We all love someone and want someone to love us. The age-old question that most relationships face from time to time is, “how strong is our love?” We want our love to be able to endure anything this world can throw at us. Death, sickness, temptations, financial struggles, differences in philosophies of life, or catastrophic events. Any of these can tear a relationship apart if the love is not based on a solid foundation.
II Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
In II Corinthians 5:18-19, we are taught the strength of God’s love for us. The world, in verse 19, is referring to the human race in general. In God’s eyes, there is no distinction between nationality, age, or status in this life. We were all alienated from him and it was our choice. We, because of sin sought our own pleasure and means of happiness. Just like the spouse that walks away from a relationship he had vowed to maintain until “death do us part,” we too choose to be separated from God. Just as the injured party has to extend the offer of reconciliation, God too must be the initiator of reconciliation.
Because of His love, he sought us! Man did not desire reconciliation and did not or could not make a plan. The power was not in his hands. It was the offended party, not the offending that sought to be reconciled and this shows the strength of God’s love.
God had provided everything a man could ever want when he created him. Note, that man was created last in the order of creation. Before God brought man, created in His image, into his new home, he made it perfect for him. He created a garden that was full of lush vegetation. It was beautiful to look upon and it was delicious to eat. He created animals of all kinds and at this time they were all gentle and plant-eating. They did not destroy one another. The earth he gave Adam and Eve to rule over was perfect in every way. A perfection like we have never known.
The strength of God’s love allowed Him to love his enemies. Those who chose to be alienated from him. He could have wiped the slate clean and started all over, but He loved Adam and Eve just as much after they sinned, as he did the day he created them. God loves us, and he has the desire to become our friend to redeem us, which means to buy back that which was His from the beginning. However, because God cannot look upon sin there must be a Mediator. That mediator is Jesus His Son.
What kind of love is strong enough to make a plan that would satisfy his holiness and forgive the betrayal? What kind of love seeks a relationship that put the future of others above His own feelings? Only God’s love is fully complete love. His strength of love did not hesitate to seek to redeem us. Even though he knew the pain he would suffer as He turned His back on His own Son, and placed our sin on Him on the cross.
Once we have been reconciled to God, we then are to be an agent of reconciliation. God appoints us to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in II Corinthians 5:18. We are to seek through our daily relationships to reconcile others to God through evangelism, telling them about God’s redemptive plan. Then once they have received the gift we need to disciple them. We are to teach them how to live in a right relationship with God.
We first teach by example. If we have been redeemed, we need to act like it! We are to seek to be like Christ. We need to treat others like Jesus would, to have compassion, to sacrifice for others, and love them seeking to serve them. We should put their feelings above our own. Second, we teach on purpose. Set aside time to have a discipleship study with them. Pray with them and for them often.
When you seek to love God above all else and seek to love your neighbor as yourself, you will experience and share the strength of God’s love.
