2 Corinthians 5:11-21
"Since, then, we know what it is to fear the LORD, we try to persuade men.  What we are is plain to   GOD, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.  We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.  If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of GOD; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For CHRIST'S love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.  So from now on we regard no-one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded CHRIST in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from GOD, who reconciled us to Himself through CHRIST and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that GOD was reconciling the world to Himself in CHRIST, not counting men's sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore CHRIST'S ambassadors, as though GOD were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on CHRIST'S behalf:  Be reconciled to GOD.  GOD made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of GOD."

    In this passage of Scripture, the LORD states that we are reconciled to Him and that we now have the ministry of reconciliation.  Our hearts begin to be change the moment we believe in JESUS.  At first, generally, there may no visible outward significant change in us.  The work that the LORD does in an individual starts from the inside and then will eventually work to the outside.

    We, who are mothers, are accustomed to this type of change.  We see it in our children as they are growing up.  We attempt to instill our values and morals in them.  The outside of our youngster or teenager may not match up to what we believe they should be like.  However, when they leave us and begin to raise their own children, we see our work bear good fruit.  This is just as GOD promises us in Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

    We ourselves are GOD'S children.  He is very busy working within our hearts.  He is changing us little by little on the inside, as we allow Him to do so.  He does not count our sins against us.  Instead, He is reconciling us to Him and asking us to share this miracle with others.

    To be used in this way, we must look inside our own hearts.  Once we have become reconciled to Him, we become an ambassador of CHRIST. GOD desires to use us to make an appeal to the world.  With the assistance of the HOLY SPIRIT we are able to share the message of reconciliation. With an open heart we can share the love and forgiveness of CHRIST to our family, friends, and even strangers when an opportunity arises.

open your heart now