“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
The ministry God gave us is “the ministry of reconciliation.”
Those who have been reconciled to God through Christ have been transformed for the purpose of joining God’s work of reconciliation. To be a new creation in Christ is to be on Team 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. 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 5:19-21
The world is in conflict with God. All of us started out that way — as God’s enemies (Rom. 5:10). But in that condition Christ died for us so we could be justified (declared righteous) and brought into a condition of peace with God.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
As those who have been brought into peace with God we now have the great privilege of serving as peace-makers, leading others into the peace we have experienced.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9
The blessing for those who serve as peacemakers is the reputation of being so like God as to be called His sons or daughters. “You are just like your Daddy!” “She has her mother’s eyes!” “The apple doesn’t fall far…”
In ancient times work was almost always passed from father to son. If your father was a carpenter, you almost certainly became a carpenter. If Dad was a farmer, you learned the family business and one day took it over. To be called “sons of God,” is to be known as those who are actively working in the family business of God. And that business is reconciliation!
Reconciliation has both a vertical and horizontal component. First, we lovingly lead people to vertical reconciliation with the holy God of heaven with whom they are currently at war.
“Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who needs to lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the right one—that is the only way out of our ‘hole.’ This process of surrender is what Christians call ‘repentance.’” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking people are basically good and just need a little education, a little improvement and then they’ll be fine. But that is not the Biblical description. Listen to how seriously Jesus talked about sin and “saltiness.”
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Mark 9:44-50
That is not a rabbi who thinks sin is no big deal and that people are basically fine.
Did you catch his last line? “And be at peace with one another.” That phrase is parallel with “Have salt in yourselves,” which means it is a restatement or clarification of that idea. To “be salt” is to be a peacemaker: which is horizontal reconciliation. As those who love and serve the God of all holiness and peace, our natural and inevitable ministry is to lead people into the holiness and peace of the God we serve.
Are you a peacemaker? If you are a child of God you are increasingly becoming like your Father and big brother, who are peacemakers. And you get to be a part of the family business!