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F. D. STARR

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 30, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 52.

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F. D. STARR

By F. D. Starr

Reconciliation

F. D. STARR

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Col. 1:20. We see from this that it is the purpose of God that everything in the universe shall be brought to a condition of the most complete reconciliation. From 2 Cor. 5:18–20 we learn that this is the work of the gospel: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” To the ambassador for Christ is committed the word of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation; in other words, the gospel of reconciliation. Then a true gospel work will be a work that tends to bring everything to a state of reconciliation. It is not only that men shall be reconciled to God, but from Matt. 5:23, 24, we learn that in case we are not reconciled to our brother, the first thing we have to do is to become thus reconciled. God cannot accept of our service until we are reconciled with each other.
We might expect that a reconciliation would be made by having the offending party make the concession. But God has set us the example by the manner in which we become reconciled to him. “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” Rom. 5:10. By whose death? By our own death, or by our own gift, or act of restitution? This might be the natural plan, but it is not the divine plan. Not the offender, but the Offended makes the concession. Let us pause and consider, and then go and do likewise. It is not for us to demand that the trespasser be brought to terms of strict justice before we can be reconciled to him. “Be ye reconciled.”
The gospel has always been a work of reconciliation. When the angel told Hagar: “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands” (Gen. 16:9), he was proclaiming to her the gospel of reconciliation. It is true that Sarai dealt hardly with Hagar, that she afflicted her, and we can imagine we hear Hagar saying: Ah, Lord, I would rather die than to go back to that overbearing, abusive woman. But, not so, Hagar must learn submission, and that is what we all must learn. 1 Peter 5:5.
When Abraham said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between me and thee” (Gen. 13:8), he was preaching the gospel of reconciliation, upon the divine plan of giving up his own rights for others’ good. When Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, it was to the intent that a complete reconciliation might be brought about between master and servant. Philemon 10–16.
It is a grand and inspiring thought that there will be nothing in all the universe that will not be fully reconciled, each individual to all the others. We need to study the subject of reconciliation from the sacrificial services of the Old Testament, and from the practical instruction of the entire Bible. Would you know the bliss of the future world of harmonious unity? then “first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come;” for nothing unreconciled can enter there.