We are representatives of Christ, to minister reconciliation to each other. Jesus paid the supreme sacrifice for the sins of every person. Withholding His forgiveness and love from a person can keep them bound.

In ministering to people who have struggled over and over with sin in their life, God showed me that I was to be a minister of reconciliation.

These people have tried in their own strength to overcome sin. They loved God, but they couldn't accept themselves, because they continually fell back into the same sin.

They could not forgive themselves, and they did not know how to receive forgiveness from God. The condemnation that resulted kept them in the same dilemma. Although they prayed, "God forgive me," they could not receive forgiveness from God, because they did not know how.

This is emotionally destructive. As a minister of reconciliation, I could stand in the gap and demonstrate the forgiveness of God to them.

When these emotionally devastated people would confess to me that they had sinned again, I did not react by adding to their condemnation. Instead of saying, "I can't believe it—here we prayed and believed God, and you didn't have enough faith. Straighten your act up. That's all it takes. Put that bottle down and do not drink anymore; just quit it!"

How easy it is to let those words, "just quit" come out of our mouth.

That is like looking at someone in the depths of depression and saying, "Well, just quit being depressed!" If it were that easy, we would all be slim, trim, strong, and disciplined.

To be a minister of reconciliation, you must release people from condemnation so they feel free to go to God with their problems.

Source: Reverse The Curse by Annette Capps
Excerpt permission granted by Annette Capps Ministries