Our Glorious Ministry of Reconciliation

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”

2 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV

What is the “ministry” this verse speaks of? Is it the particular denomination or group we belong to or fellowship with on a regular basis? Is it one of the multitude of “ministries” named after a high profile preacher, evangelist or musician? Perhaps it is the function of visiting the sick or elderly. Or is it the act of setting up tea and cookies for the Wednesday evening prayer meeting. These are certainly all various usages of the word “ministry”, but I don’t think any of them pertain to this verse in 2 Corinthians.

The ministry we have received, just as we received God’s mercy, is described for us in 2 Corinthians 5:18 where it states plainly:

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

That which defines our ministry is RECONCILIATION. Everything that God did in Christ was with a view to the restoration of the relationship of peace which had been disturbed in Adam. Verse and 19 shows us the simplicity and beauty of this ministry:

“That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Herein is one of the greatest truths in God’s Word: Almighty God has committed to US the WORD of reconciliation! This statement is so profound that upon first reading it, the significance of it is missed entirely. But, if one is willing to stop and meditate upon what exactly this verse is saying, there is the potential for brain matter to end up on the ceiling (blown mind).

Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate. This means He is the Word (logos) of God in the flesh. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Now, God has committed to us THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION. What do you think this Word of Reconciliation is? The answer is not WHAT but rather WHO. Jesus Christ is, was and always will be the Word of Reconciliation.

The written Word of God describes, defines and details everything needed for the complete and absolute reconciliation of man to God. Since God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself; logic dictates that the subject of the written Word of God from Genesis 3:15 through the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ and the reconciliation found in Him.

Reconciliation can best be defined as the restoration of the relationship of peace disturbed by Adam’s transgression. Reconciliation means the end of a conflict and the bringing together of opposing parties. Sin is what drove the wedge of separation between God and man and that sin had to be eternally paid for and absolved in order for reconciliation to take place. Jesus Christ paid the price for sin and through Him we have been reconciled to God. The reality of this is beautifully laid out in Romans 5:1:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our sins have been absolved and we have been acquitted of all charges against us. Through the redemption in Christ Jesus, we have peace with God. Jesus Christ is our reconciliation and all He did and all He accomplished is the Word of reconciliation. God has given to us the ministry of helping others to be reconciled to God and God has committed to us the Word which allows others to be reconciled.

Oh glory, how could God possibly express His outstanding love and faith in us more than by giving us the opportunity to help others be reconciled to Him through the word of reconciliation—Jesus Christ. God could have chosen the rocks and trees to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, but He didn’t. God chose US to represent Him and His Son. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says:

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

An ambassador is a representative of someone else. We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. We have been sent by Him to represent Him here on earth. We have the awesome privilege of speaking on His behalf, pleading with people to be reconciled to God through Christ. God has entrusted us with the ministry and the Word of reconciliation and then made us ambassadors for Christ. What an incredible privilege and honor we have received.

In all we do and all we say we should strive to be the very best reflection of our Lord who believed enough in us to give us the ministry of reconciling others to Him. As we live and breathe and have our being in this world, we should walk with great humility knowing that God has committed to our trust the Word of reconciliation. No matter where we go or who we see and talk to, we should hold our heads high and walk with the dignity associated with one who is an ambassador for Jesus Christ.

We have been given the ministry of sharing the Gospel of reconciliation with a dying world who is at war with God. We have been given everything we need to proclaim, warn and plead with any and all we meet the need to be reconciled to God. There is only way to restore the relationship of peace with God and that is through accepting the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ by confessing Him as Lord and believing God raised Him from the dead. Once this is done in the heart, then spiritual reconciliation is complete and an eternal relationship of peace and life is accomplished.

I pray we never lose heart as we carry out the ministry God has given us. I pray we never get so caught up in ourselves that we forget who we really are—AMBASSADORS FOR JESUS CHRIST. I pray that in these troubled times, we can hold our heads high and with all the love and compassion in our hearts reach out to help those around us be reconciled to God. What an incredible honor God has bestowed upon us.

7 deadly sins, works of the flesh,old man traits vs. 7 contrary virutues and fruit of the spirit–WOW, talk about some lists

Although not specifically listed in the Bible, there are 7 vices known as “the 7 deadly sins” which represent the things a Christian is to be aware of and seek to overcome in their life.

