Verse of the Day 11/11

Verse of the Day 11/11

2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.   English Standard Version (ESV)

The passage in 2 Corinthians 5 in The Message (below) starts out by saying that we, as Christians, "don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look".  We are to look at them as God does, to look beyond the outside to what is within.  In today's society, in this "post election", many people are evaluating others by not only how they look and what they have but also by how they vote.  We are not to be caught up in this.  Today's verse reminds us that we are Christ's ambassadors.

An ambassador is someone who is sent to another country to represent them.  They are to convey a message.  It is not their own opinion but it is the message of the one that they serve.  Oftentimes it call on them to reason with and even implore or beg them to come together, to restore or build up a relationship between the two countries.

As Christians, we are of Christ's kingdom and  we bring are to bring His message to a world in need of Him.  Some time ago I read the following quote from an unknown source and posted it in my Bible with today's verse, "We are not sent to preach sociology but salvation; not economics but evangelism; not reform but redemption; not culture but conversion; not progress but pardon; not a new social order but a new birth; not revolution but regeneration; not renovation but revival; not resuscitation but resurrection; not a new organization but a new creation; not democracy but the gospel; not civilization but Christ; we are ambassadors, not diplomats."

That message is that what the world needs is to be reconciled to God, to be put into or back into a right relationship.  We've a story to tell, about truth and life, love and light.

We've a story to tell to the nations, 
that shall turn their hearts to the right, 
a story of truth and mercy, 
a story of peace and light, 
a story of peace and light. 
Refrain: 
For the darkness shall turn to dawning, 
and the dawning to noonday bright; 
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth, 
the kingdom of love and light.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

2 Corinthians 5:20The Message (MSG)

^16-20 Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.