2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Here we are with February knocking at our door and my grandchildren are still so excited to tell me about the gifts they received at Christmastime. As soon as I walk in the door, they are eager to show me a variety of toys, dolls, sports jerseys or the latest and greatest electronic gadgets. I listen intently as they enjoy telling me all about it. This is such an opportune time to remind them how special it is to receive gifts and that God is the greatest gift giver. God’s gifts are abundant; Jesus, salvation, eternal life, the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Friends, we should never grow dull of these gifts, and we should never cease sharing with others that Jesus is the best gift one could ever receive. The world needs to hear that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He has given the opportunity to have eternal life and that one can be in heaven with Him for all eternity. We are given these incredible gifts that we can’t even comprehend the magnitude of, and while He has already given us the gift, He gives us one task before we enjoy the fullness of His gift. Let’s read today’s scripture passage together:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
We are to be God’s mouthpiece and tell of the amazing transformative power of Christ!! The Bible teaches that we are not our careers, marital status, or stage of life. Those things form part of our existence and experience, but our primary identity is “image-bearer”. We are a new creation, made in the likeness of God with the purpose of extending his holy rulership on earth. Here in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Christians are called to represent Christ, to deliver the message of reconciliation, and live as a new creation in Him. This means living transformed, sharing the Gospel, and representing Christ's peace, as God works through believers to bring others to Him.
We GET to bring the good news of Jesus to the lost. My prayer is that you and I would confess the Lord’s name and that we would be a holy mouthpiece as God's ambassadors to this broken and hurting world.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
We are to be God’s mouthpiece and tell of the amazing transformative power of Christ!! The Bible teaches that we are not our careers, marital status, or stage of life. Those things form part of our existence and experience, but our primary identity is “image-bearer”. We are a new creation, made in the likeness of God with the purpose of extending his holy rulership on earth. Here in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Christians are called to represent Christ, to deliver the message of reconciliation, and live as a new creation in Him. This means living transformed, sharing the Gospel, and representing Christ's peace, as God works through believers to bring others to Him.
We GET to bring the good news of Jesus to the lost. My prayer is that you and I would confess the Lord’s name and that we would be a holy mouthpiece as God's ambassadors to this broken and hurting world.
Posted in Devotional