The Ministry Of Reconciliation: Your Life Mission Defined

The word of God says, 2nd Corinthians 5:11-21 (NIV) "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

What is given to us, as regenerate believers is what the word of God calls "the ministry of reconciliation." This is a mission set to consume our lives. We must do it, because the word of God says "It's as if God were making his appeal through us." Amazing the honor that is afforded to us.

Have you ever had a conversation or a chance encounter with what seemed to be a random stranger? And that conversation gave you a chance to witness to your faith in Christ? I have. And there is nothing random about it. God foreordains such conversations and encounters because he is making his appeal through us.

Many of us are praying for our country, praying for America and appealing to heaven that God would have mercy on this nation. And it's right that we should do so. But we also have to take action. We have to do the footwork of carrying the gospel and witnessing to the power of Christ in our lives. We’re free to do so, thankfully.

This experiment called the United States is very unique in history. Some say that the whole world is just like America, but it isn't true. In fact most of the world can only dream of the freedoms we enjoy.

There were people long ago who stood up; stood up for their religious freedom, stood up for the right of representation, and stood up for their rights as beings created in the image of God. These are our ideological great grandfathers, people like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. At that time in the 1700s Great Britain was the most powerful nation on Earth. And they fought the British, as the British attempted to raid their storehouses of ammunition and firearms. They fought a long, brutal revolution and won their independence.

In principle they placed into law the Constitution and Bill of Rights declaring all men equal, with unalienable rights that government has absolutely no say in, because they are ordained by God. Essentially they declared every person has rights, not given by government, but given by God, and government has nothing to say about that, government can only protect the rights people already have. Do you know how rare that is in history? 99% of revolutions end in chaos and even worse dictators taking the place of the previous regime. So we have to be so grateful that our founding fathers were almost all Christians and decided to put into law the freedom that God almighty provides to us.

Like the first patriots, men and women of future generations decided that the United States of America was so precious, so free, so wonderful, that they had to step forward and fight to protect it. That's why I'm so grateful to all the veterans out there. These people are heroes because they decided to fight and protect our country in times of need. If you see a veteran in the next few weeks, take a moment to thank them for their service and shake their hand. Veterans are like superheroes to me. My grandfather is a veteran. I've always felt there is something special about that. When he tells me about his service in the Korean war I'm just amazed. It takes great courage to serve in the armed forces. Thanks to those of you who have done so.