2 Cor 5:18-21 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.
“All this is from God…” These words usher us into the breathtaking reality that salvation is not born of human effort, wisdom, or willpower — it is entirely the work of God. From beginning to end, it is His plan, His initiative, His unrelenting grace. Through Yeshua (Jesus), God stepped into our brokenness and reconciled us to Himself, repairing the relationship that sin had shattered. Reconciliation is not merely a theological concept — it is the restoration of intimacy with the Father. We did not ascend to Him in holiness; He descended to us in mercy. The Creator did not wait for us to find our way back. No, He came down through Yeshua, arms stretched wide in love, calling us home.
“…and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” These words shift the focus from what God has done for us to what He now desires to do through us. Reconciliation is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of a new calling. Those whom the love of God has restored are now commissioned to carry that same love to others. We are not passive recipients of grace; we are active participants in God’s redemptive mission. The healing we’ve received becomes the message we proclaim. Every believer, regardless of title or platform, is entrusted with this ministry—to be a bridge, a voice of hope, a vessel of truth and mercy to a world aching for peace. Reconciled people become reconcilers — it is both our identity and our sacred responsibility.
“…God was reconciling the world to Himself in Messiah, not counting their trespasses against them…” What staggering mercy this is—that the holy and righteous God, who has every right to judge, instead chooses to forgive. Through Yeshua, our debt has not just been reduced—it has been completely erased. The weight of guilt, the record of wrongs, the shame of our past—wiped clean by the blood of the Lamb. This is not a theory; it’s a liberating reality. And now, we carry this message like fire in our bones: your sins are no longer counted against you. This is the heartbeat of the gospel—a glorious invitation to come home to a God who has already made the way.
“… We are ambassadors for Messiah.” You are not just a believer—you are an ambassador. An official representative of the King of Kings. God makes His appeal through us. When we speak the message of reconciliation, it is as if Messiah Himself is calling out through our voice: “Be reconciled to God!” Let this truth humble and embolden you. You are not alone in your witness—God speaks through your life.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…” This is the heart of the gospel. Yeshua, utterly without sin, took on the entire weight and curse of our sin, not a fraction, but all of it. In exchange, we are given not merely forgiveness, but the righteousness of God Himself. This is not something we strive to earn—it is a new identity, received by faith. In Messiah, we are declared righteous.
So now, as one whose blood Yeshua has reconciled, rise and take up your calling. The world is desperate for peace, for truth, for the hope that only comes through the Messiah. You are His voice, His hands, His ambassador. Don’t remain silent—plead with the lost, shine with His righteousness, and carry the message of reconciliation everywhere you go. Be bold. Be faithful. Be His Ambassador of Reconciliation!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Is that a trend or something? I don’t know what it is but I’ve heard that phrase said quite a bit. We were even walking down the Wal-Mart isle to pick up a few things and my wife showed me a T-shirt with “I have issues” written across the front! I guess the world is coming to the sad reality that we really do have some issues.
It never ceases to amaze me, the way the devil uses our offenses and our “offendedness” to divide and conquer marriages, relationships, churches — even entire nations!
There’s an old adage, “Have the heart of a lion!” Hearing it, we think, “courage”. This recalls a quote I once heard; “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened”. I doubt there’s a single hero story in which the fearless leader fails to inspire the righteous determination of his army or people. The voice of the captain resounds through the ranks evoking the fierce cry of every warrior ready to face death or worse, for the cause. Courage truly is contagious.
The Hebrew word for “face” is “panim”, (the Hebrew letters, peh-nun-yud-mem), literally “faces”, a plural word. Normally, when we think about God, we focus only upon one of His “faces” at a time. God is “love” – or He is “holy”– or He is “just”— or He’s a God of “wrath”. Yet, of course, ALL these “faces” are His at once; and so the word “panim” accurately reflects the truth of God’s multifaceted being. As we get to know Him better we begin to appreciate the complexity of His nature and the fact that our focus on one “face” is a very limited view, since there’s so much more going on in His amazing “Personality”.
Patience is one of those things… so hard to learn it… so hard to practice it faithfully in our daily walk. It’s one of of those things I truly wish we didn’t have to learn — but God requires it of us! As I was reading through this passage again in Exodus, it dawned on me that Moses sat on the mountain for six entire days before the Lord spoke to him. He had to patiently wait for the Lord for six days!
The book of Isaiah, often called the Old Testament Gospel, reveals that a child was to be born and his name called “The Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father”. We know that this Child was Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, that He is the unique Son of God, the express image of the invisible God. The throne of David was to be given to Him and He now holds its “key”, a symbol of the right and authority of His reign, which will be consummated when He returns to this world and restores the Kingdom to Israel [Acts 1:6-7].
When I studied Isaiah 53 earnestly in the ancient Hebrew, I was taken back by the Hebrew word for “afflicted” (me-u-neh). In modern Hebrew this word means “tortured”. When I was young, and first learned what torture actually involved, my soul was shocked that this could happen to people; in fact that it was happening to people. That a person could be kept alive for the purpose of intentionally causing him intense agonizing pain was an astounding enigma for my young soul. It really frightened me; and I think that fear of torture is probably the greatest fear that humans can experience. We read about people who have been tortured, with a kind of horrified awe. And quietly we wonder inside, “How can this be?” And, “Could this ever happen to me?”