Reconciled to God while enemies !

Who is this World in 2 Cor 5:19 ?

2 Cor 5:19

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Is this world everyone without exception ? By no means, in fact the verse tells us who are comprised of this World.

Its everyone that has been reconciled to God, that God has reconciled to Himself ! Now does that apply to every human being without exception ? No it does not !

Secondly, its everyone that has not and God will not impute their sins unto them !

In other words, its a world of blessed men and women who David calls blessed here Ps 32:1-2

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

And Paul quotes the same in Rom 4:7-8

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Its a world full of men and women whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered !

Its a world full of folk that God will not impute sin, lay it to their charge ! And please note it says He will not do it, ever, not now, not in the future !

John Gill comments on Rom 4:8

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. As he does not to those whom he justifies in Christ, and by his righteousness; for the sins of such he has imputed to his Son, as their surety; and he has bore them, took them away, having made full satisfaction for them; so that these persons will never be charged with them: they now appear before the throne without fault, and are blameless and irreproveable in the sight of God, and therefore must be eternally happy; for he will never think of their sins any more to their hurt; he will remember them no more; he "will never reckon them to them", but acquit them from them, justify and accept them; wherefore they must be secure from wrath and condemnation, enjoy much peace and comfort now, and be happy hereafter.

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That's who the World is in 2 Cor 5:19, those who are #1 Reconciled to God, #2 Have no sins charged to them !

Is that all without exception ? Jesus shall say to many who evidently have iniquity laid to their charge this Matt 7:23

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Now how could they possibly be of those which it is said Ps 32:1-2

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. See Rom 4:7-8

which are those in 2 Cor 5:19

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 11

Who is this World in 2 Cor 5:19 ? 2

The world in 2 Cor 5:19 cannot be inclusive of any individual who is not reconciled to God, or who is unreconciled !

Therefore the message in Vs 20 2 Cor 5:19-20

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

This message or command cannot be to the unreconciled, that would contradict Vs 19, that they were already reconciled to God also Vs 18

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

So the Gospel command in Vs 20 " be ye reconciled to God" is not to anyone who is not already reconciled to God, the unreconciled !

Then why does Paul tell reconciled folk to be ye reconciled ? Its because, the word of Truth begets Faith in them, its a call to Faith, for Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the word of God Rom 10:17 !

The Truth is that they already are reconciled to God by and through Christ, and when they hear that Truth by the power of the Holy Spirit, they are commanded to believe it, they are commanded to believe what is already True ! There believing it doesn't make it true, it was true before they believed, and when they were enemies Rom 5:10 ! There believing it was Gods way of giving them personal knowledge of it and assurance of it !

Reconciled/Justified before God while being enemies !

Rom 5:9-10

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

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.

Now heres Grace, Being Reconciled to God, Justified before God, by the Death of His Son, while being enemies, that's the purport of these verses, meaning while those Jesus Christ died for were in a active state of rebellion, enmity, fighting and resisting God, they were completely Righteous before Him, and on their way to Eternal Glory ! For example, to further Illustrate what i mean, remember Paul the Apostle, when he was saul the persecutor of the Church / Believers in Christ, as here Acts 9:1

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

Yes, while he was actively breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, he was nevertheless reconciled to God, Justified and Righteous before Him, and on his way to Eternal Glory, even at that very moment ! He did not need to repent, believe, pray, or be water baptized or any of that, it was already a fact as much as Christ his Surety and forerunner was already in Glory in his behalf, and that's a fact, and the reason for that is simply the death of Christ, Gods Son for him, that's it ! And so it is with all for whom Christ died !

Reconciled while being enemies !

False religionists, who reject Salvation by Grace, do also reject the Truth of God's Grace, that those Christ has died for, had been reconciled to God, by that Death, while they were enemies Rom 5:10

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.

This reconciliation to God was without them meeting any conditions, not any requirements, in fact it occurred while they were in a state of hostility and hatred and enmity against God;

And it was while they were being so, that they were actually reconciled, that is brought into harmony and agreement with God, received into His Favor and Friendship ! Don't be deceived by false teachers, they were reconciled to God, not potentially reconciled to God, it was not just possibly and not actually, they were reconciled to God on the bases of the Death of Christ. If it was only made possible, Christ's Death fell far short of the Glory of God. They were all reconciled to God and put in harmony with Him, as they had been when they were in harmony with God in Adam before the fall !

The fleshly carnal mind ruled by pride cannot receive this Grace Truth, it rejects it every time ! 11

Reconciled while being enemies ! 2

As stated before, this is a Truth of the Gospel that proud religionist cannot and will not receive Rom 5:10

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.

