(Following the Footsteps of Christ) Reconcilation — Willie Mullan

Reconciliation Received, Offered, and Accomplished

But without reconciliation this evening, we have not done redemption and atonement on the Lord's best and I would love to do substitution and imputation, but we can't take the time. We're going on to the burial and then the next week is the Lord's words for the resurrection and then we're coming to the spot where we're going to start into this mighty subject of demonology and I think it's a mighty subject altogether.

Now I've put on the notes there three New Testament aspects of reconciliation. Now just let's look at these aspects first of all. We're in Romans chapter 5 for beginners. Letter to the Romans and we're chapter 5.

Verse 10 will do us, just to save the time. For us, when we were enemies. Now when we talk about we or when the apostle talks about we, you can see he's putting himself in the crowd. When we believers were enemies and there was a time when we were enemies against God.

I can remember the days when I blasphemed his name from early morning till late at night and cursed God to his face. Now he says here, for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.

You know that's reconciliation received by the believer. Now have a look at this one. We're at 2 Corinthians and we're at chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And again to save time because we'll come back to this.

Paul says at the end of verse 18, God hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. We who are reconciled have been given a ministry of reconciliation to which, it is what we witness, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

And that's another aspect. You see that's reconciliation that's offered to the world. And if you go to the letter to the Colossians and we're at the first chapter. Paul's letter to the Colossians. We're at chapter 1.

And here's what it says here in verse 20 and again we'll come back to this. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. Because by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.

So you can see the three aspects. There's the reconciliation that's received by every believer. And there's the reconciliation that's offered to the world. And there's the reconciliation that's wrought for both heaven and earth.

And we've got to balance this out this evening. I think we need to know the very depths of the root meaning of reconciliation. And I think the best place to find that is in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7.

And it says a lot in this chapter about husbands and wives. And I don't want to get into the depths of the many things that are here. But he says, let the husband render unto the wife Jew benevolence.

Isn't that a tremendous statement? You see every husband should recognise that his wife has certain rights. And he ought to render unto her Jew benevolence. Yes, this is her rights that we're talking about.

She's got conjugal rights that you must respect. And she's got mother rights that you'll have to respect. Now it says in the next verse, in the same verse, let the husband render unto the wife Jew benevolence.

Likewise also the wife unto the husband. Because he's got rights too you know. And if we would just keep this in mind as Christians, it might lead to happier families. Now away down the chapter, I don't want to go into all that's about husbands and wives.

It says in verse 10, And unto the married I command, yet not I, he corrects himself, but the Lord. It's the Lord's command. Let not the wife depart from her husband. You see some old fellows are hard to put up with aren't they?

You're not a run home to your mother you know. You see I don't believe that divorce is taught in this book for believers. In fact I'm very sure about that. I know you know that there are arguments about it.

Jesus' Teaching on Marriage and Divorce

You remember when our Lord Jesus was speaking, let's just go back a bit, in John's Gospel, in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 19. Let's put this straight for a moment. John 19, verse 3. The father sees us that came unto him tempting him.

You want to get that bit in you know they were coming. They were always trying to trap the Lord Jesus. Saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Here's how he answered.

He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female and said, said something, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twins shall be one flesh.

Now where is he quoting from? Have ye not read? I can tell you now that he's quoting from Genesis chapter 2. So he believed in the book of Genesis. And he believed everything that's written there too, including chapter 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and right up to 50.

Well let's go back and have a look at Genesis chapter 2, where he's quoting from. And to me it's most thrilling. We're at chapter 2, verse 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh and sped it off.

And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman. I want you to get this little bitch, and brought her unto the man. Did you ever see a father giving his daughter away at the wedding?

Well he brings her up the aisle, brings her to the man. And this is what Adam said when he got her. Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. It was a pretty good union, wasn't it?

Because when we talk in the New Testament about the union of Christ and his believers, it's every bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh. And if you can break these two, you can get lost again. Because you can break the union.

It says here, therefore, verse 24, now it's God that's speaking now. So Christ says in Matthew 19,. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

Jesus said, have ye not read that he that made them male and female said? It was God that said this. And they made one. And they can never be made two again. That's how God has it. Exactly how God has it.

Now you'll find as you go back to Matthew chapter 19, that the Pharisees were not going to let them away with this. They were going to have a bit of an argument with him. He said in verse 4, have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female?

And you can see that if God made them male and female, they didn't come from monkeys. And there's no evolution about it. They were created male and female. Man and wife. And you'll find that they begin to argue.

