RHAPSODY OF REALITIES FRIDAY 14TH JUNE 2024. pastor Chris
TOPIC :✨THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION✨
SCRIPTURE 📖: Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
The Bible says in Ephesians 4:11-12 that God “… gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Here, the Apostle Paul refers to the five-fold ministry gifts which are for the edification and perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry.
Since these five ministry gifts are for the building of the body of Christ and perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, then what exactly is this “work of the ministry”? First, it’s important to understand that there’re two kinds of ministries for the saints: primary and secondary.
The secondary ministry involves edifying one another within the Church, that is, within the Body of Christ. This is often referred to as the “body ministry” or ministry within the body. But I want to draw your attention to the first kind of ministry of the saints, which Paul referenced in 2 Corinthians 5:18—the ministry of reconciliation.
There, it says, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” The same God who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ has given us (the reconciled ones) the ministry of reconciliation: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
It reminds us of what the Lord Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me. “ In Mark 16:15 He said, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is a charge to every Christian.
We’re His ministers of reconciliation. We bear witness to the truth that God was in Christ, actively reconciling the world to Himself through Christ’s redemptive work, not counting men’s sins against them. Hallelujah!
CONFESSION
Dear Father, I testify that you were in Christ, actively reconciling the world to yourself, not counting men’s sins against them. I’m an ambassador, and a representative of the Kingdom! The Lord is building His body through me, by my vital participation in the spread of the Gospel. Praise God!
FURTHER STUDY
Ephesians 2:13-16; 13 But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. 14 For he himself is our shalom – he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah which divided us 15 by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom,16 and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus in himself killing that enmity.
Colossians 1:20-22; 20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake. 21 In other words, you, who at one time were separated from God and had a hostile attitude towards him because of your wicked deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in the Son’s physical body through his death; in order to present you holy and without defect or reproach before himself –
2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God!
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Acts 4:32-5:1-11 & 2 Chronicles 20-22
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
2 Corinthians 3:11-18 & Songs Of Solomon 7-8
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