|
Dear Christian Believer,
God bless your believing hearts, in the wonderful name
of Jesus Christ.
This week while reading the Word of God, I saw once again
the importance of our declaration of God's Word to
others so that they may be reconciled unto God.
II Corinthians 5:17-19 [ New International Bible]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!
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."
Reconciliation means ..."to bring back
together that which has been separated." Many
times in man dealing with man, divisions and schisms arise and
the result is quarrel and separation. Reconciliation
would be bringing the two parties together and when they
are honest, they find out that both were wrong to some
degree, they make the necessary concessions and become
reconciled together again. When it comes to man and God;
there is no need for both to parties to come together,
because God never went anywhere. Man walked away from
Him, so it's only a matter of man coming to God via accepting
the complete works of Jesus Christ. The same is true when
it comes to "broken fellowship with God "[sins
committed after your redemption and reconciliation to
God] In this case it's a simple matter of confessing your
sin to God and asking Him for forgiveness.
I John l:9 says:
"If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
God has done His part, Jesus Christ has completed his
earthly part; now it is our responsibility to carry out
that
which has been given and committed to us according to
II Corinthians 5:17-19.
We are to "declare "that which we see, hear,
and know. In the New Testament there are 14 different
Greek words translated "declare, declared or declaring;"
some of their definitions are ..." to bear a message;
to proclaim; to notify or announce; to publish; to lead
out or conduct through to the end; to relate in full;
to make known; to make visible or clear; to explain or
point out." Not one of these definitions tells
us that we are to stop declaring, or that you've done
your share so now you should stop declaring God's Word
of reconciliation.
In Acts 17 Paul declared to the people, "the
unknown God." People, God is still unknown
to many and that is to our shame. Let us go, stand, live,
and speak [declare J God's Word of life so others might
be reconciled back to God, that they might become the
new creation in Christ.
Loving you In Christ,.
John Shroyer
|
