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. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Advent #4: The Gift of Purpose (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
One of the worst feelings in the world is to not know why you are doing something. This is the source of so many midlife crises. We start to feel like we are not making a difference in any arena of our lives. Maybe we are not married when we want to be, or we feel like we aren’t connecting with our spouse like we used to. Perhaps we see no purpose in our day-inday-out jobs. We simply go to work, put in our time, and go home. We drift through life increasingly depressed when we can’t see purpose in our lives and actions.
Our Creator
God knows this about us. After all, He created us. So, He has given us the gift of purpose through Jesus. He has given everyone of us a ministry. We don’t have to be pastors, Sunday School teachers, televangelists, etc. Ordinary people who are saved by God’s grace have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.
“Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 CSB
All that we have
We will barely scratch the surface of all the gifts that God has already given us. Literally, “Everything is from God.” All that we have is because of His generosity. He is our source. We sometimes delude ourselves into thinking that we have earned our money and possessions or that we deserve something. The truth is that it is God’s mercy that we don’t receive the punishment we deserve. His grace allows us to have everything that we do.
Reconciliation
Like we talked about in the last post, God has given us the open door of salvation, reconciling us to Himself through Jesus. Reconciliation is only possible because there is a problem in the relationship to begin with. All people are separated from God because of the sin of Adam. We are born with a sinful nature that can’t possibly be perfectly free from sin.
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Romans 5:12 NLT
Reconciliation means that relationship and peace are restored to a relationship that is broken.
“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.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV
The whole world in His hands
God’s hands are stretched out toward the world, yet the world can’t see it without messengers of reconciliation. I remember an old song that we sang when I was a child, “He’s got the whole world in His hands…” God’s hands are big enough for everyone in the world to be safe within them. However, not everyone has heard about the incredible gift God is extending to us all.
That’s where we come in! We have been given a job and purpose: we are ambassadors bringing Christ to the world. We have a job to do, but we are not reliant on our own power. God is working through us.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”” 2 Corinthians 5:20 CSB
God-Given Purpose
God has not only given us a purpose for life – sharing the gift of Jesus with others – but He also empowers us and does the work through us. He gives us the shimmer of Jesus and calls us to sparkle in this world for His glory and the reconciliation of people to Himself.
Action Step:
Is there a relationship in your life that needs reconciliation? We can sparkle by bringing peace to our earthly relationships. In our world today, it is unusual for people to live in harmony with those around them. How we handle our relationships can be a light for others.
Is there someone who came to mind as you were reading or listening to this devotional? You are an ambassador of Christ to this person! You have purpose and calling to help them reconcile to God. Sparkle in their direction by lovingly sharing the gift of Jesus with them.
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Prayer:
Dear God, Help us to embrace the purpose you have given us in Jesus. Give us wisdom about when to speak and what words to say. Sparkle through us for Your glory. Enable us to bring peace and reconciliation in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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