The Ministry of Reconciliation

The first 10 verses of the fifth chapter of Romans aptly describe the reconciliation of believers who are justified by faith in the ransom of Jesus. “We shall be saved from wrath through him.” Paul further states these seven points in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:

All things are of God.
He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.
God has made us agents of reconciliation.
God is reconciling the world to Himself.
We are now Christ’s ambassadors.
God is appealing to the world through us.

These verses are quoted from the Phillips translation and are applicable to the Body of Christ, His Church and New Creation. Does this mean we have been commissioned to convert the world and to reconcile the world to God? Many Scriptures seem to indicate this. The following Scriptures have one thing in common. They speak of a future time, of a coming Kingdom, when this reigning will take place for the overcomers, when the “knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14). Definitely a future time!

Romans 8:17: Joint heirs…to suffer with him…crucified with him.
Luke 22:28-30: You who continue with me will sit on 12 thrones.
Matt. 19:27: When I sit on my throne, you will sit with me.
1 Cor. 6:7: The saints shall judge the angels.
Rev. 5:10: Kings and priests and shall reign on earth.

The Scriptures clearly teach that now is the age of the calling of the Church, the body of overcomers:

Phil. 3:14: High calling;
Heb. 3:1: Heavenly calling;
Rom. 2:7: We seek for glory, honor and immortality;
2 Pet. 1:3, 4: Called us to glory…partakers of the divine nature.

So what is our message and to whom is it to be addressed? Paul says in 1 Cor. 3:6-9 that one plants and another waters, but it is God who gives the increase. The planter is nothing; the one who waters is 2 nothing, for it is God who causes it to grow. We are laborers together with God. You are God’s husbandry; you are His building.

Paul sums up the matter in 1 Corinthians 9:16-24: “For I take no special pride in the fact that I preach the Gospel. I feel compelled to do so; I should be utterly miserable if I failed to preach it. If I do this work because I choose to do so, then I am entitled to a reward, but if it is not a choice of mine but a sacred responsibility put upon me, what can I expect in the way of reward? This, that when I preach the Gospel, I can make it absolutely free of charge and not claim what is my rightful due as a preacher. For though I am no man’s slave, yet I have made myself everyone’s slave, that I might win more men to Christ. To the Jews I was a Jew that I might win the Jew. To those who were under the Law I put myself in the position of being under the Law (although in fact I stand free of it), so that I might win those who are under the Law. To those who had no law, I myself became like a man without the law (even though in fact I cannot be a lawless man, for I am bound by the law of Christ), so that I may win men that have no law. To the weak I become a weak man that I might win the weak. I have…been all things to all men that by every possible means I might win some to God. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel; I want to play my part in it properly” (1 Cor. 9:16-24 Phillips).

What I understand Paul to be saying here is that he tailored the Message to fit the individual. Paul was very tactful as it is revealed in Acts 17:22 and before King Agrippa in Acts 26 and 27. His words in Romans chapters 14 and 15 and our message today is no different. People we meet today have different levels of understanding. Some are able to better understand somewhat the deeper mysteries of the Bible; to these we can witness accordingly. To others in complete darkness, we need to be cautious lest we antagonize them and do more harm than good. But all the time we need to remember our ambassadorship and whose servants we are. “Let your light shine among men” (2 Timothy 4:1, 2). Preach the Word urgently!

An ambassador speaks for his own country…the Christian has to speak for Christ…bringing the message of Christ to the human situation…the honor of a country is in its ambassador’s hands. His country is judged by him. The ambassador’s duty is not only to deliver a definite message, but he is obliged to watch opportunities, so that he may place it before his hearers in its most attractive form. It is the great responsibility of the ambassador to commend his country to the men among whom he is set.