8月30日

標　　題：和好的職分

經　　節：一切都是出於神；祂藉著基督使我們與祂和好，又將勸人與祂和好的職分賜給我們。（哥林多後書五章18節）

這個世界充滿了許許多多的人，他們的罪使得他們與神隔絕。基督的犧牲恢復了基督徒與天父之間愛的關係。身為基督徒，我們被委派和好的職分。當基督住進我們的心裡，我們成為祂的大使，懇求他人與祂和好（哥林多後書五：20）。我們是神的和平信使，要激勵其他人轉向神（馬太福音五：9）。

罪破壞我們與神的關係，也使我們與人的關係破裂。破裂的人際關係，是這時代的流行性傳染病。罪離間家人、破壞友誼、分裂教會，並且毀壞婚姻關係。罪會製造疑心、嫉妒、仇恨、貪婪，和所有破敗的關係。惟有基督能彌補罪在人際關係上的悲慘影響。身為神的大使，我們要把和好的信息帶到破裂分離的世界。我們鼓勵人要先與神和好，再與其他人和好。

神的和平信使們彼此對立不合，是多麼悲痛的事！我們帶著愛的信息，卻又充滿仇恨，這使我們的使命受到扭曲。如果你拒絕饒恕某人，你和解的信息只是假冒為善。作為耶穌門徒的證據，是去愛你的基督徒同伴（約翰福音十三：35）。在每一層人際關係上，要確定你的行動反映出你由神那兒得到的愛與饒恕。那麼，你就不僅是傳揚和平的信息，也同時活出和平的信息。

A Ministry of Reconciliation

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The world abounds with people whose sin has alienated them from God. Christ’s sacrificial work has restored Christians to a love relationship with the heavenly Father. As Christians, we are appointed as ministers of reconciliation. Once Christ dwells within us, we become His ambassadors, and we entreat others to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5:20). We are God’s messengers of peace, urging others to return to God (Matt. 5:9).

Sin breaks our relationship with God; it severs relationships with others as well. Broken relationships are the epidemic of our day. Sin alienates family members, separates friends, divides churches, and destroys marriages. Sin creates mistrust, jealousy, hatred, and greed, all of which devastate relationships. Only Christ has the remedy for the disastrous effect of sin on human relationships. As His ambassadors, we are to take the message of reconciliation to a broken, divided world. We urge reconciliation first with God, and then with each other.

How tragic when God’s messengers of peace harbor enmity toward each other. It is a travesty to carry a message of love and yet be filled with hatred. If there is someone whom you refuse to forgive, your message of reconciliation is hypocrisy. The evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you love your fellow Christian (John 13:35). In each of your relationships, make certain that your actions share the love and forgiveness that reflect what you received from God. Then you will not only speak the message of reconciliation, but you will live it as well.