Rooted in Christ- Part 7- Reconciled

Introduction

Paul has been consistently refuting the false teachers who had gained such prominence in Colosse. Paul emphasized the deity of Christ and reminded the believers in Colosse that Jesus Christ was the “image of the invisible God”, that HE existed before creation, that HE was active in creation, that HE had authority over all things, and that all things were created for HIM and it is HE who holds all things together.

Paul then reminded them that Jesus Christ was not only in authority over creation but that HE was also the head and the originator of the church.

The motivation for Paul’s argument is then revealed in the conclusion of verse 18. His intent was that Christ would again have the preeminence that HE alone deserves.

In the next several verses Paul continues to confront the false teaching of those who had led the Colossians astray.

The focus of these verses is Christ’s work of reconciliation made possible by His incarnation and resulting in our sanctification.

Paul begins his argument with the:

Incarnation (Vs. 19 & Vs. 22a)

Paul has already stated that Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God” but now he makes more plain the fact that in Christ dwells the “fulness” of God.

Incarnation- literally means “in flesh” and is descriptive of the fact that Jesus Christ was literally God in human flesh.

The false teachers in Colosse used the greek term pleroma to describe “the sum total of all the divine power and attributes” which they believed were divided out among all the various emanations from God.

Paul uses the very same word to describe the “fulness” of God which is present in Jesus Christ. Paul is here asserting that Jesus Christ is the physical, bodily manifestation of God.

All of the attributes and power of God is concentrated in Jesus Christ. Jesus was not merely like God or partially God and partially man, but He was completely God while at the same time being a man.

Paul states this same truth even more clearly in the following chapter in Colossians 2:9- “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

Paul also includes this idea in verse 22 when he states that Christ reconciled us to Himself in the body of his flesh through death. Jesus was not a mere spirit being or emanation from God, He was God come in human flesh.

This is a vital truth which is presented throughout scripture and is necessary to our redemption and reconciliation. There are many who would assign a lesser position to Christ but the plain teaching of scripture is clear that Christ came in flesh and that HE was fully God and fully man.

In fact John writes that this very idea is a test by which spirits should be tried- I John 4:2-3- spirit of God Jesus come in the flesh.

There are two errors that must be avoided: 1. To say that Christ is not come in the flesh but only in a spiritual sense 2. to say that Christ is come in the flesh but that in taking on flesh He became less than God.

Paul wanted to be certain that the church in Colosse had a right belief regarding the incarnation of Christ- that Jesus Christ was has always been and always will be God even as He walked upon earth as a man.

Paul now moves to the primary point of:

Reconciliation (Vs. 20-22a)

All mankind is in their natural state separated from God because of sin. Our sin has separated us from God, but Jesus Christ came to reconcile us back to God.

Our sin places us in direct opposition to God and basically positions us as enemies of God.

Let us first remember our position previous to Christ.

We were alienated- excluded, estranged, non-participants

Ephesians 2:12 KJV 1900

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

We were enemies in our thoughts and by our deeds- before we met Christ our thoughts were against God and our behavior was contrary to Him and to His Word.

Romans 8:7–8 KJV 1900

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

In summation, on our own we had absolutely no hope of being reconciled to God for we were headed in exactly the opposite direction.

The wrath of God against sin must be satisfied if we are to have peace with God. Jesus Christ bore all our sins upon the cross and shed his own precious blood to purchase our redemption so that we might have peace with God so that we might be reconciled to Him.

Reconciliation to God is only made possible through Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:10 KJV 1900

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

II Corinthians 5:18-20- reconciled to God by Christ

Jesus Christ died to reconcile us to God. He willing took upon him the sins of mankind to allow man the opportunity to have a relationship with God.

God could not overlook sin, and man could never overcome sin, so Jesus Christ was made sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! (II Corinthians 5:21)

Paul also states that Jesus will ultimately “reconcile all things unto Himself.” This does not mean that all men will ultimately be saved for the scripture expressly declares that eternal torment awaits those who reject Christ.

This simply speaks of the time when all shall be made right and the curse be removed and men shall be finally judged based upon their acceptance or rejection of God’s means of salvation and perfect peace shall be finally restored to all creation.

This work of Reconciliation ultimate brings about our:

Sanctification (Vs. 22)

The reconciliation which Christ has made possible also brings about our sanctification whereby we are made holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in God’s sight.

It is only by relationship to Christ that you and I who were once stained with sin to be made pure, righteous, and holy in the sight of God.

The process of our sanctification begins in this life as we strive for holiness of life through yielding to the influence of the Spirit of God but it shall one day be completed when we are presented to God robed in the righteousness of Christ.

You and I may struggle towards holiness and we may make significant improvements as we are continually transformed into the image of Christ but we shall only attain perfect holiness through the blood of Jesus Christ and our faith in Him.

Holy has to do with purity, unblameable - faultless/without defect, unreproveable-free from accusation or need for correction.

Isaiah 1:18 KJV 1900

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Positionally in the sight of God even now we are righteous because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ which has now been imputed to us.

We are made righteous in the sight of God through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:9 KJV 1900

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Conclusion

The final statement Paul makes in Verse 23 sums up all that he has discussed by reminding them that their continuance in the faith is the evidence of the sincerity of their salvation.

This verse does not suggest that salvation can be lost, but rather that the continuance in the faith is the evidence of true salvation.

The greek construction that Paul uses is not an expression of doubt but an expression of confidence. Paul is stating that he is confident that they believers in Colosse will remain stedfast in the faith because he is convinced of the sincerity of their reception of the gospel which brought about their conversion to Christ.

1 John 2:19 KJV 1900

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.