Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Living The Jesus Way – After the Message
What happens when someone comes to know Christ as their Lord and Savior? - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
When we come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior we become a new creation in Him. Leaving behind our old sinful ways, we replace them with things of the Lord that are pleasing to Him and point others to Him. As we grow in a relationship with Him we are transformed by Him more along the way.Through the process of regeneration we are changed into a new creation in Him - a new child of God, part of a new Kingdom. The old sinful ways are gone – behind us. We have been forgiven of them and set free and they are replaced by new things, His things. We are no longer a slave to sin but empowered by His righteousness. We have new desires, feelings, and a new vision and perspective. We won’t automatically ever want to sin again. We will have to fight our sin nature as long as we are human, but now we have the power of resurrection and the Holy Spirit to help us.
Who makes this possible and how does this happen? - Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18
We are completely unable to reconcile ourselves to God on our own because of our sin. Jesus, who had no sin in Himself, took our sin upon Himself, suffered, and took the just penalty that our sin deserves. He took our sin and in exchange gave us the righteousness of God allowing us to have a relationship with Him and eternal life. He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21This righteousness is for everyone who believes - The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. Romans 3:22
What does God call us to do once we are saved? - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
When we become followers of Jesus, we become ambassadors of Christ – representatives of Him acting on His behalf – pleading for others to “Be reconciled to God.” We are His hands and feet. We are to tell others about the salvation we have received and the transformation from God that has taken place in our lives, the freedom from the bondage of sin, and the gift of salvation and eternal life that they can have as well. This is not an assignment we are to take lightly. The Kingdom of God is at hand, meaning the time is now. There is no time to waste because we do not know when He will come again and there are lost souls that need saving. Paul says that we are to plead on Christ’s behalf. When someone pleads, it is usually a desperate situation. Being lost and going to hell is the most desperate situation someone will ever find themselves in. As followers of Jesus we are called to the ministry of reconciliation which is helping non-believers to be reconciled to God the way we already have experienced. When we live The Jesus Way, our lives are the living proclamation of the Gospel, and the truth that we can be forgiven of our sin through Jesus Christ.
Sharing the Gospel is our call as Christ followers, and it is a weighty call. We have a responsibility to follow His call on our lives to turn hearts towards Him. It is an urgent message – a matter of life or death. The whole body of Christ plays a part in the ministry of reconciliation, as some will plant seeds, some will water, and some will bring growth. Individually and as a whole, living our lives in The Jesus Way plays a big part in our role in the ministry of reconciliation.
