The Ministry of Reconciliation

   In his sermon, "The Ministry of Reconciliation", Charles Spurgeon did a wonderful job of expositing the text of 2 Corinthians 5:18. Throughout the sermon, he calls the unconverted to Christ and calls the believers to a ministry of reconciling those who have not yet received the Savior. Without stretching the text, he makes most appropriate application to all concerned. I particularly appreciated this paragraph in which he deals with the objections of those who are lingering:

"Oh, but!" says another, "this is my difficulty. I am afraid God would not receive me, even if I were to come to him." Just give me your hand, brother; let me have a grip of it. Now, if I were to assure you that I would receive you into my house, would you believe me? I believe you would. Well, you may doubt me if you like, but you must not doubt my God, or doubt the bleeding Lamb; and he has said, "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." He could not put it stronger than that. For no reason, and in no way, will he cast out any soul that comes to him, so he will not cast you out. But I hear another say, "I have tried and failed." What have you tried? Have you accepted Christ as the propitiation for your sin Have you trusted yourself with Christ? Do you say, "Yes"? Then, you are a saved man; God declares that you are. "But I have prayed," say you. Yes, but that is not the way of salvation. God forbid that I should say a word against prayer! I would say a thousand words for it; it is a blessed exercise; but the dead cannot pray, nor can you till you are made alive. The first thing that you have to do is to trust Jesus Christ; and that is the only thing which the gospel demands of you as the grand condition of reconciliation with God. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Jesus Christ whom he hath sent."

   This emphasis on the FAITH which saves is a vital emphasis for us to always keep in mind; the person who prayed was making a verbal confession of what was already true in his heart. If there was no faith in his heart, then it would not make one bit of difference what he prayed. May we never confuse the Gospel with our understanding of it!