How To Reconcile With God And Restore Relationship With Him

Reconciliation, the act of restoring harmony between conflicting parties, is a fundamental concept. In Christianity, the process through which individuals reconcile with God through Christ is termed “reconcile with God.”

The gospel’s message is one of peace and reconciliation. Jesus conveyed a sense of urgency when discussing reconciliation (Matthew 5:23–24). The offended sinner can be made right with God. God’s forgiveness is attainable. That is what we preach and what we profess. We live for that, and some people might even die for it.

What Is Reconciliation?

In human history, change is a necessary component of reconciliation. In the act of Christian reconciliation[1], God remains the same. He is still flawless, yet He transforms us. As a result, our relationship with Him changes. An example of Christian reconciliation is two ex-friends who are now fighting.

They are at the breaking point of their formerly strong relationship. The two gradually stop communicating with one another and become strangers. They might even have an antagonistic relationship. But then something happens one day.

The two estranged friends start talking; bitterness and pride are put aside; apologies are made and accepted; and trust is reestablished. Reconciliation is complete when the friends embrace and the peace is fully restored.

Imagine supposing only one of the two pals was at fault in this scenario. As God has reached out to sinners, Christian reconciliation looks like the other friend, who is entirely innocent, starting the peacemaking process.

What Is Christian Reconciliation?

Being made right with God is the concept of Christian reconciliation. We must be clear that God had nothing to do with the breakdown of our relationship. Instead of God fleeing from us, it was ourselves (Genesis 3:8). God is flawless, but we are not (Romans 3:23). He doesn’t have to adapt, give in, or find a compromise to work with us.

God Was In Christ Reconciling

We were God’s adversaries because of our sins (Romans 5:10). Amazingly, Christ made amends with us. God was making peace with the world through Christ, forgiving people of their sins, and entrusting the message of peace to us (2 Corinthians 5:19). God desired that we be at peace. He understood that we could not handle our sin issue on our own. Therefore, He provided Christ as a means by which we can make peace with Him.

What Does The Bible Say About Reconciliation With God?

“The old has thus passed away, and the new has arrived if you have been reconciled to God. God displayed publicly this gift; He used Christ, His own Son, to reconcile us to Himself and bestowed the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18). All that is fresh in salvation—including regeneration, the new birth, conversion, and redemption—comes from God.

To Be Reconciled, One Must First Forgive

Only if the offended party is willing to forgive can there be reconciliation. “That God was not holding the crimes of people against them but was making the world right with Himself through Christ, and He has promised to convey the message of peace to us” (2 Corinthians 5:19). If the obstacle, the offense, or the sin is removed, only then can reconciliation occur.

Is Reconciliation With God Possible?

By following your beliefs, you can achieve reconciliation. Sins are pardoned for believers, which is a prerequisite for restoring a relationship with God. According to Colossians 1:21–22, “You, who once were estranged in spirit, working bad acts, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, to present you holy, faultless, and beyond reproach before Him.”

We are no longer “alienated” because we have been forgiven, changed, and reconciled; we have had fellowship with God since the time Christ died on the cross. Christ, God’s only begotten Son, now refers to us as “friends” rather than adversaries (John 15:15). Jesus is the source of our eternal life; He serves as the intermediary between God and us. “Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace with God because we have been justified by faith” (Romans 5:1).

We Appreciate Peace When We Conciliate

As a result of Christ’s precious blood during His death, we not only have peace with God, but we also have peace with our fellow followers of Christ. Different backgrounds, natural animosities, and previous grudges are irrelevant to individuals who have experienced a spiritual rebirth. 

The only way a reconciliation can take place is if the offended party is ready to accept forgiveness. If the obstacle, offense, and sin are taken away, that is the only way reconciliation can happen. There is no such thing as a Jew or a Greek, an enslaved person or a free person, or even a male or female, since you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

The reconciliation that God has effected between Jews and Gentiles is emphasized in Ephesians 2:14–16: “For he is our harmony that he might establish in himself one new man in place of the two, thereby making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

How To Reconcile With God?

Jesus made it abundantly clear that if we do not extend forgiveness to those who sin against us, God will not pardon our transgressions. God expects those who have also been forgiven to forgive; we do not deserve God’s forgiveness by doing so. While reconciliation aims to mend a damaged relationship, those who engage in severe and persistent transgressions must be prepared to accept that it is a process.

