Reconciliation

(From a series of devotionals where I work)

"...we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation." Romans 5:11

"When two parties are at enmity a reconciliation may be effected by a change in either or in both. When, therefore, it is said that we are reconciled to God, it only means that peace is restored between Him and us." -Charles Hodge

The term reconciliation, and our need for it in our relationship to God, implies that there is a break between God and man. In order to understand the term, we have to first examine some other terms. Romans 3:10 states that "None is righteous, no, not one." If that is the case, then reconciliation has something to do with our becoming righteous before God. Martin Luther struggled, like most of us would, with self-imposed disciplines to help him achieve what he felt was the righteous standard that would finally reconcile him to God. His constant failure led him to despair. But one day as he was studying the book of Romans, he realized that the term "righteousness of God," as Paul used it, meant a righteousness that comes from God as a gift, a righteousness imputed to us on the basis of the work of Christ. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, God "reckoned" sin to Christ, and righteousness to us.

Another theological term related to reconciliation is "justification." Protestants believe that "to be declared just" is not a position to be gained through increased holiness, but a determination in the heart of God to see us as just before Him. It is based solely on the work of Christ, and not our own. It is not just a matter of God changing His mind about us; it is based on Christ's action on the cross as our substitute.

The point of these words is that all our salvation, acceptance by God, and future life in Him are based, not on our striving to become righteous, but on the finished work of Christ in His birth, life, death, resurrection, and present rule of the universe.

(***I want to put in a parenthesis here because I feel like I need to clarify where we're going in these weekly comments, especially since we're dealing with something as serious as the Christian's understanding of his salvation. Along those lines, it has helped me to remember the two "imp" words. One is "imputation." Imputation is something that happens outside me. It is something that God says or declares about me that is based on His own plan and actions and purposes. It is something I accept by faith, but nothing to which I contribute.

The other "imp" word is "impartation." Impartation is what happens inside me as I grow in God and move towards final salvation when I die. Words like "life," "light," "sanctification," "divinization," "Spirit," etc. are all impartation words. They have to do with the gradual change towards holiness that occurs in the believer, and includes anything that has to do with our warfare against "the world, the flesh, and the devil."

Large portions of the Church argue which of the imps is the most important, and if one or the other of them is even theologically sound. I personally believe they are both true, and should be kept in balance. To believe in imputation without impartation means that I confess the work of Christ, but experience no inner change--a biblical impossibility. Folks who hold this position are generally very intellectual, but since they have no inner life, define Christian growth by a list of rules. They are sometimes referred to as "brains on a stick." Folks who stress impartation over imputation live with a sense of failure and insecurity, since the proof of their salvation is in their own experience rather than in the declaration of God. Both must work together: that which is imputed is the foundation of our lives; that which is imparted is the temple built upon it.

So, to clarify where we are: these studies for the last few months have dealt with imputation. I am concerned about imputation because I find a tendency among evangelicals to walk the aisle and never get a firm grasp on exactly what they have done, or, more precisely, what Christ did for them. It never hurts to go back and strengthen the foundation. I will continue on this track for a few more weeks. Then we will shift gears and study the stages of internal Christian growth. ***)