A Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The word reconciled is all about relationships, when a person gives up on being the captain of this ship called life and comes to an understanding it was a title never meant for them, they begin to search for who can fill that role.  I began that search at the age of 27, and in doing so I became a new creation in Jesus Christ.  I did not enter into a religion but a relationship, and now many years down the highway of life with many potholes and detours, I’m discovering afresh that I’m deeply loved by the Father and Son and I hope you are experiencing the same thing.

As fellow travelers, we have been given a job, or ministry of reconciliation, it is the same role as our Lord Jesus Christ had when he came to planet earth as a baby in Mary’s womb.  Jesus was reconciling you and me, and all people to himself, and he was not allowing our sins and trespasses to block us from His love and forgiveness.

Jesus is now making His appeal through us, and it is not only to people who look and act good but also to all mankind, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  In this job of being a reconciler, we have a new title of ambassadors for Christ.  It often seems in our actions we have no understanding of this role. Let me share a recent example of my failure, long road trip and I get behind a person who is driving five miles under the speed limit on a two-lane road with a lot of curves and no passing.  I’m driving way too close, I have no concern for the other driver I’m tired and want only to pass at the first opportunity.  

After many miles, the car in front of me puts on their turn signal and pulls to the side of the road only to allow me to pass.  My wife was used by God to bring conviction on what a poor ambassador I had been, by reminding me how I dislike someone staying on my bumper, and the Holy Spirit began to talk with me the rest of the drive home.

My Lord would not have done that, so as His ambassador I was totally out of my role, and that is just one recent example.  The next morning I was sharing with my friend Paul Wendell about how God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  He asked if I could think of some example from the Scriptures and then shared about King David and the apostle Paul, and those are excellent examples of what God desires to do in your life and mine.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice