Reconciliation is God restoring a world alienated from Him to fellowship with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ.
Les Feldick defines reconciliation as taking two parties who are alienated and at odds with one another and bringing them back into fellowship. God accomplished this in Christ, reconciling not a few but the world. The moment a sinner takes God's offer of salvation, he makes peace with God—no longer an enemy or outcast, but a child of God.
2 Corinthians 5:18 — This verse directly states that God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and gave believers the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19 — This verse reveals that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.
The Apostle Paul writes, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). The verse emphasizes that reconciliation is something God does; its origin is in Him, it is accomplished through Jesus Christ, and it results in a ministry of reconciliation being committed to believers. The next verse explains the scope and means: "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" (2 Corinthians 5:19). God was in Christ, so the reconciliation was directed to the world, and in that act God was not counting people's trespasses against them.
Les Feldick defines reconciliation in everyday terms: it is taking two parties who have been alienated and are at odds with one another and bringing them back into fellowship. The world is set aside from God and at odds with Him, yet God has done everything possible to reconcile the world to Himself. Reconciliation is "a next of kin to redemption"—both deal with bringing something back, redemption by buying back with a price and reconciliation by restoring estranged parties to each other. Les emphasizes the scope of God's work: "God was in Christ, reconciling not a few, but the world." 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 his need. But Les is careful to add that this does not mean the whole world is going to be saved. Reconciliation to God personally takes place when a sinner takes God's offer of salvation. At that moment, as Les puts it, "you made peace with God"—there is no longer enmity, and the person is no longer an outcast but a child of God. Les also stresses the ministry side: when God reconciled us, He gave us the ministry and word of reconciliation. Every believer, as opportunity arises, is to tell a person "wrapped in Satan's web" that God has done everything that needed to be done to set him or her free and reconcile him or her to Himself.
Les says reconciliation is a next of kin to redemption. When two people are estranged and come back together, that is reconciliation—the same thing, practically, as being redeemed and brought back with a price. Redemption involves losing control of something and buying it back, while reconciliation involves people separated by a gross disagreement and brought back together. Both describe what God did through the work of the cross.
Les quotes 2 Corinthians 5:19 that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world." He warns, "Be careful, that doesn't mean the whole world is going to be saved." Instead, he maintains that when Christ died, He paid the sin debt for every human being that has ever lived, so no one can say God didn't supply his need. Yet a person is saved and makes peace with God only when he takes God's offer of salvation.
Les says God not only reconciled us but also gave us a ministry of reconciliation. As God gives opportunity, believers are to tell a lost person that God has done everything that needed to be done to set him or her free and reconcile him or her to Himself. Paul writes that God "hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." The believer's part is to be ready to jump on the opportunity God gives.
How Are We Reconciled to God? 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Explained
We are not supported by any group. I'm not a pastor. I do not have a church backing us. We just totally depend on the gifts of you, the listeners, and so far God hWe don't ever have a surplus, but on the other hand, we don't have anybody knocking on our doors asking for their bills to be paid, so we just trust the Lord as we go.
Defining Reconciliation
Les defines reconciliation as taking two alienated parties at odds and bringing them back into fellowship; God in Christ was reconciling not a few but the world.
Reconciliation and Redemption
Les calls reconciliation next of kin to redemption and explains that God reconciled us to Himself by the work of the cross, giving us a ministry of reconciliation.
Restoring Broken Fellowship
Les compares reconciliation to bringing separated people back into full fellowship, just as redemption buys back something lost; God wants to do this with the whole human race.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Les says God gives believers opportunity to tell those wrapped in Satan's web that God has done everything needed to set them free and reconcile them to Himself.
Don't Read Universal Salvation
Les warns that reconciliation of the world does not mean the whole world will be saved, and quotes 2 Corinthians 5:18 about the ministry of reconciliation.
Christ Paid the Sin Debt for All
Les says God was in Christ reconciling the world, not just believers, and that Christ paid the sin debt for every human being who has ever lived.
Making Peace with God
Les teaches that at salvation the sinner is reconciled through the cross, makes peace with God, and is no longer an enemy or outcast but a child of God.
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 states that reconciliation is God's work through Jesus Christ and that it produces a ministry of reconciliation.
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.
This verse shows the universal scope of God's reconciling work in Christ and that trespasses are not imputed to the world.
According to Les Feldick, reconciliation means taking two parties that are alienated and at odds with one another and bringing them back into fellowship. God does this for the whole world through Jesus Christ.
No. Les Feldick says the fact that God reconciled the world does not mean the whole world is going to be saved. Christ paid the sin debt for every human being, but a person makes peace with God when he takes God's offer of salvation.
When God reconciled us, He gave us a ministry of reconciliation. As believers are given opportunity, they are to tell lost people that God has done everything needed to set them free and reconcile them to Himself.
Watch the Teaching: How Are We Reconciled to God? 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Explained