Restoration Series: We Are Christ’s Representatives | March 4, 2023

 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ESV

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I love how the Message translation says it in verses 17-21:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.  How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

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Because we are back in right relationship with God through Christ, He now invites us to be his ambassadors, His representatives, to go out and tell others about this awesome invitation to be friends with the God of the universe and live in harmony with Him and with each other. What an incredible opportunity to be partners with God to restore the world back to its original state.

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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How can you partner with God in His restoration plan? Pray and ask God for opportunities.