No Effort

This verse shows that when we had not yet known Jesus, had not yet repented, or, like Paul, who previously persecuted Christians, we were all reconciled to God through the death of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This demonstrates that Jesus died for all people, not only for some. The Bible clearly states, “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” The one who spoke or wrote this was the Apostle Paul, who, before his repentance, was named Saul and persecuted Christians.

This is in line with what is stated in 2 Corinthians 5:19–20: “That is, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.” All nations must know this. Therefore, Paul says that he and those who are called, as he was, have been entrusted with the responsibility to proclaim this message. Paul and those called to preach the gospel are ambassadors for Christ.

Furthermore, Paul firmly urges believers—in the name of Christ, in the name of the Lord—those who already believe, namely the chosen people, “Be reconciled.” The words “reconciled” or “be reconciled” in these verses all use the same term, katallassō (Greek: Καταλλάσσω), which in almost all English Bible translations is rendered as reconcile. In the verses above, we are clearly shown that there are two aspects, or two parties, in this reconciliation. 

The first is from God’s side, the second from the human side. First, when we were still enemies, unrepentant, and perhaps did not yet know Jesus—like Paul, once called Saul, still persecuting believers—we were reconciled to God through Jesus’s death. Second, our own responsibility is involved. When 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, “Be reconciled to God,” it means we must allow ourselves to be reconciled to God. Yet many Christians today do not understand this responsibility.

Many Christians feel they have already been reconciled to God, so they make little effort to live out their Christian life. They believe that Jesus is the Savior who died on the cross, bore human sin, and became the mediator between God and humanity. Those who feel they have believed in this work of salvation then assume that they are already in a state of reconciliation with God. Yet, in fact, although Jesus does bring peace, many Christians have not yet allowed themselves to be reconciled to God. This is what is meant by the absence of believers’ effort to build that reconciliation. As a result, they feel that their lives are already at peace with God.

Consider, for example, during Christmas, all Christians say that Jesus has come and that His coming saves humanity. Everyone gives thanks, rejoices in a festive atmosphere, and celebrates the coming Savior, as if all who celebrate already possess salvation. Yet in reality, many have not yet allowed themselves to be saved. Many Christians believe salvation is automatic when a person acknowledges Jesus as Savior. This is the same as feeling at peace with God simply by acknowledging Jesus as the means of reconciliation between God and humanity. Theological doctrine has shaped this idea so that congregations equate acknowledging Jesus as the means of reconciliation with already being at peace with God.

This shows that Christians often see only one aspect of salvation, namely the passive aspect of reconciliation—the idea that God has reconciled Himself to us when we were still enemies and opposed to Him. They see only one aspect, whereas another accompanies it: “be reconciled.” Essentially, this is the same understanding as, “Jesus died on the cross to redeem human sin, and if someone confesses that Jesus is the Redeemer, then automatically their sins are forgiven, and they already possess salvation.”