RECONCILED TO GOD
When Paul speaks of our salvation, he speaks of it in terms of faith and being reconciled to God. “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). We cannot bring ourselves to God for two reasons: sinners can do nothing to help themselves apart from the intervention of God, and the best reason—Christ has already reconciled us to God. “For if, while we were the enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more shall we be saved by His life, since we have now been reconciled” (Romans 5:10). This—what Jesus did in bringing us to God—happened outside of us, but for us. It was accomplished before we heard a thing about it.
This is why Paul said, “You trusted in Christ after you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and that is when you were considered His own” (Ephesians 1:13). We were “included” Christ, as some versions have it, when we believed the message that was preached. Included in what? In what He did. In what He accomplished. The gospel is a message announcing an accomplishment. That is why it is called “the good news of your salvation.” Think of it: the gospel is an announcement of good news. And what is that good news? Your salvation. The gospel tells you that Christ saved you at the cross.
Have you ever thought of the gospel in this way? Have you seen it as God’s saving announcement to you? Do you realize that salvation is something that Jesus did—outside of you, on His own without any help from you—and that this is why the gospel is such great news? Because it tells us that we have been saved. “And now we are here to tell you this good news. The promise was made to our forefathers…Brothers, hear what we say! We have come to proclaim the forgiveness of your sins through this man Jesus. Whoever believes in Him is made right in the sight of God. That is something the law of Moses could never do” (Acts 13:32, 38-39).
This announcement—that God has saved us through Christ—is true only for those who believe it. That is very important. The gospel of Christ is the power of God for salvation only for those who believe that it is (Rom. 1:16). But we must remember what it is that we are believing: that Christ saved us at the cross.
Remember Paul’s words: “We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” At the cross, salvation occurred for all of God’s people. You can be one of them. It is one decision away. Turn to Christ.
Dewayne Dunaway
