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The Common Ministry

Even before time began, God had the desire that his children love him by their own choice. No coercion from his side, no automatons, no one in the relationship to use him for their own ends; just children who would love and obey him in a lasting relationship. Yet, “by their own choice” is the classic dilemma, because where there is freedom of choice there is the sobering dynamic of declining the offer. This dilemma doesn’t catch him off guard; he had a deep understanding of it when he made his plan. In fact, his plan is primarily concerned with resolving this dilemma. Today, we call this plan the ‘Ministry of Reconciliation’. It’s in this plan that God came to earth to deal with the consequences of our declining the offer. Through the cross, he carried out a service for us that would reconcile everyone to him. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everyone entered into the relationship that he desired, but that it was made available for anyone who might value it.
As one works through the Scriptures, this theme, this plan permeates everything; this Ministry of Reconciliation. It’s been a work of love on his part. It began in revealing what he is like, revealing what he expects of those who value reconnecting with him. It reveals the fact that we’ve damaged ourselves to such a degree that we can’t fix the problem on our own. There needs to be complete dependence upon him. That is an enormous task for people who are damaged and wish to control their own lives. We have this deep seated obsession to try and manipulate our environment for our own benefit and use those around us for our own ends, which typically revolve around the pursuits of security, personal value and pleasant life. It took a tangible self-sacrifice of his life to give us the opportunity to set us free from this obsession with independence. Of course there was the physical torture on the cross, but there was much more. Things like, bearing consequences that were not his, the loneliness of leaving the most important relationship he had to carry out this service, working with a public that was religiously oppositional and paganly indifferent, all the time seeking those few who would respond.
The Ministry of Reconciliation is wide in scope; a plan that God put into motion to bring about his desired goal. Most of this plan has been acted upon, his work is done. Yet, he has handed the rest of the work to those who have repented and are following him. Today, we live in the age of response. The door is open for anyone to return to him as long as there is time. The Ministry of Reconciliation continues. There are many in the world today who don’t understand about God’s desires, let alone his plan. Even most of the religious don’t understand. The fields are enormous, within the religious community and the pagan world in general. That is where we come in. He has given us the Ministry of Reconciliation, and the word of reconciliation. Those who repent and follow him hold this ministry in common. There is no distinction between laity or clergy, the ministry is not an executive position, it is not a career. It is the pre-occupation for all who have repented and entered into Life, who are being conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come to earth to find pure intimacy with the Father; he left that to return to it later. He didn’t come here to find himself, nor was he looking for an elated worship experience. He didn’t come here to help people have a better life, or advocate for justice or debate with the intelligencia. He came to give himself that others might be reconciled to the Father. If we follow him, our lives will be conforming to his goals and patterns. His Spirit is working in us to will and do his good pleasure, which is the Common Ministry.