Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

2 Corinthians 5:14-21New Living Translation (NLT)

14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[a] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[b] 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[c] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Reconciliation is the process of becoming peaceful again and to have harmony again.  My bible states the term is found throughout Paul's letters.  Paul's doctrine of reconciliation arises from his conviction that:

1. Christ died for all believers
2. in Christ; believers also die to sin and self
3. now all believers should live for Christ.

Can we be ambassadors?  Our perspective is different when God is within.  The way we live and the how we are are different.  Pastor Chris shared an example of getting upset when your lunch disappears at work.  Instead of getting upset, finding out why the individual is taking your lunch and what situation is the individual in?  When Christ is in your life, it allows you to see individuals as good or through a different lens.  You are an ambassador when Christ is in your life.  The benefits are out of this world.

The new life in Christ thus leads to a fresh evaluation of other people and of Christ.