Section 11
serious than the problem that necessitates pro pitiation. If I am your enemy, propitiation is inadequate. I need reconciliation. Sinners need propitiation; enemies need reconciliation. Enmity is the greatest problem between man and God. Propitiation mainly deals with sins; reconcilia tion deals with enmity as well as sins. Therefore, reconciliation includes propitiation. Romans 5 tells us that before we were saved we were both sinners and enemies. As sinners we needed propi tiation, and as enemies we needed reconciliation. Herein lies the difference between propitiation and reconciliation: propitiation is for sins; rec onciliation is both for sins and enmity.
Reconciliation is based upon Christ's re demption (Rom. 5:10, 11) and was accomplished through God's justification (2 Cor. 5:18-19; Rom. 5:1, 11). Hence, reconciliation is the issue of re demption with justification.
In the previous points we mainly covered the definition of various terms—the righteousness of God, justification, propitiation, redemption, and reconciliation. Once we have the proper defini tion of these terms, we can understand what it means to be justified.