True Reconciliation

When our relationship with God has been broken as a result of our sin, true reconciliation is only possible through Jesus Christ. 

Self-justification is a false reconciliation. If we sin and we tell ourselves, "I'm good with that", or "God's good with that", etc., we have either abandoned God and appointed ourselves as our own god and judge, or we have molded Him into a self-created god. 

We can only be reconciled with God through Christ (Romans 5:10). We can only receive God's grace and mercy as a result of Christ's substitutionary atonement through His sacrifice on the cross. Only through Jesus Christ can our relationship with God be restored. 

God's grace and forgiveness are received through our repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior - by turning from our sin, accepting Him into our heart and our life, and by truly following Him in everything we say and in everything we do. We will then come to experience the true peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and not the false peace of self-justification. 

If we are at peace with ourselves without true reconciliation though Jesus Christ, we are only fooling ourselves. 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your grace and mercy and for the true peace You bring to us through Jesus Christ Your Son, in whose Holy Name we pray, Amen. †