Reconciliation and Justification: The Scriptural Connection
Many deny that reconciliation has a direct forensic connection with justification. But when the relevant passages are compared, Scripture presents a powerful chain of truth concerning those reconciled to God by the death of Christ.
1. Reconciliation Was Accomplished While We Were Enemies
Paul writes:
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son...”
— Romans 5:10
Notice what Paul explicitly states.
The reconciliation was:
By the death of God's Son.
And it occurred:
When we were enemies.
The text does not say that Christ's death merely made reconciliation possible and that reconciliation occurred only when the sinner later supplied faith as an independent condition. Paul says:
“When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”
The question is therefore:
What does this reconciliation involve?
2. Reconciliation Is Explained as the Non-Imputation of Trespasses
Paul gives us further light in 2 Corinthians 5:19:
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.”
Here reconciliation is explicitly connected with:
“Not imputing their trespasses unto them.”
That is a profoundly forensic statement.
Those whom God reconciles are described as those whose trespasses are
not imputed to them.
Therefore, when Romans 5:10 says that we were reconciled to God by Christ's death while we were enemies, and 2 Corinthians 5:19 describes reconciliation in terms of the
non-imputation of trespasses, Scripture establishes a direct connection between Christ's reconciling death and the removal of sin from the judicial account of those reconciled.
3. Non-Imputation of Sin Is Connected With the Imputation of Righteousness
Now consider David's words:
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity.”
— Psalm 32:1–2
Paul quotes this passage in Romans 4 while discussing justification:
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
— Romans 4:6–8
Notice Paul's argument.
He introduces David's words by saying that David describes:
“The blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
Then Paul supports that statement by quoting David's description of:
The forgiveness of sins.
The covering of sins.
The non-imputation of sin.
Thus Paul directly places the
non-imputation of sin within his discussion of the blessedness of the person to whom
God imputes righteousness without works.
4. The Scriptural Chain
The passages therefore establish the following connection:
Romans 5:10:
We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son
while we were enemies.
2 Corinthians 5:19:
Reconciliation involves God
not imputing trespasses to those reconciled.
Romans 4:6–8:
The non-imputation of sin is set within Paul's explanation of the blessedness of the person to whom
God imputes righteousness without works.
Therefore, reconciliation accomplished by Christ's death cannot be treated as though it were merely a vague change of attitude or an empty possibility waiting for the sinner to make Christ's work effective.
Christ's death accomplished reconciliation.
Reconciliation is described in forensic terms involving the non-imputation of trespasses.
And Paul connects that blessed non-imputation with the imputation of righteousness without works.
That is why I maintain that those whom Christ reconciled to God by His death while they were enemies stood before God on the basis of Christ's accomplished work—not on the basis of any works they later performed.
The Central Question
The issue is not whether faith is necessary. Scripture plainly teaches that God's people believe.
The issue is whether faith is the judicial ground that causes Christ's death to become effective before God.
These passages point elsewhere.
Christ's death reconciles.
Reconciliation involves the non-imputation of trespasses.
The non-imputation of sin is inseparably connected in Romans 4 with the blessedness of imputed righteousness without works.
Therefore, the forensic basis of acceptance with God is found in
Christ's accomplished work, not in anything produced by the sinner.
Faith does not provide the righteousness.
Christ does.
Faith does not satisfy divine justice.
Christ's blood does.
And faith does not cause God to discover a reason to reconcile sinners.
Christ reconciled His people to God by His death.
That is the force of Romans 5:10.
“When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”
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