Topic: You Are a Minister of Reconciliation  [Church of God Mission International] Above Only Daily Devotional 22 May 2021

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Saturday May 22, 2021

You Are a Minister of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (TPT)
And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. …through the Anointed One…God was shepherding the world, not …keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of …reconciliation… We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.”

Nothing brings joy to God’s heart like the restoration and reconciliation of people back to Him. Like the father of the prodigal son, God is eagerly watching and waiting for the return of all men to reflect His love to the world.

One way that we reflect God’s love and restore people to God is by the preaching of the gospel and the manifestation of the power of God in their lives. God’s command to us is to ‘go’ into the world and preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15). As people hear and believe the good news of God’s love and all that God has done for them in Christ, they will experience God’s power and salvation in their lives (Rom.1:16). They will become members of God’s family. God is no longer counting their sins against them because Jesus has died and paid for them and taken all their sins away. God wants to save them from their sins and give them His new life.

We must also reflect God’s love to others by being deliberate about forgiving them and restoring them when they fall or do something wrong. Condemning or gossiping about fellow belivers when they do wrong dose not show that we are spiritual or mature. We do so by restoring them in love and bearing their burdens (Gal.6:1-2), not by taking revenge on people that hurt us. Reconciliation and restoring them to the right path is God’s will (Rom.12:19-21). God wants us to love and forgive others as He has loved and forgiven us. Jesus modeled this behavior for us. Instead of condemning Peter after Peter’s denial of Him, Jesus prayed for Peter’s restoration (Luke 22:31-32).

Prayer:
Ask God to use you to preach the gospel and manifest His power to others. Ask God to help you, love, forgive, pray for and restore others.

Bible in One Year Reading Plan
2 Samuel 1:1-2:11, John 12:20:50, Psalm 118:19-29, Proverbs 15:27-28