Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Build Up

As believers we are all called to a calling of reconciliation, or so Paul has said in his second letter to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

In reading this at first it may be unclear what Paul meant. I can only imagine what the Corinthians may have wondered what Paul was saying. He does explain it further as he goes on.

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
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.

Paul is saying that we were all dead in sin. Jesus died that the dead in sin could be made alive to God, being reconciled to Him. In other words, through the work of the Messiah on the cross the differences between man and God were settled once and for all. As I read the letters to the Corinthians, they were much like us. And that is the point I want to make here.

We are to reconcile people to God, not denounce them to God. It is true that there are people everywhere, even in our churches, that get life wrong. I think that is why God calls it reconciliation. If we could always get it right, then Jesus died for nothing. Guess what – we can’t. We are human and we are all in the same condition. Some may do things that are more wrong in our eyes or the eyes of society, but in the eyes of God it is the same – we are all the same and all need the work of the Messiah in our lives everyday. Spending time pointing to the faults of someone else certainly does not sound like reconciliation, right? Furthermore, who made us the judge? I believe that job is taken. We are to say and do those things that point to God as the Creator and that cause others to see that they too can be reconciled to God everyday if they so choose. In this way we can build one another up and prepare each ourselves for the soon return of our Messiah.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be praised and worthy of all honor. You are the one that separated the dark from the light, that set the lights in the sky. You spoke and there were heavens and earth. Your created this earth as a place for Your kingdom and we ask that You again restore it here. Send us today Your abundant prosperity. Forgive us when we get off track, and help us back. We need Your healing and deliverance. Help us and show us a sign for good that all may know that You alone are our God and do these things. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.