Reconciliation and Faith
As far as our relations with God go reconciliation is the re-establishment of a relationship. But it's more than that; it's a certain kind of re-establishment. Hostility has ceased. But it's more than that; it's the realignment of two hearts. Reconciliation isn't a unilateral affair; it involves both the estranged parties.
One of the parties (God) may make all the running and create the possibility of actual reconciliation but until the other lays down his arms (however many elements are involved in bringing that about)until the other lays down his arms and desires the peace of reconciliation then in fact no reconciliation has taken place between God and the sinner.
Atonement is the means by which the offensive thing is dealt with so that nothing stands in the way of the two parties being one again except the grateful receiving of the gift of at-oneness made possible by the sacrifice.
But the restored relationship, which is what constitutes "reconciliation", is a personal and an ethical relationship rather than a legal status conferred on someone. That is, there can be no status without the relationship and the relationship cannot be restored unless the heart of the transgressor (the sinner) is realigned with the offended one (God). God who is light cannot have fellowship with us who rejoice in being darkness and who choose to hold him in contempt.
The grateful receiving of the gift of reconciliation with God is by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith lays hold on that which Christ alone has accomplished for the sinner and it does it by laying hold on the Christ who alone has gained it. But what does we mean when we say "faith" lays hold on Christ? Of course faith involves some intellectual grasp and knowledge of Christ but beyond this faith is a surrender of the self to him. Faith is not simply an awed confession that Christ has done this and that for sinners, it is a commitment to Christ in light of all that he is and has done.
Faith endorses Christ! But what does it mean that faith endorses Christ? It means that who he is and what he has done to atone for our sin has our heart's approval and the commitment of our will. Christ's atoning work was not legal, it was ethical and what is called for in the accepting of that gracious gift is an ethical response. Faith is the response that embraces that ethical atonement.
The response of faith is fitted to the nature and aim of atonement, which is reconciliation with God. Simply reaching out to punish someone because some others have transgressed is not the biblical teaching about atonement. To punish the innocent and then call the impenitent "righteous" or "reconciled" because someone innocent was punished is objectionable. What's worse, that theory is provoked by legal considerations and it is itself manifestly illegal as well as unethical.
Christ atoned for sin by offering a child's holy obedience to his holy Father--an obedience consummated by death. Everything about the atoning work was ethical and relational and it aimed at bringing people to the realignment of their hearts and lives to God. The way in which he atoned spelled out the nature of reconciliation. Faith fully endorses that kind of atoning work and commits itself to live in the image of Christ.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.