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Lesson 05 – Our Spiritual Assets – Reconciliation

Lesson 05 – Our Spiritual Assets – Reconciliation

Lesson for April 12, 2026

Our Spiritual Assets — Lesson 5

Reconciliation

II Corinthians 5:17-19 — “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; 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 wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

There are two Greek words for reconciliation. One word “diallasso,” means to reconcile two parties that are mutually hostile toward one another. The second word “katallasso,” means to reconcile two parties where only one party is hostile toward the other. “Katallasso” is the Greek word used for reconciliation to God. This means that it is mankind who is hostile to God and has become rebellious by means of Adam’s original sin and their inherent sin nature. It means that mankind is the enemy of God and needs to be reconciled to God.

“Katallasso” originally referred to change or to exchange money. Over time, it came to mean a change from being one’s enemy to being one’s friend. This is the meaning throughout the New Testament. At salvation, believers are reconciled to God. This means that believers are no longer God’s enemy, but that peace has been made as a result of their change of mind (the true meaning of repentance) towards Christ. (Romans 5:10)

Mechanics of Reconciliation

Ephesians 2:14-16 — “For He Himself is our peace, Who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the Cross, by it having put to death the hostility.”

Reconciliation is accomplished by the removal of a barrier that exists between God and mankind. Once this barrier is removed, the possibility exists for peace between them. The barrier that separates God from people is sin. Every person is born with a sin nature, which is passed down genetically from their father. They also possess Adam’s original sin, which is imputed to them at birth by God. It is Adam’s original sin that condemns us to spiritual death. Personal sins are committed because we possess a sin nature.

The “sin barrier” had to be removed so that people could have a relationship with God. We are talking about the spiritual mechanics that accomplish this for us. Jesus Christ is the Sin-bearer, which means that He was judged for our sin (Adam’s original sin and our personal sins). The judgment of sin satisfied the righteousness and justice of God. The person who accepts Jesus Christ as their “Sin-bearer” is immediately reconciled to God, having been placed in union with Him. This means that believers are no longer God’s enemy, but peace now exists between them. Since God is impartial and fair, anyone who believes in Christ as Savior will be reconciled to God.

What Paul was teaching in Ephesians 2:14-18 was that everyone in the Church Age (from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture) who personally believes in Jesus Christ as Savior becomes part of the body of Christ. Paul taught that there is no distinction in the body of Christ. There is no racial distinction, no social distinction, and no gender distinction. (Galatians 3:28)

Christ’s Spiritual Death

Colossians 1:19-20 — “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, whether things on earth or things in Heaven, having made peace through the blood of His Cross.”

The Cross is the point of reconciliation. This means that Jesus Christ took our place on the Cross. Christ was our substitute, accomplishing for us something that we could not accomplish for ourselves, reconciliation to God. Only Christ’s spiritual death (being judged for our sin) could satisfy the holiness (righteousness and justice) of God. Therefore, the spiritual death of Christ on the Cross is the instrument of reconciliation. Man’s good works fall well short of God’s righteousness, but “in Christ” believers possess divine righteousness. (Romans 3:23; II Corinthians 5:21)

It was God that took the initiative, not man. When man takes the initiative in an attempt to reconcile himself to God, it results in some form of religion based on human effort. When God took the initiative, He sent His Son to die as the payment for all sin for the entire human race (past, present, and future), which is grace.

The Results of Reconciliation

Colossians 1:21-23 — “And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

Paul was writing to believers to remind them of their previous life of unbelief and how they were now at peace with God by a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. These verses do not teach works for salvation. Paul is teaching these believers how to be presented holy and blameless before Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is for believers only.

And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death — The first part of this passage refers to Positional Sanctification. Let’s call it Salvation Reconciliation, which takes place instantaneously at the moment a person believes in Christ as Savior. This cannot be felt or seen; it takes place spiritually. The Greek word for alienated is “apallotrioo” and primarily denotes stranger or estrangement. The Greek word for hostile is “echthros,” and means to be an enemy or adversary. This means that prior to salvation, we were estranged from and the enemies of God. Since this estrangement occurs in the mind, it is our thinking that needs to be transformed before salvation. When a person responds positively to the message of the Gospel, they automatically change their mind (the true meaning of repentance) from lack of faith in Christ to faith in Christ. This faith in Christ means that peace now exists between them and God, and they are no longer estranged from or enemies of God. (Romans 5:1, 12:1-2)

If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard — The second part of this passage refers to Experiential Sanctification. Let’s call it Daily Reconciliation. After salvation, believers can become enemies of God by staying out of fellowship with Him for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, a different kind of reconciliation needs to be made since a believer can lose their fellowship with God.

Daily reconciliation to fellowship with God takes place in the life of believers after salvation by using the Rebound Technique of confessing your sins to God. (I John 1:9) Therefore, all believers have the potential of being presented holy and blameless at the Judgment Seat of Christ by continuing in the application of the faith (Bible doctrine). The word for holy and blameless is the Greek word “anenkletos,” and means with nothing laid to one’s charge after public investigation. But daily reconciliation depends on whether or not you continue in doctrine (the faith), being firmly established and steadfast in the full confidence of the Gospel. The Greek word for established is “themelioo,” meaning foundation. The Greek word for steadfast is “hedraios,” and means mentally stable. The Greek word for not shifting is “epimeno,” and means to remain. So, you will be presented with nothing laid to your account, if you remain on track by building a foundation of doctrinal truth in your mind and not sliding into reversionism.

Believers as the Ministers of Reconciliation

II Corinthians 5:18-20 — “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 wrongdoings 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.”

Believers are not only reconciled to God at salvation, but we also become God’s “ambassadors of reconciliation” to the world. This means that it is our responsibility to openly and boldly share the Gospel with others and at the same time have a Christ-like character that authenticates the message we are sharing. God uses people to communicate the message of salvation. It is, therefore, imperative that we learn how to share the Gospel with others clearly and effectively. It is not our job to coerce people into making a decision to believe in Christ. Our job is simply to make the Gospel clear. The Holy Spirit will make it understandable to the person with positive volition!