27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 13 01-03 THE COMMISSIONING OF BARNABAS AND PAUL 13 Acts 13 02 The message of reconciliation
📖 Acts 13:01-03
13 – Thu, 27 Feb 2025 – *The message of reconciliation* - _Acts 13:01-03_ – THE COMMISSIONING OF BARNABAS AND PAUL – _II Corinthians 05:18-20_
_Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, *"Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."*_
The Lord sent Barnabas and Saul to the work He had called them. The work of God is to seek and save the lost. _Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."_ People must experience His salvation and enter His kingdom to experience the Shalom of God.
Shalom is what we had when we were created but we became enemies of God because of sin and lost Shalom. _Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life._ God longs for us to be reconciled with Him. This is the reason for our justification by faith in Jesus. _Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,_
Justification leads us to experience Shalom. *We lost our Shalom because of our sin and rebellion against God and this is being restored through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.*
God will not forget His covenant of Shalom. _Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, *Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed*," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you._
This is the reconciliation that the Lord has done for us through the blood of the cross. _Colossians 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and *by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross*._
God is reconciling the world to Himself and has committed to the church this message of reconciliation. _II Corinthians 5:18-20 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that *God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself*, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God._
We must look at this relationship of ours with God as marriage. _Isaiah 54:5 For *your Maker is your husband*, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth._
We were married to God. He was our Husband and we are the wife. We were living under His covering and protection. We were basking in the fullness of His love for us. _Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; (20) I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD._
We could have remained in submission to Him, enjoying all the abundance of His love and treasures. We chose to rebel and break our relationship with our Husband. We are now the estranged wife of God. *God, the grieving Husband, comes seeking for His wife who has gone away from Him*. _Jeremiah 3:14 "Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "*for I am married to you*. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion._
As disciples of Christ, we are sent into the world, to plead with the world to come back to the love of God, our Husband. This is our Ambassadorial role in the world.
The world is rejecting us and our message of God’s heart of reconciliation. *The world is angry and persecutes the church for sharing this message of God’s love as the Husband who has been rejected by His wife.*
Whatever the world may do to us, we will continue to share the message of God’s heart to a lost world. _Isaiah 57:18-19 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And *restore comforts to him* And to his mourners. (19) "I create the fruit of the lips: *Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near*," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him."_
This is the message of Jesus. _Isaiah 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, (3) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."_
```Barnabas and Saul were separated for this work, which was to share this message of Jesus to the world who are enemies of God. This is our task too.```