Reconciliation!

(2Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

Of all the perfect and beautiful gifts we have received from God, which would you say is most helpful? Which of the five senses is the most needful? I have often thought about this and yet never really concluded my reasoning. But this morning I am persuaded that the greatest ability is the tongue, our voice, the ability to speak. Without an audible command from God creation would not exists, neither would we.

“And God said… let there be light; let us created man in our own image and it was so!” God spoke the creation into existence. It was his voice (the Word) that started the ball rolling. I have no doubt that God in His brilliance would have thought everything through, He would have mapped out his plan if you like, prior to the actual unfolding of it. There was obviously some form of planning, but it wasn’t until God said “let there be light” that light appeared. His voice ever powerful, praise the name of Jesus! What came first the chicken or the egg? That is a no brainer the chicken and yet people ask the question as if it deserves some amount of reasoning; God spoke the animals into being and so they appeared; “And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.” (Genesis 1:24)

It was only after creation that God used His sight to look upon His creation and only then was He able to enjoy what He saw; “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

So what then is the greatest gift God has given us? It is obviously His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour! But now that we have Him, it is our voice that will be most helpful to those who are lost and dying; in other words to preach life to a lost and dying generation is what we have been given; we hold the keys to eternal life in the smallest of members, our tongues. It is important we understand the significance of this. It is only God who has the ability to create new life and yet we have the words to eternal life on the tips of our tongues.

Do we understand the gravity, this now our responsibility to preach Christ and Him crucified. I am not sure we do! But God has chosen to use us as vessels to save others, what a privilege. How does this actual work. Those who have Christ Spirit, those who are born again, the sons and daughters of God have if you like an extra ability to that of the world and that is the ministry of reconciliation; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2Corinthians 5:17-18)

The world does not have this new found ability if you like; you will not hear an unbeliever speaking about life in and through the person of Jesus Christ. It is foreign to their understanding as they are still dead in their trespasses and sins. But to all who have His Spirit, we all have a measure of the “ministry of reconciliation”. This is a wonderful privilege; think about the power we now wield in our hand, or rather with our tongue. Our voice could trigger God the Holy Spirit to bring life into someone who was dead. We cannot save, it is God who saves! And yet God has chosen through the foolishness of preaching, the use of our tongues, to save some. It is imperative we understand the gravity of our responsibility, to speak about Christ and Him Crucified. It may just be that your words could be chosen by God to save someone from the clutches of hell and it may get then believing in their hearts that God raised Christ from the dead and then with their mouths they will begin to confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Here then the scripture to back up my understanding; “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.": - (But here is the call for our role in reconciliation). How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:9-15)

So then before we are capable of enjoying the beauty of creation, just as God spoke the creation into being, may we also follow His example and open our mouths and preach Christ and Him crucified. It is the Word of God that brings forth life and we have a measure of that life in the gift He has given us, the gift of reconciliation. What will we do with it I wonder? God give us new found strength to preach Christ and Him crucified. When we are used by God to bring forth new life, it is beautiful to behold and just as He look upon His creation and concluded that it was “very good”. We also may look upon those we were involved with who now confess Jesus Christ as Lord and also say it is “very good”.

However, let me be very clear, so that I am not misunderstood; it is God and God alone who gives life, we cannot in ourselves now manipulate or wield His hand, but He has chosen by the foolishness of preaching to save some. If we are the ones then preaching, Christ and Him crucified and nothing else, God may very well chose our words to lead a man to repentance. Think on this and the privilege He has afforded us. It is the only true God, the creator of heaven and earth, allowing us a portion in the creation of new life. We know that once a person is save they become new creatures; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

Father God, help us to understand our measure and the importance of the ministry of reconciliation. Praise and honour belongs to our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever more, Amen!

But always remember to keep the message about Christ and Him Crucified and nothing else. It has always been about the Lord Jesus from the beginning and it will also end with Him. He is the alpha and the Omega, move away from Him and we move away from the power of God.   

  

Signing off

Tyrone