Verse 6. Jesus says, wherefore they are no more twins. No more twins. But one says, What therefore God hath joined together let not man put aside. So they start arguing now. They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement?

Because Moses did, you know. Well Moses had a tremendous multitude in the wilderness with him. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands. And he had great trouble. And you see they fought and they came to the door of the pension.

Well Moses gave them a bill of divorcement. Jesus said in verse 8, he says unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your heart suffered you to put away your wife. But from the beginning it was not so.

I hope you got that bit. Oh God may have permitted Moses to do a lot of things. And that may have been the permission of the will of God. But the direct will of God. It was not so. It was not so. You see in America, and we have some American theater my bless them.

You can get a divorce if your wife sneezes at night. As simple as that. Or as she has cold feet. After divorce. The doctor said to me once when he was examining me. Are you troubled with cold feet? I said aye but they are not mine.

Now they keep on arguing. Now look what Jesus said and this is where some people run to. Verse 9, I say unto you whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication. And shall marry another committed adultery.

And whoso shall marry of her which is put away doth commit adultery. Now the Lord is quoting the law that was in their land at that time. That was the law they had. A way back yonder they had the law of Moses.

He gave them the law of devotion. You know when the law of God came into action. If a man was caught with another woman committing adultery they were told. Because nobody wants that to be brought on. They don't go back to that one.

They leave that one out all the time. And there was the law of Moses and there was the law that was in the land in the day when Jesus Christ was there. And there is the British law now. Yes. I preached at a place once and at the end of the service a little fellow came up to me and said Mr. Moore my wife has left me.

And she thought I half worshipped you. And I think if you went and talked to her I could get her back to you. I said son I'm not just the softest of all that. Your wife didn't leave you for nothing. So you'd better tell me the whole story.

He said well I have to admit that I was running about with other women and I got venereal disease and she found out and she left me. But I've been cured and I have a complete bill of clearance and I want to get right and I want to get her back.

And I said I'll go and have a chat with her tomorrow. And I did and she opened the door and she welcomed me in. She said I know who sent you. I said he was talking to me last night. Is there no chance of a reconciliation being made here?

She said no he never tells the truth. I said well I think he told me the truth. He said he was running about with other women and he got venereal disease and you caught the ball. She said did he tell you that?

I said he did. She said that's the first time he's told the truth. And I'm taking him to court now and I want you for a witness. Nice of her wasn't it? So Lord Macdonald was the Lord Chief Justice in our land in those days and his son was the outstanding King's Counsellor or Queen's Counsellor it should be and he sent me a letter, a few days letter to come to his office and I went to see this gentleman.

Went through all type of offices to get in to see him. You Mr Mullin was talking to this lad and he told you all this. So he began to read out I Pastor Mullin who lives at Windsor Avenue, Lurgan was speaking to so and so when he told me this and he had the whole story written down he said can you read it?

So I lifted the paper tore it in bits and dropped it in to the basket. He said that's my property you know. I said it's in your office yet sir. He said do you think you're going to get out of this? I said sir I am sure I will get out of this.

He said I'll summon you by subpoena and that simply means that I get a summon from the Queen. And I have the great privilege of getting a summons from the Queen. Have it in the house yes. And it just means when I'm summoned by the Queen I've got to go to court.

And the good old Doctor who used to be here in the town he said Mullin are you going to go to this court? I said yes I am, I've got to go, can't do anything else. He said are you going to get evidence?

I said no. I said I shall answer to my name and go and sit in the dock and you'll bother making me talk if you don't want to talk. If you can't screw my arm come and I'll let you sit there. He said well you know there'll be trouble about this.

You'll get three months in the Crumlin Gaol. Oh and I said I'll get three months in the Crumlin Gaol. I could do with three months in the Crumlin Gaol. I'd be out of a lot of work. I'd have time to do this and that and the other.

So we went away together to the High Court and the great moment came when the great Lord Macdonald came and everybody stood up bowed to the judge, sat down, he's just opening the book when he falls off the chair, took ill, had to carry him out.

The doctor said to me you were praying for him, I said no. I assure you I wasn't. So I'm coming out of this. Now the case was put back for three weeks. Coming up when another Queen's counsellor sat upon me a fellow that I'd helped greatly and he loved the Lord he said what are you doing here?

He said I've been examined solemnly to come to get evidence to get a woman a divorce. I've no notion of doing that. He said what do you intend to do? I said just sit and look at her. I said I'm not getting evidence to get her a divorce.

