The Ministry Of Reconciliation

Series: The Local Church

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Introduction

Reminder:

The church is the visible, local congregation of believers that form the community of reconciliation

Tonight we are going to focus on the last part - the ministry of reconciliation

What does reconciliation mean?

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament καταλλάσσω

καταλλάσσω - to be or become restored to favorable or friendly relations with another after a presumed wronged

In understandable terms, reconciliation is being restored to right relationship after doing something wrong

Reconciliation with God is God removing rebellious and sinful man’s enmity toward Himself (BKC, 568)

First with God, then with each other

When I got saved, I recognized that I was not in right standing with God and I needed to be made right. The “being made right” is what it is to be reconciled

What are some other places in Scripture we see the concept of reconciliation?

Joseph and his brothers (Gen. 45 - Joseph forgave his brothers)

1 Cor. 7:11 - reconciliation in marriage (a wife being reconciled to her husband)

Background:

Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians in response to his visit with them (they had not listened to Paul’s warnings from his previous letter)

Many of them were unsure of their relationship with Paul with a “tension” existing in their relationship

Paul, in this portion of the letter even chapters later, is reassuring them of his forgiveness and love for them (reconciled relationship)

Paul is also writing about the readiness believers should have (“we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed” - v. 4) to be in heaven with Jesus

God has prepared us for “this very purpose”(being with Him in eternity) with the giving of the Spirit (v. 5)

2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight—”

Because of this, we are to live pleasing to Him, knowing that we will receive reward for the works of our salvation done for Christ, receiving no punishment from sin due to the cross

This produces a “fear of the Lord,” and with this reverence for God, we live in obedience of heart and not in the pride of our appearance (genuine believers, not just on the outside)

Paul points out three parts of reconciliation

The Root Of Reconciliation (v. 14-15)

What is the root, basis, foundation, of reconciliation?

The atoning work of Jesus (v. 14b-15)

The cross was Jesus taking our punishment, bearing humanity’s sin

The Resurrection was Jesus overcoming death, proving Himself to be God

End of v. 14-15 (What does this mean?)

All of humanity has died because of their sin, but Christ took our place in that, dying so that all could love, but only those to accept Christ (those who “no longer live for themselves”) will receive the benefits of salvation

Romans 5:15 “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.”

Looking back at the beginning of v. 14, the love of Christ “controls” believers, leading us to conclude the truth of Jesus’ death and Resurrection “on our behalf”

controls (some translations may say compelled - συνέχω) - to seize; hold together

The love of Jesus, shown through His death, burial, and Resurrection, “seizes” us in the conclusion of the truth of His work on the cross

What does this mean for me?

God did not just reconcile us to Himself, He told us how He did it and why He did it - there was no other way and He loved us so much that He provided the way for it… We were dead and now we can live for Him…

The Result Of Reconciliation (v. 16-17)

What is this result?

We now, as new creatures, know Christ in a new way which is the way of salvation, living in right standing with God

We did not know Him in this way before salvation because we were not yet “new creatures” in Christ

Fallen minds give us an improper view of God

My view of God before I got saved

Paul knew Jesus from a worldly perspective, but now He knows Him from a perspective that comes from spiritual transformation (BKC, 567)

We don’t just know Jesus in the sense that He existed in history, but that, as new creatures in Christ, we have a “new, fuller understanding of the whole” of Who Jesus is because of “the Spirit and [because of] faith” (LK, 403)

What does this mean for me?

Reconciliation doesn’t just have a meaning, it brings about a result, that result being right standing with God

The Responsibility To Reconcile (v. 18-21)

What is this responsibility?

“Before we answer that, we’re going to look at what what we see in this part of the passage”

v. 18 - “gave us”; v. 19 - “committed to us” (to place; to lay)

God has given something to us to carry out - “the ministry of reconciliation”

What is that?

ministry = serve”

reconciliation = to be made right

The ministry of reconciliation is serving those around us by sharing the message of reconciliation with them

God gave His people the responsibility to carry out reconciliation

Because God has given and committed the ministry of reconciliation to us, we are to enact it, carrying it out to the greatest degree

v. 19

counting - a common formula in Jewish commercial writing to add something (like debt) to someone’s account (LK, 403)

Because we have been reconciled to Christ, the account of our sin is empty and has been paid in full

1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

v. 20

“be reconciled to God” carries with it a sense of urgency (LK, 403) - “be reconciled with God as soon as possible”

Ambassadors for Christ

v. 21

Conclusion

What does all of this mean for me?

Because we know what it means to be reconciled to God, because we know what happens as a result of being reconciled to God through God telling us in His word and our experience of salvation, we can carry out the ministry of reconciliation in two ways:

by sharing with the lost that they can be reconciled to God

By practicing the forgiveness of others, including the lost and other believers

It is possible to walk in this way because we have already been reconciled to God through Jesus, and we have the responsibility to share that with others and mimic that same reconciliation with one another in our own lives.

Unforgiveness, no matter what it is or who it is against (friends, family members, strangers, etc.), is sin against God and can lead to a life of bitterness

Remembering that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus reminds us why we can forgive and how important it is that we do

“Amen? Let’s go? Joshwelle, what’s our symbol? Northside?”

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