Reconciliation
The word "reconciliation" refers to the process of changing
something thoroughly and adjusting it to something else that is
a standard. For example, when you adjust your watch to a time
signal, you are reconciling the watch to a time standard. Or when
you reconcile your checkbook, the standard to which you match
it is the bank's record of your account. On rare occasions the
bank must reconcile its accounts to yours.
In the Bible, reconciliation is the word used to refer to the
process by which God changes human beings and adjusts them to
the standard of His perfect character. Rom. 11:15 refers to the
"reconciling of the world". The Greek word used here
is the noun (katallagei). This word is also used in Rom. 5:11,
"...but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the reconciliation." Note that
man is not active in reconciliation and provides nothing toward
reconciliation. Read also 2 Cor. 5:17-21.
Reconciliation also appears in the verb form (katallasso), meaning
"to reconcile". It is used in the active voice in 2
Cor. 5:18 with the meaning of "reconciling someone to someone
else." In this case, God reconciles us to Himself, through
the Lord Jesus Christ. This verb in the passive voice means "to
be reconciled" or "to become reconciled", and it
is used in the case of man's relationship to God in Rom. 5:10
and 2 Cor. 5:20. The passive voice is also used in cases of reconciliation
between people, as in 1 Cor. 7:11 and Matt. 5:24.
Another Greek word translated "to reconcile" is (hilaskomai),
meaning "to reconcile" in the sense of providing propitiation,
as in Luke 18:13. It is used of the activity of the Lord Jesus
Christ as High Priest in making reconciliation for His people,
Heb. 2:17.
Rom. 5:6-11 points out that the whole world needs to be reconciled
to God. Note the adjectives in this passage which stress this
need: "ungodly", "without strength", "sinners",
"enemies".
Reconciliation is an important consideration in the study of the
doctrine of The Barrier. By the death of Christ on the Cross,
the world is thoroughly changed in its relationship to God, Eph.
2:14-18 and Col. 1:20-22. That is, through the Cross of Christ
the world is so altered in its position respecting the character
and judgment of God that God does not now impute sin to human
beings. The world is therefore rendered savable!
Because the position of the world before God is completely changed
through the substitutionary atonement of Christ, God's attitude
toward man is no longer be the same. God can now deal with souls
in the light of Christ's work.
Notice that God is never said to be reconciled to man. God is
immutable, so He does not change. Reconciliation is only possible
in one direction. What sometimes seems to be a change in God is
actually an unchanged attitude of God viewing a reconciled man.
God, having how accepted Christ's work, is able to continue to
be just toward man. He can now offer salvation.
A person profits from reconciliation by faith in the Gospel. Once
he becomes a believer, a person can partake in all of the blessings
which accompany his position in Christ, including the privileges
accruing from reconciliation.
The believer, in turn, has the responsibility of becoming a minister
of reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5:18-19. The truth of reconciliation
is one of the key salvation doctrines to be used in witnessing
to those without Christ.
Related doctrines to study: Propitiation, The Barrier, Furniture
of the Tabernacle