Jesus in Paul’s Letters

When tasked with finding Jesus in Paul’s letters, I searched for common themes among his messages to the churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae. Certainly, there is more than one I am about to address, but the word I found is the very one that takes me back to my favorite verse in the Bible—Genesis 3:8.

When Adam and Eve fell into the sin the LORD had warned them about (disobedience to His word of truth) and tried to cover their shame, the scripture says: they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

What was He coming to do?

He was coming to reconcile them.

 As a new believer, I was given a stack of cards to carry in order to remind me of the promises of God. They were called “Emergency Verses.” Although I generally don’t learn from random verses (these cards also taught me to search these scriptures for context), I learned to take comfort in a collection of words from a Father’s heart; a heart set on reconciliation since the beginning.

Would you allow me to provide some Emergency Verses for you today?

Emergency Verses

Each one is intended to point us to the One who walks into all of the goodness He has provided (even though we have completely spoiled that goodness with our sin), with one thing in mind: an invitation to His beloved to re-enter His love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness.

Let’s walk through some of these moments in the first 7 letters of Paul in the New Testament (I’m writing these as if you and I are speaking these words into our own hearts).

God demonstrates His own love toward me (don’t you love these present-tense, deeply personal words?), in that while I was a sinner, Christ died for me. Much more than, having now been justified by His blood, I will be saved from the wrath of God through Jesus. For if while I was an enemy of God I was reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, I will be saved by Jesus’ life. — Romans 5:8-10

Hallelujah!

My God is faithful, through whom I have been called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ my Lord.— 1 Corinthians 1:9

I commune with the full Trinity!

All these things (the old things that have passed away, and the new things which have come, which he speaks about in the previous verse) are from God, who reconciled me to Himself through Christ and gave me the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting my trespasses against me, and He has committed to me the word of reconciliation. — 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

This is the reason behind His reconciliation—that it is not only for our relationship with the Father, but our message to the world (as we love the LORD and our neighbor).

Christ redeemed me from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for me—as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to me, so that I would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. — Galatians 3:13-14

The LORD promised to reconcile not only Israel to Himself, but the nations as well (and that means me!).

Now in Christ Jesus, I have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is my peace, breaking down the walls of hostility and establishing peace; reconciling me to God through the cross, and putting to death the enmity. He came and preached peace to those far away, and peace to those near; for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. —Ephesians 2:13-18

I’ve left out a few words from these verses, but you really should go and read these in context!

Although Christ existed in the form of God, He 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. —Philippians 2:7-8 

This He did for me, because Christ’s humility, obedience, and death were the only way for me to be reconciled to God.

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Jesus, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. — Colossians 1:19-20

Did you see that? The Father’s good pleasure for ALL the fullness of God to dwell in Jesus. This means that ALL of the Trinity was reconciling the world, making peace for ALL things on earth and things in heaven. Wow.

Can you see His great love for you today?

Can you hear the sound of His feet coming towards you, so that—no matter how far you have strayed—you can be reconciled to Him?

King Solomon said:

“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised.”— 1 Kings 8:56

These words wash me anew today.

They remind me once again of why I love Jesus so much.

I pray they wash over you as well.