Justice, Forgiveness and Reconciliation

 Reconciliation is God's plan. Discord is not part of his nature. He does not bear grudges.

God is love and he loves all people.

God sent his only eternal Son to suffer and die for you and me.
Why did Jesus have to die to forgive us?

We need forgiveness and God always wanted and wants to forgive, but God is also just.

Jesus was humble and always sought reconciliation, but he never stopped demanding justice.

God's way of thinking is radically different.

A young woman in America was raised Christian, but she fell in love with a man who led her astray.

Her Christian mother never stopped praying for her, but one day she was confronted with a nightmare. Her daughter was murdered by her boyfriend.

The man had to stay in prison for years.

The mother of the deceased young woman was heartbroken, but then she received an unthinkable instruction from the Holy Spirit.

She was not only to forgive the murderer, but to visit him in prison. She was to help him and learn to love him as her own son.

Little by little, the evil man felt God's love and grace more and more until he finally repented and converted.

He was released from prison, and the mother of the murdered woman helped him to rebuild his life. Now they are travelling around and giving their testimony.

The murderer had to suffer in prison for years. That was justice.

But the mother of the deceased young woman adopted him and loved him until he repented and received God's grace. That is reconciliation.

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Rom 5:10 NRSV

Why did Jesus have to die? Because God demands justice. Sin must be punished.

Jesus died to take our punishment upon himself, so that if we repent, we will not suffer God's punishment in hell.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

God loves all people, but you are not just a specimen of humanity. God loves you personally.

Do you want to repent now and ask for God's forgiveness?

Paul was very religious but not a nice person until he had a visitation from Jesus Himself.
Years later he wrote.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Cor 5:20 NIV