Session 4
Here’s The Appeal
From The Gospel: Five Words You Need to Know
Read:
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
— 2 Corinthians 5:18–20
In order to reverse the verdict of sin (death and guilt), our only response can be to make an appeal (or a request for help) to God. In the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, God gave His people a law to follow. This law, which God has written on all of our hearts (Romans 2:15) is one way that we could all appeal to God, if we were able to follow the whole law well enough. In other words, if we could be perfect in all that we do and in all the intentions of our hearts, then we would be able to have an appeal before God. But as we learned yesterday, not one of us is righteous or perfect. Therefore I have no appeal that I can bring before God for my guilt. But there is hope, and our help has come. Being reconciled to God is possible. God reconciles us to himself. This reconciliation by God through Jesus Christ is our appeal of innocence! Not by any of our own appeals or own doing. God has made a way for us to be made right with him. God has to make us innocent.
- What type of person needs to be reconciled to God?
- Who is it that makes us innocent? What is our appeal?
- If Jesus is our appeal, how does He cover all of our sin? Think of sins that you need an appeal for.