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. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 ESV
Today’s verses pick up immediately after our verse from yesterday, which said that anyone in Christ is a new creation. At the moment of our salvation, we are made new. We read above that we are also reconciled to God. What a powerful concept!
Our sin separates us from God. God is just, fair, and righteous, and because of this, sin must be paid for. It cannot simply be excused or forgiven. The punishment for sin is death.
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8 NIV)
“8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 NIV). Christ paid our price! A few verses later in that same chapter we read, “10…when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son…” (Rom. 5:10 NIV).
Being reconciled to God through Christ means that we are no longer separated from Him because of our sin. We are no longer His enemies. In fact, we are His children! The entire trajectory of our lives has been changed and we have direct access to our Father any time we need.
Our God is alive! He is in the business of making things new! He offers freedom and forgiveness and reconciliation to those who through Jesus come to Him. And, according to verse 19, we have been entrusted with this message. We are Christ’s ambassadors to a confused, lost, and dying world around us. His plan for getting this news to the world is us. What a message we have to tell!
(If after reading the devotions from yesterday and today, you realize that you are not a new creation and you have never been reconciled to God, contact us for more information on beginning a personal relationship with Jesus.)
APPLICATION
– Praise God that through Jesus, we can be reconciled to God. Thank Him for sacrificing His Son and paying the price for your sin.
– Pray that God would use Liberty to take the message of reconciliation to those in Hampton Roads and around the world. Pray that our church would be deeply burdened by those who have not yet heard the good news of the Gospel and that we would move forward in sharing God’s love with them.
– October begins Liberty Loves Hampton Roads, a month-long emphasis where Connect Groups and individuals serve in their communities by meeting needs, building relationships, and sharing the Gospel. Pray that many from Liberty would commit to serve and to share God’s message of reconciliation. Ask God how you personally can take part. Visit www.libertylive.com/llhr for more information.