the reconciliation can be made. The change of heart. Buy that? A lot of quizzical looks out there.

No, God does not change. He always has the same love, but it appears to be that way, and we'll get into that a little bit later. God does not change, but it appears to be a change, but it's only through the work of Christ that's what the change is. We'll get into that a little bit later. So now, God doesn't change, but it's a change of heart because of what Christ has done.

He now looks at us through Christ. So we are now reconciled to Him because of Christ's action on the cross. Number three, does God Himself need to be reconciled to man? Yes? No. No changes ever needed on God's part. God needed to be propitiated but not reconciled.

Again, I like the way March Banks puts this too. No change need be wrought in his heart insofar as his love to sinners is concerned. While his heart is necessarily filled with wrath against all sin, it is also filled with mercy, compassion, and love for the sinner. The death and resurrection of Christ at the same time reconciled sinners and propitiated God."

Somebody look up Romans 5.8. So, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Again, the love, the compassion, the mercy, but sin had to be paid for. So, there's no reconciliation, but there is, which Mike will be teaching next week, propitiation. There needed to be payment for those sins. So again, God doesn't have to be reconciled to man.

Doesn't have to be a change of heart that way. Where is the change to take place in man? in the mind. Heart. Change of heart. That's where it is. What is a good definition of the heart? We talk about a lot. We've been talking about change of heart. Thoughts? It's more than a change of mind. It also involves activity outside your will. So what is the heart? Yeah, it's an interesting question. I'm asking you. I had struggled with this after I did all this change of heart.

It's who we are. That's the best definition I came up with. That was what I came up with. It's our essence of who we are. That's kind of where the will, all those things come out. That's the core of who I am. Because my mind is thought, reason, logic, all that. But that's based on, at least in mind, who I am. You know, and how I am and think and feel. That's who the heart is, at least in mine. I mean, that's why I kind of brought it up. I was struggling with trying to find a good definition.

Because we say a change of heart. Well, a change of heart. Jarvik, now I have a mechanical heart in here. The change has got to be the new creation. Because the old man. Exactly. The old heart. So it's got to be something totally new. Yeah, and I think that it's got to be in the new man because remember when we were in the identification class? What was the old man? Name the good qualities of the old man. The good qualities. We can take the next ten minutes. What? Dead. That's the best. There we go. There we go.

You know, there aren't, you know, so does the old man heart able to reconcile or to have this change of heart now. He's desperately wicked, always against God. So I think it has to be the new creation and that change of heart. And again, the change of heart being the new creation, who I am in Christ.

We've kind of been going through this a little bit on Tuesday. With not much resolve, may I ask, and you actually were the biggest, you started Ben back there. He's got a wry smile on his face knowing that he's tormented me ever since, what, two weeks ago Tuesday or something.

Because if you know, Hal had a drawing at one point, you know, and there's a little switch between the old man and the new man. The old man, the new man. Okay? Who flips the switch? Now you're all confused, aren't you? You're all going to be thinking about this, but that's a good thing. You know, who makes a switch between Eyes focused or following the old man versus the new man. You know, Hal had that great drawing. It's like a switch that goes between the new man and which one of you. Because we have two natures. The old man is not dead. We're not in subject to him. We're not in bondage to him. But he's still alive. So we have two natures. Who decides which one we're following? Yeah, motion sensor, yeah. I think there's a question before that, and the question is, as a non-believer, and you were presented with the gospel, does the old man believe in his heart, like Romans 10 says, a man will believe in his heart?

And therein lies probably the question between election and free will. Because how can the old man ever make a decision to accept Christ as a savior? My theory on that is that the Holy Spirit's working on you, working on you, working on you, working on you, working on you, working on you, and it becomes a point where It's a choice, but it's not really a choice. You've come to a place where it's just so evident that your need for a Savior, that you make that choice, even in the old man. But because I, you know, this is all, boy, this has really opened up a can of worms today. Election versus free will. Are we all picked before the beginning of time?

Or do we, the Holy Spirit work on us and we have a choice? yeah well and see yes that's a good point that's what I Right, and you get to Romans 1 and all men know that there is a God and they're without excuse. And that's where I think too that there is a knowledge of that and I think the Holy Spirit works in such a way that you're brought to a point where it's so evident you either finally reject Him or you accept and you believe or believe.

