Notes on John Stott’s
The Cross of Christ
Chapter 7: The Salvation of Sinners
Reconciliation. The elimination of enmity. The bringing together of two parties who had been estranged. The restoration of right relationship. Reconciliation is the story of the gospel.
We’ve taken a peek at the temple view of salvation: Propitiation.
We’ve glimpsed salvation in the marketplace: Redemption.
We’ve discussed our legal salvation: Justification.
And now we can look at the end result of each of those: Reconciliation.
When Adam sinned, the relationship between God and man was broken. Man rebelled, turning his back on God. God’s wrath upon sin forced the separation. Now, because of Christ’s death, God’s holiness and justice was satisfied, the ransom paid, man made righteous–making way for reconciliation between God and man.
“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
Romans 5:10-11
What’s more, throughout the ages, there has been a separation, an enmity between two races: Jews and Gentiles. The chosen nation and the rest of the world. Yet Christ’s blood also made the way for reconciliation between the two–the grafting in of the Gentile into the righteous root of David.
“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:11-13
Now we who have been reconciled, brought into the family of God, partakers of the covenant of promise, have a special role, a task as a member of the family. We are to be ambassadors of reconciliation.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
II Corinthians 5:18-20
God is the author of our reconciliation, having made a way through Christ. Now we who have been reconciled to God and to the body of Christ, we are ambassadors of reconciliation–calling out far and near that others be reconciled to God just as we are.
(See more notes on The Cross of Christ here.)
For those interested in exploring reconciliation a bit more, Timothy Keller’s Prodigal God (link is to my review) gives a wonderful description of salvation, especially of reconciliation, as seen through the parable of the Prodigal Son. I highly recommend it.