“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)
Why is there a need to reconcile with one another after having conflicts and arguments? Can’t we just remove and forget people we are not compatible with as family members, friends, etc., and make new ones along the way? The answer to this is “absolutely no.” The main reason for this is that we have been designed by God to love and receive love from others. As each person is part of the body of Christ, all humans are meant to be connected with each other. It is challenging to live without love. I always received love, mostly, especially from my father. After having conflict with my dad, and I usually deserve to get told off, he always reconciles with me a bit later. He is not a firm believer like I am, but he illustrates God’s love.
We have explored the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the salvation we receive from Him spiritually, but what is the core reason of these? The reason that Jesus sacrificed His life for us is to offer us salvation through Him, but also to offer us the way to know and believe the Sovereign God, who is our Creator and Heavenly Father. People had to carry the ark of the covenant wherever they went to stay in touch with God, and temples were the only place that the high priests could meet with Him and offer Him sacrifices to be cleansed of their sins and the sins of their community once a year in ancient times (Exodus 25:1-22; 30:10).
However, as the temple curtains were torn when Jesus was crucified, God’s presence became available and accessible to everybody anywhere (Matthew 27:50-53). Furthermore, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit, who is also known as God’s Spirit and the Spirit of truth, to His followers to guide them on their journey with Him (John 14:26; 16:7-15). The journey with Christ is knowing and believing in God through faith in Christ because Jesus is the exact image and representation of God (Colossians 1:15-23; Hebrews 1:3). Although God is watching and looking after us all the time, we just need to set time aside for Him and spend time with Him through reading the Bible, God’s word, and through prayer, our conversation with God, even if it is challenging. These are essential spiritual practices to grow in Jesus spiritually.
Meditate on 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, and ask yourself these questions: “Although I have been saved spiritually, am I truly following Jesus through reading God’s word and through prayer?” “How can I improve my spiritual growth in Jesus?”
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