In Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NKJV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

The apostle says, “if anyone is in Christ” – in the time of the apostle those who had placed their faith in Christ were not known as Christians, but instead were known as those who were ‘in Christ”. For in Christ they were to continue His work reconciling others.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary indicates that when we reconcile a person to someone we are “to restore to friendship or harmony’ to that person. Those who are “in Christ” have the ministry of restoring others friendship and harmony with God through faith in Christ who Himself is in God.

If we are in Christ through faith then we too are in God through faith in Christ.  It is in Christ that we have a relationship to God – for we have become heirs with Christ as adopted children to the kingdom of God.

A review by Bill White of Paramount California says, “The movie The End of the Spear tells the true story of five missionaries who gave their lives to reach the violent Waodoni tribe in the jungles of Ecuador in the 1950s. Led by Nate Saint, the missionaries were eager to reach the Waodoni people before they all died off from their intertribal warfare and vicious revenge killings.

As Nate prepares for his adventure, his family gathers around him on the dirt airstrip in front of their house. As he kisses his wife goodbye, his son, Steve, looks at the gear in the plane and notices a rifle. Obviously worried, he turns to his father and asks, "If the Waodoni attack, will you use your guns? Will you defend yourselves?"

Nate looks his boy dead in the eye and responds, "Son, we can't shoot the Waodoni. They're not ready for heaven. We are."

[End of the Spear (Every Tribe Entertainment, 2006), directed by Jim Hanon, written by Bill Ewing and Bart Gavigan]

The 5 missionaries had a mission and a purpose and died for that purpose. Their hope was to reconcile the Waodoni people to God before they killed themselves off or they were killed by others. Their hope was to lead the Waodoni to Christ that they may know God through Christ and in Christ. They knew they could be sacrificing their lives for Christ because they were prepared to die and Waodoni were not.

In Christ we have a purpose to reconcile others to Him no matter where our journeys may take us!

These missionaries gave their lives, but through them an incredible purpose unfolded. For the families of those who were slain took up where they had left off and brought the Waodoni to BE IN CHRIST.