Exodus 17; Luke 20; Job 35; 2 Corinthians 5: Proverbs 6
We have a ministry. Surprised? Wondering what it is? “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us;” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20a, NASB
There it is-our ministry in a nutshell. We who are in Christ are to act as His ambassadors here on earth-Christ was about reconciling the world to God the Father and that is to be our ministry as well. It would be so much easier if we lived in a world that wanted that reconciliation; we often meet with a lot of hostility along the way. But just as Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world neither should we. (“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” -John 3:17) Take a look at the rest of the 2 Corinthians passage I quoted above, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, NASB. God is making His appeal to the world through us who have been made new in Christ--we are representatives of His kingdom--so how are we doing in that role?
Grace, peace, and mercy,
Debra