Much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
In this chapter we consider reconciliation, another beautiful facet of the diamond of the gospel; one act that brought two estranged parties together and established peace.
The need for reconciliation
The estrangement between man and God had its beginning in the Garden of Eden.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so / hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:6-13).
In just a few short sentences we see the tragedy of sin and the resulting estrangement as Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. Almost immediately there also developed disaffection between Adam and Eve. Adam blamed Eve and in so doing in essence blamed God for giving him Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. The peace of that perfect creation quickly came to an end. We see, then, that sin initiates the need for reconciliation. This was man’s act and man’s alone.
Who needs to be reconciled?
That man is estranged from God is the witness of Scripture and history. Paul in Romans 1-3 builds a strong case for man’s sin and rebellion. His conclusion is that none are righteous, no not one. All have sinned and continue to fall short of God’s glory. Sinful man wants both to hide from God and yet also wants to find Him. No ancient culture was without some concept of god. There was both a longing to come into the presence of God and yet a deep fear of that same presence. Estrangement between man and God, man and women, and parent and child runs like an ugly smear through the pages of history.
David summarized man’s condition.
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God” (Ps. 10:4).
Today most of the scientific community has dismissed God. Yet those same scientists encourage our government to spend millions, if not billions, of dollars in trying to find “god”. They are listening for some intelligent communication from deep, outer space, sending space vehicles to fly by distant heavenly bodies, and developing huge telescopes to search the heavens for the origin of life. Man wants to dismiss God out of his thinking, yet deep inside there is a longing to find Him.
This estrangement is the result of sin.
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear (Isa. 59:1-2).
The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them (Ez. 39:23-24).
Then they will cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time because they have practiced evil deeds (Mic. 3:4).
There are some theologians who claim that only man needs to be reconciled to God and not God to man. Man is reconciled to God, they would say, when he understands the depth of God’s love. They do not believe that anything needed to be done by God, to God, or for God in order to reconcile God to man. Only man had to change. While it is true that there is no text in Scripture that states forthrightly that God has been reconciled to man, nevertheless there are a number of statements that clearly lead us in that direction.
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (Phi. 3:18-19).
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Col. 1:21-22).
The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification (Rom. 5:16).
The above Scriptures indicate that there was some kind of estrangement from God’s point of view in that sinful man was condemned by God. Leon Morris puts it like this:
But if man has come under condemnation so that the sentence of God is against him, then more is required than repentance if man’s rightful relationship to God is to be restored. If God’s attitude to sin is expressed in condemnation then God’s attitude is involved in reconciliation, for reconciliation cannot come about independently of that condemnation.1
God was reconciling the world to Himself. We cannot say that God was reconciled by any third party. Rather He must be thought of as reconciling Himself.2
Who initiates reconciliation?
There is nothing that man can do to reconcile himself to God. However, the attempt to do so has been and continues to be the teaching of all religions save Christianity. This is attested in all the ancient writings with lists of behaviors designed to make peace between God and man. The building of temples, pyramids, and gods of wood and stone are all attempts to find God and get God to do what man wants. But if we say that God had to change in order to be reconciled to man, how can that be? God’s character is perfect and unchanging.
God’s feelings toward us never needed to be changed. But God’s treatment of us, God’s practical relation to us-that had to change. The distinction is important, God’s love never varied. But the atonement wrought by Christ means that men are no longer treated as enemies (as their sin deserves), but as friends. God has reconciled Himself.3
In our culture it is usually the offending person who is expected to seek out the offended person, tell them we are sorry, and do what is needed to make reconciliation. However, God, the offended person, seeks out the offender-sinful mankind— and provides what is needed to make reconciliation.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom. 5:10).
The ministry of reconciliation
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:17-21).
The ministry of reconciliation has both a vertical and horizontal dimension. We are instructed to invite fellow sinners to accept the substitutionary death of Christ for their sin that results in them being reconciled to God. At the same time we are to initiate reconciliation if we have offended someone or if someone has offended us. In either case it is our responsibility to initiate the reconciliation process.
Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering (Mt. 5:23-24).
True reconciliation cannot take place unless the cause of estrangement is identified and thoroughly dealt with. It is not enough to just let bygones be bygones. This is true with God and with our fellowmen.
It is the consistent teaching of Scripture that man could not overcome the cause of the enmity. The barrier which the sin of man had erected the wit of man could not find means to remove. But in the death of Him whom God “made sin” for man the cause of the enmity was squarely faced and removed. Therefore a complete reconciliation results, so that man turns to God in repentance and trust, and God looks on man with favor and not in wrath.4
Jesus instructs us to love our enemies. This is part of the ministry of reconciliation. It was while we were enemies of God that He took the initiative to provide what was needed to make reconciliation. In this we are to follow His example.
Reconciliation and peace
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Col. 1:19-22).
Peace in the New Testament is not simply the absence of war. It is a much more positive concept, and one which, as here, may be compatible with struggle. It stands for the spiritual well-being at the highest level, a prosperity of the soul resulting from being in right relationship with God. God brings about this relationship by His victory over Satan.5
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33).
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1).
Peace with God is the prerequisite for the peace of God. Only those who have experienced reconciliation with God experience the peace of God.
In my limited experience I have found that often the peace of God becomes reality only when I have a clear conscience. If I have offended someone or been offended by someone, the peace of God seems to vanish like rain on a sandy desert in the summer heat of Arizona. However, when I take the initiative to make things right no matter who is the offender, the peace of God returns like a gentle, refreshing rain.
The ministry of reconciliation and the peace of God are joined together like two lovers walking hand in hand.
Endnotes
- Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, p. 245.
- Ibid., p. 246.
- Ibid., p. 247.
- lbid., p. 249.
- Ibid., p. 241, 242.
- 6. Reconciliation - April 23, 2026
- 5. Propitiation - April 16, 2026
- 4. Redemption - April 9, 2026