Where this command is found:
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
When we offend someone, naturally our first response is to justify ourselves rather than seeking reconciliation. Regardless if we are at fault or not, this type of attitude is focused on one thing: self. At its root, this selfish focus is fueled by a spirit of pride. It is our pride that not only prevents us from experiencing unity with the one whom we have offended, it also hinders oneness in our relationship with God.
Pride is self-confident, self-focused and self-saturated. There is no room to focus on anyone else or their needs. But, when we consider the command Be Reconciled, we find that we need each other. Not only this, but we cannot accomplish God’s will without one another.
This is why the command Be Reconciled is so important. As believers in Jesus Christ, God’s Word says that we are members “one of another” in the Body of Christ (Romans 12:5). Our actions not only affect us, they impact those around us — especially those closest to us. It is only as we humble ourselves and seek to make past offenses right that we will maintain close fellowship with God and fulfill His purposes, operating as one in the Body of Christ.
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The word "reconcile" is a financial term. It gives the picture of two accounts that are at odds and needing to come into agreement with one another. Listen as Nate and Gabe discuss the weight of this command and how it practically applies to our lives.
Often we try to deal with our offenses on our own — just between us and God. But God tells us that if we’ve caused an offense, we need to pursue the one we’ve offended to make it right.
It has been said that the eight most difficult words in the English language are, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?” God’s desire is that we not only enter into reconciliation with Him, but that we also become channels of it!
In this conclusion of the command to Be Reconciled, Nate and Gabe share how being reconciled (as well as avoiding offenses altogether) comes down to humbling ourselves before God and allowing Him to transform every aspect of who we are.
