2 Corinthians 5:16-21

The Ministry of Reconciliation

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16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

18All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Berean Standard Bible

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Paul says that Christ changes the way His people see others. They are no longer to regard anyone according to the flesh—that is, by the world's surface measures or by a former way of judging. Even Paul's earlier view of Christ had to be corrected. Meeting Jesus changes the lens through which a person looks at the world.

The change is described as new creation. In Christ, the old has passed away and the new has come. Paul does not mean that believers instantly forget their history or never struggle with old habits. He means that God has begun a new work with a new center and a new future.

All of this comes from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. God was not counting people's trespasses against them in Christ; He was bringing enemies back into relationship. Paul and his fellow workers serve as Christ's ambassadors, carrying God's appeal: be reconciled to God. They do not offer a peace they invented; God makes His appeal through them.

The foundation is Jesus. God made the sinless Christ to be sin on our behalf so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus did not become sinful in character. He bore our sin in our place, so that in Him we can stand righteous before God. Reconciliation is possible because Christ dealt with the guilt that separated us from God. The invitation calls us to receive His peace, not earn it.

How We Know

Romans 5:6-11 describes reconciliation through Christ's death while people were still sinners and enemies. Colossians 1:19-23 likewise connects Christ's cross with peace between God and those who were once alienated.

Questions

1 How should Christ's people regard others?

AnswerThey should no longer judge people according to the world's surface measures or former ways of seeing.

2 What happens to someone who is in Christ?

AnswerThat person is a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come.

3 What message does Paul carry as Christ's ambassador?

AnswerHe appeals to people to be reconciled to God through Christ, announcing the peace God Himself has provided.

4 What did God do through the sinless Christ on our behalf?

AnswerChrist bore our sin in our place, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

What This Means for Us

Bring a sin you have been excusing or trying to repay to God in confession. Christ has done what your excuses and attempts at repayment cannot do: He has borne sin so that you may be reconciled to God.

When you explain the gospel to someone else, begin with what God has done through Jesus. You are inviting them to trust the Savior, not asking them to become an improved version of you.

Prayer

God of reconciliation, thank You for bringing us near through Christ. Teach us to see people with mercy and truth, repair what can be repaired, and carry Your appeal without pretending to be the Savior. Amen.

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