Calling All Christians

The state of this world should not surprise us at all. We know that the devil is the god of this world, the word says that. Let me place it in its context. "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:1-4). The New Living Testament (NLT) says it like this in 2 Corinthians 4:4: "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." This should explain to most inquisitive minds why the world is so messed up. No one should have to ask, "If there's a God, why is there so much evil in the world?" or "Why are there so many wars?" Or "Why did God let this or that happen?" Mercy instead of the judgment we deserved because of the sin into which we were born and in which we willingly participated. WE HAVE RECEIVED MERCY SO DO NOT LOSE HEART Because we have received mercy, we do not lose heart, Paul wrote. That is encouraging. Because God has removed the blindness we were experiencing before when the god of this world had veiled the gospel from our eyes. God could then shine the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ into our spirit so we could see who he is, and we have been saved from the wrath of God, and we have "received this ministry." What ministry? The ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN CHANGED We have been changed. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"(2 Corinthians 5:17). AND NOW WE ARE CHRIST'S AMBASSADORS "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). This is what Christians are called to do and be. Because we have received mercy, we are no longer condemned by our sin to eternity without God, but we have been changed and we are no longer bound to the world over which Satan has sway (1 John 5:10). We have been set free. We are not to lose heart because of all the evil in the world, but, rather, we are called to be "ambassadors" for Christ. We are representing the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of this world. And we are called to live in the light of God's word and represent Jesus Christ himself, not some figment of the world's imagination. This is who we are and what we do. Because "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). And this is why we are here and what we are here to do.