Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Throughout the church and community there are dreams and prayers of reconciliation, in families, marriages, businesses and friendships.  From the beginning, the fall of Adam and Eve affected all of God’s creation.  Now all of creation is to be reconciled back to God through His Grace.

1. The Ministry of Reconciliation.

The Apostle Paul wrote during the Pax Roman (Roman Peace) which consisted of two Provinces: the Senatorial Provinces consisting of peoples at peace with Rome, and the Imperial Provinces which were dangerous, requiring ambassadors and troops to assure no rebellion.  With this backdrop, Paul contrasted God sending Jesus to ultimately go to the Cross to reconcile the world to Himself.  Christ’s actions committed us to the Ministry of Reconciliation to bring all things back to God.

2. The Ministry of Stewardship.

Once we are reconciled with God, we have a duty to manage His goods and services. Christians have a ministry of stewardship of consecration and delivery of wealth, our children, talents, homes and resources.  Everything and everyone must be reconciled back to God so that God can be all in all.  Reconciliation is our duty, and stewardship is the test.

3. The Sacerdotal (Priestly) Ministry.

God owns all, and we are to make everything in our lives holy.  As faithful stewards who have priestly functions, we are to consecrate to God our resources and those under us.  It is then that the reconciliation becomes visible to others as something different from the world, the full expression of God’s sacrificial love for us.