Message 25 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ, published in the November issue of Ministry of the Word, is a priceless piece of ministry that every saint in the Lord’s recovery should receive. Being a deep and costly message, it is difficult to summarize in a brief way, but perhaps the main point of the message is that we need to ask ourselves if we want to mature in the Lord and be overcomers only for ourselves, or if we are going to become factors in the maturation and overcoming of many other saints. In the words of the message: “I believe that it is the Lord’s heart to perfect many real ministers in the coming decade or two” (p. 239).
The ministers spoken of in this message are those with the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:14-21). Our first experience of reconciliation was when we heard the gospel and believed into Christ, which caused us to be initially reconciled to God. At this point we are no longer at enmity with God since we are forgiven through Christ’s redemption, but we may still live to ourselves and not be one with God. By continuing to receive the ministry of reconciliation, we are further reconciled to God, becoming absolutely one with Him to live a life in the Holy of Holies. Once we are reconciled to God in this second stage, we may begin to minister this reconciliation to others, helping them to also be reconciled to God in the second stage.
As young working saints in the Lord’s recovery with busy lives, although we are actively participating in the church life, we may not continue on to the second stage of reconciliation, much less consider ourselves as ministers to reconcile others to God. At best, we may hope that we ourselves will be fully reconciled and counted as an overcomer by the end of our course. However, we should instead be like the apostle Paul, who was a positive factor in the Lord’s move for many years before his martyrdom. For example, he wrote about the ministry of reconciliation several years before his testimony in Philippians of still pursuing (Phil. 3:12). Long before he finished the course the Lord had measured him, Paul could testify that he was an ambassador of God, cooperating with the living Christ to reconcile the already saved Corinthian believers to God, not in the way of initial salvation, but in the way of making them absolutely one with God.
According to the fellowship in this message, this process in Paul must have started decades before this time, requiring years of experiences of Christ and sufferings under the discipline of the Spirit to manifest itself. Thus, we should realize that what the Lord has begun in us, while taking many years to complete, is for the benefit of many others. For this cause we need to be reconciled to the Lord until we are absolutely one with Him that we might be His ambassadors and bring this ministry of reconciliation to others. May we have such an aspiration for our life and receive the ministry of reconciliation so that we may become such ministers ourselves.
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Although this portion of ministry far exceeds our present condition, we look away unto Him who is the means, the agent or instrument through which we may be reconciled to God. Our being reconciled does point out that we were once enemies with God. We have been called, saved, forgiven, cleansed, justified, sanctified, and reconciled to Him. Clearly we are grateful for this, but there is much more! In a deeper sense, our being reconciled means that we have been brought into God. His deep longing is to be intimately united, joined, and incorporated with His chosen people. This same longing resonates out from the ministers of reconciliation who draw others through their harmony with God in the divine human incorporation.
Even though this word is a sowing unto the Spirit for our organic development, there should be an immediate appreciation and response. Our prayer should resemble the action of the woman who suffered from the hemorrhage for 12 years. Lord, allow us to reach out with our being to touch the hem of Your garment. We trust in You helplessly, depending on You as our love and strength. We open to Your speaking. Lord, infuse us with a hope to be raptured through the redemption of our body. And our prayer is come Lord Jesus!
This is indeed a deep and profound word and many of us may not even dare to ever consider ourselves having this ministry. However, the key point is that we need to receive this ministry ourselves! We need to be reconciled ourselves first then the Lord may work out this ministry in His way and timing. Don’t look at our condition but look to Him and follow Him to the Holy of Holies everyday!