That word.
I take this word and roll it around. I sit here in my chair this morning, praying over and seeking the Lord over all that is happening in my life and my close people. We have been hurt. Some have moved to continue to be a part of fellowship. Some have moved away. Some have walked away from fellowship completely.
Ambassador of Christ. God making His appeal through us, Paul’s pleas in 2 Corinthians 5 hits me hard this morning.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one [f]according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ [g]according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [h]he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and [i]He has [j]committed to us the word of reconciliation.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
20 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. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
If we recognize that Christ is doing a new thing in each of us, if we recognize that Christ is giving us the ministry of reconciliation, than, as the church we have a mission. We have a mission to draw people close to His heart. We are not a judge and jury over anyone.We are not given the opportunity to count trespasses against them. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Each of us are ambassadors. Each of us needs to be reconciled to God, individually. That is OUR responsibility. We need to:
7 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [a]by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how [b]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7: 1-5
We are to be His righteousness, and as the church, come together as ragamuffins and humble ourselves before GOD and each other. Look to God. Not our neighbor’s faults, we should be too busy worrying about our own. I want to walk with a clear mind before the Lord, in a right relationship before the Lord by His gracious lovingkindness. (Amplified Bible) Don’t you?
As I have heard so often on many social media platforms, everyone is fighting a battle, be gentle. Fellowship is no different. We have no idea the internal battles those in the fellowship are fighting. We need to begin with gentleness, not wrath.
Friends, we have to think there is something to the popularity of these songs. We are waiting for the light. We are in the tunnel with all the problems swirling around us. Will the church be a place of hurt or will it a place of healing?
Leave A Reply