Title Don't Blame them
Content Who is the happy person? A person who knows how to value reconciliation, peace and peace. Rich or poor doesn't really matter. A harmonious person, a peaceful person, is a truly happy person. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Today's text says, "He has given us the ministry of reconciliation" (verse 18).
The word ‘office’ in Greek is ‘daakonia’, and in English it means ministry. I mean service. In order to be reconciled, we have to serve. Who is the minister for reconciliation? And what does that mean? How can I achieve peace? The answer to this is in today's text.
First, those who can make peace are “the saved” (verses 15-16).
That Jesus died on the cross for us is like everyone else's death. Because by his death we have been saved (eternal life). The Word came to this earth in a human body (incarnation) and became a sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, by accepting Jesus, our old self dies and we become a new person through Christ, and now only those whose lives have become the goal of Christ, those who are saved, can achieve peace. Only such people can be reconciled. True peace comes not from man, but from heaven. It is the happiness that God gives (Philippians 4:7).
Next, peace must be reconciled to God in Christ (verse 19).
In any case, if you ask about the past, you will never be at peace. All lost and only new creations? It's not my intention, it's not my merit, it's not my ethics, it's not my morals. Only in the grace of Christ can the new creation person become one. He is only future-oriented and thinks of himself only at the center of God's grace. The person who persecuted the church and those who believed in Jesus like the Apostle Paul met Jesus and testified of Christ. It is not self-righteous at all. It's not even self-philosophy. Only those who have been transformed into Christ and are born again can be reconciled to God, and those who are reconciled to God can be reconciled to their neighbors.
Next, a person who does not blame his faults on them.
This is the heart of a true reconciler. Hallelujah!!