And the foreknowledge, the way now, when I've looked at it since then, that was hard to reconcile, especially in Ephesians. You kind of had both. Things that kind of leaned towards a choice, and then you had foreknowledge and all this. All the foreknowledges and all the different things are when you're in Christ. I've gone through, I think we were in an identification class, I went through this, and it was in Ephesians that finally kind of, to me, it clicked on the foreknowledge and all that.

Once you're in Christ, everything that's true about Christ is true about you, except for deity. So, once you're in Him, you go as far back as He does, and you go as far in the future, eternal. So the foreknowledge, predestination, is all after we're in Christ. Then we have the eternality of Christ. So He knew us, because God knew Christ from eternity past, and once we're in Him, He's known us from eternity past.

So that brings me up to the second question. As a believer with two natures abiding in the flesh, who makes the decision to be restored to fellowship? Didn't we talk about that? A couple of weeks ago, and isn't the Calvinist belief that you have to be, God somehow regenerates you so the actual new man would actually make that decision?

That's true. Yeah. Because the old man cannot do anything good, and that would be a good act? That's right. But, but... In my experience, that's true. It means that's true from the Calvinist point of view. Yeah. You know, but that still begs the question then, too.

If it's the new man, how can the new man choose to sin or follow the old nature. It takes the free will out of it. If you don't believe, you're still held accountable. An old man, an unbeliever, doesn't have that in him. Right. But I'm saying a new creation. We all sin still. We do. Yeah. Surprise, surprise. So, you know, and I don't mean to say, well I should cut this off, because we couldn't solve it on Tuesday either. It really kind of, Ben brought it up and it was like, wow, I never thought about that. Who really makes that decision? And it kind of goes to, I think the heart.

Essentially, who I am, and who am I following? That's kind of as close as I came to some logical answer for myself. It's that heart, it's the who I am, that's going to step into eternity without the old and all the other things associated with Adam. But linked to the new creation, the essence of who I am. I think it's always the new man.

The reason I say that is Galatians 2.20 says, I have been crucified with Christ. That I is the new man.

Who recognizes what happened to him on the cross, that he was crucified. And so when a believer who's functioning out of the flesh is restored to fellowship, he's restored along those bases that he understands and believes that he was crucified and that's what the reality is, and that's who he really is, even though he's been functioning inconsistent with who God in the Word says he is. So it's the new man, and like you say, who are you now? you're a new creature in Christ, and so that's what the reality is, that's what the truth is, and that's the person that functions. It makes the, if you want to say it's a decision, but it's a recognition of the truth and a belief in the truth that restores and reintellections.

Yeah, I don't have all that, but can the new man shift left and go and function in Adam. Well, if you look at the temptations in James, the temptation is always designed to get you to leave your position in Christ to satisfy the desires of the flesh which are still there.

I just ponder that for a while. And I think it really does boil down to the heart. I think that's who we are. The essence and the two natures are somewhat kind of below that. And the spiritual maturity and walk is who we are. forming more to the new man. Our maturity is forming with the new man, growing with the new man. So there is less of the heart choosing Adam or the man, the old man. And I think the maturity is that new creature, the new man growing and the essence or the heart becoming more of the new creation. Can the new creation take his eyes off Christ? I guess that's the question at hand. They can through, I say, maybe the heart that says, the essence of who I am.

I don't think we need to. I think we have to bring the Holy Spirit into us. And he's always begun Christ to us. And so, I mean, as far as our faith, it's just a little bit of disbelief in what God says. Right. Which, the Holy Spirit does play a part in that. Oh yeah, he does it all. I mean, he's the one convicting us and working the Word into our life.

So I think that is, I think a lot of this has to do with our spiritual maturity and our walk, our growth in Christ. I think it is because as you grow in Christ, the old man tends not to be as big a factor as a new believer. I mean, a new believer doesn't know the word as well, very on fire, is apt to be blown left or right. But as you grow in Christ, I think you're apt to function in the new man much more than the old man. And I think that's where maturity is, is you grow into the new man.

Yeah, we're in Christ. We're in Him. Yeah, that's the growth. I mean, we're growing in Him. Yeah, and that's right. If I said that wrong, we're in Him. It's not Him and us. Right. The joy of it is that one day we won't have to worry about that. That's my biggest thing. Once I shirk this shell, I don't care. It's all gone. No old man to drag me down. Nothing.

