God's Response to Mankind's Sin: Day 2

God responds to sin, and in my situation, I had to respond as well.  I responded by making, gradual but drastic changes in my lifestyle.  These changes forced me to walk down a slow road of recovery that had a lot of ups and down. Two steps forward and one step back was quickly followed by two steps forward and three steps back.  It was frustrating, hard, and many times it felt like suffering.  In fact I think Romans 8:17 is speaking of the maturing process when it says: 

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

During those times of pain and frustration, it's easy to doubt God's love and goodness.  It's easy to think that He doesn't care, but that's a lie.  The truth is: life on earth sucks at times.  It's hard, frustrating, and disappointing, but God is still good.  God didn't promise to make this life perfect, He promised to make the next one perfect.  That's good of Him, but there is something even better.

God also promised to use pain, suffering and disappointments to changed our destiny.  Ephesians 2:1-10 revealed that God saw the pain and suffering we experience and He stepped in.  He responded to the painful effects of sin by absorbing it.  On the cross, Jesus took our punishment and rewrote our eternity.  We suffer because of our sin; He suffers because He loves us.  He suffers because He wants to bring us something very good: reconciliation.

Read about God's reconciliation in Ephesians 2:11-18 (NLT):

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Answer the following questions:

1. Gentiles are non-Jewish people. How did Jesus accomplish reconciliation for the Gentiles?
2. Which relationships are reconciled through Jesus?
3. This passage shows that Jesus brought good news. Restate the good news in one sentence.
4. Are there any relationships in your life that need to be reconciled? Take time to pray for them.

Week 2 Challenge:

Prejudice is wrong, because God desires unity between all people. Ask God to show you a group of people that you are prejudice against, and look for an opportunity to show kindness to them.