© F.O’Donoghue 2007
The Greek words for reconciliation are; a.) Katallasso the verb, and katallage in noun form. katallasso means ‘to change from enmity’ or ‘disharmony’ to ‘friendship and harmony’ or ‘to reconcile’;
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
In order to understand what scripture teaches us about reconciliation, we need to understand the barriers that exist between fallen man and God. The barrier, or literally ‘the wall of partition’ mentioned in Eph 2:14, referred historically to the dividing wall within the temple in Jerusalem. This wall separated the Gentile court from the rest of the temple, excluding the Gentiles from the inner sanctuaries. This wall was representative of the spiritual barrier that stands between God and man, preventing access into God’s holy presence. The Jews were allowed beyond the dividing wall due to their God-given sacrificial system, but this all pointed forward to the person and work of Christ; the Messiah, the One who would make peace for all men and remove the barrier once and for all. The barrier exists on account of man’s sin and God’s holiness, because the two are as darkness and light, and are in themselves irreconcilable. Where one exists, the other cannot.
More is said in the Bible regarding God’s holiness than of His love. Isaiah 57:15 even declares that His name is holy. Holiness is absolute perfection and purity. In Isaiah 6:3, the Prophet, (Isaiah) cries out fearfully; “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Habakkuk also speaks of the holiness of God saying; “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:” (Hab. 1:13).
John wrote, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
In Gen 18:25, Abraham proclaims God as the Judge of all the earth who would act in accordance with His holy justice; In 2 Tim 4:8, Paul calls God ‘the righteous Judge’. In Deuteronomy 32:4, Moses speaks of God’s holy character.
God cannot, and will not act contrary to His holy character. He is completely righteous in all that He does, so how can He have fellowship with unrighteous man? How can God reconcile His holiness with man’s depravity? God is just and merciful, but He has to judge all that is not holy, and He cannot look upon sin of any kind. God cannot be partial or unfair, therefore He deals with man in perfect justice, however, this means all unrighteousness and sin must be judged and separated from Him.
All sin creates a barrier between God and man which hinders access to God. This is true for the unbeliever who can only come to God through Christ, but it is also true for the believer in Christ. Even through salvation, those who have access to God in Christ, must first confess and repent, so that fellowship can be restored and God can answer prayer.
Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
The barrier of sin is one of the reasons why God, in His sovereign love, gave His Son to die on the cross for man’s sin; It is so that we might be reconciled to God.
Reconciliation is the means by which the sinner, separated and alienated from God by the barrier of sin, is restored to fellowship with a holy God. The work of God through Christ on the cross results in the reconciliation of the believing sinner to God.
Reconciliation is where we regain peace with God; a work accomplished through the love, holiness, goodness, and grace of God alone. It is entirely by His doing that we come to be in Christ Jesus, and to His glory;
1 Cor 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
The agent of reconciliation is the Lord Jesus Christ alone, who personally suffered and died for all the world, bearing the cause of man’s alienation (sin), in His body on the cross;
Rom 5:10-11 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
2 Cor 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Col 1:20-22 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1 Pet 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
The object of reconciliation is man and not God. He is propitiated, while man is reconciled. Man is the one who is at enmity with God, and so must be brought back into relationship with Him. Believers are recipients of a relationship of peace and harmony brought about by God, who through Christ, reconciles the world to Himself;
2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
The means of reconciliation is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross;
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Reconciliation removes the barrier of those things which separate man from God thereby removing the penalty of sin, which is spiritual death & unrighteousness;
Eph 2:14-18 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Through reconciliation, the believer receives justification, sanctification, and a perfect standing before God;
Rom 5:1,2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The ministry of reconciliation allows God to justify the believing sinner through faith in Christ, therby changing the relationship with Him from one of hostility to one of righteousness and harmony…peace with God.
