The Fifth Act of Salvation – Reconciliation
The peace of the Lord be with you and your house. To the only true God, creator of heaven and earth, our former and sustainer, to Him be honor and glory. We give thanks this evening for this time that the Lord grants us in the power of the Holy Spirit to receive a timely, correct, and sound word, in accordance with the doctrine of the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. Today we will study the theme of reconciliation with God, which corresponds to the fifth act of salvation, within the series we have been developing for weeks.
Context: The Acts of Salvation
We have established that salvation is not an isolated event, but a profound process composed of God’s acts in favor of sinful men and women. Jesus expressed this at the beginning of his ministry: “The Son of Man has not come to condemn, but to seek and save what was lost”. This purpose unfolds in stages, as we saw in Exodus, where God needed ten plagues to liberate Israel from slavery in Egypt. Similarly, salvation develops through several acts in the life of Jesus:
- First act: God became flesh. John writes: “And the Word became flesh”, and Paul affirms: “Undeniably great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in flesh”. Jesus dwelt among us with the same Adamic nature, but without sin, subjected to our limitations, as Philippians says: “He emptied himself”.
- Second act: On the cross of Calvary, Jesus bore the death penalty that weighed upon us.
- Third act: That same day, by declaring “It is finished”, He proclaimed us innocent.
- Fourth act: Justification, studied last week, occurs in the resurrection. It returns us to the condition prior to disobedience and elevates us to a position of greater honor, as we saw in Psalms 8:4-5 – “You have made him a little lower than the angels” – and Hebrews 1:14 – “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
Today we will address the fifth act: reconciliation, which also occurs on the first day of the resurrection.
What is Reconciliation?
Commonly, we think reconciliation means making peace with God, ceasing to be enemies and being on His side. Although this is true, biblical reconciliation is much deeper. It is the act of God by which justified men and women receive the same spiritual nature of Christ Jesus. I repeat: reconciliation is the divine attribution of Christ’s nature to justified men and women. It is not enough to say “I am now God’s friend”; many believers do not enjoy its benefits because they are unaware of its true meaning.
Let’s look at the Scriptures:
- John 4:24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth”. Reconciliation gives us this spiritual nature.
- 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed”. It is not just a nominal title, but an essence delivered by God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:17: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit”. There is a radical transformation, physical, spiritual, and genetic.
Paul summarizes it in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. We are not repentant sinners; that definition denies reconciliation. We are new creatures with Christ’s nature, and God, when looking at us, sees His Son in us.
When Did Reconciliation Occur?
This fifth act occurs on the day of resurrection. We will compare two passages:
- John 20:17: Jesus says to Mary Magdalene: “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’”. This happens early on Sunday.
- Luke 24:36-39: Later that day, Jesus appears to the disciples and says: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
In the morning, Jesus does not allow himself to be touched because he had not yet ascended to the Father. In the afternoon, already resurrected and transformed, he invites them to touch him. Between both moments, he ascended to the Father, not in the ascension of Acts 1 (40 days later), but that same day, as the firstfruits. Leviticus 23:10-12 prophesies this: “You shall bring to the priest an omer as firstfruits… on the day after the Sabbath he shall wave it”. On Sunday, while the priest was waving the firstfruits, Jesus presented himself before God as the “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:23: “Christ, the firstfruits”), granting reconciliation to the justified.
Ephesians 4:8-10 confirms this: “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men… He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens”. This occurred on the day of resurrection, fulfilling reconciliation.
Benefits of Reconciliation
Living in reconciliation brings concrete blessings:
- We Live Christ Jesus’ Life: Romans 5:10-11: “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”. We do not live our life, but Christ’s, regardless of circumstances. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ… not counting people’s sins against them”. We have the power – not just the capacity – to live like Christ, not by human effort, but by the work of the Spirit.
- We Are Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ: Romans 8:17: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ”. Galatians 3:29: “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”. Titus 3:7: “So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life”. This includes the promises, Abraham’s faith, the blessings (Deuteronomy 28: “These blessings shall come upon you”) and eternal life. This is not for everyone, but for the reconciled who live according to this truth, not just by religious affiliation (Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”).
- Satan Has No Jurisdiction Over Us: Ephesians 2:14-16: “For he himself is our peace… reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross”. Colossians 1:13: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son”. The enemy loses authority; God sees Christ in us.
Call to Live Reconciliation
Reconciliation is not a light concept nor a human effort; it is a supernatural transformation. Many do not live it due to lack of knowledge or by clinging to religious ideas. 1 John says: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him”. We are not sinners seeking opportunities; we have Christ’s nature. Let us assume the responsibility of walking in this truth: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”. I live Christ’s life by faith (Galatians 2:20), not by feeling it, but because the Word declares it.
I bless you; may the peace of Christ Jesus be with you. Amen.
