Reconciling The World

“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. 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.”

(2 Corinthians 5:19-20 KJV)

Reconciliation is, in essence, our factory reset to the default position. Reconciliation is God restoring us to our original good grace, in-favor status with Him. When Paul says that God was, “reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them” he is saying that God has erased man’s sins off the books and that mankind has regained his pre-fall status with Him. But all of this restoration and reconciliation hangs on the following, “God was in Christ”. The only way to be forgiven of sin and presentable to God is through Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must accept and confess Christ, but most importantly, we must live Christ.

But wait, it gets better! What God did through Christ, He has committed, or appointed us to do the same! Not only are we forgiven of our sins, but we can forgive the sin of others, and in so doing restore and reconcile relationships.

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

“Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (John 20:23)

We, who are made in the image of God have this power of restoration and reconciliation when we are in Christ and Christ in us. We are made in the image of God and imbued with His Spirit!

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:5-6).

We are ambassadors for Christ! Go, be ye reconciled to God and then set about the business of restoring and reconciling folks back to God’s good graces.

You can remit. You can retain. God remitted sin through Christ. So should we.

Bill Hitchcock