God And Sinners Reconciled

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

THEME: The estranged unbeliever can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Now then, we who are reconciled to God have the ministry of reconciliation.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 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. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, KJV)  

The term reconcile occurs a number of times in various forms in this short passage. It is here God affords us incredible insight into His great work of spiritual reunion. Reconciliation involves God, on the basis of Christ’s death, eliminating the cause of hostility between Himself and humanity, making possible a complete and maturing relationship. Of course the rift and hostility was caused by our sinfulness, but God eliminated the impact of sin through the cross of Jesus Christ for all who truly believe.

Yes, humanity’s relationship with God was completely broken by our sinfulness; life with God is entirely restored the moment we place our trust in Christ Jesus. Consider four truths from this passage that will set us up to understand and explore all it means to be reconciled to God through Christ.

I.  The Meaning of Reconciliation (5:18)

2 Cor 5:18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

     WHAT IT IS: THE MEANING OF RECONCILIATION

Reconciliation means to change thoroughly, to change from enmity to friendship, to bring together, to restore. The idea is that two persons who should have been together all along are brought together; two persons who have allowed something to come between them are restored and reunited.

Esau and Jacob in Genesis 33, illustrates the essential meaning of reconciliation. The offense or the sin that broke Esau and Jacob’s union was the fact that Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. As a result, Esau vowed to kill him. There was great hostility between them and they were separated for about twenty years.  Now in Genesis 33 amends are made and Esau and Jacob were reunited, they were restored, and reconciled! So is it with us and God, at the place of Calvary humanity is reconciled to God!

     WHY IT IS: THE NECESSITY OF RECONCILIATION

As sinners we were at odds with god; we were his enemies.

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.

The fact that we were enemies of God establishes our need for reconciliation. Not only were we His enemies we were objects of His wrath. The thing that broke the relationship between God and man was sin.  Men are enemies of God (Rom. 5:10), and the word enemies refer to the fact that humanity has become sinners and ungodly (Rom. 5:6 & 8). Thus, our great need for reconciliation!  Our state of estrangement could not have been more serious, nor the need for a change, a reconciliation, more urgent.

The sinner is antagonistic toward God, opposing what He stands for. The unbeliever rebels against God, he rejects God, curses God, he ignores God, he disobeys God, he will deny God, he fights against God, he refuses to live for God! This is routinely practice; it characterizes their lives. Actually this description sounds like some ‘Christians’ I know!

The great point about reconciliation is that God did not save us when we became righteous and good enough. No, He saved us when we were His enemies riveted on continuing to fight against Him.

Colossians 1:21-22, says, And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22, In the body of his flesh through death, to present (show and bring us before) you holy (separated from sin and unto God) and unblameable (blameless, no charge can stand against us) and unreproveable (un-accused, irreproachable) in his sight:

Reconciliation displays the goodness, love, holiness, and power of God to atone for man’s sin. It even demonstrates the unchangeableness of God!

II. The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:18)

There are three persons involved in reconciliation.

2 Cor 5:18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

        GOD INITIATED IT

2 Cor 5:18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

               1.  Man Does Not Deserve Nor Earn Reconciliation: “And all things are of God”

If man is to be reconciled to God then he must come back to God because only God can make a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). 

Ring the bells of heaven! there is joy today For a soul, returning from the wild! See! the Father meets him out upon the way, Welcoming His weary, wand'ring child (Lk 15:7; 10–24; 2 Co 5:18). –William O. Cushing, Author

               2.  Only God Can Effect the Changing of a Mans Heart that He Should Turn to God.  God is the one who draws man and reaches out to man to reconcile him to himself.  As men we simply receive reconciliation that is atonement for our sin making reconciliation possible.

Religion is man’s feeble effort to be reconciled to God, efforts that are bound to fail!

        CHRIST SECURED IT

2 Cor 5:18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

We are reconciled to God by the death of Jesus Christ.  When a man believes that Christ died for him. . . .    

