Reconcilable differences

Wesley Wright

Lighthouse Bible Church

Sunday, March 1, 2026

 

2CO 5:16-19

 

Title: Reconcilable differences

 

If you remember nothing else:

We are new creations in Christ

Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God, and because of Him are trespasses are counted not against us

 

God is perfect, and we are not. Only His perfect Son could provide the reconciliation that we needed. The apostles realized that, and doing so changed their lives.

 

Paul + the other apostles previously knew Christ after the flesh, meaning physically (2 Corinthians 5:16). Once he died, rose, and departed, they understood him differently.

 

That knowledge came about because they were new creatures in Christ (2CO 5:17) — same as you and I. We are fundamentally different now than we were.

 

Before, we only had our sinful human nature, but now we believers have the Spirit of God, which leads us and makes us see the Son of God for who He is.

 

We are new creatures in Christ, having acknowledged the Son of God for who he is:

ROM 8:9-15

 

We are new creatures in Christ, having acknowledged the Son of God for who he is:

ROM 12:1-2

 

We are new creatures in Christ, having acknowledged the Son of God for who he is: COL 3:5-11

 

Being a new creation in Christ means we also have been reconciled to God. That reconciliation comes via the same Christ, and He’s the only one that can provide it.

 

Jesus’ Christ had no sin, so He could reconcile us with His Father. Outside of him, we had no other way to be reconciled, and we should thank Him for that.

 

God reconciled us to Himself via Christ (2CO 5:18) and Paul mentions the ministry of reconciliation. The apostles had that, and we can speak to it as well having been reconciled.

 

Even way back when, the sins of people of Israel separated them from God:

ISA 59:1-2; ISA 59:16-20

 

The people of Israel understood even then that God did not punish their sins as He could have: PSA 103:6-12

 

We all needed a way to be reconciled to God, and Jesus Christ is the only one who could have provided that:

ROM 5:6-11

 

Jesus Christ, remember is separate from sinners. That’s why He could reconcile us: HEB 7:22-28

 

Jesus Christ, said another way, had no sin. That’s why He could reconcile us: 1PE 2:21-25

 

Jesus Christ, who was separate from sinners and had no sin, is the only one who could have reconciled us to the Father: COL 1:19-23

 

It’s especially significant that our trespasses are not counted against us (2CO 5:19). Instead of being with us, as believers we appreciate that they are counted against Christ.

 

The OT acknowledged that a man could avoid having her trepasses counted against him: PSA 32:1-2; ISA 53:4-6

 

 

Jesus Christ and Stephen both prayed that God not count sins against people that put them to death:

Luke 23:27-34, Acts 7:54-60

 

We are new creatures in Christ. No longer are we subject to old perspectives, old viewpoints, etc. We are new having acknowledged who Christ is, and what He has done for us.

 

We believers — new creations in Christ — have been reconciled to God, and we thus have the ministry of reconciliation. The sinless Son of God Jesus Christ reconciled us to His Father, once and for all.