The three R's

2 Corinthians 5:18
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

“It’s a new ministry opportunity!” Haven’t you heard this somewhere along the way? This statement and many others like it are thrown about in churches and meetings all over this world every day. There are all sorts of ideas being tossed out there for “new ministries”. Whether it’s a ministry for reaching crappy fathers or one for fixing drug addicts, these ministries are usually sub-categories of another ministry. That ministry is the Ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7), that is, the rules and laws established by God and written on rocks.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with having the desire to help others become good fathers, mothers, children, friends, non-addicts, and the list goes on, but cramming rules that lead to death down their throats isn’t the way to do it. In fact, this method isn’t even God’s design.

How can I say such a thing? Because the Bible clearly tells us in Galatians 3:24 that the the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ. Past tense here, folks! After that, the Law itself has no purpose. In fact, those of us in Christ, according to Galatians 2:19-21, are dead to the law. This means it has no more authority over us to condemn or to bring about the sting of death (2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 15:16).

Ministries based around principle-living and rule-following doctrine in order to better live your life are nothing more than sub-categories of the Ten Commandments. They all stem from the big 10 and leave the follower doing the work to become a good person or Christian. This type of ministry is not based on faith in Christ and His work, but on faith in our works. This doesn’t lead to a grace-filled life. Instead it brings us down the road of condemnation and reopens doors shut by the cross for the Devil to sneak back in!

The new ministry that we have, the one that we need to proclaim, the one that surpasses any 3, 6, 9, or 12 step program on the market, is the ministry of reconciliation! What is it? It’s simple, folks: it’s the Gospel. Christ came, lived, and died to make everything right between you and God. He rose again and prepared a place for you in Heaven. He loves you and desires to bless, protect, and prosper you.

The ministry of reconciliation allows the sinner (that’s you and me) to know, without hesitation, that God loves us. He doesn’t love us because we’re perfectly living out His rules; He loves us because Jesus perfectly lived out His rules on our behalf. He loves us because Jesus has imparted grace and favor in our lives and has taken upon Himself the burdens of our sin, debt, sickness, and guilt!

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us we are new creations in Christ and 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us our sins are no longer counted against us! We are recreated, reconciled, and righteous. This is the ministry that God wants us to be proclaiming. This is where the change happens. It doesn’t come through the step program or the seminar on parenting a strong willed child. Instead, it comes from the simple realization that we are reconciled to God through Christ Jesus.

That’s it!!