Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
II Corinthians 5:16-21
We are to be kingdom representatives to a world in desperate need of things that are from God, such as goodness, kindness, love, and ultimately kingdom access. Many think that the church’s job is to be a “hospital” or a “container” for Christians. Erwin McManus captures the misguided attitude that many Christians hold saying,
“We somehow think that the Church is here for us; we forget that we are the Church, and we’re here for the world”.
If we intend to live fully as kingdom people we must recalibrate our thinking. George Hunsberger concludes this by saying,
“…the church’s essence is missional, for the calling and sending action of God forms its identity. Mission is founded on the mission of God in the world, rather than the church’s efforts to extend itself”.
Do you think I’m getting this right? Is the church’s core orientation or identity to be missional?
