Coming Back to the Basics: Our Call to Be Reconciled to God

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often find ourselves drifting. Not intentionally, perhaps, but gradually. We get comfortable in our routines, secure in our accomplishments, and sometimes forget the very foundation upon which our faith was built. There comes a moment when we need to hear the simple truth again: it's time to get back to basics.
The Danger of Self-Promotion
The Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthian church addresses a timeless problem that plagues believers in every generation. He makes it clear that he's not writing to brag about himself or his ministry accomplishments. Instead, he redirects all glory to God, reminding us that any good work done through us is ultimately God's work.
How easy it is to fall into the trap of self-promotion. We say things like "I did this" or "our church accomplished that," forgetting to ask the crucial question: Where is God in this picture? Without Him, we can do nothing of eternal value. Our successes, our growth, our impact—all of it flows from His grace and power working through surrendered vessels.
When we boast about ourselves rather than our Savior, we give a false witness to the world. We take credit that belongs to God alone. The church isn't about any individual pastor or leader; it's about God working through faithful servants who are willing to decrease so He can increase.
Living for Christ, Not Ourselves
Paul reminds the Corinthians of a profound truth: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
When we accept Christ into our lives, we die to ourselves. We make a commitment to serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Christ fulfilled His promise—He came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life, took a beating and death He didn't deserve, and rose again victorious. Now it's our turn to fulfill our promise to Him.
This isn't a one-time decision but a daily surrender. We don't just accept Jesus and then sit back waiting for heaven. There's work to be done, service to be rendered, and a gospel to be shared. He doesn't want us to sit and wait; He wants us to go and tell.
Becoming New Creations
One of the most beautiful promises in Scripture appears in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
When we accept Christ, we become new. Not perfect—but new. There's a crucial difference. The process of becoming more like Christ, called sanctification, continues throughout our earthly lives. We won't achieve perfection until we reach heaven and experience glorification.
Remember that old song? "He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be." Those words ring true whether you're eight years old or eighty. God is continually molding us, shaping us, refining us. We should hunger for His Word daily, seek His presence constantly, and worship Him with everything we have.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
God has done something remarkable: He has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Just as we reconcile our bank statements each month, bringing everything into alignment down to the penny, God has brought us back into right relationship with Him through His Son.
And here's the amazing part: He doesn't hold our sins against us. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment we deserved. He didn't become sin itself, but He took our punishment for sin. The death we should have died, He died instead. Our sins are thrown into the sea of forgiveness, forgotten forever.
But God doesn't just reconcile us to Himself and leave it at that. He gives us "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). We become ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. Our job is simple yet profound: to love others and implore them to be reconciled to God.
The Cost of Discipleship
This brings us to the challenging questions we must each answer: What are we willing to do for God? Are we willing to take up our cross and follow Him? Are we willing to give up our lives as we know them and turn completely to God?
Consider what Jesus did for us. He spent thirty-three and a half years on earth, with the last three and a half devoted to ministry—healing the sick, raising the dead, performing miracles beyond explanation. Then He was spit upon, beaten, and hung on a cross to die the most horrible death imaginable.
He did this out of pure love. He took one for the team—and it was a big one—so that His team could grow. Now the question remains: Are we willing to die for Him? Are we willing to risk losing friends and family over serving God? If God asks us to do something, are we willing to pack up and go?
Unity in the Body of Christ
One of the most pressing needs in the church today is unity. There should be no enemies among believers, no dissension, no arguments, no jealousy. We all have the same God, the same blood covering us, the same reward awaiting us if we truly know Jesus Christ.
Whether we attend different churches or hold slightly different theological positions on secondary matters, we should be unified in Christ. We should support one another, pray for one another, and work together to advance the kingdom of God.
The Invitation to Return
Perhaps you've strayed from God. Maybe you've walked far away from Him. The beautiful truth is that it only takes one step back toward God for Him to be right there, ready to welcome you back into His arms with open arms.
Remember the story of the prodigal son? When that wayward child returned home, his father ran to meet him, embraced him, and celebrated his return. That's exactly how God responds when we turn back to Him.
Don't think you've done anything that God can't save you from. There is no sin too great, no distance too far, no heart too hardened that God cannot reach. All you have to do is trust and believe, admit you're a sinner, believe that Jesus is the only true and living Son of God, and confess your sins to Him.
A Time to Reset
Sometimes we need to stop and reset. We need to simplify things and get back to what brought us to faith in the first place: the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be reconciled with God, to come together and strive to be more Christ-like each and every day.
The promise of eternal life in heaven awaits all who know Jesus. But hell is real too—a place of eternal separation from God, not the party some imagine it to be. The choice is ours.
Today can be the day of restoration. Today can be the day of salvation. Whether you're hearing this message in a church building, in your home, or anywhere else, the Holy Spirit can touch your heart right where you are.
Jesus loves you. He wants your heart. He wants to be the only occupant of your heart. He's just waiting for you to ask. Will you answer His call today?