Christ's Ministry of Reconciliation

Article 4: God the Son

4-2 The Lord Jesus Christ is the revelation of God to man. In the days of His humiliation He lived a sinless life, performed miracles, taught the will of God, was crucified, and died. He was buried and arose bodily from the dead on the third day. The Lord Jesus offered Himself a sacrifice for sins, satisfied the justice of the Father, propitiated the wrath of God, reconciled God and man, and obtained an eternal inheritance.

[Jesus] told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity

The Need for Reconciliation

Separation

Isaiah 59:2 ESV

but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Spiritual Death

Colossians 2:13 (ESV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh....

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Vulnerability to Accusations of Guilt

Revelation 12:10 ESV

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

Colossians 2:14–15 ESV

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

No Desire for Reconciliation

Luke 18:22–23 ESV

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Hostile Towards God

Colossians 1:21 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

The Work of Reconciliation

Colossians 1:19–22 ESV

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 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,

“All things”

Not teaching universalism

Jesus taught that some will go away into eternal punishment and some will go into eternal life. (Matt 25:46)

Paul taught that some will that some will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord. (2 Thess 1:9)

John taught that the smoke of the torment of those who reject Christ goes up forever and ever (Rev. 14:11)

Refers to that which enjoys peace with God through Christ’s redemptive work

Through the work of Christ on the cross, God secured the reconciliation of His creation to Himself. The already/not yet pattern of New Testament eschatology must be applied to our understanding of “all things”. This idea is reflected in Paul’s writing to the Romans.

Romans 8:19–22 ESV

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

In light of this eschatological understanding, it appears that what Paul is teaching in v. 20 is that the blood of Christ has secured the victory of God over the universe in such a way that the day is coming when all things that in the new heavens and the new earth will be entirely reconciled to God with no rebel remnants.

Peace by His Blood

Peace with God through blood sacrifice is a theme throughout Scripture. (see Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22; 1 John 1:7)

Peace with God through blood identifies the substitutionary aspects of of the death of Christ. (see Lev. 16 - Day of Atonement, Isa. 53:4-5)

Romans 3:24–26 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Peace with God through blood points to the death of Christ on the cross - blood of His cross.

Peace with God through blood demands that people respond to the redemptive work of Christ through faith.

Romans 3:25 ESV

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

The Purpose of Reconciliation

to formally present those reconciled to Christ as

holy

blameless: without blemish

above reproach: free from accusation

to present those reconciled before God

already

Ephesians 5:25–27 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

not yet

Romans 14:10 ESV

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;