Strong’s Number G2624

 Reconciliation:

properly denotes “to change, exchange” (especially of money); hence, of persons, “to change from enmity to friendship, to reconcile.” With regard to the relationship between God and man, the use of this and connected words shows that primarily “reconciliation” is what God accomplishes, exercising His grace towards sinful man on the ground of the death of Christ in propitiatory sacrifice under the judgment due to sin, 2Cr 5:19, where both the verb and the noun are used (cp. No. 2, in Col 1:21). By reason of this men in their sinful condition and alienation from God are invited to be “reconciled” to Him; that is to say, to change their attitude, and accept the provision God had made, whereby their sins can be remitted and they themselves be justified in His sight in Christ.

God is a just God and in order for God to justify putting aside our sins on judgment day, He alone decides what justifies setting aside the death penalty and setting us free.

Note closely the issue of an exchange (of money) an exchange of one life for another.

Exodus 21:30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Dead men cannot sin. So consider ourselves dead to sin by the death of our Lord. At the same time consider ourselves alive in Christ because of His resurrection.

So, do we live to sin or live to love?

If we are still at odds with the whole issue and seem confused, don’t feel bad, wiser men than us have written about it. Paul wrote a whole chapter about this very thing in Romans 7.

“For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

Once again, what is that new commandment again? Ah yes, to love one another.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

If we were to summarize all that is written in the bible, this one simple sentence would be that conclusion.

Here is the problem with doing just this one thing, to love as Jesus loves us.

Do you feel the love that Jesus has for you? It is impossible to express something we do not feel. It is one thing to say He died for our sins when we still keep committing them. Why haven’t we stopped sinning? Maybe because sin is no longer the point of contention.

Ephesians 2:14-16 English Standard Version

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

The only way to feel His love for us is to be at peace with Him because His sacrifice put an end to the hostility between mankind and God. In Christ we both are reconciled to God, we cannot obtain the peace we seek without Him.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Colossians 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Romans 6:11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Do we live to sin or live to love?

2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As ambassadors, we do not speak for ourselves but for Christ who has sent us to love others.