2 Corinthians 5:18 – “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
The reason we, as God’s Children, are living on this earth is so that we can advance the Kingdom of God.
Certainly, God wants to Bless us and give us wonderful lives, but as if that is all He wanted to do, He would take us to Heaven the minute we made Jesus as the LORD of our lives.
But no: God Left us here so we can influence others for Him. He Told us to share the Gospel with lost people so that they can get born again.
One of the most powerful ways we can win people to God is by simply loving them. You may not realize that even if you have been a Christian for a while.
Have you heard the good news? In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
God created us and called us good, but we were born into a fallen world. A beautiful-yet-broken world. A stunning-yet-sinful world.
A world where many would rather choose their own way instead of following and submitting to God. A world where others try to earn their own salvation but fall painfully short.
By the sheer Grace of God, He has made a way for sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who specializes in making all things new.
Paul goes on to say in his letter:
“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 NLT
To reconcile, by definition, means to “make peace” or to “restore a relationship.”
If you’ve known the love, Grace, forgiveness, and redemption of God, who—through Christ—reconciled you back to Himself, then you have everything you need to help others receive the same gift.
God has empowered you with the ministry of reconciliation—of restoring others back to Him. This reconciliation can happen anywhere: in coffee shops, in corporate offices, in classrooms, and in kitchens.
You can remind a child about the Grace that’s available to them when they make a mistake. You can remind an adult that they cannot sin so much or so badly they cannot receive the mercy of God.
Wherever people need God, He stands ready to be used by you. God has entrusted and empowered you to shine His light, show His love, and help others be restored back into His arms.
Through faith in Christ, any person can be reconciled to God. Our separation from God caused by sin can be removed, once and for all.
Forgiven for all their sin, a person can become fully welcomed into a relationship with God.
God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. This means that we can have a restored relationship with God through faith in Jesus.
Amen.
