For some reason recently I started reading 2 Corinthians Chapter 6.
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
It’s easy to forget the Holy Spirit didn’t prompt the Apostle Paul to include verse and chapter numbers in his letters. We did that a long time after.
So when I see something like the word “then” in the middle of a colossal statement like receiving the grace of God in vain, I wonder what the “then” is all about.
So I went back a bit. In the previous chapter, Paul has been writing about this incredible mind-blowing thing called the ministry of reconciliation. Since God through Jesus reconciled us to Him through the blood, we … then … have been given the ministry of reconciliation ourselves.
There are a handful of amazing implications that flow from this:
(1) Everyone who has a relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior has this ministry. It’s not pastors, or elders, or staff. It’s all of us (v 18,19)
So what does this mean for the Christian who has been given this ministry by God, and does not exercise it?
By not participating in this ministry we have been given, does that mean we receive the grace of God in vain?
See how the end of Chapter 5 flows right in to the beginning of Chapter 6.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave 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 to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore 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. 6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
How many professing Christians are there? What percentage participate in the ministry of reconciliation?
Once more, let’s ponder the implications from just these two chapters.
(1) We regard no one according to the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16).
Is it readily noticeable that Christians regard no one according to the flesh?
Check Facebook and let’s report back on that one.
(2) We who are in Christ are a new creation. (2 Cor. 5:17)
Is it readily noticeable to the world that we are distinctly different?
(3) We have been given the ministry of reconciliation, making us ambassadors for Christ (v 18, 19)
(4) Working together with God in this ministry, we are urged not to receive God’s grace in vain. (2 Cor. 6:1)
(5) As part of that ministry, we are told to “widen our hearts” (2 Cor. 6:13)
How might our communities respond if Christians spoke and lived the ministry of reconciliation as new creations, not regarding anyone according to the flesh, with wide hearts?
It’s only what God clearly commanded for all of us.
We want to think that the church is losing a foothold in America because of the dark culture or this group or that group. And certainly we have to speak truth into the culture because God has commanded that also.
But if we speak truth into the culture without being the reocognizable ambassadors God has called us to be in 2 Corinthians 5 and 6, we won’t be credible.
Let’s Do Better
That’s my goal for this week, to be distinctly different. To regard no one according to the flesh. To have a wider heart. To exercise the ministry of reconciliation.
If you are reading A View to a Quill, thanks! If you are reading and are not a Christian but have questions, touch base with me. I’m far from having all the answers but I’d be happy to have a good exchange.
If you are a Christian, join me this week in trying to do better.
Read Part 1 of Passages to Ponder here: The Fullness of Grace and Truth
Read Part 2 of Passages to Ponder here: Why do Christians Talk That Way?
Really love this and will try to do better!
Thanks for your encouragement.