......We are reconciled to God when we believe and accept what Christ has done for us in the Gospel. That is what reconciles us to God.......
Wrong again, oh uninformed one.
Jesus established his covenant, which in salvation history is the sixth covenant established by God. A covenant, Biblically, is the means by which one enters a family, and with God, his covenants are the means by which one enters into the family of God to become adopted sons of The Father.
We enter into a COVENANT with God the Father to become adopted sons and daughters. FAMILY and COVENANT are the keys to what it means to be a Christian. Faith is important, but it is no substitute for entering the Family of God.
In the Bible there are six covenants: Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and the New Covenant in Christ. We see that each covenant casts its net a little wider each time: Two people, a family, a tribe, the 12 tribes, a Kingdom, and finally the whole world.
This is God's plan of salvation, to make us heirs, to become his adopted sons. This is authentic Christianity.
Your statement, that we are reconciled to God when we believe and accept what Christ has done for us in the Gospel, falls far short of what is truly needed. And the modern idea of "are you saved" and "a personal relationship" is an anomaly. It removed the familial core of COVENANT.
The next question one must ask then is this: How does one enter into a Covenant with God the Father. Its the same way that Jews brought people into their tribes, their family: An Oath is sworn, and usually a meal is shared. Interesting that in Latin, "oath" is Sacramentum, what we call sacraments, which include Baptism (which replaces circumcision) and the Eucharist (the sacred meal.).
Repent, be baptized, and receive communion regularly. The Oaths that establish Covenant.