Colossians 1 and 20 through 22. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself, by Him I say, watch this carefully, by Him I say,
whether things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were
sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight." Now, the text has to do with reconciliation. And in due time, that is, even
in our study this morning, We will bring in a passage from
the epistle of Ephesians, one that in some ways very clearly
parallels the Colossian epistle. We find some of the very same
things said in one as in the other. But first, before we do,
we trace out again all of those honors which Paul has heaped
upon our Savior until it leads him up to declare that he is
the great reconciler. Another honor with which Christ
is worthy of honor and glory and worship, even in reconciling,
It goes to none other than the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, Paul, we're considering
Christ in Colossians. And Paul begins his exaltation
of Christ in Colossians as, first of all, being in the very image
of God. Chapter 1 and verse 15. Our Savior is in the very image
of God. Then He sets him forth as being
not only the Creator, but also the Preserver of all things that
have been created. That you'll find chapter 1, verse
16, and verse 17. He hath created all things, and
by Him all things consist or cohere or remain or hold together. Then in chapter 1 verse 18, he
declares the Lord to be the head of the church, which is his body. Finally, chapter 1 verse 19 and
2 and verse 9, he declares that the Lord is the fullness of the
Godhead, that in Him dwells all the fullness. of the Godhead
bodily. Now, in our text this morning,
he comes to speak of Christ under another head or another aspect. That is, that he is the great
reconciler. And I think that it behooves
us to note what Paul speaks of and speaks of reconciliation
here from two aspects or two standpoints. We usually think
only of the one, of the reconciliation of men, of sinners again to God. But there are two aspects before
us this morning that we consider. A. In Colossians 1 and verse
20, he said the reconciliation of all things whether they are
things in earth or whether they are things in heaven. And secondly,
in Colossians 1 and 21, such as were formerly alien sinners
and at enmity and separated from God, having been alienated from
the God of heaven, but now reconciled unto God by the death of Christ,
or the blood of His cross. Immediately, we recognize here
the implication of reconciliation. And that implication then, in
turn, leads us to consider the need of reconciliation. Why is there an alienation? And how may it be reconciled? Now, reconciliation in and of
itself implies, does it not, alienation or estrangement? When we say that something or
someone is reconciled, we mean that they were at odds before,
that they were separated. that there was something between
them that broke their friendship and caused them to stand aloof
of one another and at enmity. We see the words in Scripture,
reconciled, reconciled in the past ten, and reconciling. These words will be found about
ten times or so throughout our New Testament. All of them, by
the way, are from the pen of the Apostle Paul. In Romans,
in 2 Corinthians, we meet reconciliation. In Colossians, and again in Ephesians,
we meet Paul speaking of reconciliation. Now the need for reconciliation
is in our text in Colossians 1 and verse 21. When unregenerate
men are enemies in their mind by
wicked works against God and the things of God. Romans 5 and
10 is clear. We were enemies. Romans 8 and
verse 7. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. It has enmity. It lives at enmity
against God. Ephesians 4 and verse 18. the Gentiles being alienated
from the life of God by the ignorance that is in them because of their
unbelief. And Paul strongly emphasizes
the aspect of Christ's saving work called reconciliation. He does not slight it. He brings
it into the mix that this is a part of the saving work of
the Lord, whereby His death, by the shedding of His blood
upon the cross, sinners formerly alienated and estranged from
God are brought into friendship with God again by the death of
Christ upon the cross. They are brought not only to
friendship, but to fellowship with God by and through the blood
of Christ. Because the enmity is slain in
the cross and the body of our Lord. Alienations are ended. Astrainments are no more. And former enemies are brought
then into a friendly union, and they are animosities are put
away on the part of the renewed and regenerate sinner, yet not
apart from the satisfaction made by the Lord Jesus Christ. Reconciliation
rests also in the blood of our Lord in His death upon the cross. There is no reconciliation apart
from the satisfaction that our Lord made for sins in His death. But before we consider that reconciliation
of elect sinners to God by the death of Christ upon the cross,
let's acknowledge something here. And if we never had noticed it
before, let it be as pure honey unto us this morning. And that
is that in both Ephesians and Colossians, in both of those
epistles, Paul speaks of a larger and more extensive reconciliation
than just that of sinners unto God. It reaches beyond the reconciliation
of sinners unto God. And it reaches beyond the reconciliation
of Jew and Gentile in one body by Christ. First of all, let's
