It would appear that at least some Christians are unclear about the biblical term "reconciliation". As a result they are also unclear about why Christians need to deal with their present sins in order to maintain fellowship with God.
The word "reconciliation" occurs in the King James Bible 8 times, which is 5 times in the Old Testament, and 3 times in the New Testament. The word "reconcile" occurs 5 times in the Bible, 3 times in the OT and 2 times in the NT. The word "reconciled" occurs 7 times in the NT, none in the OT, and 2 times it does not apply to the relationship between God and men. So altogether we have 18 occurrences of "reconciliation" which are related to God.
The Greek verb which has been thus translated is katallaso (καταλλάσσω). We get a proper understanding of this word from Thayer's Greek Lexicon: "καταλλάσσω; 1 aorist participle καταλλαξας; 2 aorist passive κατηλλάγην; properly, to change, exchange, as coins for others of equal value; hence, to reconcile (those who are at variance): τινας, as τούς Θηβαιους καί τούς Πλαταιεας, Herodotus 6, 108; κατηλλαξαν σφεας οἱ Παριοι, 5, 29; Aristotle, oecon. 2, 15, 9 (p. 1348b, 9) κατήλλαξεν αὐτούς πρός ἀλλήλους; passive τίνι, to return into favor with, be reconciled to, one, Euripides, Iph. Aul. 1157; Plato, rep. 8, p. 566 e.; πρός ἀλλήλους, Thucydides 4, 59; but the passive is used also where only one ceases to be angry with another and receives him into favor; thus καταλλαγεις, received by Cyrus into favor, Xenophon, an. 1, 6, 1; καταλλάττεται πρός αὐτήν, regained her favor, Josephus, Antiquities 5, 2, 8; and, on the other hand, God is said καταλλαγῆναι τίνι, with whom he ceases to be offended, to whom he grants his favor anew, whose sins he pardons, 2 Macc. 1:5 2Macc. 7:33 2Macc. 8:29; Josephus, Antiquities 6, 7, 4 cf. 7, 8, 4 (so ἐπικαταλλάττεσθαι τίνι, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 48, 1 [ET]).
In the N. T. God is said καταλλάσσειν ἑαυτῷ τινα, to receive one into his favor (A. V. reconcile one to himself), 2 Corinthians 5:18f (where in the added participles two arguments are adduced which prove that God has done this: first, that he does not impute to men their trespasses; second, that he has deposited the doctrine of reconciliation in the souls of the preachers of the gospel); καταλλαγῆναι τῷ Θεῷ, to be restored to the favor of God, to recover God's favor, Romans 5:10 (but see ἐχθρός, 2); καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ, allow yourselves to be reconciled to God; do not oppose your return into his favor, but lay hold of that favor now offered you... "
The key meaning is found here and relates to the enmity which sin has crated between God and man: "…but the passive is used also where only one ceases to be angry with another and receives him into favor…" But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.(Eph 2:13-18).
What this passage tells us is that Christ destroyed the enmity between God and man on the cross. The enmity was created by sin, since sin put up a barrier between God and men. Before the crucifixion of Christ, only the shed blood of clean animals could make temporary reconciliation. But after Christ shed His blood for our redemption, and paid the full penalty for all sins on the cross, could God be fully reconciled to mankind. But that does not automatically mean that sinners are reconciled to God. Therefore Paul tells men to be reconciled to God.
The only way that a sinner can be reconciled to God is by obedience to the Gospel: repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). That is when a sinner is justified by grace through faith, and all that person's past sins are forgiven. But any future sins must be addressed by the believer, and unless that happens, the fellowship between God and His child is not restored. But at the same time, the issue of reconciliation does not arise, since that person is already a child of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we see from this passage in Romans 5:6-10, reconciliation is in the past tense for the believer:
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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.
The word "reconciliation" occurs in the King James Bible 8 times, which is 5 times in the Old Testament, and 3 times in the New Testament. The word "reconcile" occurs 5 times in the Bible, 3 times in the OT and 2 times in the NT. The word "reconciled" occurs 7 times in the NT, none in the OT, and 2 times it does not apply to the relationship between God and men. So altogether we have 18 occurrences of "reconciliation" which are related to God.
The Greek verb which has been thus translated is katallaso (καταλλάσσω). We get a proper understanding of this word from Thayer's Greek Lexicon: "καταλλάσσω; 1 aorist participle καταλλαξας; 2 aorist passive κατηλλάγην; properly, to change, exchange, as coins for others of equal value; hence, to reconcile (those who are at variance): τινας, as τούς Θηβαιους καί τούς Πλαταιεας, Herodotus 6, 108; κατηλλαξαν σφεας οἱ Παριοι, 5, 29; Aristotle, oecon. 2, 15, 9 (p. 1348b, 9) κατήλλαξεν αὐτούς πρός ἀλλήλους; passive τίνι, to return into favor with, be reconciled to, one, Euripides, Iph. Aul. 1157; Plato, rep. 8, p. 566 e.; πρός ἀλλήλους, Thucydides 4, 59; but the passive is used also where only one ceases to be angry with another and receives him into favor; thus καταλλαγεις, received by Cyrus into favor, Xenophon, an. 1, 6, 1; καταλλάττεται πρός αὐτήν, regained her favor, Josephus, Antiquities 5, 2, 8; and, on the other hand, God is said καταλλαγῆναι τίνι, with whom he ceases to be offended, to whom he grants his favor anew, whose sins he pardons, 2 Macc. 1:5 2Macc. 7:33 2Macc. 8:29; Josephus, Antiquities 6, 7, 4 cf. 7, 8, 4 (so ἐπικαταλλάττεσθαι τίνι, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 48, 1 [ET]).
In the N. T. God is said καταλλάσσειν ἑαυτῷ τινα, to receive one into his favor (A. V. reconcile one to himself), 2 Corinthians 5:18f (where in the added participles two arguments are adduced which prove that God has done this: first, that he does not impute to men their trespasses; second, that he has deposited the doctrine of reconciliation in the souls of the preachers of the gospel); καταλλαγῆναι τῷ Θεῷ, to be restored to the favor of God, to recover God's favor, Romans 5:10 (but see ἐχθρός, 2); καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ, allow yourselves to be reconciled to God; do not oppose your return into his favor, but lay hold of that favor now offered you... "
The key meaning is found here and relates to the enmity which sin has crated between God and man: "…but the passive is used also where only one ceases to be angry with another and receives him into favor…" But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.(Eph 2:13-18).
What this passage tells us is that Christ destroyed the enmity between God and man on the cross. The enmity was created by sin, since sin put up a barrier between God and men. Before the crucifixion of Christ, only the shed blood of clean animals could make temporary reconciliation. But after Christ shed His blood for our redemption, and paid the full penalty for all sins on the cross, could God be fully reconciled to mankind. But that does not automatically mean that sinners are reconciled to God. Therefore Paul tells men to be reconciled to God.
The only way that a sinner can be reconciled to God is by obedience to the Gospel: repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). That is when a sinner is justified by grace through faith, and all that person's past sins are forgiven. But any future sins must be addressed by the believer, and unless that happens, the fellowship between God and His child is not restored. But at the same time, the issue of reconciliation does not arise, since that person is already a child of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we see from this passage in Romans 5:6-10, reconciliation is in the past tense for the believer:
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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.
