2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NIV) 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.
God’s holiness is an attribute that is often overlooked these days. While God is gracious, He is also holy and righteous. As believers, we are eternally grateful that instead of judging us, He has judged the sin of the world on Jesus Christ when He hung on the cross and dealt with the sin issue that separated mankind from Him. Nobody can stand right before God if He holds us accountable for our sins.
Because God is holy, He cannot tolerate sin, and because He is righteous, He must judge sin. Therefore, what awaits unbelievers is eternal condemnation—the lake of fire—if they reject the only way, the truth and the life through Jesus Christ. God is omniscient. Therefore, we can’t hide anything from Him, though we might be able to put up a facade in front of people. The day will come when all the skeletons in the closet will be revealed. The thought life and every hidden action of all unbelievers will be laid bare before the great white throne, where there will be remorse, anguish, and speechlessness because it will be too late.
While it is the responsibility of unbelievers to decide to receive Christ, there must also be messengers, especially in places where the name of Jesus has not been heard. Romans 10:14-15 challenges us to consider how anyone can call upon the name of Jesus if there is no messenger and tells us how beautiful the feet of those who bear the good news of Jesus Christ are! Who shall bring the good news to those who are yet to be saved, and whom shall the Lord send? All of us are called and mobilised by God because He has commissioned us in His last commandment before He was lifted to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20).
Because God loves us so much, He took the initiative after the fall of mankind to restore us to Himself. Through the Abrahamic covenant, the Messiah was sent to accomplish the reconciliation. Jesus took it upon Himself as the covenant partner to deal with the sin issue forever. God intentionally made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us on the cross, so His wrath towards sin is satisfied through the shedding of Jesus’ blood. Therefore, God does not count our sin against us because Jesus has dealt with it once and for all. We have become the righteousness of God through our belief in Jesus Christ.
Every believer in Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the message and ministry of reconciliation. God’s love compels us to bring the good news to those who have yet to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Being God’s messenger of reconciliation is the very purpose of your life on earth.
Sermon Series：We are an ambassador for Christ
你生命的本来目的
哥林多后书5:18-20 一切都是出于神；他藉着基督使我们与他和好，又将劝人与他和好的职分赐给我们。这就是神在基督里，叫世人与自己和好，不将他们的过犯归到他们身上，并且将这和好的道理托付了我们。所以，我们作基督的使者，就好像神藉我们劝你们一般。我们替基督求你们与神和好。
上帝的圣洁是当今常被忽视的属性。虽然上帝仁慈，但祂也是圣洁和公义的。作为信徒，我们永远感激祂没有审判我们，而是在耶稣基督挂在十字架上时审判了这世界的罪，并永远地解决了那使人类与神分离的罪的问题。倘若上帝要追究我们的罪责，就无人能在上帝面前站得住脚。
因为上帝是圣洁的，祂不能容忍罪；因为祂是公义的，祂必须审判罪。因此，等待着不信者的是永恒的定罪——火湖——如果他们拒绝那藉着耶稣基督而来的唯一的道路、真理和生命。上帝是全知的。因此，尽管我们或许能够在人前伪装，却无法向祂隐藏任何事情。终有一天，那些隐藏在“衣橱”里的“枯骨” 都会被揭露。所有不信者的所思所想和每一个隐藏的行为都将在那白色大宝座前一一陈列，在那里会有悔恨、痛苦和无言以对，因为为时已晚。
虽然不信的人有责任决定是否接受基督，但也必须有传信的人，尤其是在那些从未听过耶稣之名的地方。罗马书10:14-15挑战我们思考，如果没有传信的人，又怎么会有人能呼求耶稣的名，并告诉我们那些传扬耶稣基督福音，报喜讯的人的脚踪何等佳美！谁能把好消息带给那些尚未得救的人？主要差遣谁去？我们所有人都被神呼召并动员！因为这是祂在升天前给我们的最后使命。（马太福音28:18-20）。
因为上帝如此爱我们，在人类堕落之后，上帝主动采取行动使我们恢复与祂的关系。通过亚伯拉罕的约，弥赛亚被差遣来实现这一和解。耶稣亲自承担了盟约伙伴的责任，永久的处理了这罪的问题。上帝有意让无罪的耶稣在十字架上为我们成为罪，使祂对罪的烈怒因着耶稣的流血得以平息。因此，上帝不再将我们的罪算在我们身上，因为耶稣已经一劳永逸地处理了这些罪。我们通过信耶稣基督成为了上帝的义。
在耶稣基督里的每一位信徒都被托付了和好的信息和职事。上帝的爱激励我们将好消息带给那些尚未呼求主名以得救的人。作神与世人和好这一消息的传信人，正是你世上生命的本来目的。
讲章系列：我们是基督的使者
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