Day 25: Reconciliation and Forgiveness

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. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Forgiveness isn’t just something we need in order to restore our relationship with God or to offer to those who sin against us. Forgiveness is part of our mission to work with God to spread His message to the whole world. 2 Corinthians 5 gives us instructions and a description of how God’s forgiveness should affect us: 

  • God forgave us through Christ.
  • He gave us the mission to forgive others, to demonstrate God’s forgiveness.
  • We represent God to others by both showing and sharing about forgiveness.
  • Then more people are reconciled to God.

God wants the whole world to know His Gospel, and He has chosen to use people like you and me to spread His message. The gratitude and wonder we have because God forgave us should make us eager to tell others the good news: that God can forgive them, too, and they can have a relationship with God.

Jesus is the only one who can offer us forgiveness of sins, and his forgiveness is supposed to give us the motivation to forgive others. Turning the other cheek and offering mercy and forgiveness ourselves helps demonstrate God’s forgiveness and makes God’s forgiveness tangible. Instead of just sharing, we can show God’s mercy through our own mercy.

 Questions for discussion and reflection

  • Do you need to offer forgiveness to anyone?
  • Do you want to share God’s forgiveness with others?

 Prayer

Dear God, we are so grateful that you offer us reconciliation through Jesus’ forgiveness. Help us forgive others and point them to You likewise.  In Jesus’ name, amen.