No 11

(Its “raison d’être”)

Believers, in their role as members of the Body of Christ, have a task to perform vis à vis the unsaved of the world. Jesus Christ gave the commandment in Matthew 28 : 19, 20 that we all know so well : “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen”. In commanding us to go and teach the world, Jesus’ intention was to bring mankind back into the relationship that God had originally made with him; this is the ministry that Jesus gave to all believers. I am referring to the ministry of reconciliation. The dictionary defines the word reconciliation as : “to make friends again or bringing together again in friendship”. It’s as if we are to re-establish the communion that God had with man (Adam & Eve) that was so horribly severed by sin. The Bible text on reconciliation is so clear that it requires no explanation. This text is in 2 Corinthians 5 : 18 to 21 - “ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. May this text be our raison d’être.