Reconciliation
Key Verse
“…first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:24b
Basic Biblical Understanding
Let’s say two friends have a major argument. Due to actions or words, the friendship is strained. They stop talking because it’s awkward. They drift apart. Things go unsaid, bitterness and resentment build. At that point, how can you remove the tension, restore the friendship, and resolve the conflict? That’s the heart of reconciliation!
The word for reconciliation in Matthew 5:24 means “reunited.” It refers to the removal of tension, the restoration of friendship, or the resolution of conflict. According to Scripture, God provides both the incentive and the path for reconciliation.
The biblical incentive for reconciliation is that Christians are the recipients of great reconciliation. Scripture tells us that Jesus reconciled us to God. Our sin separated us from God. Romans 5:10 says, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” As recipients of great reconciliation, we know better than anyone the joy, the blessing, and the peace of mind that comes from being rightly related to another.
The biblical path of reconciliation is paved through prayer and humble acts of submission. Reconciliation is not easy, quick, or even guaranteed. It’s a process that’s walked out in prayer. Proverbs 18:19 says, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city…” When someone is offended, those hurts don’t magically disappear. In prayer, we’re asking God to intervene in our heart and another’s heart. In prayer, we’re asking God to provide answers for these questions: “What’s true, what’s right, what’s next, and what’s best?” In prayer, ask God to help each person move from perception to reality, from hurt feelings to extending grace. Pray for a willingness to repent of any wrongdoing. Finally, pray that each person is ready to extend forgiveness.
When we move forward with the right incentive and in the right way, great healing can occur. Forgiveness and reconciliation will be vital parts of the process. Forgiveness removes the debt; reconciliation mends the relationship. You can forgive someone who doesn’t want to reconcile, but you cannot reconcile with someone who’s unwilling to forgive. Forgiveness and reconciliation are needed for healing. Are you willing to walk through the process?
Verses (ask God to show you how they apply to your life)
- “ Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
- “ Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18
Helpful Questions and Application
1. Take the time to pray, sit silently, and write out answers to these questions. What’s true? What’s right? What’s next? What’s best?
2. From your perspective, what are the primary obstacles keeping you from reconciliation? Compare your list against the answers you supplied to the above four questions. Are your obstacles legitimate concerns or self-oriented excuses to stay mad? Take each to God in prayer and ask Him how He’d like for you to proceed.
Hope
Key Verse
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7
Basic Biblical Understanding
Most of the time when we use the word hope we’re talking about wishful thinking. We hope our team wins the game, or we hope we get a raise. We can wish all day for something, but it doesn’t mean it will happen. Hope in God is not like that. It isn’t wishing that God will do something. It’s knowing God will do what He has promised (Titus 1:2).
Hope in God is based on the promises of the Bible. Because God never changes (James 1:17) and His word is always true (Isaiah 40:8), we have a confident expectation, not in our own feelings or wishes, but in the reality of who God is. This hope is actually the opposite of wishful thinking. It’s accepting things as they actually are.
Life can be hard for us all. There are seasons of loss, hurt, broken relationships, failed dreams, and seemingly impossible situations. In these times, the person without hope in God feels caught, stuck, and unable to cope. The person who hopes in God goes through these difficult circumstances knowing that the trial is never the end of the story (James 1:12). God is always working, even when we can’t see it, for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). Even if it seems as though things are spinning out of control, God is always in charge (Job 42:2), and He will always take care of us (Romans 8:38–39). This hope gives peace to people in hard times that just doesn’t make sense apart from God (Isaiah 26:3).
It’s impossible to hope in God if you don’t know who He is or what we have in Him. The Bible’s promises give hope regarding salvation, trials, the future, material provision, life, death, and so much more. Reading the Bible on a regular basis gets us familiar with God’s promises so that we have truth to hold on to when things get hard. Being part of a community of Christians allows other believers to encourage us with God’s truth when it’s hard to remember it for ourselves. As this happens, we learn that God is enough. When we hope in Him, we won’t be disappointed.
Verses (ask God to show you how they apply to your life)
- “ Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.” Psalm 33:18 (ESV)
- “ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (ESV)
- “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” Psalm 119:14 (ESV)
- “ Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
Helpful Questions and Application
1. How is hope in God different from wishful thinking?
2. How does hope help us have peace in difficult situations? 3. What situation do you need hope for? How can you have hope?
Peace
Key Verse
“In me you may have peace.” John 16:33
Basic Biblical Understanding
In our search for peace, we often settle for feeling good, thinking positively, or denying reality. These things may help us cope for a moment, but the satisfaction doesn’t last because they don’t fix our deepest need. They simply distract us.
True peace is more than a feeling. It’s a confidence in God that brings a sense of harmony, wholeness, and contentment. It isn’t shaken by circumstances or obsessed with self. Peace is also harmony with others. The Bible calls it the peace of Jesus (John 14:27), who is Himself the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Only Jesus can give us true peace because only He can bring peace between us and God (Romans 5:1). When we long for peace, what we really want is God Himself—even if we don’t know it. We were created to have a relationship with God. Without this, our search for peace will always leave us wanting more. Peace with God is the foundation for peace in every area of life (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
When we become Christians, Jesus gives us His peace (John 14:27). He describes it as rest for the burdened soul (Matthew 11:28–30). This restful peace guards us from anxiety (Philippians 4:6–7) and strengthens us when we’re troubled (Isaiah 41:10). More than a temporary distraction, it’s a peace that lasts, and even grows over time.
Peace is a gift, but it’s also something we work toward. The Bible promises peace to the person who stays focused on God and His promises (Isaiah 26:3). We can only do this if we’re familiar with the Bible, so reading the Bible, hearing it preached, and asking God to help us apply it is very important. Peace is also promised to the person who prays with gratitude (Philippians 4:6–7).
We also work toward peace with others knowing this is God’s will for us (Psalm 34:14). Pursuing peace in the midst of conflict may be hard, but it reflects the heart of God, who loved us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). When we obey God, we get the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).
Verses (ask God to show you how they apply to your life)
- “ Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 (ESV)
- “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 (ESV)
- “ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (ESV) • “Strive for peace with everyone.” Hebrews 12:14 (ESV)
Helpful Questions and Application
1. What is true peace?
2. Why is it only found in Jesus?
3. Do you have peace? After reading this, what steps might God be leading you to take?