We're in his presence. In our position. And we have that position right now. That's the other thing. is seated with him. A lot of the identification, what are those trues? Remember the 34 trues that we learned? We're seated with him. All the things positionally that we have, that's what we have right now. And when we step into eternity, our condition becomes our position.

Fantastic. I mean, it's shocking. Yep, he knows them all. I'm sorry, rabbit-trailed that one. It was just a big question we had on Tuesday. I blame it on Ben. Where are we? Five, does reconciliation come because man desires this thorough change? No. God himself took the initiative. Remember in our identification class what our condition in Adam was. bad, nothing good. We would never take the initiative to change our hearts towards God. We would never do that. It's the Holy Spirit working in us and the reconciliation part is God reconciling, not us reconciling ourselves to God. Somebody... Second Corinthians 5, 18 and 19. Craig, you want to do that one? Yes, sir. And then... Second Corinthians 5, 18 and 19.

Now all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation." Again, who's doing it? God. God who reconciles. So, it doesn't say because man suddenly saw the light and decided to be reconciled to God. It isn't man suddenly had a change of heart and he decided to be reconciled to God. God reconciles man to himself.

Again, starting off with what Norm said, what do we have in this? What is our part? Very little. Just believe. Okay. In 2 Corinthians 5, 17 and 20, there are three changes spoken of. What are they? Somebody, actually, since you're there, Craig, you want to read, just go through 17 through 21. All right. Backing up. Backing up. All right. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come.

Now, all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.

He made him who knows sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Okay, the first change is in verse 17. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come.

What is that? What kind of change is that? What? Thorough? Yeah. Positional. Structural. We're new creatures. We are completely new. It's a positional truth, a positional change. We are new creatures. Not rehab, not fixed up, new paint, new clothes on. No. We are new, completely new. I would say, from God's perspective, this is where the change takes place.

God doesn't see us in Adam and Mary. He only sees us in Christ. In Christ. The more you look at Scripture, all these wonderful truths usually have, in Him, in Christ, in Him, in Christ. All that we have is in Christ. And what Mike says is true. God doesn't see us in Adam anymore. He sees us in Christ. So that's who He sees us in.

So we are new. We are new creatures. Completely new. Again, that's the death, burial, and resurrection. There's the co-crucifixion on the cross of the old man. New creatures now. And we get away from, I think Mike irritates people by, are there saved sinners? No, they're dead sinners, dead, crucified, but not saved. It's not Adam with an extreme makeover.

It is a dead Adam, a crucified Adam, and a new creature, a new creature in Christ. So, first is positional. In verse 19, namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. So, what is that a form of? First was positional. What is this one? It's a change of what? Relationship. Completely new relationship. Reconciling the world to Himself. Not counting their trespasses against themselves. It's a new relationship. He has reconciled us to Himself.

And this again, when we get into it, it sounds like it's maybe a change of heart by God, but it's not. He now sees us, as Mike says, not in Adam, but He sees us in Christ. In Adam, he sees us with sin and everything that we have in Adam. In Christ, he sees us in Christ and the mercy, the compassion, everything, the love, all that is poured out upon us through this reconciliation while we're in Christ. The third change is in verse 20, Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us. We beg on your behalf of Christ be reconciled to God.

This is a little bit different. This one may not be as apparent, but the third change is a mental attitude or the trust of the individual heart when one sees and accepts the value in the death of Christ for him. So again, it's a change of mind a little bit a different trust because we're now ambassadors. We're now bringing the ministry of reconciliation to the world. We're to be ambassadors for Christ. There's other verses that say the ministry of reconciliation. So, it's basically a change of our attitude. So, the three different ones there. So back up there in verse 18 it's saying God has given us the minutes of your breath and salvation. So how would you define that?

You know, I think that is bringing Christ to the world as ambassadors of Christ. You know, to bring reconciliation to the world is, I think, bringing Christ to the world. At least that's the way I interpret that, is that we are now ambassadors for Christ. We are to bring reconciliation, to bring forth the good news, the gospel, is, I think, the ministry of reconciliation. The... What? The next... Yeah. Mike, did you have something?