1. Pride–is excessive belief in one’s own abilities, which interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.

2. Envy– is the desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation.

3. Gluttony–is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

4. Lust– is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

5. Anger– is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

6. Greed–is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.

7. Sloth–is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

When looking around at the world in which we live, it is very obvious that there are major problems with these seven sins. When thinking about these vices, they are all intensely personal in nature, for they emanate from the mind and heart of a person and deal with what are known as “character issues”. In other words, these particular vices do not effect others; they pertain only to the individual person.

In the Bible, there is a list of 7 things mentioned which the Lord hates and are an abomination Him. In Proverbs 6:16-19 the REAL 7 deadly sins are:

1. A proud look

2. A lying tongue

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

4. A heart that devises wicked plans

5. Feet that are swift in running to evil

6. A false witness who speaks lies

7. One who sows discord among brethren

It is interesting to note that the first one on each list is “pride”, but it also interesting to note that after the first one, there are no more similarities. This is not to say the Lord is “cool” with envy and lust for He is not. But, when it comes to things the Lord HATES, they deal far more with sins affecting others rather than personal sins.

Paul sets forth a list in Galatians 6:19-21 which represent the “works of the flesh”:

1. Adultery

2. Fornication

3. Uncleanness

4. Lewdness

5. Idolatry

6. Sorcery

7. Hatred

8. Contentions

9. Jealousies

10. Outbursts of wrath

11. Selfish ambitions

12. Dissensions

13. Heresies

14. Envy

15. Murders

16. Drunkenness

17. Revelries

These seventeen things are the works or fruit of living according to the flesh and not the spirit. Again, some of the so called 7 deadly sins are in this list, but some are not. In Colossians 3:5-9 Paul brings up things he calls “members which are on the earth”, which represent the traits of the “old man”:

1. Fornication

2. Uncleanness

3. Passion

4. Evil desire

5. Covetousness which is idolatry

6. Anger

7. Wrath

8. Malice

9. Blasphemy

10. Filthy language out of your mouth

11. Lying

Here is my point in all this; nowhere in the Christian Bible is a list of “7 deadly sins”. Thus, when speaking of these 7 sins, it must be understood that this is theology and not reciting the Bible. There is nothing wrong with grouping 7 of the most detrimental personal sins into a list, just so long as that list is not said to be in the Bible. This may seem like splitting hairs, but it is where we get into the soup in theological discussions.

The most interesting thing I think about this is that along the way, an antidote for these 7 sins was given and named the “7 contrary virtues”. The Contrary Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia (“Battle for the Soul”), an epic poem written by Prudentius (c. 410). Practicing these virtues is alleged to protect one against temptation toward the Seven Deadly Sins: humility against pride, kindness against envy, abstinence against gluttony, chastity against lust, patience against anger, liberality against greed, and diligence against sloth.

So, here are the 7 deadly sins and the 7 contrary virtues:

Pride humility

Envy kindness

Gluttony abstinence

Lust chastity

Anger patience

Greed liberality

Sloth diligence

According to this theology; if one practices humility they are protected against pride. If one practices kindness, they are protected against envy and on down the list. However good this all sounds, it is still theology since there is nowhere in the Bible that specifically says this is how it works. Do I agree with this theology? I can find nothing wrong with it, so I guess I do. Whose theology is this? This is straight out of Roman Catholic theology. Does that make me a Catholic?

I have nothing against Catholics, theology or anything else; I bring this up only to show how thin the line is between theology and literally reading what is in the Bible. Whereas in this case, there is much truth to be gleaned looking at the 7 sins and 7 virtues; putting them together constitutes the development of a theological position regarding personal character issues.

Paul, after laying out the 17 works of the flesh in Galatians 5, then lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and 23:

1. Love

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Longsuffering

5. Kindness

6. Goodness

7. Faithfulness

8. Gentleness

9. Self-control

Amazingly, there is correlation between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. I cannot make a nice list and present them side by side. They do not line up. Besides, how does one align 17 vs 9? The point is, for convenience sake, man makes theology to supposedly make things easier to understand. At times this happens, but at other times it ends up turning the truth into scrambled eggs.