We Are Called to Be "Ambassadors" of Change

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;..

“Reconciliation!”  At first thought, reconciliation it is not a word that one would normally think of as scriptural.  And yet, it is the main reason for God coming, to this earth, in Jesus’ skin.  He came to bring people together.   

17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3)

“Saved through” the teaching of Jesus. That is, helping us to avoid the temptation to treat others — any other — with arrogant rudeness.  Jesus came to eliminate the attitude of superiority and exclusion.

Listen to how the Apostle Paul writes about this: 

17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 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 Cor 5)

Now lets look at what that English term mean in the old Greek and Hebrew.

Reconciliation is: “to make other than is.”  “To exchange!”  “To change!”  

To make changes whereby the love of Christ comes to constrain us; and we not longer live for ourselves(my paraphrase).

In this particular passage, from 2 Corinthians, “Paul is specifically meaning that reconciliation is not just a transaction.  But has personal affects which are known to the conscience.  And may be offered in answer to an opponent.  Reconciliation is effected — made effective — by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Unquote!

Here is how I think it works!  First God reconciled us to himself.  That is God changed us!  And now we are to reconcile others, by the working of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  So that others might be equipped to find their own place in God’s ministry.  

So that, altogether we may help grow God’s kind of love mercy and forgiveness in the whole wide world. By being Christ’s active ambassadors of reconciliation!  Ambassadors of  change!

“Making other than is now!”

We do all of this through civil conversation, use our facial expression,body language, and the way we treat others.

So simple!  

Yet so difficult!