It is possible, sadly, to be in Christ yet still perceive God as our judge who stands ready to condemn us every time we step out of line. If that is our perception of God, then that is how we will represent Him to others. If our representation of the walk of faith is more about morality, then our perception of God is probably not of the one who has done all the work necessary to reconcile us to Himself. People cannot just “get in line” with our Christian ideas of morality. God is the one that must reconcile them, and only if they have been credited with the righteousness of Christ. If our religion is one of criticism and judgment, then we hold the false idea that the “bad” must become “good.” God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation” (Romans 5:11), not a ministry of moral demands and judgment. The wrath of God is necessary, but He has saved us from that wrath. He has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to those already reconciled. Paul made this abundantly clear:
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
That is a powerful purpose for our interaction with people in our world – friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. We who are reconciled serve as agents of reconciliation. Many are fighting a lonely battle against God. Let us be the ones who communicate that God has opened the gates of reconciliation and peace.
You may be familiar with the story of Nate Saint, who was one of five missionaries to Ecuador in the 1950s. The five men were murdered by the Waodani people—a primitive, indigenous tribe—while they were trying to make contact with them. In a testament to forgiveness, the families of the slain missionaries later returned to the tribe, eventually winning many of them to Christ. Nate Saint’s son Steve was asked if there was a specific moment of reconciliation between the families of the deceased missionaries and the Waodani tribe. This is how he answered:
It was a developing thing, but I think the point of reconciliation really was with Mincaye, (the man who killed his father) and my Aunt Rachel. Mincaye said to Aunt Rachel (Nate's sister), “You said that the Creator is very strong.”
Aunt Rachel said, “Mincaye, He is very strong. He made everything here, even the dirt.”
Mincaye said, “You said that He could clean somebody's heart. My heart being very, very dark, can He clean even my heart?”
And Aunt Rachel said, “Being very strong, He can clean even your heart.”
In her journal she wrote that Mincaye got up and walked away but that the next morning he came back excited. He said, “What you said is true. Speaking to God has cleaned my heart. Now it's clear like the sky when it has no clouds in it”.
That was the real beginning of reconciliation.
This is a beautiful example of God's reconciliation. When we understand that God is a reconciling God, we can see the powerful possibilities that exist for healing in human relationships. When we are reconciled to God, in relationship with Him, our mission is to bring people to reconciliation with God. It is not about making “bad” people “good.” It is, rather, about introducing people to the God who reconciles, bringing them from death to life.
This article is taken from 7 WORDS that can CHANGEYOUR LIFE, pp.87-90
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