2 Corinthians 5:18-19

The basis of this total change (new attitudes, 2 Corinthians 5:16, and new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17) is God’s gracious provision of reconciliation in sending His Son to die for us. He has brought people to Himself by dealing with our sins in Christ. God is the reconciler, and He has reconciled everyone to Himself, the elect and the non-elect alike (cf. Romans 5:10-11; Colossians 1:20-22). [Note: See Gary L. Shultz Jr., "The Reconciliation of All Things in Christ," Bibliotheca Sacra 167:668 (October-December 2010):442-59.] He has brought everyone into a savable relation to Himself by sending His Son who paid the penalty for sin that separates people from God. The fact that God has reconciled everyone does not mean that everyone is justified, however. People still need to respond to the offer of salvation by believing the gospel to receive justification (2 Corinthians 5:20). Reconciliation removes a barrier to our salvation, but it does not by itself accomplish our salvation.

God has committed the message of this provision to those who have experienced reconciliation, and our ministry is to present it to all people (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul was perhaps speaking primarily of his own ministry of bringing people back to God as well as the ministry of his fellow apostles. However all believers clearly share this ministry since God has reconciled us all. The word of reconciliation is the gospel message.