What does it mean that God was not imputing the world's trespasses during the cross?
It means that at the cross God was not charging the world's offenses against them. Through Christ's death He was reconciling the whole alienated world to Himself, not counting their trespasses, and He has committed this word of reconciliation to His ambassadors.
Les explains that reconciliation means taking two parties who have been alienated, at odds with one another, and bringing them back into fellowship. The world is set aside from God, at odds with Him and enemies of God, and God has done everything possible to reconcile them to Himself. Les points out that God was in Christ when He hung on the cross, reconciling not a few but the world, not imputing their trespasses. The work of the cross was the reconciling of the whole world. Hebrews says Christ tasted death for every man; He did not die for just the few believers but for the whole human race. Believers therefore carry this word of reconciliation as ambassadors in foreign territory.
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.
More Questions
What does it mean that God is not imputing their trespasses unto them?
The phrase 'not imputing their trespasses unto them' means that until a lost person dies and thereby loses his opportunity to believe the Gospel, his sins are not being held against him.