Jesus Came to Die to Reconcile Us to God

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Jesus Came to Die to Reconcile Us to God

25 October 2009 No Comment

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Romans 5:10
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Chapter 21 of John Piper’s book, “50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die” talks about reconciliation. What is reconciliation? Dictionary.com defines the word “reconcile” in 3 different ways:
1) to settle a quarrel or dispute
2) to bring into agreement or harmony
3) to establish or reestablish a close relationship

What is the dispute between us and God? The issue that separates us is our sin. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” A close relationship with God is only possible because Jesus died for our sins.

Most of us don’t like to think of ourselves as enemies of God. In fact, some people are quite offended when they are told that they are an enemy of God. That’s because those who say they believe in God would not even imagine that they are at odds with God. They would rely on their own good works to please God.

Piper writes that most people don’t feel conscious hostility to God but the hostility towards God is manifested in insubordination and indifference. It manifests itself in lifting up other things above God. Romans 8:7 says, “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile towards God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot”.

But the bible says that we do need reconciliation. Good works can’t make us righteous. We can only find righteousness through the death of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

But why are we at odds with God and why do we need to be reconciled? We are at odds with God because of our sin. God’s character is holy and just and he must punish sin. Without reconciliation we are doomed to eternal destruction in hell.

John Piper writes, “Our attitude toward God must be changed from defiance to faith. And God’s attitude to us must be changed from wrath to mercy.” On our side, we must believe and repent. On God’s side, he knew that justice must be served and that there needed to be a payment for sin, which is why he sent Jesus to die and be that payment for our sin. The death of Christ brought about reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

The question at hand then is, “Have you been reconciled to God?” Do you have a right relationship with him?

Jesus took the steps to remove our judgment. Piper states, “Reconciliation from our side is simply to receive what God has already done, the way we receive an infinitely valuable gift.”