In our study of the doctrine of witnessing Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; we are examining the doctrines that undergird the gospel so that we understand how and why it is God alone who made it possible for our so great salvation by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Eph 2:8-9;

We are presently discussing the doctrine of reconciliation where God once and for all addressed the barrier between Himself and mankind and by extension all of the barriers that exist between people. The only solution to these problems is believing in Jesus Christ as savior and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In closing last time we noted the two facets of reconciliation mentioned in 2Cor 5:21;The first facet of reconciliation is that Christ became our sin substitute. The second facet is the imputation of God's perfect righteousness to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ so they have the perfect righteousness that is required to be in the presence of God and live.

The principle of expiation (Col 2:14;) contained in the doctrine of reconciliation is represented by the crushing of coccus ilaiacus worm that in ancient times was used to manufacture the dye that was used to color royal robes red.

This is referenced with the words "I am a worm" in Psa 22:6; The idea goes all the way back to the first time the gospel message was presented in Gen 3:15; where God stated that Satan would crush the seed of the woman's heel but the seed of the woman would crush satan's head.

On the cross, the perfect and impeccable humanity of Jesus Christ was crushed with the judgment of our sins. He therefore, He calls Himself "tolah", for the weight of all those sins crushed Him as He received the imputation and judgment for them.

God the Father's imputation and judgment of our sins in Jesus' body on the cross is analogous to the worm being crushed in a vat, so that its blood can be used for the manufacture of royal robes.

Because our Lord was judged for our sins on the cross our sins were expiated and as a result we now wear the royal robes of God's perfect imputed righteousness. We were imputed with the righteousness of God the Father, and we share the righteousness of Christ through the baptism of the Spirit.

Reconciliation removes the basis all racial prejudice or discrimination, Eph 2:13-18; This means that anytime racial prejudice exists God's work of reconciliation is blasphemed.

The power of God that is available to church age believers as members of the new spiritual species destroys the barriers of prejudice so there is no place for racial prejudice in the church, the royal family of God.

Racial prejudice also blasphemes the work of Christ. Eph 2:13-15; "But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

v14 For He Himself is our reconciliation, who made both Gentiles and Jews one (new spiritual species), and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall

v15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, ...that in Himself he might make the two into one new man, establishing reconciliation."

Some concluding principles regarding the doctrine of reconciliation: Reconciliation is the removal of the barrier between God and all mankind through the salvation ministry of Christ on the Cross. This sets up the pattern for our lives: all of our lives we are helpless and dependent on the grace of God and all that our Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us.

Under His grace policy God has provided everything we will ever need for time and eternity. Humility is required for us to recognize God's fantastic provision of grace and our complete and total helplessness.

This means that there is nothing we can do to be accepted by God. All divine approval is exclusively based on what God has done for us in grace. We are all too often impressed by what we or others "do for God" but focusing on people is not part of God's plan.

We are to be completely and exclusively focused on or occupied with Christ. Heb 12:2;

We should be impressed with God and what He does. This is expressed in three problem-solving devices: Fellowship with God the Holy Spirit, personal love for God the Father, and occupation with Christ. This is the only way we can reciprocate our love for God. 1John 4:19;

Believers are to become impressed with God's grace policy instead of "good works." Gal 6:14;

God's provision of Jesus' salvation ministry on the cross is directed toward mankind in reconciliation, it is directed toward God in propitiation, and it is directed toward sin in the unlimited atonement of the doctrine of expiation made possible because all personal sins of history where imputed to Christ on the Cross and judged by God the Father.

In propitiation, God the Father is satisfied with the salvation work of Christ on the Cross. If God the Father is satisfied with what our Lord did, then God the Father can be satisfied with us because we are in union with Christ.

In reconciliation, mankind is reconciled to God, and never vice versa. God is never reconciled to us. This is why false "gospel" of inviting Christ into your heart does not and cannot save you.

Reconciliation occurs in sequence as a result of the application of two judicial imputations. The first judicial imputation was the imputation of all the sins of mankind to Jesus Christ on the cross. The second judicial imputation is the imputation of God's righteousness to all who believe in Jesus Christ at the moment they believe. 2Cor 5:21;

In addition to the barrier between God and man there are also of barriers between man and man.

Ever since God separated the peoples in Gen 10: 5' there have been racial barriers and language barriers that have resulted in cultural and social barriers because when people are separated by race, language, and geography they adopt in different cultures that results in having different social norms and standards that cause barriers that result in conflict.

This segregation also leads to religious barriers and many world religions. Impersonal love handles the problem of religious barriers without succumbing to or being influenced by the lies and deceit of religion.

Christianity is not a religion. Satan is the inventor of religion that deceives man into believing that by doing some sort of "good works" man can gain the acceptance and approval of God.

The truth expressed in Christianity is that God seeks man through His provision of Jesus Christ and His substitutionary sacrifice on the Cross. Man accepts God's initiation by expressing positive volition to God's provision by expressing Faith in alone in Christ Alone. Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9;

Any system of salvation by works or spirituality by works is the result of the infiltration of satan's false religious concepts into believer's thinking. All of this results in personality, ideological and political barriers that create violent disagreement and in addition there are gender barriers Gen 1:27.

This is why Jesus said that He came to bring division instead of peace on the earth Matt 10:34; God's truth is always in conflict with satan's lie. This is also why we have divisions in our country at this time.

At this time in history satan's lie has reached critical point and the culture war that is occurring in our country is being waged between those who have accepted satan's progressive fascist socialist statist propaganda and want to change the country to conform to it and those who oppose and resist that change because they believe God's truth of Divine Establishment and Christianity that the country was founded upon.

Under the principle of the Divine solution is the only solution the only way to resolve this ideological culture war is the positional reconciliation that comes from faith in Jesus Christ followed by the experiential reconciliation that comes from the renovation of the thinking that comes from the PMA of God's Word.

This is why there is a critical need for believers to be functioning in their royal ambassadorship as evangelists as a witness to the entire nation.

The doctrinal principle of reconciliation is the fact that God judged Jesus Christ for our sins on the Cross thereby removing the barrier between God and man, and providing the potential for man's reconciliation to God through faith in Christ.

The doctrinal application of reconciliation is the fact that, for believers in Jesus Christ the barriers between man and man are removed through the function of the mechanics of the protocol plan of God.

Therefore, by application, reconciliation is the means of preserving unity among believers. In positional sanctification, the baptism of the Holy Spirit removes all barriers between believers. In experiential sanctification, the spiritual skills of the PPOG become the means for establishing unity among believers in post salvation function.

The major application of this doctrine to experiential Christianity is the function of witnessing in personal evangelism. 2Cor 5:20;

This concludes our study of the doctrine of reconciliation and brings us to the next doctrine that under girds the doctrine of witnessing. The doctrine of the last judgment.