01/23/22 THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BELONGS TO GOD

01/23/22 THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BELONGS TO GOD

GOD GAVE THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION TO THE CHURCH TO BE EXERCISED ACCORDING TO GOD'S WILL.

Jesus put the message and ministry of forgiveness into the hands of His Church (Matthew 16:19; Luke 17:3-4).

Matthew 16:19

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Luke 17:3-4

3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Jesus gave Church discipline to the Church (Matthew 18:15-20).

Matthew 18:15-20

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

 

God put the ministry of restoration into the hands of the Church (John 20:23).

John 20:23

23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Jesus gave the Church the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19).

2 Corinthians 5:20

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Christians are His ambassadors, beseeching sinners to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

2 Corinthians 5:20

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

God appointed the Church to be the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

1 Timothy 3:15

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The Church is under God's orders.

Christians are under God's orders.

The Church is God's messenger.

The message is God's message.

The Church does God's bidding.

God sends, enlightens, enables, leads, emboldens the Church to do His work.