Day 8 - 40 Days in the Word

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 people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  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. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  – 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines reconcile as “to restore to friendship or harmony.”  In the above passage, Paul tells us how God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, yet He reaches out to us, offers us reconciliation and doesn’t count these sins against us.  However, the only way to receive this reconciliation is by believing and receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior.  God is holy, sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  It is His prerogative to do as He pleases and that could include offering the punishment that we all deserve; however, in His grace and mercy, He offers us reconciliation through the gift of His Son, Jesus.  How is it that anyone could refuse this gift?

Prayer:  We thank You, Lord, for Your love for us and Your desire to be reconciled with us - Your creation who has stumbled and sinned before you.  We thank You that You understand our condition and have offered us a way out.  We ask that You would help us to be the ambassadors of goodwill that You want us to be for your Kingdom – offering the Good News of Jesus Christ to all we can so that they too will know of your love and mercy towards them.  We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.