Be Sincere About Your Intentions

Make sure your motivation is to please God. Resolve the issue of forgiveness within the context of your relationship with God, as Joseph did. Retaliatory rules for reconciliation should not be used. That is divine sovereignty—God is the one who is reconciling.

Be Modest In Your Manner

Keep your pride from ruining everything. Refrain from having any vengeful feelings toward your perpetrator. For instance, we are not to insist that someone earn our pardon. The problem is not making forgiveness; the problem is pursuing genuine reconciliation. This necessitates modesty. Those who concentrate on vengeance and reprisal have surrendered to self-serving pride.

Pray For The Person Who Hurt You

Jesus instructed His followers to pray for those who treat them poorly (Luke 6:28). It’s interesting how praying for someone else may alter our perspective of them. Additionally, ask for courage to carry through the reconciliation (Hebrews 4:16).

7 Bible Verses About Reconciliation With God

Romans 5:1–2

As a result of being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access to this grace in which we are standing, and we rejoice in the hope of God's glory.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15

Because we believe that if One died for all and Christ died for all, then those who survive would no longer live for themselves but for the One who died for them and rose from the dead, and we are compelled by the love of Christ to act in this way.

Leviticus 23:27–28

The Day of Atonement will also fall on the tenth day of this seventh month. You will gather in a sacred assembly, afflict your souls, and present a burnt offering to the Lord. You must also refrain from working on that day because it is the Day of Atonement, when you must make amends to the Lord, your God.

2 Corinthians 5:18–20

All of this comes from God, who, through Christ, made peace with us and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, through Christ, God made peace with the world, forgiving everyone's sins and giving us the message of reconciliation. As a result, God appeals to people through us as His ambassadors on behalf of Christ. On Christ's behalf, we beg you to make peace with God.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 

Or do you not understand that only the righteous will enter God's kingdom? Don't let anyone fool you: neither the sexually immoral, the idolaters, the adulterers, the adulterous men, the greedy, the drunkards, the revilers, or the swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And some of you were like that. However, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit of our God, you were washed, sanctified, and justified.

Revelation 20:4

Then I noticed thrones, and seated on them were people who had been given the power to judge. I also witnessed the souls of individuals who had been executed for their allegiance to Jesus, the Bible, and those who had refused to worship the beast or its image or bear its scars on their hands or foreheads. They were born again and ruled alongside Christ for a millennium.

Colossians 2:13–14

After forgiving all of our transgressions, God raised you from the dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh by erasing the record of debt that existed as a legal claim against us. He abandoned it and nailed it to the cross.

Summary

To reconcile means to make things right or harmonize. Reconciliation always entails change and requires several sides to reach a consensus. It goes without saying that if foes are to become friends again, some change must occur.

When the perpetrator is unsure of his confession and repentance, it is challenging to mend a broken relationship properly. Particularly in situations involving repeated violations, we should make every effort to be as specific as possible about our offender’s repentance. If one is not honest in his confession and repentance, not even God will forgive him. God will not pardon someone who is unwilling to repent of their sin (Proverbs 28:13).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does reconciliation help us return to God?

Reconciliation acts as a vital bridge for individuals to reconnect with God, facilitating spiritual renewal and healing. By confronting past wrongs, seeking forgiveness, and embracing transformation, reconciliation enables individuals to shed burdens of guilt and shame, fostering a renewed sense of closeness and communion with the divine.

Does God require us to reconcile?

In many religious contexts, reconciliation is seen as integral to one’s relationship with God, serving as a pathway to spiritual growth and inner peace. While it may not be explicitly required by God, it is widely regarded as essential for acknowledging shortcomings, seeking forgiveness, and fostering harmonious relationships with both the divine and others.

Ultimately, reconciliation’s significance lies in its potential to facilitate personal transformation and alignment with divine principles.

How did God reconcile you to himself?

Reconciliation with God is often viewed as a result of divine grace and love, where individuals find closeness through forgiveness and redemption. Across religions, God’s reconciliation is symbolized by acts of mercy and sacrificial love, epitomized by Jesus Christ’s atonement in Christianity.

Through faith and repentance, individuals experience restoration and solace in God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.