Grow With Pastor Joe

Practical Christian living begins and ends with the preeminence of Christ. The preeminence of Jesus Christ is His supremacy and sufficiency over all things, in all things, and through all things. When Christ is not preeminent in our lives, our practical living will suffer. For example, our Bible reading or study suffers when Christ is not preeminent. Our prayer life shrivels and dries when He is not preeminent. Marriages and homes become cemeteries when His preeminence is not preeminent. Churches become divided or die when Christ is not preeminent. The preeminence of Christ is the preeminent cause of Christian progress. I believe that the reason that many Christians and local churches are struggling with the above examples is because the preeminence of Christ is not viewed from a practical perspective. The person and work of Christ which includes and even emphasizes His preeminence is not just a doctrine to be studied but applied in all of life. It is the primary influence and motivation of Christian living. This doctrine must be apprehended in both the head and heart. Doctrine is not just for intellectual exercise of the head, but for practical exercise from the stirred affections of the heart. Furthermore, it must be appreciated within the head and heart of the believer. We should appreciate the fullness of the person and work of Christ in our life so that out of devotion and not only duty we would live in faithful obedience. Not only so, but the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ must be applied. This too is experienced and expressed from the inside out. We need the whole Christ for the whole man. When I apprehend the preeminence of Christ and then by faith appreciate it, then it can be applied by faith to live a life of worship, discipleship, fellowship, and outreach for the glory of Jesus.

            As we continue our study of Colossians, we now come to Col. 1:19-20 which says, “¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; ²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Once again, these verses act as a primary explanation of the previous section while also transitioning into a new focus on the subject of reconciliation and the practical implications of this incredible aspect of our salvation in Christ. In many ways, these two verses act as an explanation of why Christ is to have the preeminence in all things and is to exercise His headship over all things (creation and new creation – the church). Christ is the supreme and sufficient reconciler. What is reconciliation? In today’s society, we often hear the term used in court cases, most often in divorce proceedings. We hear the phrase irreconcilable differences. The word in the New Testament translated as reconcile is the word “katalasso” which comes from “allasso” meaning to change. “Kata” acts as an intensifying prefix. The word was originally used for the enhancing of currency for equal value. Later, and in the sense of our passage, it was used for being made friends again or to change the relationship to one of harmony. Our use of the word “reconcile” in today’s passage is the word “apokatalasso” with “apo” as another intensifying prefix or preposition. This particular usage only occurs in Col. 1:20-21 and Eph. 2:16 which deals with Christ bringing together Jew and Gentile in union together with Himself. The intensity of the word is to express that there is a total, full, complete restoration from hostility to harmony. It is in the aorist tense and passive voice which signifies to us that the reconciling happened in the past with continual results, but also that it was initiated and accomplished by the Lord Himself on our behalf. Man needed to be reconciled to God and God needed to be reconciled to man. Christ, the God-Man, has accomplished this for us at the cross as the passage goes on to say. Simply, there is nothing more to add to the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. No wisdom or work of our hands can add to the reconciling work of the Jesus on our behalf. This is why He alone is supreme and sufficient and should be preeminent in all things. Today, we will see four things to note in these verses that will show us the fulness of reconciliation.

            First, we must see the author of reconciliation in Col. 1:19 which says, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” Here we see that the reconciliation of all things unto Himself is the eternal plan and pleasure of the Father. The word “pleased” is the word “eudokeo” which means to approve of something acceptable and to delight in. God, the Father, is eternally pleased in His Son. We see in the incarnation of the Son that the Father expresses His pleasure in the person and work of His Son. In the account of Jesus’ baptism, we see the pleasure of the Trinity in Mat. 3:16-17 which says, “¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷ And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Father is pleased in and through His Son. The Son was pleased to do the plan or will of the Father. The Spirit is pleased to point us to the Son through His indwelling work. God, the Father, has determined and desired to reconcile “all things” (Col. 1:20) to Himself through the person and work of the Son. We see that reconciliation is a theme throughout the scriptures. As we will deal with later as well, the “all things” is not to say that salvation will be universal, but it is dealing with the reversal of the curse from the fall of man. The creation itself is groaning and longing to be reconciled, restored, and remade. We see this grand theme of God’s plan and pleasure in the book ends of scripture in Gen. 1-2 and Rev. 21-22. Reconciliation is God’s eternal plan, but He is pleased to reconcile all things through His Son.

