The Message of reconciliation
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The Message of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2
Take your Bibles and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter five. This morning we will focus on verses eighteen through verse two of chapter six, as we continue our series called “Represent.”
Up to this point in our study, we have learned from the scriptures the motives for representing Christ. Last week we learned about the marks of a representative for Christ; that is characteristics that should be evident in the lives of those who are new creations in Christ. This morning we turn our attention to the message of the representative of Christ, which is reconciliation.
In our passage, Paul reminds us what the message of the church is all about, and the responsibility we have with the message as Christ’s representatives.
In these verses Paul uses one word to describe the message and mission of the church: reconciliation. In verses eighteen through twenty-one of chapter five you find the word used five times. Paul uses one word, reconciliation for the mission and message of the church. We learn from the first part of verse eighteen that God the Father is the source of reconciliation.
1. God the Fatheris the sourceof reconciliation
“All this is from God.” This statement is referring to the preceding verses. Verse seventeen says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Paul is referring to the transformation that comes to the believer in Jesus Christ. If you are in Christ, you have a new purpose for living, a new perspective towards people, a new position in Christ, and a power that transforms. In other words, you are a new creation.
God the Father is the source of this new life in Jesus Christ. He as brought this new life about through reconciliation. When it comes to our salvation in Jesus Christ we must understand that God is the one who takes the initiative in salvation.
The Bible teaches that apart from Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Because of our sinful condition and our sinful conduct we have been separated from God, condemned and objects of God’s wrath. On account of our sinful nature we don’t seek God, at least not on his terms. Scriptures says, “no one is righteous, no one seeks God.”
If God left salvation up to us, we would not take the initiative. We would not seek him. Therefore, it is God who acts to reconcile us to himself. God is the one who seeks us.
Before the foundation of the world, God decided that he would seek out a sinful humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis, they didn’t seek God; they ran from God. It was God who sought out the sinners. In Ezekiel, the Lord told Israel that he would seek them out. Jesus said of his earthly ministry, “I came to seek and save the lost.” Salvation is not about man getting to God, it is about God getting to man.
Salvation is God-centered, not man-centered. God takes the initiative to reconcile man to himself. How? God provides reconciliation through Christ.
2. God provides reconciliation through Christ
Eighteen through twenty-one of chapter five shows us how God reconciled us and made us new creations in Christ. Verse eighteen; “All this is from God, who through Christ has reconciled us to himself.” God’s goal is salvation is to reconcile us to himself. Three questions we need to answer to understand how God has reconciled us to himself. Fist, what is reconciliation?
a. What is reconciliation?
The Greek word we translate “reconcile” is “kattallage.” In its most basic meaning it means to “exchange,” or “substitute.” It was often used outside of the Bible for the exchange of currency. Metaphorically it has been used to describe the exchange of peacefor war, of love for anger, or friendship for hostility.
The apostle Paul is the one New Testament writer to use this word. In using it, Paul wants to communicate a profound theological truth. When a person is reconciled to God, an exchange takes place. I have often thought that something was restored when we are reconciled to God, but that would presume that a previous condition existed. That is not the case. When we are reconciled to God, something is replaced. Reconciliation through Christ exchanges our hostile relationship with God with a friendly relationship with God.
So here is a definition for reconciliation:
The exchange of hostile relations with friendly relations.
Next question is:
b. What does it mean to be reconciled?
Verse nineteen expands upon verse eighteen, itwill show us what it means to be reconciled to God, “That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” The reason that we no longer have a hostile relation with God through Christ is the fact that he no longer counts our sins against us.
Paul uses an accounting term here, “Logizomai.” It means to put something down on someone’s account. That means that God, through Christ, does not debit sin to the Christian’s account. To be reconciled means that God does not hold our sins against us. It means:
§ God forgives you of your sins.
When we are forgiven of our sins, it means that God does not hold us accountable for our sins. We often think that God forgets our sins; that is not an accurate description. God doesn’t forget, he chooses not to remember. There is a difference. The older I get the more I see the difference because I have hard time remember things, and that is not what I choose. This brings us to the third question:
c. How did God provide reconciliation through Christ?
Verse twenty-one provides the answer, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
This one verse shows how Christ provided reconciliation. It came through his atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. This verse is the heart of the gospel message.
It reminds us that God the father is the source, “He made him.” He is referring to God the Father. He reminds us of the substitutionary death of Christ, “made him to be sin who knew no sin.” Jesus Christ was the God-man, fully God, fully man. He was without sin, lived a sinless life. When he went to the cross, the sinless Christ was putting himself were we belong because we have put ourselves in the place where only God belongs.
When Paul says “he made him sin,” he is not saying that Christ became a sinner. He is saying that the sinless Christ had our sins charged to his account. Christ took our punishment for sins upon himself, and there on the cross, God the Father unleashed his wrath upon our sins that were charged to him.
He did this for our sake, and it only affects those who believe in Christ. As a result of believing in Christ we become the righteousness of God.
Here is how God provides reconciliation through Christ:
§ God credits the believer’s sin to Christ, and Christ’s righteousness to the believer.
Thus, our hostile relationship with God is exchanged with a friendly relationship with God. We have peace with God. The Christian then becomes God’s representative for reconciliation.
3. The Christian becomes God’s representative for reconciliation.
Verse twenty, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.” Being an ambassador for Christ is not a title, but a function. Christ has delegated his authority to Christians to act and speak on his behalf. If you have trusted Christ you are now an ambassador for Christ. Three things you need to know about being an ambassador for Christ. First, God endowed you with the ministry of reconciliation.
a. God endowed you with the ministry of reconciliation
The last part of verse eighteen says, “reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” God has endowed every believer with the ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, representing Christ is a privilege and honor. Second, God has entrusted you with the message of reconciliation.
b. God entrusted you with the message of reconciliation
Last part of verse nineteen, “entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” We have a ministry;we have a message, which gives us a mission. The message is Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The ministry is to share the message of reconciliation with the world. The message and ministry is our mission, and God will empower you do the mission of reconciliation.
c. God empowers you to do the mission of reconciliation
Verse twenty, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” Representing Christ is about allowing God to work through us. God uses the reconciled to spread the message of reconciliation. Look at verse one of chapter six, “Working together with him.” God works in what we need to work out. By God’s power within us we implore people to be reconciled to God. Verse twenty, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Reconciliation is not automatic. To be reconciled to God through Christ, you must receive reconciliation in Christ by faith.
Those who have been reconciled and are Christ’s representatives need to have a sense of urgency for people to receive reconciliation. Notice verse one, “we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
There is urgency for Christians to share Jesus. There is a favorable time to receive God’s grace, and it is now. God will not strive with sinful man forever. That is why the scripturestell us to seek the Lord while he may be found. That is why Paul uses Is. 49:8 to emphasis the urgency, and expands upon it, “Behold now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We need to have urgency in proclaiming the message of reconciliation in Christ.
At the same time, there needs to be urgency in receiving reconciliation in Christ. Paul said these words to a church because he knew that some in the church were not reconciled to God. The same is true today. Some in this room have not been reconciled to God through Christ.
A colleague of mine asked me to pray for a church member who was on a place trying to get to a lost friend before he died. The church member had shared Jesus with the man several times, but he rejected. He wanted to share him one last time before he died. Unfortunately, the man died before he was able to get to his bedside. That is why scriptures says, “Behold, now is the favorable time: now is the day of salvation.” Come to Jesus this morning.