The Ministry of Reconciliation
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
All the animal sacrifices prescribed under the Old Covenant in passages such as Leviticus 3:1-17 are no longer needed under the New Covenant. Christ, who died once for all, has become our sin offering (see Hebrews 10:10). We fulfill the burnt offering when we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (see Romans 12:1). The fellowship offering—which was given in voluntary gratitude for past blessings, answered prayer or a bountiful harvest—now pictures the fellowship we have with God on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross. It has traditionally been called the “peace offering” because the root Hebrew word, shalom, means “peace.”
We worship with thanksgiving and praise because we have been reconciled to God who has made us new creations in Christ. As members of the Body of Christ, we have been reconciled to God. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 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. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Christians are ambassadors of Christ and ministers of reconciliation. We are witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, because we are new creations in Christ and have His resurrected life within us. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we say to all who will listen, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (verse 20). Like God, we don’t count their sins against them, because what they do is just symptomatic of the real problem: their separation from God.
The message of reconciliation always begins with God, but it encompasses the relationships we have with others. It begins with God because any attempt to unite members of the fallen human race on any basis other than Christ has always failed. When we are reconciled to God, we become brothers and sisters in Christ, and that is the basis for our unity. The Body of Christ will remain fragmented as long as we associate purely on the basis of human reason, race and religion.
The basis for Christian unity is our common heritage in Christ. That is why Paul exhorts us, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all” (Ephesians 4:2-6).
The possibility of being reconciled to God and others originates with Him, not humanity. We must personally choose to be reconciled to God by faith, but it is universally inclusive. We must voluntarily receive reconciliation as a gift and voluntarily share it as a ministry. The message has been entrusted to humankind to be delivered to all, but it is owned and accredited by God. It achieves what otherwise is impossible and is gratefully experienced by all those who have received it. It is the greatest gift that one can receive; yet it is meant to be given away.
A few questions to ponder:
How are the three offerings mentioned in Leviticus 3:1-17 fulfilled under the New Covenant?
Why must reconciliation begin with God before we can be reconciled to others?
What is the basis for Christian unity? What hinders that unity from being realized in churches and denominations?
How have you been personally reconciled to God?
On what basis can you now be reconciled to others?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.