This Truth to them that perish is foolishness, but yet again, its the message of the Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ; yes that Believers, back before they became believers, when they were unconverted, unbelievers, in fact while even being active enemies, nevertheless they had been reconciled to God, how, by the Death of Gods Son for them.

The word enemies echthros means:

hated, hostile; subst: an enemy.

properly, an enemy; someone openly hostile (at enmity), animated by deep-seated hatred. 2190/exthros ("enemy"), implies irreconcilable hostility, proceeding out of a "personal" hatred bent on inflicting harm

Remember how the Apostle Paul acted towards the Church when he was unconverted and inflicting harm out of hatered for Christ and His followers as here Acts 9:1-2

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Well, when believers had that same spirit and hostility towards God/Christ, they had been Reconciled to God.

The word enemies also indicate that even when believers were under the power and control of the devil, as stated here Eph 2:2-3

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

While being adversaries to God, opponents of His, enemies in our minds towards Him by wicked works Col 1:21

21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

even then, by the Grace of God, they were reconciled to God, meaning they were in a Right and pleasing relationship with Him, in His Favor, at Peace and Harmony with them ! He raised up Christ from the dead after He had died for their sins as the God of Peace Heb 13:20

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Yes, even while they were enemies, God was reconciled to them and at Peace with them, and they with Him, through Christ !

This the natural man, self righteous religionist cannot receive !

Reconciliation equals Justification, declared Righteous !

Many out of spiritual ignorance do deny that reconciliation and Justification are equivalent, because they are ignorant to the things of God. Now to be reconciled to God while being enemies [before faith] as stated in Rom 5:10, that it also means they are Justified/Declared Righteous while enemies by the same Death of Christ is seen in scripture comparison, for the being reconciled in Rom 5:10 is the same in 2 Cor 5:19

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation

But here in 2 Cor 5:19 we are enlightened as to what being reconciled entails, the Non Imputation of sins ! So those reconciled while enemies in Rom 5:10 also are blessed with the non imputation of sins. Now the non imputation of sins equates to Justification and or being declared Righteous, this we know by more scripture comparison, for when David wrote Ps 32:1-2

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

The same non imputation as in 2 Cor 5:19 which is joined to reconciliation, hence when Paul quotes David later from Ps 32:1-2, which clearly speaks of Non Imputation, here in Rom 4:6-8

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.


Paul attaches Gods Imputation of Righteousness without works, by stating and quoting Davids non imputation of sin blessedness Rom 4:7-8 Cp Ps 32:1-2

So its scriptural to declare, those reconciled to God while enemies in Rom 5:10, have no sin imputed to them as Per 2 Cor 5:19, which declares them Righteous without works in Rom 4:6-8 ! To deny this is to deny scripture Truth. To deny that those reconciled to God by Christ's death while enemies as Per Rom 5:10 that they are Righteous and Justified before God while enemies, is to deny clear teaching of scripture and puts one in Unbelief ! 11

By Christ's Death we are accepted of God !

This is that Blessed Truth of Rom 5:10

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.

This teaches us a very blessed and gracious Truth, which the proud religionists cannot receive, and that is, even when those Christ died for are being enemies, unbelievers, ungodly, God has accepted them into His Favor, sees them as Just, and Righteous, and reckons them as if they never had sinned.

The word reconciled in Rom 5:10 is the greek word katallassō and means:

I.to change, exchange, as coins for others of equivalent value

A.to reconcile (those who are at variance)


B.return to favour with, be reconciled to one


C.to receive one into favour

And these have been Justified, which are reconciled while enemies because God will not impute sin unto them 2 Cor 5:19

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

So those reconciled here in 2 Cor 5:19 are the same ones of Rom 5:10 and so the reconciled enemies in Rom 5:10 don't have sin charged to them, even when they are unbelieving enemies, nor is faith and repentance required, no they are totally accepted of God without them,

So to teach, even suggest that any for whom Christ died[He did not die for everyone] must first come to Him in repentance in order to be accepted of God, saved or Justified before God, made right with Him, they are false witnesses, and scripture here Rom 5:10 condemns them as such !

11

Justified in order to be reconciled !

Rom 5:10

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.

