Daily Bread 2010 - 2 Corinthians 5
16So 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. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We 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. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reconciliation is usually a term we hear of in the banking world. Or in our own personal finances, once a month when we get our checking account statement, we spend time doing a bank reconciliation to see if our account is reconciled. One can’t always go by what the balance in the bank is because there might be some outstanding checks. When these checks are cashed our account balance will change.
Paul borrows this term from the banking world to talk about our relationship with God. Paul states that we have been reconciled to God through Christ. Meaning our account was in deficit and Jesus Christ has reconciled our account and standing before God, so we are paid in full. Because of Jesus, our sins (debts) are not being counted against us. And this was God’s desire that we would be reconciled to us and He executed His perfect plan through His Son.
Paul uses the language that we are a new Creation in Christ. As we are unshackled from the debt we owed God, we are set free have a new life, much like someone who has been in debt and been forgiven what they owe. As we have received this free gift, God calls us on to be His ambassadors to those who are not yet aware of this transaction.
Of course, there are those out there who live in denial of their need to be reconciled, just as there are those in financial straits who refuse to acknowledge their problem. That is why Paul urges us to persuade others to be reconciled to God.. The only way you can be an ambassador for anything is if you believe in it. It is only as we have received and experienced reconciliation with God that we are motivated to persuade others.
Well hopefully you have been reconciling your bank statement lately, but even more important, I hope you are reconciled to God. God deepest is desire is that we be reconciled to Him and His Son has made this all possible. If you have received God’s gracious offer through His Son, you are a New Creation in Christ.
Jesus we thank you for reconciling us to Your Father. May we continue to live as a New Creation helping others to realize that they too can be reconciled to God based on what you did on the cross for all people. In Your name, Amen.
Reconciliation is usually a term we hear of in the banking world. Or in our own personal finances, once a month when we get our checking account statement, we spend time doing a bank reconciliation to see if our account is reconciled. One can’t always go by what the balance in the bank is because there might be some outstanding checks. When these checks are cashed our account balance will change.
Paul borrows this term from the banking world to talk about our relationship with God. Paul states that we have been reconciled to God through Christ. Meaning our account was in deficit and Jesus Christ has reconciled our account and standing before God, so we are paid in full. Because of Jesus, our sins (debts) are not being counted against us. And this was God’s desire that we would be reconciled to us and He executed His perfect plan through His Son.
Paul uses the language that we are a new Creation in Christ. As we are unshackled from the debt we owed God, we are set free have a new life, much like someone who has been in debt and been forgiven what they owe. As we have received this free gift, God calls us on to be His ambassadors to those who are not yet aware of this transaction.
Of course, there are those out there who live in denial of their need to be reconciled, just as there are those in financial straits who refuse to acknowledge their problem. That is why Paul urges us to persuade others to be reconciled to God.. The only way you can be an ambassador for anything is if you believe in it. It is only as we have received and experienced reconciliation with God that we are motivated to persuade others.
Well hopefully you have been reconciling your bank statement lately, but even more important, I hope you are reconciled to God. God deepest is desire is that we be reconciled to Him and His Son has made this all possible. If you have received God’s gracious offer through His Son, you are a New Creation in Christ.
Jesus we thank you for reconciling us to Your Father. May we continue to live as a New Creation helping others to realize that they too can be reconciled to God based on what you did on the cross for all people. In Your name, Amen.
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