Reconciling All Things

Introduction

Recap Series

We have heard the story of Christmas, we must make sure that we know who the Christ of Christmas is

He is the image of the invisible God

the creator and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen

meaning the physical and spiritual world

He is the head of the body, the church

A body without a head is dead, just a church is dead without the Christ as the head of it

that means Christ is the center of its preaching, or its ministries, and of its members

He has the fullness of God dwelling in him

Jesus is God, the second person of the trinity

God in the flesh, Immanuel God with us

And it pleased God to do so

Today - Reconciling All Things

Colossians 1:15–20 (CSB)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.

17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.

18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

What is Reconciliation = cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible:

two things that are not compatible are now compatible

this is the Webster’s dictionary

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible = Restoration of friendly relationships and of peace where before there had been hostility and alienation. Ordinarily it also includes the removal of the offense which caused the disruption of peace and harmony.

You might ask, what does this have to do with Christmas?

The second person of the trinity came into this world for two main reasons.

To bring glory to God

we see this in everything that Jesus does while on this earth. His coming is know different, we are not the center of the story, God is.

To bring a people, who are separated from God, and reconcile their differences

It is only through Christ that we can find reconciliation and gain peace with God.

The Need for Reconciliation

It is heartbreaking to think that so many are living without an understanding that we need reconciliation

imagine, not knowing that you are not right with God and headed for eternal damnation because of it

yet if we believe scripture that the road is narrow and few find it, we must realize that there are more lost than saved

that is not just in other parts of the world, that is right here as well

most of the people in our country celebrating Christmas this weekend are doing so with no relationship with God

Colossians 1:20 (CSB)

20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

There are a couple things that we must infer as we read this text

To say that He will reconcile, means that we are not in harmony with God

To say we will have peace, means we were without peace

Why do we lack peace and harmony

Unfortunately this is the disconnect

too many of the people in the world believe that they have peace with God because of their knowledge of him

as in they know the Christmas story

almost as if to say that if they can pass a certain amount of Sunday School quizzes that they will be allowed into heaven

if that was the case, we would start trying to work out where attendance is built into the grade like it was in college or high school

too many of us believe that we can make up the disconnect by our actions

if I do these five steps everyday, attend this much church each year

If I can watch, listen to, or read this amount of godly stuff everyday, or each week, I will be better

But the disconnect is not just something that we have done that has put us at odds with God

it is who we are at our core

Colossians 1:21 (CSB)

21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions.

Because you were hostile on the inside, your actions were evil on the outside

to believe that we did a few bad things and this makes us bad is to say that at the core, we are good people

the opposite is true, we are rotten on the inside and somehow manage to do a few good things

if the problem is at our core, then the few good things that we do in our lives are like putting lipstick on a pig.

we are just trying to appear pretty, holy… it is like me trying to use a hair net

its awkward, it looks funny, and it does no good

We are in desperate need of reconciliation to a Holy God and there is only one way to accomplish this.

The Way to Reconciliation

We want there to be another way

we want to find our own way

we want to be in control

we want to boast about ourselves

all of which reveals that we need somebody else to reconcile us

Colossians 1:20 (CSB)

20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

By the blood of his cross

This was why Jesus came, why he was born on the Christmas morning

John 3:17 (CSB)

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

This is what Jesus has done on the cross

paying our debts

there is a debt that is owed for the sin that we have committed

all of are guilty and none of us are immune from this

that sin separates us from God

and nothing that we do can make up that debt because what is required is a perfect sacrifice

Colossians 1:22 (CSB)

22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him—

It was his death that paid that price, that reconciled us to God

This is more than just taking our sin on himself, he makes us holy

Romans 5:10 (CSB)

10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Presenting us Holy

We are reconciled by His death and saved by his life. This is so much more than what we think of when we simply try to do a few things to outweigh our bad things.

the sacrifice of Jesus is the only way that our debt could be paid and the only way that we are able to live with him for eternity!

The Realized Reconciliation

There are some who teach a heresy by taking this verse out of context.

they will take all things, and claim that it means all people will one day be reconciled to God

that those who have been punished will only be punished for a time, but then one day, reconciliation will happen for all people

in order to take that view, you must also conclude that it is not just people, but then also the demons and satan himself that would be reconciled

Colossians 1:20 (CSB)

20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

taken alone, this verse can sound like a universal salvation of all people and all demons

Paul gives a condition later in the text

Colossians 1:23 (CSB)

23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

By giving this condition, Paul is not talking about ALL people and demons, but instead, ALL who have remained in the gospel

this means who have confessed that Jesus is Lord, believed that God raised him from the dead and have lived their life accordingly

So what is Paul talking about when he says everything?

A new heaven and new earth

Revelation 21:1–4 (CSB)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

He is not talking about a day of all being saved, but instead pointing to the glorious day when we will be united with the one who saved us!

this is why Christ was born, to unite us in that glorious day when all things will be reconciled to himself.