Now we know that Justification and Reconciliation are one and the same, or simultaneously concurrent, because in order for a sinner to be reconciled to God, sins must be discharged and viewed as no longer debts to Gods Law and Justice, and must be reckoned as Righteous, no unrighteous person is reconciled to a Holy God ! Hence, them that are reconciled to God by Christ's Death while enemies, must also be Righteous and discharged of all iniquity before Gods Law and Justice as enemies ! 11

Reconciliation Is Salvation!​

If anyone tells you that reconciliation is not salvation, be careful with that claim, because Scripture connects reconciliation directly with peace with God and the saving message of the Gospel.

Paul says:

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself...”
—Colossians 1:20

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Notice the connection:

Peace is made through the blood of His cross → reconciliation is accomplished.

This is not a reconciliation produced by man's faith. It is “through the blood of his cross.”

Now notice how this same Gospel of peace is identified with the glad tidings of salvation.

Paul writes:

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
—Romans 10:15

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Where did Paul get that language?

From Isaiah 52:7:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation...”

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Look at Isaiah's parallel:

publishes peace → publishes salvation.

Paul takes that very passage and calls it the preaching of the Gospel of peace.

And this same Gospel of peace is what Christ's apostles preached:

“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”
—Ephesians 2:17

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And:

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
—Ephesians 6:15

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So what is being preached?

Peace.
Reconciliation.
Good tidings.
Salvation.

And where does that peace come from?

The blood of Christ.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:19:

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

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There is the Word of Reconciliation.

And what does that word announce?

That God has reconciled through Christ and is not imputing trespasses to those included in that reconciliation.

Therefore, reconciliation cannot be reduced to a mere possibility of salvation.

Reconciliation is saving peace with God.

The Gospel does not announce that Christ merely made peace potentially available if man supplies the deciding condition.

It announces what God has accomplished through Christ's blood.

The Practical/Conversion Phase still matters: the reconciled sinner must hear the Gospel, believe, repent, and consciously enter into the enjoyment and manifestation of that peace.

But his faith does not create the peace.

Christ's blood made peace.

His faith receives and experiences that peace.

That is why the Gospel is called:

the Gospel of peace,
the Word of Reconciliation,
and the glad tidings of salvation.

The order is therefore:

Christ's blood → reconciliation and peace → the Word of Reconciliation → Gospel preaching → faith and repentance → conscious enjoyment and manifestation of salvation.

So if Christ has actually reconciled a person to God through the blood of His cross, that person has peace with God in Christ.

And that good news is precisely what the Gospel is sent to proclaim.

Reconciliation is not something less than salvation.
It is one of the glorious saving realities accomplished by Christ for His people.

Why Reconciled to God while being Enemies ?

Those Christ died for, unlike them He did not die for, are reconciled to God while even being enemies and unbelievers, because of Christ's death for them Rom 5:10

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.

Now the unbelieving world religions do not believe this great blessing that attends the Death of Christ, however it is a True fact nevertheless and here's why.

Its because by the Death and Blood of Christ alone, Gods punitive Justice against their sins has been totally satisfied, and as a result of that, despite themselves, God is 100% reconciled to them, solely by the Death of Christ, and they are totally reconciled to God, no not in themselves, but in their Surety Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Its just like all men in Adam before the fall were in a right relationship with God, Upright, not in themselves, but in the Upright Adam Ecc 7:29

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man[adam] upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Because of Christ therefore, those He died for are reconciled to God and Justice can never cannot and will not charge them with anything Rom 8:33

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

So as long as Christ died for one, whether they are a believer or not[though they shall believe in due time], they are totally reconciled to God, God reconciled to them, and no charges can ever be laid to their account, not in this world or the world to come ! 12

Shall be saved by His Life !

This promise is made of all for whom Christ died and reconciled to God by His death while they were enemies Rom 5:10

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.

This scripture guarantees that these enemies Christ died for shall be saved by His Life ! They have been already reconciled to God, yet further blessing is promised. That they shall be saved by His[Christ] Life means that they shall be saved from being Gods enemy experientially, and that they shall believe the Truth, which is another aspect of salvation. We read of this here 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

In other words its an aspect of Salvation, a Saving, to be sanctified by the Spirit unto belief of the Truth. So in essence, those enemies in Rom 5:10 who were reconciled to God by Christ's death, its promised of them that they shall be saved by Christ's Life unto belief of the Truth. Christ's Life is His Spirit being given to them He substituted for as their Surety, thats why He is as the second or last adam made a life giving Spirit 1 Cor 15:45

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening[life giving] spirit. That is His Life referred to in Rom 5:10 that they shall be saved by !

And so we know this is not true of all mankind without exception, hence Christ did not die for all mankind without exception , unless we come to embrace the heresy of universalism and make the false claim that all mankind without exception shall be saved by Christs Life !

