You willing?

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:19-21)

For God... The message is clear - God made the provision, did all that needed to be done, and now we stand 'reconciled' through faith in Jesus. It is indeed good news that my sins are no longer counted against me, and this should be good news for anyone who has said 'yes' to Jesus. The message is clear - we needed Christ's sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection in order to realize forgiveness of sins and the removal of all the guilt associated with them.

God makes his appeal to others through us... We may not believe it, but God actually intends for us to be his voice - his hands reaching out to a hurting and lost world around us. We might believe this 'role' to be limited to those who fill the pulpits each Sunday, but the truth is that God's work is done through those who are willing to become his hands and feet. We speak for him - not in place of him. We bring the message of salvation - not of condemnation and critical judgment. Come back to God - the words are clear, but will the message be heard if we are unwilling to be used?

So that we could be made right with God... The movement from sin into grace requires us to acknowledge our need, but the ability to make the move from sin into grace is actually given to us by Jesus himself. We lack nothing when it comes to being reconciled to God - God has provided all we need. When things are 'right' between two individuals on this earth, what does that look like? Isn't there an intimacy that is felt, an integrity that is palpable? What would make us think it would be any different when we are drawn into relationship with Jesus? The plan was always to make a way for this type of intimacy and integrity - we just need to step into the plan and then be willing to share it with others. Just sayin!