A New Creation: Be Reconciled to God
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ's representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to: Be reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:17,20)
Happy New Year! Yes, it it may be for you a calendar year, an academic year, or your birthday – God bless you in this new season.
We love to retell the story of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In the story of the Incarnation, we also remember his circumcision: On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived (Luke 2:21). He was thus initiated into his own culture. However, this was far from a mere outward ritual. As early as the days of Moses and throughout Israel’s history to the latter prophets, the circumcision of the heart was called for: Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts… or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done… (Deut 30:6, Jer 4:4). But why did Jesus come into the world?
I have chosen 2Cor 5:16-6:2 as our key text for reflection for this season, and therein is one answer to the question above. Jesus came into the world to reconcile people to God. Three kinds of people are addressed in this passage, and I direct todays message to each of them. First are Christ’s Ambassadors – among them is Paul and his companions; they are on mission and proclaiming to others: ‘Be Reconciled to God’. To you dear ambassadors, I send this message: Be reconciled to God, and continue faithfully in the mission work. ‘However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ (Luke 10:20). There is greater cause to rejoice than that thriving mission work.
Secondly, the grateful recipients of the gospel: they have recognized the time of salvation and received the Lord our Saviour, but have not yet enrolled as ambassadors. To you, I have this message: Be reconciled to God, and join the rank of Christ’s ambassadors. Remember our Mission as Kakumba Chapel: To rouse and send God’s people in the University and adjacent community as disciples of Jesus Christ and ambassadors of the King of God, through sharing the holistic gospel. It is important to go beyond your own salvation; join God who is on mission and participate in saving others.
And finally, there are some scornful recipients: they hear but do not listen, or they receive the grace of God in vain, doing nothing about it, continuing in the old worldly nature, seeing no future glory, sometimes seeking to kill Jesus; to you my message is one: Be reconciled to God. Remember, as our Saviour has come to us, “now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation” (2Cor 6:2). True circumcision means cutting off sin from the heart and living as one reconciled to God. God bless you all.