Well, if you're an ambassador of the reconciliation, then you're the one that's to speak out what God's attitude is now about mankind and what he has done and what his view of mankind is now based on the work of his son. And that the sin issue has really been handled by God from his side of the ledger. And what we do as ambassadors is we entreat people to believe, to accept and believe God's position regarding mankind now because of the work of Christ. See, and that's where I think it's really bringing the gospel. I mean, to me, when I thought about this, because I saw that too, and I thought, really, it's just bringing the gospel.

Because that's saying that God has paid the price for all sins. See, the entire world's viewpoint of their relationship with God is that they know God is man. No matter what culture you study, there's some sort of deity, and they're doing something to appease God because they know He's man. Well, the reconciliation is the news that God is not mad. He's paid for. He's been propitiated, and if you will believe in Him and what He's done, you will be saved for all eternity. And that is the news that's different. than other religions, right.

We're always talking about self, and that seems like a pivotal phrase there that could be, it's kind of a whole other issue, but that pivotal phrase right there leads you off into a self-mystery of stuff too. You know, to me it always goes to motive. Are you doing it for self or it's because of who you are in Christ? It again goes to the logical imperatives that come out. If you're in Christ, you'll give the gospel. It's just who you are. You want to share that because of who you are in Christ. If you're doing it because...

If I go out and I'm... go down to Larimer Square and I pick that bum up and I tell him and I put a little notch on my belt because I was a good boy today. Not anywhere. I mean, I can see where you're pointing. You can take this and abuse it by saying, OK, I'm now going to be the Minister of Reconciliation. Exactly. Exactly. Perfect, perfect analogy. You go back into, OK, Adams now saying, You got to go out and you got to go do this. You got to go witness to 30 people today or God's going to be a little unhappy with you.

And wrong motive. It goes to motive or which nature you've fallen. I think the key word here is understanding what the word ambassador means. an ambassador only speaks for the one he represents never speaks his own opinion right never gives anything other than what he's been sent to speak so it's like we have condoleezza rice in the middle east who she's speaking for the united states well the press is always trying to get her to give her opinion yeah an ambassador gives no opinions an ambassador only represents who and then and voices what who they represent if we reckon ambassadors of reconciliation It's a cat. By the very definition, you can't be selfish. Right. Well, I think it goes to motive of yours. I can say everything, you know, Christ, but the underlying motive is if I witness to five people today, God will smile on me a little better. I'm still saying...

What would be outside the realm of the definition of an ambassador? Because you're making a decision to do something on your own, an ambassador doesn't function that way. Well, speaking, I mean, an ambassador speaks or does, you know, so I mean, I guess it's the underlying motive of an ambassador. I guess you can go. All the way to, an ambassador doesn't speak unless he's told to speak.

We have like one minute. According to the author, what is the primary purpose of reconciliation? I think that's number seven. What did the author say in there? Does anybody read it? According to the author, what is the primary purpose of reconciliation? Thoroughly change. Yeah, that our heart attitude towards God himself should be thoroughly changed from aversion and fear to trust and love.

If you look at 2 Corinthians 5.15, Now it is our joy and our delight to please the Lord instead of pleasing self.

2 Corinthians 5.15 And he died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. Again, getting out of our self and into serving Christ in him. Is this thorough change before God positional or conditional?

We have positional. We have conditional. We have both. We have one both. Positional. It's positional. It is God reconciling positionally. He is now looking at us through Christ. We are reconciled to Him. So it's a positional one. Remember, if we have anything to do with it, it swings to the conditional side. So when we talk about there's nothing we can do about it, that typically gives me the thought that it's a positional truth. If we have something to do with it, or we have some way to vacillate, then it's a more conditional. That was the second one. Is that the second bell? I think so. All right. Well, any questions, ask later. And sorry to get you on the rabbit trail that we got in on Tuesday. All right, let's close.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time. We thank you for your word. We thank you that we are reconciled to you. And we know that is nothing of ourselves. It is all through Christ who has paid the price for us, who we now enjoy in a relationship as a new creature in Christ. And Father, we just thank you again for that thought that you see us not in Adam now, but you see us in Christ. And we just thank you again for just your love, your grace, your mercy demonstrated and shown to us day by day, moment by moment, as we are in Christ. And Father, we just commit the remainder of this day to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.