            Second, we must see the agent of reconciliation in Col. 1:19-20 which says, “¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; ²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Christ, the Son, is the acting agent who accomplishes the reconciliation of God and Man because He is the God-Man. In both verses we see the usage of what I call headship language which has been used throughout the previous passages dealing with Christ’s preeminence. He is the head of creation and the new creation. Acting as the head, He is the supreme and sufficient representative of both God and Man. Notice the phrases that demonstrate this in our verses. We see the phrases “in Him,” “His cross,” two times we see “by Him,” and we see the word “Himself.” All of these phrases are used to show us the union that we have with and in Christ as our head, or supreme and sufficient representative. He is the agent that has reconciled us to God through His supreme and sufficient work on the cross. We see that Christ is the supreme and sufficient agent of reconciliation because He is the God-Man. Notice the word “fulness” which is the word “pleroma” which comes from “pleroo” meaning to fill to measure without lack or deficiency. The idea is that Jesus is filled up with deity. He is fully and truly God in His essential essence and nature. Jesus possesses the sum total of the substance of deity meaning He is God in the truest sense. The Gnostics of the day believed that God would never condescend to live in the flesh or having anything to do with a nature of man. Yet, we see that Jesus has the authority and ability to be the agent of reconciliation because of His deity. Later, Paul writes in Col. 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” To make it plain and simple, Jesus has the fullness of all divine attributes without any lack. Jesus didn’t lose any deity by putting on flesh. Notice that the fulness of deity is said to “dwell” in Jesus. The word used for “dwell” is the word “katoikeo” which has “kata” as an intensifying prefix and “oikeo” meaning to occupy, dwell in a home or residence. The idea is that of a permanence of His divinity. Because Jesus is truly and fully divine He alone can represent God in the act of reconciling; but because He put on our nature of human flesh, He is the supreme and sufficient representative agent in reconciling man to God. No man can reconcile himself to God. We don’t have the merit of works or wisdom to bring God near to us. This is why God came to us and for us in the supreme and sufficient person and work of Jesus Christ.

            Third, we must see the accomplishment of reconciliation in Col. 1:20 which says, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” How can man be reconciled to God? How can God accept man? Reconciliation must occur, but as we have already addressed, man can’t reconcile himself to God. We have Jesus Christ as our agent who actually accomplished our reconciliation with God. We have already covered the defining term of the day of “reconcile” which we saw in our introduction means that Jesus actually has brought God and man together. He was the initiator and instrument of reconciliation between God and man. Man needs a substitutionary sacrifice for their sins as we see throughout the Bible. God needs His justice and wrath to be satisfied, but no ordinary man or beast will do. The accomplishment of our reconciliation is found in Jesus Christ alone who is the supreme and sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for sinners who satisfied the wrath and justice of God at the cross. What Jesus accomplished on the cross on behalf of those who believe is that He has brought peace between the two parties. The word “peace” is the word “eirenepoieo” which means to make peace, bring harmony, and end all hostilities. This peace that is given to us comes through Jesus’ precious blood being the symbol of the substitutionary satisfactory sacrificial death on the cross for our sin. This is seen further in Col. 1:21-22; 2:13-15; 1 Pet. 1:18-19. Countless other references throughout the Bible declare this truth as well. The gospel has reconciled us to God and brought us peace. We now have peace with God and can enjoy the peace of God. Furthermore, this same reconciling work of Christ then gives us the blessing of being reconciled with one another in Christ. Jesus did this vicariously on behalf of God and man through His blood and cross. He did this violently as He gave Himself not just to the horrors of the crucifixion but the guilt of sinful man which was laid upon Himself. Christ did this victoriously as He died and rose again a victor over sin, death, Satan, and the grave as He reconciles the redeemed through His supreme and sufficient accomplishment.

            Fourth, we must see the aim of reconciliation. The aim or purpose of reconciliation is those two little words, “all things.” The inclusion of “whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” reminds us that this is not a proclamation of universal salvation, but the harmonizing of heaven and earth together in Christ. When Christ comes again, where will He come? To earth. When Christ comes again, where will He establish His kingdom? The earth. What has He promised to make new? He has promised to make a new heavens and new earth where only those in Him will enjoy rest that His grace and glory offers forever. 2 Pet. 3:13-14 says, “¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” The aim of reconciliation is grand and universal in its scope meaning that there is no one on this earth that can’t be reconciled. However, the only ones who will be reconciled to Christ are those who freely come to Him by His remarkable grace through faith in Christ. Paul writes about this in 2 Cor. 5:17-21 saying, “¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. ²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” We have been reconciled by the supreme and sufficient reconciling work of Christ. The fulness of our reconciliation is totally without anything lacking. We are reconciled to God by Christ and to one another in Him. Eph. 1:3-14 is perhaps the most magnificent sentence in all the Bible, and it proclaims the fulness of reconciliation covering both the sinner to God and the reversal of the curse which impacts every atom and molecule. Christ has and shall reconcile all things indeed.

            As we bring this to a close, have you been reconciled to God? Can you say that there is harmony in your heart between you and Him? If not, be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ alone. Don’t look to your own works or wisdom! Look to Christ in faith and be reconciled to your God! Furthermore, if you have been reconciled to God through Christ, is there someone that you have not reconciled with? Is there a lack of harmony in your home? Church? Friends? The way to be reconciled with one another is for both parties to come to Christ afresh and anew. Don’t delay! Don’t wait! Don’t let pride keep you from experiencing and enjoying the peace that Christ purchased. As believers, we must see the fulness of reconciliation so that we would live in the union and communion that we have with Christ and one another. He alone is the supreme and sufficient Reconciler! Rest and rejoice in His reconciling work!