Reconciled in Christ

Colossians 1:20-23. "Reconciled in Christ". Ajax Alliance Church. Sunday May 21st, 2023. Colossians 1:20-23 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (ESV) One of Napoleon III's greatest aims was to reconcile his country with England. The emperor was very favourably disposed towards the English, having spent many years of his exile there, and wanted to establish lasting and sincere reconciliation. He was aware of the fatal mistakes of his uncle Napoleon I...In 1854 he became England's ally in the Crimean War. After his stay in London in April 1855, Queen Victoria came on a return visit to France from 17 to 28 August 1855. The reception was a success: besides the treaty of alliance over Crimea, Victoria supported Napoleon III in (what was known as) the Mexican Affair, and a trade agreement for 10 years was signed in 1860. The emperor restored the diplomatic role to Versailles that it had known under Louis XIV, and that role was continued during the 20th century. (https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/visit-queen-victoria-1855) When people are alienated from each other, in order to reestablish a relationship, they need to be reconciled. The verb katallassō (to reconcile) means "to change" or "exchange." Its New Testament usage speaks of a change in a relationship. The liberty of the Gospel of Christ was achieved through the self-sacrificial death of Christ. For those in bondage to sin, He achieved their liberty. God, through Christ's death on the Cross, reconciled believers to Himself. The central purpose of Christ's peacemaking work, is seen ...in those men and women who have heard the message of reconciliation and ...rendered their submission (to Christ), gratefully accepting the amnesty which the message holds out. ( Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (pp. 76-77). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) In Colossians 1:20-23, Paul defends Christ's sufficiency to reconcile humanity to God by discussing four aspects of reconciliation: 1) The Plan of reconciliation (Colossians 1:20a, 21), 2) The Means of reconciliation (Colossians 1:20b, 1:22a), 3) The Aim of reconciliation (Colossians 1:22b), and 4) The Evidence of reconciliation (Colossians 1:23). Christ's sufficiency to reconcile humanity to God is seen through: 1) The Plan of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:20a, 21) Colossians 1:20a, 21 [20]and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, (making peace by the blood of his cross). [21] And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, (ESV) God's ultimate plan for the universe as specified in the beginning of verse 20 is to reconcile to Himself all things through Jesus Christ. When His work of creation was finished, "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). God's good creation, however, was soon marred by humanity's sin. The Fall resulted not only in fatal and damning tragedy for the human race, but also affected the entire creation. Sin destroyed the perfect harmony between creatures, and between all creation and the Creator. The creation was "subjected to futility" (Rom. 8:20) "groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now" (Rom. 8:22). It is not that God abandons humanity but through human sinfulness, people depart from God. Yet, in His grace, it is God who takes the initiative; He, through his Son, effects the reconciliation: Sinful humanity and creation itself, is the object of God's reconciling activity. (Bratcher, R. G., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on Paul's letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 28). United Bible Societies.) Some have imagined all things in Col. 1:20 to include fallen humanity and fallen angels, and on that basis have argued for universalism, the ultimate salvation of everyone. By so doing they overlook a fundamental rule of interpretation, the analogia Scriptura. That principle teaches that no passage of Scripture, properly interpreted, will contradict any other passage. When we let Scripture interpret Scripture, it is clear that by all things Paul means all things for whom reconciliation is possible. That fallen angels and unregenerate humanity will spend eternity in hell is the emphatic teaching of Scripture. Our Lord will one day say to unbelievers, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels," and they "will go away into eternal punishment" (Matt. 25:41, 46). There are two reconciliations mentioned in this chapter: (1) The reconciliation of things (v. 20), and (2) the reconciliation of persons (v. 21). The first is still future, whereas the second (persons) is past, (present and future) for all who have believed in Christ. (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1995). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.) From God's general plan to reconcile all things to Himself, Paul turns in verse 21 to the specific reconciliation of believers like the Colossians. That they had been reconciled was evidence enough that Christ was sufficient to reconcile men and women to God. Their reconciliation foreshadowed the ultimate reconciliation of the universe. To impress on them Christ's power to reconcile humanity to God, Paul reminds the Colossians of what they were like before their reconciliation. They were once/formerly alienated and hostile in mind, doing/engaged in evil deeds. Apallotrioō (alienated) means "estranged," "cut off," or "separated." The use of the word "alienated" indicates a desperate state of utter separation and isolation, which in lost humanity's relationship with God is also marked by hostility. It is our own evil which makes us hostile to, and which alienates us from, God. (Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader's companion (electronic ed., p. 813). Wheaton: Victor Books.) Please turn to Ephesians 2 It is very important for us to see the reality of this condition. How do you see those we encounter every day who are as yet unconverted? So often they seem to be very comfortable with themselves, very much at home in the world, often secure and happy. Not always, of course, but it can seem like that. Yet it is not like that. The totality of all things, and therefore every single person, must be seen in their relation to Christ. We must learn to see the unbelievers as they are, and as we once were: 'alienated'. (Woodhouse, J. (2011). Colossians and Philemon: So Walk in Him (p. 68). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus.) In a similar passage, Paul writes: Ephesians 2:12-13 [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (ESV) * Everyone in their natural state is detached from God because of sin. There is no one who meets God's standard of perfection that He requires for fellowship with Him. Everyone who does not put their faith in Christ is separated from God unless they receive the reconciliation provided in Jesus Christ. The Colossians had also been hostile in mind. Echthros (hostile) could also be translated "hateful." Unbelievers are not only alienated from God by condition, but also hateful of God by attitude. They hate Him and resent His holy standards and commands because they are doing/engaged in evil deeds. Scripture teaches that unbelievers "loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:19-20). Perhaps you think that people in general are not hostile to God. They were just apathetic. They simply did not care. But apparent apathy is only a cover for this deep antagonism. It comes to the surface readily enough. We see it again and again these days. In recent times the hostility has been sharply expressed in the popular publications of the angry atheists. 'Hostile of mind' is a precisely accurate description, don't you think? This hostility should be seen in its true light: it is hostility to the one who is the firstborn of all creation, in whom all things were created and all things hold together. What utter foolishness to have such antagonism to him! (Woodhouse, J. (2011). Colossians and Philemon: So Walk in Him (pp. 68-69). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus.) Hymn: The contrast in individual experience between before and after conversion is illustrated in the rich imagery of the song "Out of My Bondage," by W. T. Sleeper (to capture Paul's corporate outlook, one could change my/I to our/we): "Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come; Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus, I come to Thee; ... Out of my sin and into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee. Out of my shameful failure and loss ...; Into the glorious gain of Thy cross ... Out of unrest and arrogant pride ...; Into Thy blessed will to abide, Jesus, I come to Thee". (Martin, E. D. (1993). Colossians, Philemon (pp. 84-85). Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.) Christ's sufficiency to reconcile humanity to God is seen through: 2) The Means of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:20b, 1:22a) Colossians 1:20b [20] (and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven,) making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV) Colossians 1:22a. [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, (in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him), (ESV) Those two phrases sum up the specific means whereby Christ effected our reconciliation with God. Paul says first that Christ made peace between God and humanity. Those who have received his peace have direct access to him already and will have it in fullness when at length they are introduced184 into his presence holy, blameless, and free from every charge against them. "In Christ this accused person becomes unaccused; he is awarded not condemnation but liberty." The pronouncement of justification made in the believer's favor here and now anticipates the pronouncement of the judgment day: the holiness of life which is progressively wrought by the Spirit here and now is to issue in perfection of glory at Christ's return/parousia. (Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (p. 79). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) Christ made peace between God and humanity through the blood of His cross. Sin ruined the universe. It destroyed the harmony between one creature and the other, also between all creatures and their God. Through the blood of the cross (cf. Eph. 2:11-18), however, sin, in principle, has been conquered. The demand of the law has been satisfied, its curse born (Rom. 3:25; Gal. 3:13). Harmony, accordingly, has been restored. Peace was made (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Exposition of Colossians and Philemon (Vol. 6, pp. 81-82). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) Blood here speaks metaphorically of Christ's atonement. It connects Christ's death with the Old Testament sacrificial system (cf 1 Pet. 1:18-19). It is also a term that graphically notes violent death, such as that suffered by the sacrificial animals. The countless thousands of animals sacrificed under the Old Covenant pointed ahead to the violent, blood-shedding death the final sacrificial Lamb would suffer. (Heb. 13:11-12). Any theology that denies the substitutionary atonement of Christ or neglects the saving power of His sacrifice and the necessity of His shed blood, no matter how impressive otherwise, is a false theology with no power to save. The cross of Christ is a constant reminder of proud mankind's inability to generate its own salvation. The substitutionary atonement is not one theory among many, but an eternal fact reflected in many scriptural metaphors. (Criswell, W. A., Patterson, P., Clendenen, E. R., Akin, D. L., Chamberlin, M., Patterson, D. K., & Pogue, J. (Eds.). (1991). Believer's Study Bible (electronic ed., Col 1:20-22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.) Please turn to Romans 5 How could the red and white corpuscles be literally applied to believers in salvation? The "shedding of blood" in Scripture is an expression that means much more than just bleeding. It refers to violent sacrificial death. Paul explains: Romans 5:9-10. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (ESV) * The critical element in salvation is the sacrificial death of Christ on believers behalf. The shedding of His blood was the visible manifestation of His life being poured out in sacrifice, and Scripture consistently uses the term "shedding of blood" as a metonym for atoning death. (A metonym is a figure of speech in which the part is used to represent or designate the whole.) The beginning of Colossians 1:22 further explains that Christ: "has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death". Christ died not only as a sacrifice, but also as our substitute. He has now reconciled believers in His fleshly body through death. In Colosse, the Docetics would be teaching that Jesus Christ appeared to men in a spiritual body, and since he had no physical body only seemed to suffer and die on the cross. Col. 1:22 gives the lie to that theory.( Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Exposition of Colossians and Philemon (Vol. 6, p. 84). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) In Romans 8:3, Paul tells us "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh", (ESV). Christ took the place of repentant sinners, dying a substitutionary death that paid the full penalty for the sin of all who believe. This death satisfied God's wrath. Hymn: Can there be an intelligent and genuine turning to Christ without 'that definite assurance of salvation'? Alas, it seems that there can, but only because believers do what Paul here forbids and shift from the hope (i.e. assurance) of the gospel by seeking something more than Christ crucified as the sufficient foundation for their soul's confidence. Assurance of ultimate salvation is God's intention for every Christian (1 Jn. 5:13)... The celebrated minister of St Peter's, Dundee, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, wrote these words about such Christian certainty: My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand. (Lucas, R. C. (1980). The message of Colossians & Philemon (p. 65). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) Christ's sufficiency to reconcile humanity to God is seen through: 3) The Aim of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:22b) Colossians 1:22b [22] (he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,) in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (ESV) God's ultimate goal in reconciliation is to present His elect holy and pure before Him. Jude tells of Christ's work of purification: Jude 1:24"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy", (ESV). Such purification is necessary if sinners are to stand in the presence of a holy God. Holy (hagios) means to be separated from sin and set apart to God. It has to do with the believer's relationship with Him. As a result of a faith union with Jesus Christ, God sees Christians as holy as His Son. God "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph. 1:4) (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). The word holy is closely related to the word saint. Both of these words express the idea of "being set apart, being devoted to God." In the New Testament, saints are not dead people who during their lives performed miracles and never sinned. New Testament saints are people who had trust Jesus Christ. Paul wrote this letter to living saints (Col. 1:2). Likewise, Blameless (amōmos) means without blemish. The word was applied to the temple sacrifices which had to be without blemish. It is amazing that God looks at His children and sees no blemish on them! God chose us to be "holy and without blame" (Eph. 1:4). The result of this is that we are: Above/Beyond reproach (anegklētos) which goes beyond blameless. It means not only that we are without blemish, but also that no one can legitimately bring a charge against us (cf Rom. 8:33). Satan, the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), cannot make a charge stick against those whom Christ has reconciled. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 120). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.). * We often disqualify ourselves from action because of insecurities and faults that we see in ourselves. Being forgiven in Christ, means that everyone, from Satan to our own consciences, cannot legitimately accuse us. Let us serve with bold confidence that in repentance, we are forgiven, cleansed and cleared of all changes. Christ's reconciliation makes believers holy, blameless, and beyond reproach before Him. God sees believers now as we will be in heaven when we are glorified. He views us clothed with the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. The process of spiritual growth involves becoming in practice what we are in reality before God. We "have put on the new self" and that new self "is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him" (Col. 3:10). The Christian life involves "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord [which covers us before God, and] being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18). The goal of justification is not only heaven when we die, but holiness now (cf. Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48)! Sanctification is a current reality for believers as a gift from Christ (cf. Acts. 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; Heb. 10:10, 14). It is also a progressive, Christlike living (cf. Eph. 1:4; 2:10; 2 Tim. 2:12; James 1:4; 2 Pet. 3:14) and an eschatological goal (cf. 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:27; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23; 1 John 3:2) (Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 20). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.). Illustration: The process of sanctification can be compared to an iceberg, which is almost 90 percent under water. As the sun shines on the iceberg, the exposed part melts, moving the lower part upward. In the same way, we are usually aware of only a small part of our sinfulness and need, which is all we can deal with at any one time. However, as the light of God's work in our lives changes us in the areas we know about, we become aware of new areas needing the work of God.( Green, M. P. (Ed.). (1989). Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 sermon illustrations arranged by topic and indexed exhaustively (Revised edition of: The expositor's illustration file). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) Finally, Christ's sufficiency to reconcile humanity to God is seen through: 4) The Evidence of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:23) Colossians 1:23. [23] if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (ESV) Of all the marks of a genuine Christian presented in Scripture, none is more significant than the one Paul mentions here. People give evidence of being truly reconciled if they continue in the faith. This verse is not saying that we will be presented holy and blameless if we remain faithful, as if our eternal salvation depends on our performance. This verse is not teaching that loss of salvation is possible. The Greek first-class conditional sentence (ei, Gk., "if, since," plus the indicative mood) expresses Paul's certainty that they will in fact continue. The word "if" could well be translated "since": "He has reconciled [you] ... since indeed you continue in the faith." Paul's purpose is to lead them to appreciate their reconciliation, not to doubt it. Every true believer in Christ will endure to the end (John 10:28, 29; Phil. 1:6). (Criswell, W. A., Patterson, P., Clendenen, E. R., Akin, D. L., Chamberlin, M., Patterson, D. K., & Pogue, J. (Eds.). (1991). Believer's Study Bible (electronic ed., Col 1:23). