ICS Daily Devotions
Entrusted with the Ministry and the Message
Cor 5:18-21 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 people’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.
God loves us so much that He took the action and the initiative to reconcile us to Himself after the Fall. He sent the Messiah to carry out the reconciliation, and Jesus took it upon Himself as the covenant partner to deal with the sin issue that separated mankind from God. God intentionally made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us on the cross. He placed the sin of mankind on Jesus so that His wrath towards sin is satisfied through the shedding of Jesus’ blood. Therefore, God no longer counts their sin against them because Jesus has dealt with it once and for all. In turn, we have become the righteousness of God through our belief in Jesus Christ.
Every believer of Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the message and the ministry of reconciliation, and the love of God compels us to bring the good news to those who have yet to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. This is the very purpose for our life on earth!
Not all of us are called to be in full-time ministry. While our secular job is a means for us to support our family, its main purpose is for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ where He has placed us. When we finally understand our purpose and our identity in Christ, we wouldn’t take it too hard when we lose our position in the corporate world. We are entrusted with the message and the ministry of reconciliation, and it is our responsibility to share the Gospel with our colleagues, neighbours and loved ones. This is what it means to live for God and not for ourselves.
Cor 5:15. 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.
Sermon Series: We Are an Ambassador for Christ