You don't believe in that. Well he said he'll send you. But then he thought, he said come round to the office because there's something about this. So I went round to his office and he went along a line of law books all the books of the day for two.

And last he picks one up, opens it up. He says you know Macdonald can be in trouble for summons and go on ahead your boy, I said you're talking right now. He said there was an old law passed by Queen Victoria that gave me the statute, book, number and all the rest of it.

You were what is called a conciliator. You were standing in between these two. You were trying to put things right. And a conciliator cannot be common. Get the girl at the pen, writer there, the paper writer.

That's the bit. So she typed it up. And she typed a copy out for the secretary of the Baptist Union who was interested in what would happen to me and I thought that he should have this too. And she typed the divorce.

And I had just left the office with the paper in my pocket and he told me what to do. And when you're taken back to the court just hand that up to the judge and say sir, your son doesn't know the law yet.

And he said you're going to put him in a fix. But you see I just left the office when young McDermott came in and lifted one of these papers and read it. He said if the pastor gets a hold of this I'm in a fix.

And the papist says he has two of them away home in his pocket. Now this is the law of our land, I'm going to tell you now. Lord McDermott and his son. And you know what fix I'm in now if I say anything wrong.

When the kids came under the subpoena against me they never called me. The judge on the bench is wrong. He's being unjust. And the young fellow needs me. And he never speaks. That's the sort of law we have.

Yes, that's our great judge and his son. Yes, conciliations are a tremendous thing you know. I want to get this over. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Now Paul is commanding here, it says the Lord through Paul.

And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord. Let not the wife depart from her husband. But, verse 11, 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 11. But and if she departed, and that's a tremendous thing.

But and if. Let her remain unmarried. Or be reconciled to her husband. You see a woman might marry a man. We have a woman in this meeting, one of our sisters here. And she was married to a man who humbered the life out of her.

Some mornings I would meet her with both eyes blackened. And she went through a terrible time. She said to me if I would stop with a man on the street to say hello. She's so jealous that he humbers me.

And so the time came when she couldn't be kept in this cage with this beast any longer. Oh there's a place in the scripture where she can depart. There's such a thing as legal separation, yes. As was taught here.

But and if she departs. If she can't put up with it any longer. Says Mr. Moore if I leave him. Will you put me out of the meeting, not a bit of us. I said. We'll just understand your position. I don't think you should be chained with this boy all the days of your life.

But she's got to remain unmarried. Be reconciled. Isn't that it? You see the word reconciliation. Means this. It means that the position is completely changed. That's what it means. Let's see what it meant for us.

From Enemies to Reconciled Subjects

Let's go back to Romans chapter 5. It says in verse 10. For if when we were enemies. We were reconciled to God by the death of his son. You know I was an enemy of God. And then through the gospel. I was led to see what Christ had accomplished for me.

Holy had come and died and rose again and there was a living savior for me. And the moment that I put the arms of my faith round the Christ. The son of God. Who died for me. I was reconciled to God by the death of his son.

You see. I was completely changed. From being an enemy. Against the kingdom of God. To being a subject in the kingdom of God. That's the complete change. Yes. I want you to get the hold of that. Let's have a look at what we were looking at in Colossians chapter 1.

Because there's a bit there that just fits in here. Colossians chapter 1. Verse 21. And he's talking to believers. And you. That were sometime alienated and enemies. In your mind by wicked works. Yet now have be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death.

To present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in the sight. What a reckoning it is. So the position's completely changed tonight. I who once was an enemy. Against the kingdom of God. I'm a subject in the kingdom tonight.

And through the death of his son. I'll be brought in eternally. Yea holy. And unblameable. And unreprovable. My fancy me standing before the throne. And even God cannot reprove me. I'll be in the likeness of his son.

So I think you can see that bit. Now there are other bits more difficult. Let's go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. But to get the proper read up here. Let's begin at verse 17.

New Creation and the Ministry of Reconciliation

2nd Corinthians 5 17. Therefore if any man. Now it doesn't make a matter who you are. And it doesn't make a matter what you are. We have a little girl from the far east here this evening. She was brought up under the Buddha religion.

And just a few months back she didn't know anything about Christ. But she knows him now. Now it doesn't make a matter what colour you are. And it doesn't make a matter what class you are. And it doesn't make a matter what creed you are.

