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. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Did you know that we were created to enjoy God? God isn’t some dictator who is so full of Himself that He insists that we follow Him simply because He gets a kick out of it. No, God as our Creator, knows that our true fulfillment can only be found in Him. In fact, God is the only one who can truly say “it is all about me” and not be selfish.
A Plan to bring Glory to God
We need a relationship with our Creator. He sustains us, giving us every resource to live on and even sovereignty wills every breath that leaves our lungs. If totally separated from God, we would cease to exist. However, beyond that God is the source of our joy. He alone can fulfill our every need and desire. He knows this and it would be wrong for Him to tell us to find our happiness elsewhere. We were meant to gaze upon God as an infant gazes upon her mother or an art enthusiast gazes upon a Van Gog. Our world is meant to revolve around God as the moon revolves around the earth and the earth revolves around the sun. The more magnified He is in our lives, the more fulfilled we are. He alone is worthy of this honor and we are fulfilled in doing so.
A Plan for Reconciliation and Restoration
However, the human mind is not set upon God because of sin. Sin is the great divider and has put a gulf between God and us. We have suffered from it. The rest of creation has suffered from it. By nature, we are selfish and seek our own way apart from our Creator. God has allowed all of creation to suffer because of our rebellion. Ever since the first sin, there has been wars, famine, murder, disease, greed, lust and the list goes on. That isn’t His will though; far from it. God desires to restore creation to a state without sin. In fact, God would enter His creation Himself in the form of His Son Jesus Christ to make it possible. This is the good news by which we are saved. Jesus would take our punishment for our rebellion, by dying on a Roman cross, so that we could be reconciled to God by trusting Him as Lord and Savior.
Now, because Jesus rose from the dead, He lives not only in heaven but in the hearts of believers and has given them the ministry of reconciliation. This means that we get to take this good news to the world by means of our love, life and lips! Reconciliation means that we have a restored relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The ministry of reconciliation means to show others how this is possible and what this looks like.
A Plan to Serve Others
This message doesn’t work by simply handing out a gospel tract and moving on to the next person. There is nothing wrong with Gospel tracts, however God has called us to something much deeper than a detached form of ministry. God has called us to do as Jesus did while walking the earth. Jesus got His hands dirty in the act of love and service to others. In fact, at one point He washed the feet of His disciples to illustrate this point. Furthermore, He said that they were to do the same. This goes right down through the generations to us as well. We are called to see people, not simply as prospective converts, but as people that God cares for and made a huge sacrifice for. We are to do as Jesus did and spend time with them, feed them, teach them, listen to them, and mend their wounds both spiritually and physically as we share the love of Christ with them. His love takes a sacrifice of our time and resources, but it is in this way that we serve as He served.
A Plan to Unify Believers
This just isn’t just part of our job description, but what a wonderful delight! We are called ambassadors for Christ. We get to represent Him on this earth. We get to do it together! People from all different backgrounds and all different walks of life who have found eternal life in Jesus Christ get to come together in unity for a single purpose; the ministry of reconciliation. We are called to bring this world back to God; together! It doesn’t matter if you are Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran or Pentecostal. God sees you as His child. He sees you as a Christian. He sees you as an ambassador on His behalf. It isn’t a call to work individually, but corporately; not as Episcopalians or as the Assemblies of God, but as faithfully finding God’s focus in the world.
