Agree with your adversary quickly… —Matthew 5:25
{CHAMBERS} “In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very
important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it
quickly. […] From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated
or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting
on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s
standpoint? Do it quickly— bring
yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act
immediately. […] God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white
as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His
teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring
us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost
always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. […] Have you
suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to
find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right
before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!”
{ELGIN} One of the hallmarks of the life of Jesus was
humility. (Philippians 2:3-11) “Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but
also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which
was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the
point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted
Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the
name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Seeking
to be reconciled with someone requires humility, which requires sincerity and obedience,
which begins with submission to the Spirit of God and the will of the
Father.
Has the Lord laid someone on your heart to which you must be
reconciled? We have been given the
ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation, so we should
demonstrate reconciliation as a testimony of God’s grace. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) “Now all these things are from God, who
reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us
the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We show the same grace and mercy to others
that we ourselves have been shown by God.
And, as with the world, some may reject our offer to be reconciled, or
worse, treat it as garbage to be cast aside.
How people respond to us is not our responsibility, just as people reject
the Gospel and God’s appeal through Jesus, your attempt to be reconciled may be rejected. But your heart will be clean. (Romans 12:17-19) “Never pay back evil for
evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you,
be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave
room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay,” says the Lord.” As far as it depends upon you, be at peace .. be reconciled
… and let people see Jesus in you.
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