In Paul's teaching, reconciliation is God's act of restoring hostile, estranged sinners to fellowship with Himself through the death of Christ — and then entrusting believers with that same message of reconciliation.
Paul writes that God, who reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, was in Christ reconciling the world, not counting men's trespasses against them. Les Feldick stresses that Christ died for every human being, making reconciliation available to the whole human race. Those who are reconciled receive the ministry of reconciliation and are to call others to be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 — Paul directly explains that God reconciled us through Christ and was in Christ reconciling the world.
Romans 5:10 — Paul states that we were reconciled to God by Christ's death and therefore shall be saved by His life.
Scripture uses reconciliation to describe the change God has made in the relationship between Himself and the world. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. It was God who took the initiative: He has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation and committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Paul also connects reconciliation to human enmity and salvation: 'For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' Thus Scripture presents reconciliation as God restoring His relationship with enemies through the cross, with salvation following from Christ's life.
Les Feldick defines reconciliation practically: when two people are estranged and come back together, that is reconciliation. He calls it 'a next of kin to redemption' because it is like being redeemed and brought back with a price. God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ — specifically through the work of the cross — and then He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Les insists this was not just for a few believers. He says God was in Christ reconciling the world, and he maintains that when Christ died He paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived. No one will be able to say God did not supply their need. The cross made reconciliation available to the whole human race. He also explains the believer's role: as citizens of Heaven living on earth, believers are given the ministry and word of reconciliation. When the Lord gives opportunity, they are to tell people trapped in Satan's web that God has already done everything needed to set them free. As Paul says, 'be ye reconciled to God' — believe it, and God will reckon you as reconciled.
Les Feldick explains that after God reconciled us through salvation, He did not stop there. He gave every believer the ministry of reconciliation. That ministry is not about door-knocking or grabbing people; rather, when God gives opportunity, believers are to tell a person caught in Satan's web that God has done everything necessary to set them free and reconcile them to Himself. Because our citizenship is in Heaven while we live on earth, this message of reconciliation is our assignment.
Les makes it emphatic: God was in Christ reconciling the world, not just the believers. He maintains that Christ died and paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived, so no one can ever say God did not supply their need. The work of the cross made reconciliation available to the whole human race. Yet it is on the condition of faith — Paul says, 'be ye reconciled to God,' and Les says when a person believes, God reckons him as reconciled.
Les Feldick says reconciliation is a next of kin to redemption. Redemption involves losing control of something and buying it back; reconciliation is what happens when estranged parties are brought back together into full fellowship. For the human race, God's purpose is reconciliation — He has already done it in Christ.
Paul teaches that being reconciled by Christ's death means we shall be saved by His life. Les adds that because Christ arose victorious over sin and death, believers have not only salvation for this life but for all eternity — eternal life is already within. The reconciled believer is then sent with the ministry of reconciliation to a lost world.
Wild Olive Tree Grafted In — What Romans 11 Says About Gentiles
things that were necessary to go, yes to the Jew as a Jew, but he could go to the Gentiles as a Roman. And it's just unique. And that's why of course he is the apostle that he is. Now let's go on into verse 14 and see if we can make a little headway. He says, "...if by any means I may provoke to emulation them who are of my flesh." In other words, his fellow Jews.
Reconciliation as Next of Kin to Redemption
Les explains that reconciliation, like redemption, brings estranged parties back together, and that God reconciled us through Christ and then gave believers the ministry of reconciliation.
Christ Reconciled the Whole World
Les stresses that God in Christ was reconciling the world, not just believers, and that Christ paid the sin debt for every human being.
Telling the Lost They Can Be Reconciled
Les says the ministry of reconciliation means telling someone wrapped in Satan's web that God has done everything needed to set them free and reconcile them to Himself.
God Wants to Reconcile the Whole Human Race
Les compares reconciliation to redemption and says God wants to bring the whole human race back into fellowship.
Citizens of Heaven with a Ministry
Les connects our heavenly citizenship to the ministry of reconciliation: after God reconciled us, He gave us this ministry.
Reconciliation Available to All; Salvation Through Christ's Life
Les says the cross made reconciliation available to the whole human race, and being reconciled, we are saved by Christ's risen life.
Be Ye Reconciled to God
Les says when Christ died, reconciliation was made possible; we now tell a lost world they have already been reconciled and to believe it.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Paul introduces the believer's new standing in Christ before explaining reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Paul defines God's reconciling work and the ministry that follows it.
2 Corinthians 5:19: 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.
Paul specifies that God was in Christ reconciling the world and not imputing trespasses.
2 Corinthians 5:20: 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.
Paul calls believers ambassadors who plead with the world to be reconciled.
Romans 5:10: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Paul shows that reconciliation by Christ's death leads to salvation by His life.
Reconciliation means bringing estranged parties back together into full fellowship. Paul says God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and was in Christ reconciling the world, not counting men's trespasses against them.
Les Feldick teaches that Christ died for every human being and paid the sin debt for the whole world. He bases this on Paul's statement that God was in Christ reconciling the world. The message of reconciliation is to be proclaimed to everyone.
After God reconciles a person to Himself, He gives that person the ministry of reconciliation. It means telling a lost world, when opportunity arises, that God has already done everything needed to set them free and reconcile them to Himself.
Watch the Teaching: Wild Olive Tree Grafted In — What Romans 11 Says About Gentiles