Christians, we are sinners saved by the grace of God, reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  This is true of us vertically, how should our heart overflow this truth into our horizontal relationships with one another in love?

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 – “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 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.”

Because of the gospel – because we in our hearts have known God and His great love towards us, we should carry that heart to others.  In love we should desire others to be reconciled to God.  First we must preach the gospel to our own hearts – our first task of each day is to do this, and seek to get our hearts happy in God.  To unbelievers, we demonstrate forgiveness, patience, and love, and are bold to declare the gospel.  To our brothers and sisters in Christ, we forgive, show patience, and love, giving reminders of the gospel truths, and who we are in Christ.  I love, we remind our brothers and sisters that our sin has been crucified, that we are not to live to our flesh, but to run to where true joy can be found, in Christ’s righteousness, submitting ourselves to God who loves us more that we can ever know.  In all these things, we are constrained by the love of God towards us, to love others towards Jesus, maintaining a spirit of reconciliation.  His grace is greater than anything the world would offer.

Grace and Peace,

Adam