reread the text here in Colossians chapter 1, And verse 20, catch
it, "...by him to reconcile all things unto himself." Now, there
is nothing unusual about that. But notice the last part, "...whether
things in earth, or things in heaven." Now, in Ephesians chapter
1, in verse 10, we have a like statement, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of time, He might gather together in one all things,
both which are in heaven, or the margin as it, the heavenlies,
and which are on earth in him." Colossians 1 and verse 10. Again in Ephesians 1 and verse
10. And then again in Ephesians 1
and verse 22, listen, "...and has put all things under his
feet, That is, has made all things to become subject unto him. So let us be sure to notice,
in both texts, Ephesians 1.10 and Colossians 1.20, Paul speaks
of the death of Jesus from two aspects, or as having an effect
upon a greater portion than the human family. but also upon heaven
and upon earth. That is, on the wider or broader
creation. One expositor put it in words
that I like, the primary and the ultimate result of the reconciliation
of Christ. The primary and the ultimate
result of the death of our Savior. For what is Paul saying in both
of these places but this. Number one, by the death of Christ,
we have received the reconciliation. By that dying upon the cross,
we have received the reconciliation. We are redeemed. We have the
forgiveness of sin. We have the remission of sin,
for they are sent away. He has brought us to God. That is, He has reconciled us
again unto Him. Secondly, we notice in these
texts, by the same death, by the exact same death of Christ
upon a cross, There is a far-reaching impact upon creation. 1 Colossians 1, 20, the last
part, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. That the primary purpose
of the Lord's death, of course, is the reconciling of the alien,
ill-at-centers again unto God. But according to Paul, the Lord's
death has had an effect and consequence when He died on the cross that
reached beyond human salvation, which he describes as heaven
and as earth reconciled. Notice, all things reconciled,
all things unto Himself. is the way the apostle is putting
it. So let's note a difference in
the way that Paul expresses this between the Ephesian epistle
and that one in Colossians. Though they agree in the main
or in the general thought concerning the far, far reaching effects
of the death of Christ upon a cross. But in Ephesians 1.10, It is
like this, that he might gather together in one all things in
Christ both in heaven and in earth. Some have rendered the
expression gather together as to head up or to sum up. The gathering or the summing
up of all things together under the one head, the Lord Jesus
Christ. While in Colossians, it's put
a little different way. Paul uses the word reconcile,
and also he links it again directly to the death of Christ upon the
cross. That the reconciliation of all
things, whether in heaven or in earth or where men, is by
the death of Christ on the cross. J.B. Lightfoot's recognized as
pretty much a scholar He suggested that Paul does so. That is, he
uses the word reconcile in this place and he ties it purposely
to the death of Christ and to the blood shed in his cross. He does that against the teaching
of the Gnostics who had come among the Colossians. The Gnostics
had thought that some mediation with God and man was secured
by some angels or by some spirits. And this Paul refuses to grant
that there is any proper means of reconciliation apart from
Christ and His death. It cannot come by mediation of
angels or of spirits or of any other gods that are false. Lightfoot wrote this, quote,
The Apostle speaks of an absolute and a complete reconciliation
effected through the mediation of the incarnate Word, unquote. The death of that one upon a
cross. A reconciliation which is not
restricted simply and only to the sons and the daughters of
Adam, but also has its ripples and its effect and expanded to
the things in heaven as well as in earth. Now to speak of
the nature and the extent of Christ's reconciliation, that
gives us an occasion or a reason to consider the breach or the
estrangement that has come between God and the things to be reconciled
by Christ. There was or there came a breach
or a rift which sin caused when it entered into creation and
into the world, which consequences, according to the Apostle Paul,
were not confined simply and only to the human family. Now, I think we can count three
aspects of the whole of Christ reconciliation. There are three
things that make up the total that are brought under the heading
of reconciliation as we look at them from three aspects. Number one, many of the human
family. The elect from among the human
family. For you see, sin entered into
the world by one man, Adam, And death passed upon all because
all had sinned. Romans 5 and verse 12. So, there is that. Secondly,
the earth or the world, the terrestrial earth upon which we live, and
upon which when sin was committed, was visited with or by a curse
from God, and we'll consider that in Genesis 3.17-19 and Romans
8.19-21. And then thirdly, things in heaven. And what this might entail is
the most difficult since we have no personal observation. But we do have the Word of God
speaking of the thing. Colossians 1.20 and Ephesians
