Top 7 Bible Verses About Reconciliation

What are some of the top Bible verses about reconciliation?  What exactly is reconciliation?

Reconciliation is…

The idea of reconciliation acknowledges the fact that there is a separation between two or more parties and God has declared that our sins have separated us from Him (Isaiah 59:1-2) so we need to be reconciled back to God but we have a sin problem.  I know of two people who allowed something to create a wedge between them and try as I might to have them be reconciled to one another, both have refused to humble them self’s so that reconciliation between the two seems impossible.   For the person who has never repented and trusted in Christ, they are presently separated from God but there is a way to be reconciled to God and the Bible verses we will include here will show us how this can be done.

Reconciliation through Christ

Second Corinthians 5:18-19 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be reconciled back to God because through His own life, death, and resurrection, God will not count our trespasses (sins) against us.  The underlying message of the gospel is the message of reconciliation…where through Christ, God has reconciled us back to Himself.

Reconciliation Through Christ’s Blood

Colossians 1:19-22 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”

In the Old Testament’s sacrificial system, animal sacrifices were used to show the seriousness of sin and even though these could only cover sins, they could never take them away.  It took the blood of a perfect, holy, sinless sacrifice to atone for our sins.  Jesus’ blood didn’t just cover our sins…it took them away so that we who were alienated from God and lived in hostility toward God, “he has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death” and this was done “in order to present [us as] holy and blameless and above reproach before” God.

Reconciled by Christ’s Death

Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Before you were saved, you were still an enemy of God and a wicked sinner (Rom5:8) and even though we still sin, we who have trusted in Christ will sin less by the Power of the Holy Spirit.  It was through Jesus’ death that we were reconciled or restored to a right relationship with God.  It was certainly not anything that we actually did because our works are useless to save us (Eph 2:8-9).

Reconciled to One Another

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

As I mentioned earlier, I know two people who refused to be reconciled to one another and they did not follow the biblical model that Jesus gave us in Matthew 18.  Here Jesus shows us that if someone sins against us we should “go and tell him his fault” in the hopes that they can be reconciled or restored to a relationship with them.  If they listen, then the relationship can be reconciled and “you have gained your brother” but if not, the next step is to “take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Matt 18:16).  This process is not to prove who is necessarily right or who is wrong but the goal is to have the relationship restored so that both can be reconciled to one another.

Atonement is like Reconciliation

Leviticus 8:15 “And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.”

The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to Christ and the need to have blood be shed for the covering or remission of sins.  The blood was “to make atonement” (or reconciliation) for it” or the sin that the sacrifice was being made for.  As the author of Hebrews says, “without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness {or remission) of sins” (Heb 9:22) and without the remission of sins, there can be no reconciliation or forgiveness.

Redemption and Reconciliation

Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Redemption comes only through Jesus Christ and His perfect, sinless life was the only sacrifice that was able to satisfy (or propitiate) the wrath of God.  Without this and a rejection of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God remains on the unregenerate person (John 3:36b).  It was through Jesus’ blood that “the forgiveness of our trespasses” could come and it was infinitely costly which shows the “riches according to his grace.”

Reconciled Through His Body

Ephesians 2:16 “and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

Christ “himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14) that had separated us from God.  This is what the curtain in the temple symbolized…a separation between sinful man and a holy God but Jesus’ flesh broke down this wall of hostility between God and us and this what reconciliation is.  It could only come through Jesus death on the cross and this costly death put away God’s hostility toward us so that we might be reconciled to God.

Conclusion

If you have never repented and trusted in Christ, listen to what Jesus says about your present condition; “whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36b).  Without your repentance and trusting in Christ, His shed blood cannot reconcile you to God and then you have only this to look forward to; “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15) so I beg you to consider making today your day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon