Colossians 1:19–23 (NKJV)
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 1:19-23
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
This passage of Scripture has at least 5 cross-references to passages in Ephesians (1:10, 2:1, 2:14, 2:14-16, 3:7, 3:17, 5:27), continuing the connection to the letter to the Ephesians. Paul continues the thought line from the previous passage by speaking of the pleasure the Father received from Jesus’ work of reconciliation, making peace by His blood shed on the cross. The result of that powerful work is that sinners, once alienated and enemies of God, are now reconciled to God through Christ. Christ’s work through the death of His human body, made it possible that humankind could be presented holy, blameless, and above reproach in the sight of God. The only requirement of God is that the believer continue, through the grace and help of God, in the walk of faith, steadfast and grounded. The gospel that Paul had preached to them, the gospel of Christ, is the hope for redemption for all who will believe.
In a world that seems to be lacking in hope, this is message that Christians everywhere must proclaim. Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven, justified, and made alive. When Jesus died on the cross, He bought our salvation. He offers it as a gift, with joyous results if one accepts. The message of Paul here is that all men and women are blessed to have been made privy to the greatest gift one could ever know. This reconciliation is a common theme in Pauline writings, as his primary theological theme is his Christology, or doctrine of Christ. Jesus is the central figure in Paul’s writings, and his strong development of this theme could be a result of the evangelistic nature of his ministry. Paul came into cities to see souls saved primarily, and then to establish churches once souls had been won into the kingdom. He reminded them often of the need for utter dependence upon Christ, and led them in discipleship and a deeper spiritual walk, including the baptism in the Holy Spirit. What they needed then, we need today. Reconciliation through Christ and growth of the spiritual man are keys to being saved and heavenbound.
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