30 Bible Verses about Reconciliation, Of The World To God

Meanwhile the tax-gatherer stood at a distance, not venturing even 'to raise his eyes to Heaven'; but he kept striking his breast and saying 'O God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, much more, now that we have become reconciled, shall we be saved by virtue of Christ's Life.

Because to be earthly-minded is to be an enemy to God, for such a mind does not submit to the Law of God, nor indeed can it do so.

You yourselves were once dead because of your offenses and sins. For at one time you lived in sin, following the ways of the world, in subjection to the Ruler of the Powers of the air--the Spirit who is still at work among the disobedient. And it was among them that we all once lived our lives, indulging the cravings of our earthly nature, and carrying out the desires prompted by that earthly nature and by our own thoughts. Our very nature exposed us to the Divine Wrath, like the rest of mankind.

With their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the Life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts.

And it pleased God that you, once estranged from him and hostile towards him in your thoughts, intent only on wickedness--

Unfaithful people! Do not you know that to be friends with the world means to be at enmity with God? Therefore whoever chooses to be friends with the world makes himself an enemy to God.

But all this is the work of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the Ministry of Reconciliation-- To proclaim that God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning men's offenses against them, and that he had entrusted us with the Message of this reconciliation.

Seeing that, while we were still powerless, Christ, in God's good time, died on behalf of the godless. Even for an upright man scarcely any one will die. For a really good man perhaps some one might even dare to die. But God puts his love for us beyond all doubt by the fact that Christ died on our behalf while we were still sinners.

But, when the full time came, God sent his Son--born a woman's child, born subject to Law-- To ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.

Yet God, in his abundant compassion, and because of the great love with which he loved us, Even though we were 'dead' because of our offenses, gave Life to us in giving Life to the Christ. (By God's loving-kindness you have been saved.)

His love is seen in this--not in our having loved God, but in his loving us and sending his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Seeing that, while we were still powerless, Christ, in God's good time, died on behalf of the godless.

But now, through your union with Christ Jesus, you who once were 'far off' have, by the shedding of the blood of the Christ, been brought 'near.'

And through him to reconcile all things to himself (making peace by the shedding of Christ's blood offered upon the cross)-- whether on earth or in Heaven.

Therefore, having been pronounced righteous as the result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God has sent his Message to the Israelites and told them, through Jesus Christ, the Good News of peace--and Jesus is Lord of all! You yourselves know the story which spread through all Judea, how, beginning form Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed-- The story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him.read more.
We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross! This Jesus God raised on the third day, and enabled him to appear, Not indeed to every one, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God--to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead. To him it is that all the Prophets bear witness, when they say that every one who believes in him receives through his Name forgiveness of sins." Before Peter had finished saying these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message. Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even upon the Gentiles; For they heard them speaking with 'tongues' and extolling God. At this Peter asked:

He it is who is our Peace. He made the two divisions of mankind one, broke down the barrier that separated them, And in his human nature put an end to the cause of enmity between them--the Law with its injunctions and ordinances--in order to create, through union with himself, from Jew and Gentile, one New Man and thus make peace. And when, upon the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one Body.read more.
He came with the Good News of peace for you who were 'far off,' and of peace for those who were 'near'; For it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father. It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow-citizens with Christ's People and members of God's Household.

And it pleased God that you, once estranged from him and hostile towards him in your thoughts, intent only on wickedness-- But now he has reconciled you to himself by the sacrifice of Christ's earthly body in death--it has pleased God that you should stand in his presence holy, pure, and blameless,

It is through him that, by reason of our faith, we have obtained admission to that place in God's favor in which we not stand. So let us exult in our hope of attaining God's glorious ideal.

For it is through him that we, the Jews and the Gentiles, united in the one Spirit, are now able to approach the Father.

And in union with him, and through our trust in him, we find courage to approach God with confidence.

Therefore, Brothers, since we may enter the Sanctuary with confidence, in virtue of the blood of Jesus, by the way which he inaugurated for us--a new and living way, a way through the Sanctuary Curtain (that is, his human nature); and, since we have in him 'a great priest set over the House of God,'read more.
let us draw near to God in all sincerity of heart and in perfect faith, with our hearts purified by the sprinkled blood from all consciousness of wrong, and with our bodies washed with pure water.

For you did not receive the spirit of a slave, to fill you once more with fear, but the spirit of a son which leads us to cry 'Abba, Our Father.' The Spirit himself unites with our spirits in bearing witness to our being God's children,

For you are all Sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.

But, when the full time came, God sent his Son--born a woman's child, born subject to Law-- To ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons. And it is because you are sons that God sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, with the cry--'Abba, our Father.'

Think what love the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called 'Children of God'; as indeed we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it has not learned to know him. Dear friends, we are God's Children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is that, when it is revealed, we shall be like Christ; because we shall see him as he is.

For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but Life from the dead?

For in him, and through the shedding of his blood, we have found redemption in the pardon of our offenses. All this accords with the loving-kindness which God lavished upon us, accompanied by countless gifts of wisdom and discernment, When he made known to us his hidden purpose. And it also accords with the good-will which God purposed to exhibit in Christ,read more.
In view of that Divine Order which was to mark the completion of the ages, when he should make everything, both in Heaven and on earth, center in him.

But all this is the work of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the Ministry of Reconciliation-- To proclaim that God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning men's offenses against them, and that he had entrusted us with the Message of this reconciliation. It is, then, on Christ's behalf that we are acting as ambassadors, God, as it were, appealing to you through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf--Be reconciled to God.