Reconciliation

“Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:11
Reconciliation is a great word. It is something that happens when two people, who were once estranged, are brought back into fellowship with one another. It usually involves one or both of them apologising, and those apologies being accepted.
Mankind’s greatest need is not food or shelter, or a sense of belonging, or love. Mankind’s greatest need is to be reconciled with God. We have caused ourselves to be estranged from Him, through our sin. But here’s the kicker: God is the one who initiates this reconciliation – we can’t do it ourselves. Even though God is the innocent party, He is the one who reaches out His hand to see that fellowship restored. We bring nothing to the table – the fault is entirely ours, and we are powerless to make things right. The price of our restored fellowship with God was the death of Jesus Christ. We cannot add to that, and we must never take away from it.
God is not reluctant to be reconciled with people. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it was God who went looking for them – not to punish them, but to seek to restore fellowship. He does the same with us. And we should be sharing this with others, because God has now given us, as believers, the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20). That is, to share this message with others so that they too might be reconciled to God as we have.