We were enemies of God, alienated from him in every way, but he moved towards us to bring us back home. This reconciliation to relationship takes place in Jesus. As Paul says, “IN CHRIST, God was reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5: 19 NRSV). Jesus is the true God moving faithfully towards humans to accomplish reconciliation in himself. He is also the true human moving faithfully towards God on our behalf for our reconciliation.

This reconciliation in Jesus, calls for a personal response from us. Having said, “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself”, Paul goes on to say, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God” God himself is appealing to us because he is the relational God who simply wants to be in relationship with us. That’s why he created us. That’s why he sent his Son into the world as human. And so, the reconciling God appeals to us to be reconciled.
However, our personal response to God’s reconciling love is enabled by God’s Spirit. For God sends his Spirit to us personally creating within us a personal response to his reconciling love in Jesus. Through Jesus, God moves towards us in order to reconcile us; and by God’s Spirit, we now move towards God to be reconciled. So, from both the divine and human sides, reconciliation moves from God’s reconciling love. The God who is love wants us in a relationship as his family and does everything in Jesus to have us with himself. And by his Spirit, we respond gratefully in wonder, love, and praise.