Your Words Matter: Reconciliation

Why are we talking about this?

Oftentimes there is disagreement or misunderstanding of what Scripture says and we will be going through this series “Your Words Matter” in order to dig deeper into the original language and hopefully get a firmer understand of God’s Word.

Reconciliation is not always understood, so let’s dive in.

What does it say?

Looking at 3 different sets of verses:

2 Cor 5:18-21 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Romans 5:7-11 “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Matt 5:21-24 ““You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

What does it mean?

Current definition of reconciliation:

the restoration of friendly relations.

the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.

the act of making financial accounts consistent; harmonization.

Original language use:

(Romans and 2 Corinthians) katallasso - reconcile; exchange; become reconciled with; change

(Matthew) diallassomai - to be or become restored to favorable or friendly relations with another after a presumed wronged. To be at peace, or be propitious (gracious and merciful; ready to forgive sin).

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Reconciliation

While sinners were still the objects of God’s just wrath, Christ, in full harmony with the gracious will of his heavenly Father, interposed himself for their sakes, for the restoration of harmony. So basic is this truth that without objective reconciliation there is no thought of salvation, of regeneration, of faith, of Christian life. The initiative in reconciliation, moreover, is all on God’s side; through his Word, the gospel, God reveals to sinners that he is fully reconciled with them because of Christ.

Reconciliation is a gift from God; just like salvation, regeneration, and faith. The Gospel (good news) is the manifestation of the Father’s grace and mercy on full display by Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Reconciliation

The human predicament simply and precisely was the human inability to change or rectify in any way the broken, hostile relationship existing between humanity and God. Christ was the bridge. To carry out his substitutionary mission was the purpose of his incarnation. His sacrificial suffering and death, sealed by his triumphant resurrection, achieved mankind’s redemption (Rom 4:25). Christ suffered death not as the common lot of all people, but as the wages of sin.

His vicarious satisfaction for all sins is the central teaching of the Scripture. Everything literally depends upon the fact that the turning point for humanity came from God who was working out reconciliation with the world through Christ.

Left to our own devices, we are utterly incapable of fixing or reconciling ourselves to God. Jesus came as our substitute in order to take our debt and pay the price of our sin. It is only because Jesus is exactly who He says He is that we can have our blessed assurance in His grace.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Reconciliation

When this great objective truth of God’s reconciliation with sinners—the gospel available for acceptance by faith—is altered or cut down, the result is always the same. People seek to reconcile God through some sort of self-transformation, self-redemption, works-righteousness. Such pseudoreconciliation is doomed to fail and to fall under God’s judgment.

Another reminder that we are hopeless without the cross. Jesus is the only way.

How should I respond?

3 points

Be grateful.

God provided us abounding mercies and grace through the blood of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. The LORD deserves the praise and worship due to Him for his propitious dealings with us; reconciling us to Himself.

Be reconciled to one another.

Hold no offence against one another and thereby be freed from the prison of your own bitterness. Make every effort to display mercy and grace to one another just as Jesus did to us even when we were still His enemy.

Be in His word.

Take time daily to read scripture and wrestle/struggle with it. Allow God the opportunity to reconcile you to Himself through the process of reading His word to hear His voice.