Reconciliation

Still moving through John Stott’s great book on The Cross of Christ, we come to the fourth image of salvation – reconciliation.

In this image, we leave the temple precincts, slave-markets and lawcourts, and come home to our family and friends.

Reconciliation is the answer to alienation, and to all who feel alienated reconciliation sounds like the good news that it is.

Reconciliation begins with a restored relationship with God, Rom 5:9-11 (note the parallel in this passage between reconciliation and justification).  The idea is closely linked with those of ‘adoption’ (Jn 1:12f; 1 Jn 3:1-10) and ‘access’ (Rom 5:1f; Eph 2:17f; 1 Pet 3:18; Heb 10:19-22).

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is God’s answer to our alienation. According to 2 Cor 5:14 – 6:2, God is the author, Christ is the agent, and we are the ambassadors of reconciliation.