Bridges for God
15th DECEMBER 2024
All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. [2 Corinthians 5:18–19 ERV]
Our verses for today serve as a profound reminder of God’s ultimate act of love and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. It also commissions us to carry out the ministry of reconciliation in our relationships. It tells us that relationships are not only a gift but also an opportunity to build bridges that reflect God’s heart and advance His kingdom. Consider Paul, Onesimus and Philemon, and how Paul used his relationship with these two people as a bridge to reconcile them.
The vertical bridge of the cross of Christ sets the tone of our relationship with God, a relationship of peace, love and grace. I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life [Romans 5:10]. However, God did not want to stop with Christ and the vertical relationship, perhaps, that is why Jesus did not die on a pole but on a cross. The point is that the horizontal bridge of the cross is for God to continue to expand the work of the vertical through those who believe.
Without trying to go too deep into the Onesimus story, after he had left Philemon in such a way that their relationship was probably going to be hostile, he ended up spending some time with Paul [see Philemon 1:8–20]. Paul, having helped Onesimus to get the vertical relationship right, now deemed Onesimus a free man and not a slave. But Paul knowing of the horizontal gulf between Philemon and Onesimus, decided to be the bridge. When we are looking at being bridges, forgiveness [Matthew 6:12], restoration [Galatians 6:1] and peace-making [Matthew 5:9] should be in our hearts.
In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins, and in you, He wants to reach guilty people to let them hear this message of peace.
Relationships are the key to reconciliation. They are the bridges over which love, forgiveness, and understanding can travel. God Himself demonstrated this by reconciling us through a relationship with His Son. Jesus came to earth, lived among us so that through that relationship, love, peace and forgiveness travelled to us. You are a bridge for God to bring people to the bridge to God, Jesus. Every relationship is an opportunity to build bridges that reflect God’s love, peace and forgiveness.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for reconciling us to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Help us to be ambassadors of Your love and grace, bringing reconciliation into our relationships. Show us where we need to build bridges and give us the courage to forgive, restore, and love as You have loved us. May our lives reflect Your heart, and may we draw others closer to You through the ministry of reconciliation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Reading: Galatians 6:1 / Matthew 6:12 / Matthew 5:9
