As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you'. I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Last Friday, Pastor Anthony reflected on Jesus' authority to forgive sin. At the end of 2 Corinthians 5, Paul implores us to be reconciled with God, in other words, to accept the forgiveness of sins which God so freely offers in Christ. Having received, we are then sent out to be ambassadors of this reconciliation. In our text, Paul puts a bit of fire under the boots of his listeners. Get going, he says, don't receive God's grace in vain. What does he mean by that? Well, to validate this urgency, he quotes from Isaiah 49:8, which is part of a larger theme in the Bible rooted in the story of Israel coming out of Egypt. As the narrative of the Exodus is referenced throughout the rest of the scriptures a refrain begins to repeat itself. The people didn't trust God. They didn't believe that he could fulfill his promise to give them the land flowing with milk and honey. In the end, they refused to go in. As a result, God would not bring them in. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and died. They forfeited his salvation. This is the warning that becomes tied to the story of the Exodus. Don't be like the Israelites who didn't trust God. Through the rest of the Bible, this becomes a parable for what happens when God's people refuse to trust him. Psalm 95 is probably the strongest passage in this narrative, saying rather bluntly: "Don't be like that." The letter of Hebrews picks it up, "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13). In the New Testament, the 'day of salvation' or 'Today', is now. Jesus' death and resurrection were God's great acts of salvation to reconcile us to himself. We must respond now, today. The response is always two-fold. On the one hand, we must receive reconciliation from God. We receive his grace. On the other hand, we must reach out with grace and reconciliation to those who have wronged us. These two cannot be separated. That is why Jesus followed the Lord's prayer with, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15). We cannot receive grace without passing it on. If you are not sure where to begin as an ambassador of reconciliation, then begin at home. Begin with those that you need to forgive. Stop holding grudges. Stop making people pay for their wrongs. Break down the walls. Is this easy? Not at all. But remember, the God who calls us to this has also reconciled us to himself and gives us the grace to reconcile with others. His Spirit leads us on. Paul's urges his listeners, in Corinth and in Hamilton, to get to it. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13).

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