Christian Author and Pastor Ron Craig
You who have followed these articles consistently may remember how they started out. The first one was based on the question of where God is in all the turmoil in this fallen world. You will likely also remember the Bible answer to that question—Exactly where He said He would be—In Christ! God in Christ? Yes! Second Corinthians 5:19 says plainly that “God was IN Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not accounting their trespasses [sins] to them, and has committed to us [preachers and all Christians] the word of reconciliation.”
Plain as day! God was in Christ and still is. John 17:20-23 is a second witness: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for those also who will [in the future, down to our day] believe on Me through their word: That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: That the world may believe that You have sent me. And, the glory that You gave Me I have given to them; that they may be one, even as We [You Father and I] are one [in unity; not the same person]: I in them, and You in me, so that they may be made perfect in one [body—the Body of Christ—the church—Colossians 1:24]; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, just as You have loved Me.” That is certainly a mouth full, and a heart full. If we get our hearts full of that one Bible truth, we will have gone a long way toward unstranging the Bible; at least in our case.
Every human being was part of that fallen world God reconciled to Himself through Jesus Christ, so that covers you and me. Moreover, Paul made it clear in that passage that God not only reconciled all lost people to Himself, but has given the word of reconciliation to all of us whom He has reconciled to Himself. And that makes all of us preachers in some way. Remember, the Lord instructed one man whom He had delivered from demon-possession to go home and tell everybody what great things God had done for him (Mark 5:19). In some cases, although Jesus told those whom He had healed to be quiet about it, they broadcast the good news all around—Preached it!
