Accompanying and Accentuating Reconciliation

Paul’s message of reconciliation in 2 Cor. 5:18-21 contains at least three other elements that accompany reconciliation. These are elements of God's peace process with us that was started in the Gospel.

1. Adoption  [“reconciled the world to himself”] In adoption, God claims us!  He sought us for himself and brought us to himself through the death of his son, Jesus. And when he did, he made all who believe his children (John 1:12). That’s adoption! Also, keep in mind that reconciliation is a relational word, so think "family." Think "friend." The heartbeat of adoption is that we are no longer under a judge's wrath, but instead a Father's care. Check out Gal 4:4-7 for further insight about adoption.

Of course, you may be wondering how we can be "born again" while at the same time be "adopted." Good question! The answer? That’ll be in the next post!

Additionally, here are some Web sites for those who want to model spiritual adoption by physically adopting: http://www.therainingseason.org/, http://www.hopechest.org/, http://www.showhope.org/, http://www.togetherforadoption.org/, http://empoweredtoconnect.org/, and http://www.4kidsofsfl.org/.

2. Forgiveness – [“not counting their trespasses against them”] In forgiveness, God pardons us! He puts our sins behind him and, because of the cross, considers us justified. We say with the Psalmist, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The Stiles paraphrase reads like this – it feels good to be forgiven! See Col. 2:13-15 for more forgiveness principles.

3. Ambassadorship – [“entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”] In ambassadorship, God sends us (and speaks through us)! We are his representatives in a hostile territory. So we pray, like Paul, that “words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20).

Did you know these three spiritual elements that accompany reconciliation also have corresponding physical actions that accentuate reconciliation? In other words, there are some things we can extend that indicate we have experienced reconciliation. Consider this: We extend adoption by rescuing children, we extend forgiveness by resolving conflict, and we extend ambassadorship by representing Christ. Indeed, living as someone adopted, forgiven, and sent by God is enough to enable us to love loudly and live boldly as a reconciled child of the Almighty.

A Picture of Reconciliation

Reconciliation is illustrated well by the story of Ruth Youngsman, who, at a Prison Fellowship banquet in Seattle, said these words: "The man I ate dinner with tonight killed my brother."

The words, spoken by the stylish west-coast woman, were how she introduced her incredible tale of reconciliation. She told how John H. had murdered her brother during a robbery, served 18 years at Walla Walla, then settled into life on a dairy farm, where, unbelievably and ironically, she met him in 1983, 20 years after his crime. Compelled by Christ’s command to forgive, Ruth Youngsman went to her enemy and pronounced forgiveness. Then she took him to her father’s deathbed, prompting reconciliation with the dad as well.

At that PF banquet, his voice cracked as he said, "Christians are the only people I know that you can kill their son, and they’ll make you a part of their family. I don’t know the Man Upstairs yet, but He sure is hounding me."

Ah, the message of reconciliation and the ministry of reconciliation.

Source: Albert Quie, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, as taken from the publication Jubilee (p. 5)

How the Gospel Works Through Us

For a few posts I have been addressing this question: "What does this Gospel do in us and for us?" But I'd like to ask another now, specifically, "How does the Gospel work through us?" Quite frankly, these are questions we ask simultaneously throughout our spiritual journey; but for the sake of this discussion, let's investigate the latter one individually.


I'll get right to the point. One word describes how the Gospel works through us: Reconciliation! And the best passage that describes it is in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

As a doctrine, reconciliation is the act of God in which he, through Christ, removes the enmity that is between us and himself, brought about by our sin, and instead brings us back into fellowship with himself and establishes peace between us.

As an event, reconciliation happened on the cross, and it happens in our life when we believe in the Gospel.

As a word, it is not a legal term (like justification), but rather a relational one. We go from enemies to family; from strangers to friends.

Further insight into reconciliation is found in the previously menioned pasage; truly these verses explode with depth by showing us that . . .

. . . God initiates reconciliation solely,

. . . Christ provides reconciliation sacrificially,

. . . God shares reconciliation expectantly,

. . . all because man needs reconciliation desperately.

There are at least three specific aspects to reconciliation that I'll discuss in a future post, but it is important first to understand something fundamental about reconciliation from these words of God through the Apostle Paul: The Gospel assumes and assures we will extend what we have experienced; that we will reach out with what we have received.

Truly, the Gospel message knows nothing of a pond-like experience where it trickles in and stagnates. Instead, the Gospel always runs along like a flowing river, coming in and surely going out. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4, "The water that I will give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (v. 14).

Let us first cement this fact: The question should never be, "Does the Gospel work through us?" but only, "When and how?" Indeed, it's a raging river that cannot be dammed once it enters your life. Hallelujah!