Chapter 6: On reconciliation, and arguments arising from its true meaning
To speak of universal redemption—while acknowledging that multitudes perish—is as contradictory as calling something both
Roman and Catholic. If all are redeemed, then all must be freed from the guilt and punishment of sin, whether virtually or actually. And if they are truly redeemed by the ransom of Christ's blood, why are they not saved?
In short, the very nature of redemption—full deliverance from misery by the payment of a ransom—cannot be made to fit the theory of universal redemption. It is, by its nature, particular and effectual.
Therefore, the idea that Christ redeemed all people contradicts the plain meaning of the word and the consistent teaching of Scripture.
Book III, Chapter 6 On the Nature of Reconciliation, and the Argument from It Argument XII.
Another benefit commonly attributed to Christ's death—and agreed upon by all to apply to those for whom he died—is reconciliation.
Scripture speaks of reconciliation in two related ways: first, God being reconciled to us; and second, we being reconciled to God. Both are usually tied directly to the death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ.
For example, "You, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death"
(Colossians 1:21–22). And surely, these two aspects of reconciliation
—God to man and man to God—go hand in hand. Wherever God is reconciled to a person, that person is also reconciled to God. For if either side remains unreconciled, how can there be peace?
Indeed, to suppose that God is reconciled to someone who is not himself reconciled to God—when God has the power to change the heart—is unreasonable. Likewise, it makes no sense to say a person is reconciled to God while God remains alienated. True reconciliation must be mutual. Therefore, to claim that God is reconciled to all people—even those who remain in unbelief and rebellion—is to deny what reconciliation really is.
Let's examine this more closely. Reconciliation, both in Scripture and common language, refers to the restoration of peace and friendship between parties formerly at odds. It involves a mutual change: the offender is restored, and the offended party is appeased. In the case of sin, man is the offender and God the offended. Man is alienated in his heart and affections, while God, though holy and good, is alienated in terms of his judicial wrath—the just penalty for sin.
The Greek word for reconciliation, katallagē, comes from a root meaning "to change" or "exchange." It implies a change of condition, turning enmity into peace. This concept requires mutual resolution: both parties must be reconciled. If one remains hostile or the offense remains unresolved, reconciliation is incomplete. Our Lord emphasized this in Matthew 5:23–24 when he taught that a man must first be reconciled to his brother before offering a gift at the altar—meaning, the one offended must be appeased and the relationship restored.
So, we reject both the Socinian view—which claims reconciliation is simply our conversion to God, without any satisfaction made to divine justice—and the view of some others who claim that God is
reconciled to everyone, while only a few are reconciled to him. Both ideas are flawed. Reconciliation requires mutual restoration, not one-sided peace.
Before Christ reconciled us, Scripture describes the condition of both parties. We were enemies to God—hostile and rebellious (Romans
5:10; Colossians 1:21). God, in turn, was opposed to us in justice and wrath (Ephesians 2:3). His wrath remains on unbelievers (John
3:36), which proves that reconciliation has not been made in such cases. Complete reconciliation through Christ, then, must involve both turning away God's wrath and turning our hearts back to God.
And both of these are clearly said in Scripture to be effects of Christ's death.
1. First, Christ turned away the wrath of God from us. This is the reconciliation of God to us through Christ's death: "While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son"
(Romans 5:10). That this refers to God's reconciliation to us— specifically, the turning away of His wrath—is obvious. It is presented as the main way in which God demonstrates His love to us, namely through the forgiveness of sins and the removal of His anger.
This is further supported by the end of the same verse, which contrasts reconciliation with being saved from God's wrath—showing that God's wrath is removed in reconciliation. Also, verse 11 says that "we have received this reconciliation" (translated "atonement" in some versions), which cannot refer to our turning to God—since we are not said to receive our own conversion—but rather to God's turning to us, which we do receive through faith.
2. Second, Christ turns us away from our enmity toward God. He reconciles us by "the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20)—that is,
He secures this reconciliation through His death, meriting it and
purchasing it for us. Then, by His Spirit, He actually brings it about in due time. Both aspects—God's reconciliation to us, and our reconciliation to God—are found together in 2 Corinthians 5:18–20.
First, God is reconciled to us in Christ by not counting our sins against us (verses 18–19), which is the basis of the gospel message.
Second, we are called to be reconciled to God (verse 20), which is the purpose of that message. Ephesians 2:13–15 teaches the same thing.
So the full reconciliation Christ accomplished through His death includes both the turning away of God's wrath and the turning of our hearts to Him, both purchased at once ("simul et semel") by Christ, and applied in time through the gospel.
Scripture speaks plainly that this full reconciliation is the immediate result of Christ's death: "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10); "He has reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death" (Colossians 1:21–22). These verses make it undeniable that reconciliation is the direct effect of Christ's death.
Now, how can this doctrine of reconciliation be consistent with the idea of universal redemption? If reconciliation is the proper result of Christ's death—as all agree—then if He died for all people, several impossible things would follow:
First, why is God not reconciled to all? Scripture teaches that His wrath remains on some (John 3:36), but reconciliation is the removal of wrath.
Second, why are not all people reconciled to God? Yet by nature, we are all "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), and many spend their lives accumulating more wrath (Romans 2:5).
Third, how can there be reconciliation between God and all people, if God is not reconciled to them, and they are not
reconciled to Him?
Fourth, if God was reconciled to all by Christ's death, when did He become unreconciled to those who perish? What changed—
His will or His nature?
Fifth, if all were reconciled at the cross, how are people born still under God's wrath? When did they become unreconciled?
Sixth, Scripture teaches that God's reconciliation consists in His no longer imputing sin (2 Corinthians 5:18–19), which is what justification means—and those to whom sin is not imputed are "blessed" (Romans 4:6–8). So if God is reconciled to all, why are not all justified and blessed?
The defenders of universal redemption must invent a kind of reconciliation where no one is actually reconciled—just as they teach a redemption where no one is actually redeemed. I leave them to answer these contradictions.
In conclusion:
The reconciliation brought about by Christ includes the full restoration of peace between God and man. It involves God's wrath being turned away, sins no longer being counted against us, and our own hearts being changed to love and obey God. This is the kind of reconciliation Christ accomplished by His death. Therefore, He cannot be said to have died for any except those in whom this reconciliation is truly and fully brought about. Whether that can be said of every person, let every person judge.