• God accepts the death of Christ for the death of mankind
• God accepts the sins borne by Christ as the payment for the sins of the mankind
• God accepts the condemnation borne by Christ as the condemnation due to mankind

As a result the believer is freed from his sins and the punishment due his sins because Christ has borne it all in his stead. Therefore the believer is accepted by God and reconciled to God forever and ever!

What Could Remove Her Sin?

At a great assembly of religions, held in Chicago many years ago, specifically every known religion was represented, and many scholarly speeches were delivered.

During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook, of Boston, suddenly rose and said: “Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with a great sorrow. Blood stains are on her hands, and nothing she has tried will remove them. The blood is that of murder, and nothing will take away the stain. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?” A hush fell upon the gathering as the speaker turned from one to another for an answer. Not one of the company replied.

Raising his eyes heavenwards, Dr. Cook then cried out, “I will ask another question. John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her awful sin?” The great preacher waited, as if listening for a reply. Suddenly he cried, “Listen, John speaks: “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).”

Not a soul broke the silence; the representatives of Eastern religions and Western cults sat speechless. In the face of human need, they were without any message of hope. The Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet the need. The sin of the human race demands the blood of Calvary. —The Evangelist

(Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1193). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)

        BELIEVERS TELL IT

2 Cor 5:18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

The reason you and I have been reconciled to God is because someone took seriously the ministry of reconciliation and shared with us how Christ died for our sins that we might be reconciled to God.  I wonder how seriously we are taking this ministry of reconciliation as churches and individuals.

Rom 10:14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Preachers and Ministers of Reconciliation)

1 Cor 3:6, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase (Fruitfulness)

1 Cor 3:9, For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.  (Effectiveness)

Mark 16:20, And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Power and Boldness)

The fact that the Lord is working with us in the ministry of reconciliation reassures us of Fruitfulness, Effectiveness, Power, and Boldness! Trust Him to make your witness effective.

III. The Message of Reconciliation (5:19)

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 study of this great Bible teaching brings several questions to mine.  For instance, How can God be united with sinners, when He is Holy, Undefiled and Separated from sinners? If Reconciliation means to change thoroughly, then what is it about God that changed? Is not He the unchangeable, immutable God? How are sinners made righteous and sinless that they may be reconciled to God? What is the basic objective in God’s Reconcilement Program?”

The answers are found when we consider HOW God worked out His program of Reconciliation. Therein we discover the very message that brings us back into a correct relationship to God!

       GOD PROVIDES THE MEANS OF RECONCILIATION THROUGH CHRIST

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.

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.

God accomplished the great task through the person Jesus Christ.  The phrase “God was in Christ” is not emphasizing Christ’s deity but the work that God accomplished through Christ when He died for our sin.  That is God was actively removing that very element that caused the estrangement between God and man—SIN. God does not need to be reconciled nor changed, but He did change the situation of mankind and made reconciliation possible. God through Christ gave hope to the hopeless!  This took care of man’s sin! (MacDonald)

No Price Too High

Mrs. Samuel Untermyer, wife of the late lawyer, once cabled her husband from Europe about a Gobelin tapestry she had found: the price was $25,000, and she wanted to know if she should buy it. “No,” was Untermyer’s reply. “Price too high.” But she returned from Europe with the tapestry and, when her husband asked why she had disregarded his reply, she showed him the cable. It read: “NO PRICE TOO HIGH.”

For man’s redemption, God thought no price was too high, even the blood of His Son.

(Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 1193–1194). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)

       GOD DOES NOT CREDIT SIN TO BELIEVERS’ ACCOUNTS

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.

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.

It is true that God is holy, just, good, and completely righteous and that He will never deny any of these morale attributes to merely overlook the serious sins of us unbelievers. The question before us then is how is it that sinners are made righteous and sinless that they can be reconciled to God?

Again God was able to accomplish this through Christ’s Death and Life!  

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.

          1.  God Gives the Credit For My Sin to Christ and Not to Me as a Believer.  2 Cor 5: 19, “not imputing their trespasses unto them....” Then 2 Cor 5:21, says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin....”