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.) Paul is not in doubt about whether the Colossians will remain faithful (see Col. 2:5). He is confident that because they have understood what it means to be reconciled they will remain faithful to the gospel that reconciled them. He writes this as an expression of confidence and as a warning to avoid the religious fads of the false teachers of Colosse. (Anders, M. (1999). Galatians-Colossians (Vol. 8, p. 284). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) The Bible repeatedly testifies that those who are truly reconciled will continue in the faith. If the gospel teaches the final perseverance of the saints, it teaches at the same time that the saints are those who finally persevere-in Christ. Continuance is the test of reality.( Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (p. 79). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) The Colossians are described as being stable/firmly established and steadfast. This is a PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE. "They have been and continue to be stable/firmly established (implication, by God)." This was a construction metaphor for a sure foundation (cf. 2:7; Matt. 7:25; Eph. 3:17). It may have been a play on Colossae's geographical location in an earthquake area.( Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 22). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.) Please turn to 2 Corinthians 5 In this powerful text we can sum up what God achieves through the work of the Christ, in terms of reconciliation. First, reconciliation transforms: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (v. 17). Second, it appeases God's wrath: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (v. 21). Third, it comes through Christ: "All these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ" (v. 18). Fourth, it is available to all who believe: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself" (v. 19). Finally, every believer has been given the ministry of proclaiming the message of reconciliation: God "gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (v. 18), and "He has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (v. 19). Perhaps no passage stresses the vital importance of reconciliation more than 2 Corinthians 5:17-21: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV) Believers here are instructed to "continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard". Life without hope is a dismal picture. Into a world of hopelessness, Christ has placed his church as the custodian of the message of hope. Colossians reminds us to cling to Christ for hope for ourselves and others. The gospel of hope needs to be announced by the hopeful people of God and actualized in them. The church is called to be a community of hope... hope is an attractive facet of the gospel in an age of despair. Biblical hope is neither a message of escape nor a hollow promise of avoiding all problems. It is the good news that for each day and for eternity, there is a future because a sovereign God is in it. Therefore, a victorious outcome is certain in Christ. (Martin, E. D. (1993). Colossians, Philemon (p. 87). Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.) Lest there be any confusion about what believers are to continue in, Paul specifies the content of their faith as "the gospel that you heard, which was been proclaimed in all creation under heaven..." Paul hardly meant that every person had heard the gospel. That would defeat the point of his mission and his intense desire to preach where Christ had not been proclaimed. The point is that the gospel is the same gospel that was proclaimed from city to city. There is thus a universal aspect to the gospel which, as Bruce said, "is a token of its divine origin and power." The Gospel recognizes no boundaries whether racial, national, or regional. It is always the "whosoever believeth" gospel. Having reached Rome, from which Paul is writing this epistle, it had actually invaded every large center of the then-known world. (Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 235). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) * The question now for us is in our approach to the spreading of the Gospel. Are we looking for someone of the same ethnic background, the same age or gender in sharing the Gospel? The wonderful truth of the Gospel is that it breaks those barriers. It doesn't eliminate these distinctions, but it transcends them. It is a message that we are called to share with everyone around us, not us those who are like us. The Colossians , and all believers, are to hold fast to the apostolic gospel they had heard; the gospel that had been proclaimed throughout the world; the gospel of which Paul was a minister, commissioned to preach. Those who, like the Colossian errorists, preach any other gospel stand cursed before God (Gal. 1:8). A minister of the gospel is one who knows the gospel, has been saved by the Christ of the gospel, and with joy of heart proclaims the gospel to others. Thus, (such a person) serves the cause of the gospel. (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Exposition of Colossians and Philemon (Vol. 6, p. 85). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) God sends His people forth as ambassadors into a fallen, lost world, bearing unbelievably good news. People everywhere are hopelessly lost and doomed, cut off from God by sin. But God has provided the means of reconciliation through the death of His Son. Our mission is to plead with people to receive that reconciliation, before it is too late. Closing Hymn: Prayer room Invitation 044 Benediction: Now to you who were formerly alienated and hostile in your mind, Who have now been reconciled through His death in order to present you holy and blameless and beyond reproach, Go out in joy and be led forth in peace; being faithful until the return of the one to whom we owe our freedom, beings all things under His feet. In Christ we pray. Amen. (cf. Col. 1:21-22; Isa 55:12) (Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1992). Colossians (pp. 48-66). Chicago: Moody Press.) 4