And it doesn't make a matter whether you come from the jungle or the palace. If any man. It's the same for the whole bunch of us. Now that's the sameness within this wonderful verse. If any man be in Christ.

You know in Christ. That's the blessedness within this verse. You can see the sameness. Any man. You can see the blessedness. He is a new creature. Actually the word is a new creation. That's the positiveness within it.

Don't for any fix tell me that you can just say it and stay in the world. I don't believe that. I don't believe that for a moment. It's got to make a change then. And if you bluff yourself. You're like the people we were talking about the other night.

There's a lot of folk who profess to know God. But in works they deny him. And I'll tell you you're an abomination in his sight. You see is any man. That's the sameness. Be in Christ. And that's the blessedness.

He is a new creature. That's the positiveness. All things are passed away. And that's positive isn't it. Behold all things are become new. You know that's the newness to see it. You a new creature. The day you got saved.

Did heaven above become brighter blue. Did earth around become sweeter green. Did something live in every shoe. That Christ was ours. But never seen. Did all things become new. It isn't all things are of God who are reconciled of to himself by Jesus Christ.

But you know we're not only enemies need subjects. And we're not only sinners made saints. We're not only new creatures. We've been given a ministry of reconciliation. We're not only reconciled. But we've got a message of reconciliation to preach to others.

And this is the wonder of it. To which it is our witness. That God was in Christ. Reconciling the world on to himself. Not imputing their death passes on to man. Not committed on to us believers. The word of reconciliation.

For that's a tremendous thing. You know we must not ever forget. That Christ was God. Manifest in flesh. Let's never forget this. Talking to Russell like the other day. He says God cannot die. No God out of spirit.

Infinite and eternal cannot die. But God manifest in flesh can. Do you get that? Yes. God manifest in flesh can die. When God the great creator died. It's absolutely truth you know. God was in Christ you know.

I said to him. God cannot sleep you know. But God manifest in flesh can sleep. In the humble part of the boat. God cannot get tired can he? God manifest in flesh. Was weary with the journey. Let's get the hold of this.

God was in Christ's flesh. Reconciling the world. Oh that's a tremendous thing you know. No fellow said to me the world says. But on your life it's not. There's going to be a procession at the end of the day.

And they're called the fearful. And the unbelieving. And the whole bundle. And all liars. Are going down into the pit. Make no mistakes about it. Don't get it all on silence. Now what does this mean that God was reconciling the world?

He was changing the position. That's what the little word means. Changing the position. When I was going in between these two. I was trying to change the position. Then I put my faith in Christ. Through the death of God some of the positions changed.

Justification, Propitiation, and the Righteousness of God

Let's go back to Romans 3 for a moment. We have the letter to the Romans. And we have the third chapter. 2nd verse 19. Now we know that what things however the law says. It says to them who are under the law.

That every mouth may be stopped. And all the world may become guilty before God. And that word guilty is a tremendous word. If there's a little number of it in your Bible. You must have a reference in the margin.

And it says in my margin. Subject to the judgment of God. That's what it says in the margin. Because you would know that if you were standing in the dock. And the jury had brought you in guilty. You know that you're subject to the judgment of the court now.

Don't you? And the law had brought the whole world in guilty. This is where you get dispensations coming in. The whole dispensation of the law had just proved that man was guilty. And incurably guilty.

Because the carnal mind was at enmity with God. And was not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be incurably guilty. And before Christ died. This was the position. That the world was under the judgment of God.

And that the righteousness of God demanded the judgment of God to be on the world. Now that's a tremendous thing. That the righteousness of God should demand the judgment of God to be on the head of these guilty ships.

Now, let's see what it says now. It is in verse 21. But now. And you need to emphasize the now. Now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. And it's very wonderful because that's a bit of a change.

The righteousness without the law is manifested. I think this is a lovely rebid. Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. You know the righteousness of God. That brings salvation. And offers it full and free and present and perfect and eternal.

To everyone who believes in Jesus. You know the law and the prophets take off the hat to that. They witness. The law and the prophets just take off the hat. Now watch this. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.

Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Unto all and upon all them that believe. Of course our friends wouldn't accept that. They'd have to have a whole rigmarole before the word believe.

But it just happens to be that this is upon all and unto all them that believe. In case you can't read. It says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. Through faith in his blood. To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. Through the forgiveness of God. To declare I say at this time his righteousness.

That he might be just. You know that's tremendous. God has shown in his righteous dealings with his son at Calvary. That he is absolutely just. And yet because Christ stepped into the breach. And paid the price.

