Well, ending any conflict between two people begins with removing the source of the conflict. This is what the word reconciliation means. Here’s a look at a simple example: Suppose someone borrows $500 from a friend, and is real slow to pay it back. Well, we all know that debt is going to be a source of trouble as long as it remains unpaid. In fact, the debt puts a serious strain on their relationship until payment is completely made. Once it’s paid, we say the two people are now reconciled.

Someone might say, “Well that’s okay for people, but we’re talking about God here, the creator of everything. Can I really ever be reconciled to Him over my sins?” To realize that our sins have offended the God who made the universe intimidates us. Satan uses this to deceive you and me. He builds on our doubts, so we might think that being reconciled to God is impossible or is unattainable. But the Bible and the Holy Spirit have a different testimony:

Colossians 1:19-22a: “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [Jesus Christ], and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

At the cross, Jesus reconciled all of humanity to God. This means, we all have peace with God! Why? Because the blood of Christ has paid for all of the sins of all of us. Only in our minds are we enemies of God and that’s because we are aware of our sinful behavior. Only if we believe Jesus’ blood has paid the price for our sins, will we become confident He won't ever hold those our sins against us.

Hebrews 9:26b-28: “But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

We can be sure that we are reconciled to God if we are sure that He is satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son at the cross. The Bible assures us of God’s complete and total satisfaction, whenever we see the word propitiation in the NASB, NKJV, or KJV: “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2 NKJV).

Propitiation, God’s full acceptance of the blood of Christ to pay for our sins, is important if we are to live like people who are reconciled to God. You see, reconciliation isn’t truly complete until both parties accept the payment of the debt. If God is satisfied (propitiation), then I should be satisfied.

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