2 Corinthians 5 is one of my favorite scriptures. It has personally brought me great comfort during times of loss and direction when confused in the desert. I used to worry that something was wrong with me after being born again, because I wanted to go to heaven and be with Jesus. I long for His return so much that many have considered me so Heavenly minded that I’m no earthly good. However, I was relieved when I first read this chapter to find out that not only did Paul desire to be in Heaven clothed in his Heavenly body, that it was normal for those of us born again to so desire the same. Oh and the bonus that it will last forever and not be tied to our soul, but rather our born again spirit!
Of course Paul also lets us know we will be rewarded for loving others while in our earthly bodies, heavily influenced by our flesh. Now this seems like a never ending war and without Christ would be a losing battle…Thank You Yeshua!
Now it seems we are finding ourselves, those of us born again, to be considered not right in the head these days or “out of our minds” as Paul himself was considered by many, including many of the leaders in the church. Now today “Universalism” has invaded the church and many are falling away from the sound doctrine Paul, Jesus and the twelve disciples preached and in so doing have put themselves in prison. Many are taking the misguided message that “God loves everyone and so therefore no one will go to hell.” and surrendering themselves to their fleshly desires, convinced they will go to Heaven. My own sister has embraced this message and has entered into a homosexual lifestyle after walking soundly with Christ, passionate for the lost and loving others nonstop for 15 years.
We who have been born again should feel compelled to share the good news of Jesus Christ dying for our sins and then raising from the dead. Paul goes on to tell us that God has given us, the born again, the “…ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NIV).
My favorite ministry to work for is Chuck Colson’s ministry Prison Fellowship. Talk about a group of believers who get this message and live it out. They go into prisons all over the world and share the message of reconciliation! In Texas they actually have a prison unit that is 100% Christian. PF via Innerchange teach these prisoners morning noon and night about Christ and baptizing them during the last two years of the incarceration. The photo above was shot during one of my assignments there and is part of a long term project I’m working on called Prison Freedom.
We are all Messengers of Reconciliation. Our joy and freedom blooms through this continual work. It is part of the DNA of the “New Creation”!
the Jesusfreak
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