2 Corinthians 5:16-21 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 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 third key to representing Christ to others is (3) having a heart for the ministry of reconciliation. In Scripture, reconciliation is the means by which sinners are reconciled and brought into a state of favor with God, after natural estrangement or enmity; the atonement; expiation. Reconciliation and friendship with God, really form the basis of all rational and true enjoyment. The Greek word for “reconciliation” here is “katallagē”, meaning an adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to favor. In the New Testament reconciliation refers to the restoration of the favor of God to sinners that repent, believe and put their trust in the expiatory death of Christ in their place. In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. The term “was” means that God’s Plan of Salvation was completed in Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world, meaning the one and only perfect, sinless substitution came and died for our sins, providing “the Way” and means for reconciliation with God; it is finished; For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all.
We cannot reconcile themselves to God on their own; the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested (revealed) in these last times for you. 1 John 5:12 plainly confirms “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Your sins and trespasses have separated you from God. The penalty is death. In this blessed exchange, by grace through faith, God takes your sin and puts them on Jesus at the Cross. And in exchange, Jesus gives the repentant Believer His righteousness. God secured your reconciliation on the Cross.
The Lord did that work of Salvation, so that we could respond to God’s free gift offer and receive the blessed Redeemer. So implicit in the finished work through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to restore the relationship between you and God is a response in our life that is on-going. Our response to the reconciliation that Christ has already secured for born-again Believers is a life of obedience and repentance. Our response is to make sure that anytime we do anything to offend our just and holy heavenly Father, we go straight to God for reconciliation. The Good News is that we can do this because Christ has already paid the price to reconcile true born-again believers, transforming their soul, regenerating their spirit and establishing a right standing with God can be experienced by faith in Jesus, and restoring their direct access to God, while reconciling all of His true disciples to Himself. But, God will not heal what we continue to hide. Darkness can only be expelled and repelled by the light. John 3:21 tells us, “Whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
The ministry of Reconciliation is the ministry of reconciling people to God, involving the Great Commission proclamation of the Gospel and it’s blessed assurance that forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Heaven is available in Christ, who has paid the penalty for sin for those who receive it by faith. God longs for unity. We are to do everything in our power to reconcile our world to Christ. Ezekiel 18:23 asks, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” Christians have a calling to compel others to follow Jesus Christ and be saved. God is the power source of the ministry of reconciliation; we are His instruments in bring the Good News to a lost and dying in sin world. The Holy Spirit takes the message of the Gospel and transforms listeners with spiritual resonation, so there is no reason to fear doing what God calls His people to do. Ephesians 2:10 concludes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
The forth key to representing Christ to others is (4) as ambassadors for Christ, all of our choices, everything that we say, and everything we do is a direct representation of God, Jesus and the Bible. The Greek word for “ambassador” is “presbeuō”, meaning a minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign. One of the names of God is Jehovah Nissi, meaning “God is our banner”. The flag bearer’s banner identified the people’s kingdom and Sovereign. The banner of the Christian is the Kingdom of God and the King of kings Jesus Christ. We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. This is every day, everywhere, and all the time. As Ambassadors for Christ, we carry the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ over everything that we do as a representation of Him.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment