In harmony with God:

2 Corinthians 5:18 All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

The Lord Jesus made us (reconciled) or friendly. He brought all of us, not just believers, but all mankind, back into harmony with God. The debt humanity owed has been paid in full. What mankind must do now is believe it, accept it, we must receive it. We must put our faith in the Lord before what He has provided has its full effect in our lives. But God’s wrath has been appeased. Man may not be reconciled to God, but God has been reconciled to man. His wrath is over, and He’s given us (believers) the ministry of reconciliation.

The reason that Christianity, I believe,  isn’t having a greater impact on our world than it is today is that we aren’t preaching this message. What is being taught, to a large extent today,  from pulpits and class rooms is a misconception of how God deals with people now, under the New Covenant. More reference is made to The Old Covenant and God’s wrath than anything else. Christ forever changed the way God deals with us.   

It’s true that before we were born again we were, by nature, sinners. Our sin separated us from God. Although this is the truth, it’s not “good news.” It’s not the Gospel.

The Gospel tells us of how God placed all of the punishment for our sins (past, present and future) upon Jesus. In spite of our sins, our relative unworthiness, and need, Christ paid the price for us, then entire price. God’s justice demanded our punishment, but Jesus took it for us. Now God’s wrath has been forever satisfied. He’s not angry with people. Jesus paid the price, and all we must do is receive that payment. Now that’s good news. That is the Gospel!

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The angles here were really saying “God is not angry. There is peace. He is not upset with you”. But you know in spite of that scriptural truth, in some way or another, people today cannot wait to discuss how angry God is. They think that will drive people away from hell, but it just does not work that way.

The Lord has given us the ministry of reconciliation:

2 Corinthians 5:19 God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
 

Notice the phrase “God was in Christ…not imputing.” This word impute means “to hold against. It’s actually an accounting term. If you bought something and said, “Put that on my account,” they would write it down. Then, at the end of the month, you’d have to pay up. “Not imputing” would be like using a credit card to purchase something, yet it is never charged to your bill. That amount isn’t held against you. This verse says that “God was in Christ” not holding man’s sins against them. Now that is the gospel.