Examine Yourselves to See if You are in the Faith Reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5

Examine Yourselves to See if You are in the Faith

Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5

Paul says Reconciliation it is not only his reason for ministry, but ours as well

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As “Ambassadors” of God we should make it our goal to tell people of God’s great love

 And His desire to be reconciled to Him

God’s work is to forgive them, if they will confess their sin

And open their heart to the Spirit of God which will make their life new

There is only one goal Paul had

There is only one goal we should have

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The one goal is The Ministry of Reconciliation

Who will you see today that needs to be reconciled to God?

Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5

Reconciliation, the Prodigal Son, Hallmark Movies,

everyone loves a good reconciliation story.

Reconciliation has two key and emotional parts.

 The painful separation and the joyful reunion.

There has to be a wrong and forgiveness.

Some of the best reconciliation stories are those

where the reconciliation happens at the death bed.

Just in a nick of time.

Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 reminds

us that our bodies are like a tent.

Tents are temporary housing.

 They don’t last and cannot withstand storms.

So whether our bodies wear out at an old age or

we are destroyed earlier in a catastrophe…

 This life is temporary.

 Paul reminds us that God’s plan for us goes

beyond the life in these tents made of flesh.

It is God’s Spirit within us that

guarantees us an eternal dwelling.

Paul says…

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as

we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

We are separated from God.

The hope of life after this tent wears out

should be good news to everyone.

It should also cause us to

“make it our goal to please him”.

There is a problem…

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,

that each one may receive what is due him for the things done

while in the body, whether good or bad.

You and I and those we love and care about

cannot have the eternal dwelling with God

without “Reconciliation”.

Paul point out that this is his motivation for ministry.

Since, then, we know what it is to

fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.

  

Paul is not writing to the Corinthians to win

approval and personal creditability, as much as

this is important, Paul has a greater objective.

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, 

and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer 

live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Christ love compels us

We should no longer live to ourselves.

Jesus died for everyone's sins that

we might be reconciled to God.

Paul said we do not look at

people from the outward actions.

We do not look at the labels we get

for the things we do or have done.

We look at the heart.

What is in the heart.

2 Corinthians 5:5

Our view point is when the Spirit

of God enters a person’s heart.

if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!

Reconciliation comes when we open

our heart to God and let His Spirit in.

Paul says Reconciliation is not only his

reason for ministry, but ours as well.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,

as though God were making his appeal through us.

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As “Ambassadors” of God, we should

make it our goal to tell people of God’s great

love and His desire to be reconciled to Him.

God’s work is to forgive them if they will

confess their sin and open their heart to the

Spirit of God which will make their life new.

There is only one goal Paul had.

There is only one goal we should have.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself

through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

not counting men's sins against them.

 And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The one goal…

The Ministry of Reconciliation.

Who will you see today that

needs to be reconciled to God?

Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 5 NIV

5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.