“All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:18
The Good News of Jesus Christ is so good nothing on earth could possibly compare. You are talking about a news that remains true for eternity and transcends too all life and all dimensions of being. The Good News remains true to us physically, spiritually, mentally, cosmically, socially, and so on.
We did not earn this news; no man or woman could ever muster up enough righteousness to overcome their sinful nature on their own. Nor could this have possibly been devised in some scheme to overthrow a corrupt government and religious society. No amount of good works or leadership ability could have ever brought about this reconciliation.
Which makes it truly Good News. Since it was not crafted by any man or woman, it cannot change or mean different things throughout time. No mere human is in the power position of the Good News to decide who it is for and who it is not. The Good News only discriminates between the Righteous and the Unrighteous, and only God can really determine who that is.
The New Life:
The Good News consist of the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus the Christ. He was the Messiah. The Son of the Father who took on human flesh to life 33 years as a human, assuming our nature to complete it and sanctify it. He was a carpenter’s son, a prophet and teacher who instructed and healed, corrected, and gave grace. He died a sinner death though not a sinner but took the punishment as an atoning lamb. Three days later that lamb arose as a lion, conqueror of death and defeater of sin, in a glorified body as a sign of what will come in our own resurrection. He now sits on the throne, ascended from Earth, to rule and prepare a place for all the righteous, those who believe the Good News.
The Good News leads to New Life. No longer are we sinners, but for those who believe in Christ are adopted into God’s family. Sin ostracized us from God, but Christ opened His arms on the cross for us.
The New Life carried implications for us now and today. Though we may still breath and appear like normal humans, unglorified and still short of Paradise, we can still live in eternal reconciliation.
The sad thing is, there are those among us, and even myself from time to time, where I have viewed my Salvation as a merit of who I am. We may cry “Lord, Jesus I believe you saved me.” Yet then live self-righteously as if salvation has no action steps to follow or calling upon our lives.
One does not live with New Life if their belief is rooted in pride or belief and righteousness. Yes, I am happy and proud to be a Christian but that does not give me different leverage or status in this life now. Christ modeled a different way for us.
The Task:
In terms of salvation, our only task is to believe.
What do we do with that belief?
Well, if we really believed that Jesus Christ saved us, that the Good News is true, than we would share that message with anyone and everyone because we have the opportunity to be considered righteous, then let us actually try to be righteous.
That is the task. Of every Christian, of every church, to reconcile people to God. Reconciliation is how we bring about more righteousness in the church.
The Early Church was a dynamic movement of men and women who have come to believe in the Good News and be graced by God to be purified of their sins and spread the Good News. They had their issues, but Paul was always ready to steer them into correction and holy living, which meant sharing the Gospel.
I also believe this is no just a matter of bringing our reconciliation between humanity and God, but in our pursuit of the New Life found in Christ, we become workers of reconciliation in every facet of reality. We of the only Good News that can really bring reconciliation to broken families, twisted systems of power, and stressful work environments. Holy living brings about a purifying of our cultures and lives, no judgement.
Final Blessing:
In a time were we really can’t trust human systems, we must turn to trust the message that has never changed, to the Messiah whose arms are wide open to us. We have a New Life to be living, and the Good News to share to others through our life. We can embody and bring about reconciliation by being peacemakers in the name of Christ. However, we must repent from our self-righteousness, our arrogance, and our pride. We are not the way of salvation, but Christ is, and every day we must try to share His reconciliatory message with hope, love, and truth.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breath, and every heartbeat of your journey.
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