The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1957-06-07

sums 10 and ex- DR.. Foreman
presses this central experience.
Reconciliation. What this means
can be seen in the story Of man
who never really found himself
as no one does-short OF being rec
onciled both with God and with
man.
psaes With God
There are two meanings fand
more) Of this word Reconcilia-
ton, and at the risk Of insulting
some readers intelligence the diff
ference between these meanings
must be pointed out In one mean
ing Of the word. we say we are rec
onciled to something we cant
help. as cripple becomes rec
onciled to the loss of his legs, or
a man is reconciled to his old age
Some people are 'reconciled to
Cod only in this sense: they rec
ognize his power and they bow to
it-but they still don't like it and
they do not love him This is not
true reconciliation in the Bible
sense True reconciliati ton means
restoring lost harmony, it
means meeting with God in such
a way that all the resentment,
all the hostility and fear in our
hearts is burned away by his
Presence. and we feel ourselves
at home with him This is what
happened, essentially. to Jacob at
the brook where he wrestled with
the mysterious stranger What
ever we make OF that story. it is
plain what Jacob thought about it.
II have seen the face Of God" he
said. Before that day. Jacob had
had only one center Of his interest:
himself After that day, he was
Gods man He was really born
again. He had been at cross-pur-
poses with God, now he was rec
onciled Gods will was his will
Thinking correct thoughts about
God is never enough. One must
personally meet him, personally
yield to him, be personally recon
ciled.
Peace With Man
Right along with reconciliation
with God comes reconciliation with
man. In Jacobs case, as With most
persons, there was one particular
man to whom he had to be recon
ciled-his brother Essau When d
man is converted, there is usually
some particular person with whom
he needs to become a brother
again 1t is an interesting fact
that Jacob knew this well before
his all-night meeting with God
But his idea Of being reconciled
with Esau was to buy him off
pay him to be friendly, by send
ing him large presents of fine
cattle. After Jacob met with God.
he somehow knew that this was
not the way. The only thing was to
meet his brother in pei son What
happened between them had to
/ happen in their hearts. it was
nothing that could be measured
in money And Jacob said a star
ting thing, something he could
not have thought Of saying 20
years before: To see your face
is like seeing the face o. God. =
Neither Without the other
Peace with God and with man
they cannot be separated No one
can be really reconciled to God
who cherishes hate or envy or
anger toward his fellow-men And
no one can be heart-reconciled
with other persons who is a
stranger to the love OF God. The
New Testament makes it quite
clear who needs to be reconciled
to whom 1t is never said there
that God needs TO be reconciled
to man; but always that man must
be reconciled to God. 1t is man S
heart that needs to be changed, not
Gods. Jesus put both of these rec
oscillations inseparably togeth-
err Matt 5:23,24 II you are offer
ing your gift at the altar-and this
was a token Of reconciliation with
God-and at that very moment
remember that your brother has
something against you. stop right
there. Leave your gift. and go Be
reconciled to your brother first
and then come and offer your
fift to God God desires the gift
Of mans heart; but he does not
desire the gift of heart which is
unreconeiled TO brother-n1an
BASED On outlines ccpvrighted by tn
Division Of Christian Education. Ma
i--ei Council Of the Churches Of Christ
the [ s. A, Released by Com n unit
In the past Sc years mortality
E. = y