Men and Women whom Christ died for, they partake of His Saving Benefits, because He's their Saviour, while they themselves are enemies and unbelievers. They, unlike the rest of mankind whom He did not die for, are reconciled to God, and abide in His acceptance and favor Rom 5:10, while others are under His Wrath and Condemnation while they are being enemies and unbelievers Jn 3:18,36 ! So that's how we know that some have taken part of Christ's Saving Death when enemies and unbelievers, and some have not while enemies and unbelievers, so how do you explain that ? 12

No conditions to be reconciled !

Not all men are reconciled to God by Christ's death while being enemies, and thats simply because Christ's death was not for everyone without exception. Thats why some are reconciled to God while being enemies and unbelievers Rom 5:10 and why some are under Gods wrath and condemnation while being enemies and unbelievers Jn 3:18,36 !

There is simply only one explanation for this, Christ died for some who are enemies and unbelievers and did not die for others who are enemies and unbelievers !

The enemies and unbelievers that Christ died for are reconciled to God by it, did not perform any conditions whatsoever, because they were actively enemies and unbelievers, So Christ fulfilled all the conditions necessary for them to be reconciled to God while being enemies and unbelievers ! 13

Reconciliation by Christs death is not just unilateral !

The terrible mistake of false religion is to believe and teach that Christs death is only unilateral in its effect, but that is a grave
mistake. You see, that makes the death of Christ falling short of reconciling , bringing man to God, which the scripture teaches that it does. Peter writes of the death of Christ this fact 1 Pet 3:18

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

See, His suffering for our sins was for the purpose of bringing us to God ! He by it, leads us to God. It also :

1. to render one acceptable to God
   
   It does that which God told cain that if he did well he would be accepted Gen 4:7
   
   7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?
   
   Well Christ death, for all whom He suffered and died for causes them to be accepted of God, without them doing anything !
   
   Christ's reconciling death will also cause us to come to God in being saved to the uttermost Heb 7:25
   
   25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
   
   Notice " them that come to God BY HIM ! Meaning His reconciling work which brings them to God 1 Pet 3:18 !
   
   Paul writes also Col 1: 21,22a
   
   21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. How ?
   
   22a 22 In the body of his flesh through death,
   So those who teach that Christ's death effected only a unilateral reconciliation, they teach lies, they teach ignorantly, and do Christ's death accomplishment a disservice !

The Failure of "Potential" Reconciliation vs. Actual Reconciliation


The Ultimate Conclusion
Those who strip the cross of its bilateral power are preaching an impotent savior. Christ didn’t just sign a peace treaty on a desk in heaven and leave it up to the rebel to sign it later. In the body of His flesh through death, He took our hostility, bore our sins, paid our debt, and sent the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. The cross does not leave man alienated; it carries him home.

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13

Received into His Favor !

Those sinners Christ died for, by His Death alone having been applied to their account, even while being enemies/unbelievers [by nature Eph 2:2-3], nevertheless they have been received into His Divine Favor, having been reconciled by His Sons Death for them Rom 5:10

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.

Paul writing to believers states that when they were unbelievers/enemies they were [had been] reconciled to God, not by believing, but by the Death of Gods Son. Now that word reconciled is the greek word katallassó and one of its meanings is:

to return into favor with, be reconciled to, , to receive one into his favor.

This is what Christ's Death for them alone accomplished, it put those Christ, the Son of God, died for, it put them into Gods Favor, the Psalmist wrote Ps 30:5

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Now how can sinners in a state of being unbelievers/enemies still be reconciled to God, and received into His Divine Favor ? Its because of what Christ's Death done before Gods Law and Justice ! 14

Received into His Favor (Part 2)


When sinners are reconciled to God while they are still enemies by Christ's death (Romans 5:10), they have been objectively received into God's divine favor. This can only be possible if their sins have already been legally put away and judicially forgotten, exactly as the New Covenant declares in Hebrews 8:12:

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

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This is the exact same corporate group of people whom God will not charge or impute sin, as explicitly defined in 2 Corinthians 5:19 and Romans 4:8:

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them...” —2 Cor. 5:19

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“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” —Rom. 4:8

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Legal reconciliation and the non-imputation of sin go hand-in-hand. Therefore, those who have been reconciled to God by the death of His Son while they are yet enemies and unbelievers have no sin judicially charged against them before the throne of Justice. If they did, they could not truly be said to be reconciled into God's divine favor. The legal reality must precede the vital perception.

It presents us , those he died for, holy, and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.

