Our lives are an endless succession of conflict and discord that cause us to suffer. Such hardship is not unique to an ordinary Christian. Even the eminent apostle Paul, experienced and suffered from such hardship. "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
          Although we want to live righteously, there is sin: to live lives of holiness, there is worldly temptation; to live healthily, there is sickness; to live in abundance, there is poverty and failure; to live in love, there is hatred; and to go to heaven, there is hell with its gates wide open. We struggle amid such conflict. Who can save us from such suffering? Such conflict and discord can only be resolved by forgiveness, reconciliation, love, and thankfulness.


1. The conflict between judgment and forgiveness
   1) Application of the Law is judgment; application of mercy is forgiveness.
      (1) The adulterous woman caught in the act and the followers of Moses    (John 8:5)
      (2) Jesus resolved the conflict of the dilemma of the Law and forgiveness   (John 8:7)
   2) The sin offering and guilt offering in the Old Testament    (Leviticus 4:1-5:19)
      - The way to resolve the conflict and dilemma between the Law and mercy
         (Isaiah 53:5,10)
   3) The cross of Jesus - A place of harmony of the righteousness and mercy of God
      - The Law displaces mercy, and mercy displaces the Law
      - Such conflict and discord was resolved through the suffering of Jesus on the Cross.
      (1) Judged in the place of mankind who broke the Law and the Commandments.
      (2) Through the Blood comes mercy and forgiveness.
         - The conflict of our anguish over the judgment of the Law in our lives and the
            hope of seeking mercy and forgiveness were resolved by Jesus on the Cross
            (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7)

2. The conflict berween detestable sin and reconciliation
   - God does not desire to meet but desires reconciliation
   1) Forgiveness and reconciliation are different
   2) The fellowship offering in the Old Testament    (Leviticus 3:1-17)
   3) Jesus is our sacrifice of atonement    (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Romans 3:25)
   4) Although we fear God, we desire to be near Him
     (Rom. 5:1; Ephes. 2:16; 1 John 4:10)

3. The conflict between hatred and love
   - Although God hates that mankind betrayed Him, He also loves mankind.
   1) The dilemma and conflict of having to love even when there is hatred.
      - The autobiography of Hillary and Bill Clinton who was involved in a
         scandalous affair with Lewinsky.
   2) The Old Testament sacrifice - Sacrifice which harmonized hatred with love    (Lev. 1:3-17)
      (1) Abraham's deplorable actions - Not faithful to the covenant with God, he took Hagar
           and had Ishmael. A deplorable act in God's eye.
      (2) In order to restore love, God required him to sacrifice his son Isaac    (Genesis 22:2)
   3) Although He is angry with us, the dilemma of having to love us.
      (1) Jesus became the sacrifice and in our place harmonized hatred with love
           (Hebrews 10:8-10; Colossians 1:13)
      (2) Through Jesus, mankind cleared the hatred and received the life of obedience and
            love    (Romans 5:5,19; John 13:34)

4. The conflict between difficulties and thankfulness
   1) Be thankful always - the life of Joseph    (Genesis 50:20,21; Romans 8:28)
   2) The thank offering in the Old Testament    (Leviticus 7:15; Psalm 107:21,22)
   3) Jesus is our perfect (holistic) thank offering.
      (1) When life is full of suffering and resentment, can we give thanks?
         (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 5:3,4)
      (2) When we look upon Jesus who suffered on the Cross for us, we cannot help but weep
           and give thanks - Helps us believe that the love of God in Christ will turn all suffering
           to ultimate good    (Romans 8:35,37; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)


          The conflict and discord that we have before God can be resolved through forgiveness, reconciliation, love, and thankfulness. In order to accomplish this, Jesus became our sin offer-ing, guilt offering, peace offering, burnt offering, and thank offering, healing and quickening our lives filled with conflict and discord.