INTERSECT | The Ministry and Message of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

A familiar adage for marriage is, “Never go to bed angry.” I suppose that is a good general principle to follow, although sometimes staying up all night to solve a problem only makes matters worse. Yes, the Bible does instruct us not to let the sun go down on our wrath, but I think the principle is to deal with anger before it has a chance to fester. In any case, every married couple knows what it is like to disagree. Sometimes, even small disagreements lead to bigger ones.

Disagreements happen in all types of relationships, not just marriage. Good friends encounter something that causes them to become hostile toward one another. The infamous phrase irreconcilable differences can apply to couples, friends, and even churches that reach the point where they splinter into separate congregations.

In an estranged relationship, who is responsible for taking the first step toward reconciliation? In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, the Apostle Paul reminded us we all were alienated or separated from God by sin, but in His mercy, God took the initiative to restore our relationship with Him. And today, His primary work in the world is reconciliation.

The Greek word for reconciliation is used five times in this short passage, making it the key theme of the text. Reconciliation implies two parties at odds with one another — strife, enmity, and separation. Work must be done to repair the relationship, to bring the two parties back together.

The good news for us? We don’t make our own reconciliation with God. We don’t come back to Him on our terms or our work. Reconciliation comes only through His grace. If someone says, “I’ve made my peace with God,” it means nothing unless he or she has found peace with God through Jesus.

This passage reminds us if we have a relationship with Jesus, we have been reconciled to God. And because we were reconciled to God we received two things: 1) a ministry of reconciliation; and 2) the message of reconciliation.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

The Greek word translated ministry here is the same word sometimes translated deacon. It means to serve. That’s ministry: service to others. While some people are called to specific roles of service like pastor, deacon, or missionary, the New Testament makes it clear every Christian is called into ministry in some sense.

If we have been reconciled to God through Christ, we are now His ministers, His servants. And Paul describes it as a ministry of reconciliation. And it is a matter of stewardship.

God has entrusted us with the message of the gospel. (We will come to that message itself in a moment.) We are to be good stewards of our lives, to recognize one day we will give account to the One who assigned us this responsibility. He doesn’t need our help to make the message more “relevant” or twist it to fit into today’s culture. No. He simply desires we faithfully hold to it and hold it forth.

The moment we were saved, we became His ambassadors. In every circumstance, if we profess the name of Christ, we act as His representatives. Perhaps you remember your parents warning you to represent your family well through your actions and decisions. Or consider U.S. ambassadors, appointed to serve as official representatives of our nation around the world.

As minister, steward, and ambassador for Christ, we are in the business of reconciliation, not condemnation. Please don’t misunderstand. The message and ministry of the gospel involves faithfully and unapologetically sharing the truth that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It involves emphasizing man must repent from sin and turn to God (Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10). And Jesus Himself said those who do not believe in Him are condemned already (John 3:18). But our message is not one of condemnation but hope, to let them know they can be reconciled to God.

This means our posture toward unbelievers will be one of humility and approachability. It means we understand the most fundamental problem for humanity is being alienated from God. And the way to fix problems in the culture is to see people reconciled to God. When they come to know Him, their lives will be transformed by Him.

The Message of Reconciliation

What is this message of reconciliation we offer? In a world alienated from its Creator, God takes the initiative through the Person and work of Christ and the gracious work of the Holy Spirit to draw estranged, rebellious, and guilty people back to Him.

There may not be a more compressed theological verse on the atonement and imputation than verse 21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

We find double imputation in these words: my sins are credited to the account of Jesus, and His righteousness is credited to my account. As the only One who never knew or experienced sin, Jesus bore the guilt and punishment of every sinner on the Cross. So, to the ones who could not help but sin — that’s us, folks — He imputed His sinless record. What an incredible gift! God bridged the uncrossable gulf; He made the way back to Him through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

When dealing with conflict resolution, you never know which person is going to take the first step toward reconciliation. Sometimes one person is totally at fault, sometimes both. But someone must take the first step toward healing. The message of the gospel is that God did that for us.

In verse 20, Paul implored his readers, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. By the way, this is one of the crucial elements of preaching and teaching — a beseeching, urgent pleading with people to do what the Bible says. This pleading should be done in keeping with each preacher’s personality, but it must be there. And it should be present in the witnessing efforts of every believer.

In other words, we cannot present “just the facts” of the gospel message and think, “Well, I told them! My job here is done.” Of course, salvation is an individual decision, but we should long to see, should implore or “beseech” others to accept Christ. Why? So they, too, can experience the wonderful realities found in verse 17.

• A new creation
  

• Sins not counted against them
  

• Counted as righteous in God’s sight
  

• Forgiven
  

• Without condemnation
  

• Freedom
  

• Eternal life
  

• A child of God
  

No wonder we call it the Good News!

God is reconciling people to Himself, and He has shared with us the ministry and message of reconciliation. In Colossians 4:17, Paul made it a point to encourage his friend Archippus to fulfill the ministry Archippus had received from the Lord. We, too, have received a ministry from the Lord: the ministry of reconciliation. Now, it is up to us to fulfill our ministry. It won’t be easy; the ministry of reconciliation is hard work. But it is worth it, and the world needs it.

You can go in confidence as an official ambassador for Christ. God’s work has already been accomplished. All that remains is reconciliation.

About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper pastors Bethel FWB Church near Ashland City, Tennessee, and teaches ministry at Welch College.