God put on the Crucified Christ (Death of Christ) the credit for my sins and He died for them.  All those sins were paid for and God no longer holds them against us, because we have trusted Christ as Savior!

           2.   God Gives the Credit For Christ’s Righteousness to Me as a Believer. 2 Cor. 5: 21, says “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

God puts on my spiritual account (Input) “Righteousness”, that of Christ (Sinless Life of Christ).  Then he puts on my account “Sinless,” again that of Christ.  This would take care of my past sins also.

Just as I can go down to the bank and set up a direct deposit of $50 into your bank account, so has God DEPOSITED RIGHTEOUSNESS into the spiritual accounts of every believer. And just as I can go down to the bank and withdraw all the money out of my account and leave it empty, so has God withdrawn all the sin on our spiritual accounts and left them ‘Sinless’.  We are thus reconciled as sinners but saved by Christ’s life! 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. Presently Jesus Christ continues in the power of an endless and sinless life and we are saved by His life.

       GOD COMMITTED THE GOSPEL OF RECONCILIATION TO BELIEVERS

2 Cor 5:19-20, 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.

             1.   The Word of Reconciliation is the Gospel, Even the Gospel of Peace

                        a. We Are To Preach the Gospel of Peace.

Rom 10:15, And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

                        b. We Ought to Be Prepared and Eager to Share The Gospel of Peace

Eph 6:15, And your feet shod with the preparation (Eagerness) of the gospel of peace;

                        c. We Enjoy Peace With God Because We Are Reconciled

Rom 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:   (What a change because of reconciliation, no longer at war, but at peace with God)

             2.   The Believer is an Ambassador for Christ

2 Cor. 5:20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

The Ambassador belongs to the one who sent him; he is commissioned by the one who sent him; he possesses the authority of the one who sent him, he shares the message of the one who sent him.

Since Christians in this world are ambassadors of Christ, this means that the World is in rebellion against God.  This world is the enemy of God and stands desperately in need of reconciliation.  But God is concerned and has sent out His Ambassadors to declare peace not war!

What a HIGH HONOR to be an Ambassador of a far country called Heaven and the KING of KINGS. In God’s Program of Reconcilement there must be a means of propagating this message to the World.  Dignity and Privilege are two reasons why we need not be ashamed or embarrassed about sharing the Gospel of Christ.

IV. The Mandates of Reconciliation (5:20)

2 Cor 5:20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. “Be ye reconciled to God”!

       SINNER, ANSWER THE CALL TO SALVATION

2 Cor 6:2, (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

       SAINT, OBEY THE COMMAND TO SERVE (Mature in Relationship to God) “Be reconciled to God!”

              1.  Become a More Effective and Eager Witness

              2.  Send Out More Missionaries and Personally Considering the Ministry

              3.  Draw Nearer to God Personally, the Essence of True Spiritual Maturity.

              4.  Grow in Appreciation for the Goodness of God Towards Us when we were Hostile Sinners

So, once again reconciliation is God taking initiative based on Christ’s death to eliminate the cause of hostility between Himself and fallen humanity.  By doing so, He makes possible a complete and maturing relationship between Himself and believers. Yes, the hostility points back to our sinfulness, but our sin was paid entirely through the blood of Christ’s cross.

Reconciliation means to change thoroughly, to change from enmity to friendship, to bring together, to restore. Through the work of Jesus Christ we believers have been restored to God! And there is still room for more….        

We who have been reconciled to God have been given the ministry of reconciliation and are charged to be reconciled to God. Let us intentionally strive to be good ambassadors for Christ!

Beloved, this is God’s Program of Reconciliation:

• God provided reconciliation through Christ    
• God does not credit sin to the Believer
• God committed the Gospel of reconciliation to us Believers

We who have been reconciled have the charge to grow and progress in our fellowship with and service to God!

If you are still and enemy of God, I invite you to accept God’s provision for reconciliation, Jesus Christ! Trust him today!