RECONCILIATION

 
September 23, 2019                                 RECONCILIATION
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us, we beg you on the behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
It has always been God’s heart for man to be rightly related to Himself. When Adam and Eve sinned and when all who lived after Adam and Eve sinned, God did not write them off; rather, He instigated His plan to reconcile the world to Himself through the death and resurrection of His Son. God is a God of reconciliation and for that we can be eternally grateful.  God demonstrated reconciliation-He initiated reconciliation even while man was lost and without hope. This reconciliation was more than making a way for those who trust Christ to go to heaven when they die; this reconciliation made it possible for believers to enjoy a relationship with God daily. Now, God has given us a ministry of reconciliation. We now have the opportunity, and because Christ lives in us, we also have the ability to be about reconciliation. The ultimate choice that every individual since Adam and Eve must make is whether they will live as God designed and as He desires, or live according to their on dictates-their own preference. Reconciliation revolves around aligning our life, our day-to-day choices, with the plans and purposes of God. Certainly the most critical and the basic component of reconciliation is confessing and turning from sin and trusting Jesus as Savior. This ‘ministry of reconciliation’ that we have been given involves being personally reconciled to the ways of God on a daily basis as well as encouraging others and helping others to be reconciled to the ways of God. For example, if I have a contrary or selfish attitude, I need to change my attitude and adopt an attitude that is pleasing to the Lord-that is being reconciled to God. If I have a friend or a loved one who is living or acting in way that is unlike Christ, I should take the opportunity to encourage them to turn from the things that are displeasing to the Lord and turn to the things that please Him. I realize that this may sound overly simplistic, but that is just the way it works in our relationship with the Lord and with others; the Holy Spirit gives us the power to turn, to change, and to be reconciled. It is a tremendous blessing that God does not hold a grudge against us when we ‘mess up’; He is always longing for us to turn to Him, to find pleasure in Him. The good news is that in the plans of God, He has given us His Spirit that enables us to align our lives with His ways, and He has called us to work with Him in His reconciling the world to Himself. He has indeed given us a ministry of reconciliation-let us be about our ministry. Let us make sure our ways are reconciled to God, and then be about helping others to be reconciled to our heavenly Father.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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