Lay Hold of The Divine Favor

Lay Hold of the Divine Favor

So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (AMP)

The Greek word, oun, translated, So we are, should be understood to carry the weight of Then, these things being so.

I ask, "What things?," and go back to the preceding text in 2 Corinthians 5 to find:
1. We know we are not dependent upon our flesh and blood body but that we have an eternal in the heavens and are not afraid, are even eager, to move into that realm (v.1, 2).
2. We thrill at the thought of mortality being swallowed up of life (v. 4).
3. We are confident that when we are not in the body we shall be with the Lord (v. 5, 6).
4. We walk by faith, not by sight (v. 7)
5. We know that we are accountable for what we do in this body (v. 9, 10)
6. We are persuaders of men (v. 11).
7. The love of Christ constrains us (v. 14).
8. We know no man after the flesh (v. 16).
9. We are not who we were; we are a new creation in Christ (v.17).
10. We are reconciled to God in Christ and have the ministry of reconciliation (v. 18, 19).

"So (Then, these things being so)," we are, presbeuo huper, diplomats (ambassadors) of the very highest rank and authority sent by the kingdom of heaven to represent Almighty God and His Anointed One, Christ Jesus.

It is in this official position that we beg those in and out of communion with Jesus to, katallasso, to "lay hold of Divine favor" by changing their position and being made compatible with God.