What does the Bible teach concerning reconciliation? Should man be reconciled to God or God be reconciled to man?
Let us consider 2 Corinthians 5:18-20: “But all things are out from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not accounting their offenses to them, and has put in us the word of reconciliation. On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.” These verses show us one thing. There is a common misconception that if a person wants salvation, he must desperately plead until God changes His mind. But the Bible does not say this. God is not a God of hatred. There is no problem on His side. Man tends to think that God’s heart is very hard. Therefore, he feels compelled to constantly plead for pity and forgiveness, fearing that God will change His mind toward him. This concept comes from a lack of understanding the Bible.
“But all things are out from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Consequently, if a man thinks that God initially hated him and that he must plead, confess, repeatedly cry, and offer much penance before God can forgive him, he is wrong. In fact, God is reconciling man to Himself through Christ. When Christ was on earth He represented God. He did everything for man with the purpose of expressing God. Christ’s love toward man on earth expressed God’s love in heaven. Ultimately, God prepared a Savior for us. He died on the cross and was punished for us. Therefore, God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. God is at peace with us. He has no problem with us. How He deals with us is altogether contrary to our thought.
“And has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” The ministry of the apostles is to persuade man to be reconciled to God. Man thinks that he must entreat God for pity and love. He is totally ignorant that God loves man to the uttermost. God longs for man to be reconciled to Himself. Therefore, the apostles preached in order to beseech men to be reconciled to God; they never pleaded for God to be reconciled to man.
How did God reconcile us to Himself? By “not accounting their offenses to them.” God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ by not accounting our offenses to us.
“On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.” This verse says that the apostles beseeched on behalf of Christ that we would be reconciled to God. They did not ask God to be reconciled to us. Man thinks that God is not willing to be reconciled to him. Actually, God commissioned us to beseech men to be reconciled to Himself. The command we receive from God is to beseech men on His behalf that they be reconciled to God. We do not need to plead with God; we need to beseech men to receive what God has bestowed on them. Man does not need to pitifully pray to God; he only needs to believe and accept what Christ has accomplished.
Does not God hate sin? God no doubt hates sin. But if any man receives the Lord Jesus Christ, God will forgive him. Therefore, we have to be careful to not be misled to think that there is hate in God’s heart toward man.
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