Reconciliation is a word that is used fairly common in the New Covenant writings. The scriptures go to some lengths to describe to us the fact that through Jesus Christ, we have been “reconciled to God” – but what exactly does that mean?
The simple definition of the word “reconcile” is to return to favor, or to make one acceptable, which is basically what has indeed happened, but there is more to it than simply that. The fact that the scriptures make a point that God in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, tells us something specific that highlights a picture of Jesus, and our new identity in Him that can be quite a blessing; and I would like to share it with you today in this study.
So let’s begin today, by reading 2nd Corinthians 5:17-19:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, 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.”
And the first thing which we can notice right at the start of verse 17 here, is that this is another aspect of our new identity in Christ. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
People sometimes ask me why I mention our new identity in Christ so often… and the reason is because it is absolutely fundamental to our life – plain and simple. And sadly this topic is barely ever mention (if at all) in most church buildings today. Scores of Christians wandering through existence completely oblivious to the New Covenant reality of what Jesus Christ has actually accomplished for them.
We see that the old things are passed away, and behold, all things are become new in Christ. And we have looked at this before in detail, but there is one aspect of this newness being highlighted here in these verses – which is our reconciliation.
As verse 18 points out, all of these new things, the entirety of our new identity, is of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. This is the key point. And there are a few things for us to take notice of here.
The text is very specific here that this is a reconciliation that happened by Jesus Christ. It didn’t happen by Moses, or any of the sacrifices, rules or regulations of the Old Covenant, but it happened exclusively by Jesus Christ. This is an important detail because there are still many Christians who are trying to be reconciled to God through their own works and performance. They are trying to ingratiate themselves to God by their rule-keeping, behaviors or sacrifices. There are even those who claim to believe in the Grace of God, who still secretly hold this works-based mindset in their heart. However we see here that this reconciliation to God is by Jesus Christ, and none other than Him.
Another point of note here is that this is a one-way reconciliation. This might be a detail that gets overlooked at first, but it is a very interesting aspect of our relationship with God; as well as His character.
You see, we needed to be reconciled to God, but He never needed to be reconciled to us!
There is no single place where this is demonstrated more clearly than the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
In Genesis chapter 3, the narrative plays out that Adam and Eve (who previously had unbroken fellowship with God) now ran away and tried to hide from God when they heard Him walking through the Garden in verse 8. Let that fact sink in. God never ran away from Adam and Eve – they ran away from God!
Typical works-based Christian theology will try and say that God hides His face from you because of sin… but what we see in scripture is that mankind runs away and hides from God due to guilt and shame; but God is the one who seeks out the lost and the broken.
We see in verse 9 of Genesis 9 that God even calls out to Adam… far from the typical picture of a God who can’t look upon sin that religion often paints. Here we see God actively seeking Adam, just as the Good Shepherd actively searches for His lost sheep. (Luke 15:1-7)
Friend, this is the reconciliation that Jesus brought to you: the realization again of unbroken fellowship with God, made possible because of the atonement and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The fact that you do not need to run and hide from God. Instead of running away from God, you can run to Him, and be accepted into His kingdom and family.
It wasn’t God that made Adam and Eve run and hide, it was their own guilt and shame, because they knew that they were naked… And this same thing plays out today when we start relying on our own performance and behaviors as a barometer for our relationship with God (even though that’s not the true standard).
We have been falsely conditioned through religion to gauge our standing with God by our current performance-level – and in so doing, we make the same mistake as Adam and Eve… we run away from the only one who can truly save us; we cut ourselves off from our own source of help.
This idea is only strengthened and perpetuating by legalistic Old Covenant-minded preachers and pastors around the world… who promote the idea of a God who is more interested in our behaviors ad works, than the perfect finished work of Jesus Christ. However, returning to our text in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, look now at the second-half of verse 18:
“And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
You see, God has given us a ministry (or more properly, has ministered something to us) it is not the ministration of the Law of Moses. It is not the ministry of death that was written and engraved on stones (2nd Corinthians 3:7). It’s not the ministry of guilt and shame, and condemnation and death. It is not the unmanageable burden and yoke of bondage of works that even the forefathers couldn’t keep. (Acts 15:1-20)
Instead, God has ministered unto us reconciliation – not on God’s part, because He didn’t need it for Himself – but reconciliation on our part: we were reconciled to God, because our view and perspective of Him was tainted. Our vision of His good nature and character was corrupted by our own sin. So we see an angry God who must still be appeased by our own worthless works, when Jesus’ work was truly more than enough. We run and hide, and try to clean ourselves up, when Jesus already said Now you are clean, through His word. We try to heal ourselves through our own efforts when Jesus said to simply “be healed” He’s telling you to simply live as who He has made you. Be healed. Be whole. Be redeemed… because I have redeemed you.
You don’t need to struggle to be reconciled to God. Simply Be.
You don’t need to strive towards becoming a new creation. Simply be the new creation, because He has made all things new. You are the new creation.
Do you see, my friend? This is all wrapped-up in the finished work of Christ for you.
And then, once we truly receive this wonderful reality, we then have verse 19 of our text:
“To wit, 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.”
We see that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.
Again, this only happens in Christ. Not in Moses, not in the Law, and not in ourselves… but in Christ we are reconciled to God; and notice what this means for us – this is devastating to the ride of man and to everyone who clings to the Old Covenant and religious legalism: God is not imputing your trespasses to you today! I know that this may be opposite to what you have believed your entire life, and if that’s the case, then I am deeply sorry that religion has kept you in bondage for so long… but this is the truth of the New Covenant, and the freedom that Christ has paid for you to have.
It’s not that God has suddenly gone soft on sin, either, as some legalists try to argue – but the reality is that all of your sins and mine have been paid… paid-in-full by Jesus Christ on the cross. Your punishment, has been met – by Jesus in your place. Your sins have been righteously judged by a righteous God, who stepped-up when no-one else could. And now, you no longer need to be afraid of God, or run and hide from Him, or even try to impress Him… Now you can honestly run to Him – not in fear, but in love, for what He has accomplished for you.
This is the word of reconciliation spoken of in verse 19, that we should be teaching today. This is the word which we have actually been given – and sadly this is the word that so many need to hear, but so few are actually hearing it because our pastors and leaders, many of them are still stuck in the Old Covenant, ministering death to their congregations each week, as they remind the people of their sins and foster sin-consciousness… keeping the people in bondage to their old identity, rather than the new identity and righteousness-consciousness that Jesus suffered and died and rose again to give them.
I encourage you today my friend, to embrace the reconciliation and abundant life in Christ that Jesus has given to you. It is a very freeing life. One in which you can truly shed your old identity, be honestly free of your sin, and guilt and shame, and abide (live) in the love and unity of God every single day. This is the life that Jesus has given to you. This is your reconciliation.
Be blessed.