You know the righteousness of God can offer now. Full and free salvation to whosoever believes. You see the righteousness of God that demanded the judgement of God. That righteousness now offers salvation.

Ambassadors for Christ and Substitution

Yes it does more than that. Because we'll need to go back to 2 Corinthians to see that. Let's go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Now where do you see this? This is most delightful. You see we who are reconciled.

We've got this ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19. To which the God within Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Not imputing that this passes 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 you reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. That we might be made the righteousness of God.

Oh that I could get this over with. Somebody listen to it carefully. The righteousness of God demanded the judgement of God on every guilty sinner before Jesus died. That was the position. But when Jesus died.

The position is changed. All the world is brought into a complete changed position. Instead of being under the judgement of God. The righteousness of God that demanded the judgement of God. The righteousness of God is offering them.

Offering them, get it. The righteousness of God. Do you see where I stand tonight? I look at the cross, I see the Lord Jesus. He who knew no sin. He was made sin for me. That I might be made the righteousness of God.

Amen. Oh what a change. This is what God is offering the world tonight. The position is so changed that God is offering the world. The hand of God demanded that righteousness like that. And the world couldn't come up to it.

It was guilty. But as he held out that hand. Christ came in and shut it. And opened that one to give what he had already demanded. That's where I'm close tonight. It wasn't the Baptist church that saved me.

I have the righteousness of God tonight. Oh how I'm close. So I hope you can see this now. Now let's get a look at this other one. And we're back at Colossians. And we're not that first chapter and we'll do it quickly.

Christ the Creator, Sustainer, and Head of the Church

Now there are so many lovely things about Christ here. That one would need a whole week on each one of them. It says in verse 17. He is before all things. No trouble about that is it? You know it says in John chapter 1.

In the beginning was the world. That simply means when anything that ever had a beginning began. He was there. He must have been there. He was before all things. In fact the book teaches in a hundred places.

He made all things. Without him was not anything made that was made. In fact it says in verse 16. For by him were all things created. He wasn't only before them. He created them. What a wonderful person he is.

And then it says at the end of verse 17. And by him all things consist. You see he's the upholder of all things. You know that's a very wonderful thing. You see the sun is in the middle of this wonderful solar system of ours.

And mercury is moving in close round it. And then the earth is moving in its orbit. And then Mars in its orbit. And you know all about the planets moving. You know friends he was before them all. And he created them all.

And he upholds them all. They say to me it's really wonderful that the earth moves in its orbit. Around the sun 365 days on a quarter. Every time. It's never been a second out in all years of measurements.

So it couldn't be the Lord driving the bus. You see he was before all things. He created all things. He upholds all things. You know it says in verse 16 there. I'm just taking them in parts. For by him were all things created that are in heaven.

And that are in earth. Make no mistakes about it. Visible and invisible. Things that you can see and things that you can't see. Whether they be thrones or dominions. And we know all about thrones and dominions don't we?

Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. And I don't think we know enough about principalities and powers. When we come to demonology this is what we're going to get into. It says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities.

Who are these principalities? What do they do? Where do they exist? These are really princes you know. And they're in the devil's command. And he has one special prince over every province. And he must be a terror of the sober officer.

But we'll take what I need. And we'll differentiate between principalities and powers. Between the rulers of the darkness of this world. And wicked spirits in high places. We'll see what they can do with believers.

And we'll see what they can do with unbelievers. Yes, but remember. All things were created by him. I want you to get this. Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him.

And for him. You see he's not only before all things and the creator of all things and the aboder of all things. But he's the heir of all things. It says in Hebrews 1, God hath appointed an heir of all things.

And this is the bit that thrills me and scares me at the same time. That he is the heir of God. And that we believers are joint heirs with him. Everything he owns I own. Amazing. Amazing. You wonder what we'd get excited about at times, wouldn't you?

You wouldn't think we were children of God at all. Remember the three sparrows talking to each other on the branch looking down at the fellows all worried down below. And the sparrow then sparrows said, you know see those boys down there.

It's a pity they haven't a heavenly father like you and I. You see we're nobody at times. We're heirs of God and joint heirs to Jesus Christ. But you find this out. That he's not only before all things and the creator of all things and the aboder of all things and the heir of all things.

It says here in verse 18. And he is the head of the bodies of church. Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. And that in all things he might have the preeminence. You know it's wonderful to see him here.

Cosmic Reconciliation and the Coming Kingdom

And then it goes further in itself verse 20. 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.