That is the True result of being reconciled to God by Christ death while being enemies Rom 5:10, Col 1:21-22
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

This result comes through His Death, not by Faith, for vs 22a makes that clear. 14

Being reconciled by Christ death while being enemies Rom 5:10 coincides with being made righteous with Christ death while being enemies Rom 5:19! We can be reconciled to a Holy only if He views and accepts, reckons us righteous!

And since the sacred testimony is that believers had been reconciled to God by Christ death while being enemies, it's also true that they were declared righteous before God by Christ death while they were being enemies!

THE ANTE-REGENERATION VERDICT: JUXTAPOSING ROMANS 5:10 AND 5:19

The synergistic system insists that justification (being declared righteous) is a reactive declaration that God only makes after a human being performs the act of faith. However, the internal logic of the Pauline epistles sets up an ironclad, parallel timeline between Reconciliation and Justification that completely destroys this conditional framework.

[ THE PHASE II CROSS-WORK COINCIDENCE ]
│
┌────────────────┴────────────────┐
▼ ▼
ROMANS 5:10 ROMANS 5:19
"Reconciled to God... "Made Righteous..."
while we were enemies" By the Obedience of One
│ │
└────────────────┬────────────────┘
▼
FORENSIC REALITY:
God can only be reconciled to a creature
whom He already legally reckons as Righteous.


I. The Holiness Constraint: The Legal Prerequisite for Reconciliation

Paul’s statement in Romans 5:10 is structurally absolute: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son...”

• The Moral Impossibility: God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and He cannot look upon iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13). He does not call a truce with criminals by simply sweeping their crimes under a rug.
• The Judicial Requirement: For God to be legally reconciled to an enemy, that enemy's status must change in the eyes of the divine court. God can only view and accept a creature in a state of reconciliation if He reckons, views, and accepts them as perfectly righteous. If the elect were reconciled to God while they were still enemies, then their righteousness was a finished forensic reality before they ever drew a breath of faith.

II. The Parallel Timeline of Romans 5:19

This exact structural mechanism is verified just nine verses later in Romans 5:19:

“For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

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• The Federal Headship Symmetries: Paul sets up an unbending comparison between Adam and Christ.
  1. Did you have to perform an act of sin or give personal permission before Adam’s disobedience made you legally a sinner? No. You were born a sinner because of your federal union with Adam.
  2. In the exact same way, the "many" (the elect world) do not have to perform an act of faith before Christ’s obedience makes them forensically righteous.
• The Forensic Verdict: The Greek word for "made" is katestathēsan, a judicial term meaning to be formally appointed, constituted, or set down in a legal status. This appointment was achieved exclusively by the "obedience of one" (Christ’s active and passive obedience up to the cross).

III. The Fatal Blow to Synergistic Justification

When you fuse Romans 5:10 and Romans 5:19, you arrive at this bulletproof forensic chain:

1. Premise 1: God cannot be reconciled to anyone who is still imputed with guilt and unrighteousness.
2. Premise 2: Romans 5:10 declares that the elect were reconciled to God by Christ's death while they were still enemies and unbelievers.
3. Conclusion: Therefore, the elect were forensically declared righteous before God by Christ's death while they were still enemies and unbelievers.

This means that Justification in the Legal Phase (Phase II) is an objective, historic reality that takes place at the cross. The synergistic teacher claims that faith is the cause of justification. But Paul shows that faith is the consequence of it. Because you were made righteous and reconciled at the cross while an enemy, the Holy Spirit must sovereignly break into your life in Phase III (The Vital Phase) to quicken you, replace your heart of stone, and grant you the gift of faith to see the righteousness that was already legally yours. 14

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The Mystery of Reconciliation !

Rom 5:10

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.

This blessed reconciliation by Christ's death is a Mystery unto the carnal mind, it cannot be received by it, hence confirming the writing of Paul 1 Cor 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man is simply the person who has not been born again, or born from above Jn 3:3

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You see, the Mystery of Reconciliation, by the Death of Christ, reveals to the saved, that even while they are being enemies, they had been reconciled to God, put into a right relationship with Him !

They were at one ment with God ! In fact, to be reconciled to God is at one ment, from the word atonement as its mentioned in Vs 11 Rom 5:10-11

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.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

That word atonement is reconciliation, and so when sinners Christ died for are still enemies by nature, children of wrath as others Eph 2:2-3 they are nevertheless in an reconciled at one ment relationship with God, while all others are under His just condemnation and wrath Jn 3:18,36.

This the natural mind of man cannot fathom, or appreciate, in fact its absolute foolishness to him ! 15