The Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

“Pastor, is there a place I can get involved with in the church?” This is the common question I am asked by members of my church. I am thrilled with their desire to want to be involved. However, the Scriptures make it clear there is a ministry with which every believer is to be involved. That ministry we are to be involved with is the ministry of reconciliation.

This ministry of reconciliation just may be the greatest ministry anyone can be involved in. Reconciliation means that a relationship has been broken. Often, when a relationship has been broken, the one who did the wrong often does not feel that the one they hurt will never want them back, and they often feel they don't deserve to be reconciled. This is why it is critical for every believer to be involved in this ministry of reconciliation. Let me share what this ministry of reconciliation means.

First, it means that I must be reconciled to God. Being reconciled to God means two things. First, I must be saved to be reconciled to God. Second, I must be right with God to be reconciled to Him. You cannot reconcile people to God if you are not reconciled. The first person you must work on being reconciled to God is yourself. If you are not saved, you must accept Christ as your Saviour. If you are saved and are living a life contrary to God’s Word, you must reconcile your life to God’s Word. When you are reconciled to God, you will then be able to be involved in this ministry of reconciliation.

Second, it means I must reconcile the lost to Christ. You could spend your life reconciling the lost to Christ and never reach all who need to be saved. The ministry of reconciliation is a ministry of reaching the lost; a ministry any believer can and should do. With the billions of people in this world, we will never be able to reconcile all the lost to Christ. We have a great task ahead, and that is why all believers MUST be involved in the ministry of reconciliation.

Third, it means I must teach people to be reconciled to Christ. Once a person gets saved, they must now learn how Christ wants them to live and serve so their life is reconciled to His Word. This is where the Sunday school comes in. Sunday school helps us to teach believers how to live their lives according to God’s Word. The Sunday school is a ministry of reconciliation; it teaches every believer how their life should be lived so they can live a life that is in agreement with God’s Word. You ought to do everything in your power to become a Sunday school teacher. There is nothing more enjoyable than to teach God’s Word to believers so their lives are reconciled to how God’s Word teaches the believer to live.

Fourth, it means I must restore people to be reconciled to Christ. There is a plethora of believers who have fallen in sin and do not believe they can ever serve God again. My friend, I believe every person has a place to serve God in the ministry if they will be reconciled or restored to God. We must never acquire the mindset that someone has gone too far to be reconciled to Christ. The power of Christ can save the most wicked person, and it can restore the believer who has fallen into the deepest sin. You must hold strongly to this belief if you are to fulfill this ministry of reconciliation successfully.