“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 5:18In a general sense, reconciliation is when two parties who have been separated are brought back together. But the Scriptural definition of this word is much more involved.
Scripturally, reconciliation is when fallen men who’ve been alienated from a Holy God (on the basis of their sinfulness) are returned to perfect fellowship with their Creator. And, Scripturally, this is a unilateral process. As 2nd Corinthians makes clear, God reconciles us to Himself.
The problem is that we regularly use phraseology that emphasizes the exact opposite. We’ve adopted a theology that stresses our own work of reconciliation, and not His.
“Deciding for Christ,” “Accepting Jesus,” and “Making Him our Lord” are terms that suggest the final reconciliation between God and man emanates from OUR sovereign decision. It is as if God has breathlessly endeavored to “make His best case”, presented it at our feet, and we deign to reward it with our faith. This is a mindset that is both denigrating to God and mistakenly sees reconciliation as hinging on our willingness to be reconciled to begin with.
The truth is that unregenerate man is not running TO God, he is running AWAY from God. Left to our natural state, we are lovers of evil, desiring nothing that Christ would offer. Reconciliation that depends on the goodwill of those who are dead in their sins (Eph 2:1) is reconciliation that will not happen.
And yet, we HAVE been reconciled, in spite of our natural enmity with God (Rom 8:7). But how?
In His love, grace, and wisdom, God has drawn His children to Himself. Our hearts of stone have been turned to hearts of flesh (Eze 11:19), and we’ve been both enabled and persuaded to embrace Christ. A complete propitiation for that which separated us (sin) has been paid… returning us into fellowship with our Maker through faith in His Son.
It is that concept, of a reconciliation that emanates from God and not from us, that is the unequivocal teaching of Scripture.
