This week’s encouragement in our Gospel Jump-Start Series comes from Jerry Bridge’s comments on 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. The passage says:
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
In his book, The Gospel for Real Life, Bridges said the following speaking of this passage:
This is a most amazing passage of Scripture. Having objectively secured reconciliation for us, Christ now appeals to us through His gospel messengers to “be reconciled to God”—that is, to receive His work of reconciliation. Think about what that means. We ourselves should have been on our faces before God, imploring Him to be reconciled to us. Instead, we see God reconciling us to himself through the death of His Son, and then appealing to us to receive that reconciliation. What a pure act of grace and mercy on God’s part!
O, what wondrous love, what matchless grace, that God would do everything necessary to reconcile us to Himself. (pages 86-87)
His comments remind me of the hymn line:
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; -Come Thou Fount
As we begin a new week, preach the Gospel to yourself and be reminded of God’s great grace in not only securing salvation for you, but also in His relentless pursuit of you! Let’s remember this week that we rest firm in HIs grip of grace. To quote another hymn:
Those He saves are His delight, Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in his holy sight, He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let me soul be lost; His promises shall last;
Bought by him at such a cost, He will hold me fast. -He Will Hold Me Fast
Resting in that grace this week, may we also remember that the Lord sends us with this Gospel word pursuing others that He might bring them to Himself.
Written by Matt Baker