2 Corinthians 5:16-21: Reconciliation on Our Relational Radar

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 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 made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

When two countries are in a state of war, the ambassador's job is difficult because every day brings new opportunities for aggravated injuries and misunderstandings. War ends and hostilities cease when each party finds the value of relationship with the other to be greater than sum of the grievances. That is reconciliation.

But maybe one side doesn't care about the relationship as much as they care about right or about being in control. Reconciliation is not on their relational radar. If we are with Christ, we have come to the point of surrendering. When we have surrendered but someone else has not, it creates an odd tension. "The old has gone, the new has come." We wonder why they haven't taken the step that we have. Are they foolish? Are they wicked? Are they slow? Our jobs as ambassadors is to understand this offer of reconciliation, the same offer that was a stumbling block for us. Literally, the job that Paul describes is as "servants" of reconciliation. If we forget the position where we started-far from God-then we run the risk of being more strict and unforgiving than God.