Hello, gals! Glad you’re here. I hope this post is a blessing to you!
2 Corinthians 5:17-21: 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; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reconciliation is the ministry every believer receives when we come into a personal relationship with Christ. We are given the precious gift of eternal life with Christ via forgiveness of our sin and new life in Him. A fresh start. Can I get a hallelujah?! Then we’re called to action, we are given the command to, “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). We are called to be His witness to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). How is this done?
We are all born sinners, separated from God and in need of saving. We are born with the need to be reconciled to our Creator. So God, being rich in mercy, humbled Himself, left the comfort of heaven and was born of flesh, lived a perfect life on our behalf, He was tempted as we are and experienced suffering of all types making Him the perfect High Priest, and yet did not at any moment love anything more than He loved God. He was obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). On the cross of Calvary, His blood was poured out for the washing of our sin, the wrath of God the Father was poured unto Him. The wrath that rightly should have been ours. And with His last breath, He breathed, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) And if this wasn’t glorious enough, He resurrected from the dead on the third day making Him the Risen Savior. Praise God! Through His death and resurrection, we have been given the gift of reconciliation to God. We now have access to God 24/7. Wow.
How can such a great gift be something that we keep quiet about? How can we say we have been given the greatest gift ever and not share it with others? We don’t do that with our favorite food or books or movies. Why should we not all the more share this amazing gift? Why should we exalt the lesser things of this world that will one day pass away and not the Greater, which is eternal?
We are called as disciples of Christ to tell others of their need to be reconciled to God. How will they know if no one tells them? We too were once lost, blind in sin, and hostile toward God. None of us are born good. None of us are born caring about how our actions may affect others. We are not born knowing that we need forgiveness. God planned that day from before we were even a thought that someone would come and present the gospel to us. When that holy appointment comes, how beautiful is that day?!
When the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts and enables us to see our desperate need to be made right with God Almighty. When the eyes of our heart are opened and the kindness of God overwhelms us as we’re led to the wonderful gift of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. That day is the first of the two most important days of our life. How beautiful that someone would look at us, lost and horrible, and have compassion on us and share their most precious and valuable gift.
The day we come to salvation in Christ is the first of the two most important days of our life. The second will be when we come face to face with our Maker, and hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Let’s not for the sake of worldly comfort settle for anything less than this, Sisters. There is nothing greater or more important than to share with others their need to be made right with God.
In the Book of Acts, we see men and women who took the commandment that Christ gave before ascending to Heaven seriously and began to spread the good news of the Risen Savior to the ends of the earth, but they first started where they were. They believed that Christ would come back in their lifetime and wanted to be found faithful. They wanted not only themselves but their families and neighbors to be saved. Today we are still waiting for His return. But let us not in waiting for our Bridegroom to come be found sleeping. It is not by works that we are saved. It is by grace through faith. But the faith that we cling to calls us to action. How can we easily and comfortably live our lives knowing that there are people in our families and neighbors and co-workers and acquaintances that don’t yet know of their need to be reconciled to God? Or if they know, why should we not make ourselves available to them when they are asking questions in their quest for truth? Should we not extend the same patience that was extended to us? Should we not reason with those who are willing to listen?
I say this not as someone who can easily go up to strangers and begin a conversation. There are people who have been gifted with the ability to go up to strangers and start conversing with others like it’s breathing. That is NOT me. However, my personality or social preferences do not excuse me from the obligation to speak about the One who is able to wipe clean with Living Water and His blood the sins of those who would humbly call on Him. JESUS. It is Jesus who saves. It is Jesus who gives new life. It is Jesus alone where unconditional love is found. Is that not what we all yearn for the most?
If in Christ is found what we are in most need of and what our hearts most desire, and if we have found these truths to be realities in our lives, then should we not make as much effort as possible to share this with others so that they too may experience a life that is in right standing to their Creator, the Lover of their souls? How wonderful it would be for all of us to spend our lives giving this gift away as much as we are able. How fruitful a life that would be.
Sisters, let’s invest our time in the things that are eternal. In the things that will not pass away. As disciples of Christ, we have been called to share with others their need to be reconciled with God. Starting in our homes and outward. It is not our job to save souls, it is God who does that. We are just called to be obedient to the God who first loved us. Let’s not keep hidden the Light that came to save souls out of darkness.
Love you so much,
Braulia.
