A Picture of Reconciliation
We are called to be a picture of reconciliation, not perfection.
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (ESV)
Jesus came to free us and redeem us. When He died on the cross, He took all our sins with Him. He has broken every chain and removed all remnants of bondage in our lives. He has taken all our shame, suffering, and sin, and in its place He brought us hope and freedom.
We were redeemed that day on the cross. Now, because of what Jesus has done, we have been called the righteousness of God. God doesn’t want us to focus on our sin or to spend each day of our lives hiding in shame. He invites us to live a new life. He sacrificed His son for all of us so that we could live in freedom.
God fulfilled His own standard so that we could spend our days as living testimonies. We don’t have to be pictures of perfection. But we are pictures of reconciliation! We have been restored, redeemed, and everything in between.
Prayer
Father God, help us to be pictures of reconciliation. We are no longer slaves to circumstance or sin. We are called to be so much more than the world says we are. We are called to become the righteousness of God. So we thank you, Lord, for what you did on the cross and for restoring us as Children of God, taking back what once was lost.
