Reconciled for a Purpose
Have you ever attempted to balance a difficult equation?
There’s a lot more to it than simply getting the right answer. You need to understand the step-by-step process if you want to be able to apply it and find new solutions in the future. In fact, most solutions in life involve a process, and the idea of reconciliation is no different.
It’s not enough to know that reconciliation is the answer to disunity and injustice, though. We have to seek to understand and actively engage in the process. Reconciliation is the hard-but-good, beautiful-yet-messy, worth-it kind of work.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are not only called to understand and engage in the process of reconciliation; you are thoroughly equipped to be a minister of reconciliation. Scripture affirms that every believer is a minister of reconciliation, empowered by God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
So how do we do that? Psalm 34:14 lays out a few steps for us:
“Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:14
Turn from evil and do good. Turning from evil means both rejecting evil outwardly and addressing it inwardly within our own hearts. We confess the sin that caused the fracture by acknowledging our role in conflicts with God and others, and we turn from our old ways and actively seek peace.
Seek peace and pursue it. Peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of restored harmony. Seeking peace means we aren’t just peace-keepers; we are peacemakers who actively pursue being a part of restoration. We listen empathetically and strive for understanding. We see and are attentive to the brokenness around us and ask where God might be calling us to be a part of reconciliation. And we put in the work because this kingdom work is worth it.
And because of the reconciliation work of Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, reconciliation is not a problem to be solved; it's a process that you’ve been invited to. Jesus Christ is reconciling the world to Himself. How will you join Him?
God So Loves You
If you’ve experienced any part of the Bible, you probably know that John 3:16 highlights a vital part of the gospel message…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV
Think about it:
“For God so loved the world …”
God didn’t merely like the world, but He loved the world. He loved you so much that He created you, made a way for you, and desired a forever relationship with you.
“… that he gave his one and only Son …”
Because of God’s immense love for the world, He gave—generously and sacrificially—His one and only Son … because it’s only through His death that we can have life.
“… that whoever believes in him …”
It’s not enough to know that Jesus existed as a real, historical person—James 2:19 reminds us that even the demons believe that and shudder. Believing in Jesus means we choose to trust Him as Savior and Master...