Outline
1. Paul summarizes our position of peace with God. (verse 20)
2. Paul outlines our former condition (verse 21)
a. Formerly alienated
b. Formerly Hostile
c. Formerly engaged in evil deeds.
3. Paul presents our new condition (verse 22)
a. Now we are reconciled.
b. Now we are presented to the father
c. Now we are holy and blameless
4. Paul tells us how we can know it is true of us (verse 23)
a. If you are at peace with God, you will continue in the faith.
b. If you are at peace with God, you will be firmly established and steadfast
c. If you are at peace with God, you will not move away from the hope of the gospel
Colossians 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Content
1. Paul summarizes our position of peace with God. (verse 20)
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
a. Father’s good intention. (19)
i. Both the initiative and action comes from God
b. Reconcile all things to himself
i. More that one word is translated “reconcile”
i.Similar but slightly different meanings.
1. Establish a relationship where none existed. (2Cor 5:18)
2. Restore a relationship that has been destroyed. (Col 1:20)
3. Both accurately describe our salvation.
a. Mankind deliberately rebelled against God in the garden.
b. We are born with a corrupt, sinful nature.
ii. All Things - Paul is emphasizing the supremacy of Christ. Maybe you noticed...
1. By Christ ALL THINGS were created (16)
2. Christ is before ALL THINGS (17)
3. Christ holds ALL THINGS together (17)
4. Christ has first place in ALL THINGS (18)
5. Christ reconciles (ALL THINGS)
c. Peace through the blood
i. Peace is the end of hostilities.
ii. The unsaved are at war with God (Rom 8:7)
1. Even sincere, religious and moral people)
d. “Things on heaven and earth”
i. Note that “Under the earth” is missing (Phil 2’10)
e. Reconciliation is picked up again in 22
i. Jesus come in the flesh and shedding is blood is required for our salvation
1. Must confess that he came in the flesh (1Jn 4:2)
2. Incarnation alone did not accomplish salvation.
3. Good example did not accomplish our salvation.
f. Finally - note the direction of this reconciliation
i. Man is reconciled to God.
ii. God is not reconciled to Man
2. Paul outlines our former condition (verse 21)
1:21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
a. Formerly alienated
i. Estranged from God
1. Serving another master
2. Pursuing other relationships
3. Failing to peruse this relationship
ii. Example
Ezekiel 14:5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’
b. Formerly Hostile
i. Enemies, in contrast to being beloved.
ii. Scripture does not have a category for spiritual neutrality.
iii. People are either for God or against God
c. Formerly engaged in evil deeds.
i. Does not mean that you are the worst you could be.
1. Evil deeds are anything done outside of Christ
2. Nothing about the unsaved is pleasing to God.
ii. Sin begins in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28) and manifests itself in action (Gal 5:19)
3. Paul presents our new condition (verse 22)
1:22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach
a. Now we are reconciled.
i. Romans 5:6 - We couldn’t do it.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
ii. Romans 5:8,10 - While estranged, Christ dies for us.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
b. Now we are presented to the father
i. Cause to stand near.
ii. Through Christ, we are drawn near.
1. Don’t barge in
2. Christ brings us - “Come, here is my Father”
c. Now we are holy and blameless without reproach
i. God does not make peach with us so that we may remain as rebels!
1. Rather - He wants us to share new life with Him!
ii. Holy: Set Apart
1. Related to the word “Saint”
2. In the NT, Saints are not just dead people!
iii. Blameless: Unblemished
1. Like the Temple Sacrifices.
2. Ephesians 5:27
Ephesians 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
iv. W/O Reproach: Free from accusation
1. We have an accuser (Revelation 12:10)
2. We have an advocate (1John 2:1)
3. Key to evaluating our life:
a. Not how we look to ourselves
b. Not how we look to others
c. But how we look to God
Parallelism:
| Formerly | Now |
| Alienated (21) | Reconciled (22) |
| Hostile (21) | Presented to Father (22) |
| Engaged in evil (21) | Holy and Blameless (22) |
4. Paul tells us how we can know it is true of us (verse 23)
1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
a. If you are at peace with God, you will continue in the faith.
i. Stay on course. (To endure and persevere)
ii. Abiding faith is saving faith.
b. If you are at peace with God, you will be firmly established and steadfast
i. Architectural language
1. Firmly Established
a. A term related to a building foundation.
b. It refers to a house that is firmly set on something solid.
2. Steadfast
a. “Earthquake stricken” (Some translations say “not moved”
3. Firm foundation that is earthquake proof.
c. If you are at peace with God, you will not move away from the hope of the gospel
i. Hope is not a wish, but a confident expectation
ii. Our hope does not transfer from Christ to ourselves.
iii. “All creation under heaven” All nations
Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
5. Conclusion
a. Before we were saved, we were, in every sense of the word, God’s enemies. We were hostile, enemy combatants.
b. God worked on our behalf, through Christ, so that our relationship with Him could be repaired.
i. He moved us from alienation to reconciliation.
ii. He moved us from hostility to being in his presence
iii. He moved us from evil deeds to holiness.
c. The evidence that this is true of us relates to how we now live.
i. Our faith continues and our belief in the work of Christ remains sure and strong.
ii. Our life is firm and steadfast, even if metaphorical earthquakes surround us, we don’t crumble under them.
iii. Our hope in the Gospel remains as sure as ever.
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