Paul in Romans 5:10 tells us that we were reconciled through the death of God’s Son, and in Colossians 1:20 we see that this reconciliation was “through the blood of His cross.” We were reconciled to God in the first step through the death of God’s Son as the propitiation for the believers’ sins. First John 2:2 says, “He is a propitiation concerning our sins, and not concerning ours only, but also concerning the whole world.” The Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 9:28), not only for our redemption but also for God’s satisfaction. In Him as our Substitute, through His vicarious death, God is satisfied and appeased. Hence, Christ is the propitiation between God and us (1 John 4:10). Hebrews 2:17 tells us that Christ made propitiation for our sins. The Lord Jesus made propitiation for our sins to appease God’s righteousness and thereby to reconcile us to God by satisfying the demand of His righteousness. Since Christ made propitiation for our sins, 1 Corinthians 15:3 says plainly, “Christ died for our sins.” Through His death, with the shedding of His blood on the cross, we have been reconciled to God in position.
The problem of being an enemy is even more serious than the problem that necessitates propitiation. Sinners need propitiation; enemies need reconciliation. Propitiation mainly deals with sins, whereas reconciliation deals with enmity as well as sins. Therefore, reconciliation includes propitiation. Romans 5 tells us that before we were saved we were both sinners and enemies. As sinners we needed propitiation, and as enemies we needed reconciliation. Herein lies the difference between propitiation and reconciliation: propitiation is for sins; reconciliation is both for sins and enmity.
Reconciliation is based on Christ’s redemption (Rom. 5:10, 11) and was accomplished through God’s justification (2 Cor. 5:18-19; Rom. 5:1, 11). Hence, reconciliation is the issue of redemption with justification.
As those who have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, we have peace toward God. Reconciliation with justification issues in peace. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Having reconciled us to God, Christ has “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20b).
We have been reconciled to God in the first step in order to be saved in the life of God’s Son. “If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in His life” (Rom. 5:10). Reconciliation to God through Christ in the first step has been accomplished already, but to be saved in Christ’s life from so many negative things is still a daily matter. Yes, we have been forgiven, freed, washed, sanctified, justified, and reconciled to God in the first step. However, there are still many things from which we need to be saved in Christ’s life. On the one hand, we have been reconciled to God; on the other hand, we still need to be saved in the life of God’s Son.