1.10. Of course, we are not surprised
that in Scripture, the more frequently mentioned, and given the heavier
emphasis, is the reconciliation of sinners unto God. That this
is the Gospel, and this is declared in the Gospel, and though it
has the heaviest emphasis in the Scripture. So from this aspect,
we'll start with Colossians 1, 20-22, where Paul names the thing
that is our consideration today, reconciled as well as the means,
verse 20, through the blood of His cross. Again in verse 22,
in the body of His flesh through death. So reconciliation is definitely
through the death of our Lord. So let us put this to our witness,
that the things that God has done for us and in us, that He
might bring us to happiness and to glory hereafter. Declare what
we were before. When we see what God has done,
we understand what we were. For one implies the other. The fact that God has quickened
us, or has regenerated us, says to us that we were formerly dead
in trespasses and in sin. Those that are quickened were
once dead. V. That He redeemed us reflects
upon the fact that we were indentured servants of sin, that we were
slaves in bondage. and the Lord bought us or brought
us out. And then C, that He found us
means that we were lost. He has found His sheep which
was lost. And then D, that He converted
us means that we were living in a wrong and an erroneous way
and our lives were going in the wrong direction. F, that He justified
us means that we were liable to condemnation by the sin of
Adam. Even so, by the same token, that
we have need of reconciliation implies that we were estranged
from God, that we were not on friendly terms with God before
the work of grace in our heart. In Colossians chapter 1 again,
verse 21, Paul lays it out, you that were sometimes alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works. When Paul writes, and
you, that, so forth, he is not making a distinction here as
to imply that some were and some were not. alienated from God
in their mind by wicked works, for all that are reconciled were
estranged, were alienated from God in time past. And the apostle
accepts none from his charge here, you having been alienated. He is saying to those now reconciled,
you were in time past alienated. Your hearts and your minds were
hostile toward God and the things of God, and you lived in sin,
and you practiced evil deeds as your manner of life. Or, as
you have it in Ephesians 2 and 2, in time past you walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, The spirit that now works in the children
of disobedience. That was our manner of life in
time past. And Paul continues in Ephesians
2 and the third verse, among whom we all had our manner of
life or our conduct in the lusts of the flesh, in the desires
of the flesh when we were unregenerate and were under the power of sin. I lay emphasis upon this because
I know there are many in the world, many in Christendom, many
in churches that would claim outright that they never at any
time hated the things of God. I'm sure that there are people
yet unregenerate who would dispute our charge, I do not hate God. or ever was I hostile to God. Especially, I think, would this
be true of those who considered themselves what we might call
moralists. When the things of God are pressed
upon them, their animosity will boil to the surface, and we will
see that they too are enemies in their mind by wicked works. Now, to reconcile is to bring
two together again as friends who formerly were estranged or
separated on account of some breach that stood between them. And it requires the settling
of that matter that was the occasion of the breach. It requires the
putting it away from both parties in order that they might be reconciled
again. In case of the elect, the cause
of restrainment was sin and the holy enmity on the part of God. Who is of too pure eye than to
behold iniquity or sin, and the sinful and unholy enmity on the
part of a sinner? How are we to reconcile one unto
another when one is holy and hates sin, and the other is sinful
and hates holiness? And that's the case between God
and the sinner. Well, we answer, the enmity has
to be removed, as well as the cause of the enmity. And Paul is clear. This reconciliation
is affected by the blood of the cross of Christ. In other words,
by His death. by the death that He died, by
the things that He suffered. Verse 20 again of our text, making
peace through the blood of His cross to reconcile all things
unto Himself. Then if we look down in verse
22, in the body of His flesh through death. He emphasizes
greatly, this is the manner of reconciliation of sinners unto
God. Now, while God has not in any
way wronged man, and no man can claim it, I do hold that the
enmity is twofold, including God's enmity against man for
his sin. Therefore, if this be true, there
must be a removal of the enmity of both parties in order to affect
the reconciliation of God and of the sinner. I like the way
that Gil lines up the works of Christ in dealing or leading
up to reconciliation in his body of divinity. He speaks of propitiation. Some call it satisfaction. that the Lord is the propitiation. He is set forth as a propitiation
for our sin for their remission. Romans 3.25, 1 John 2, 2, 1 John
4, 10. He is the propitiation for our
sin. For God sent Him to be our propitiation. And it's interesting that this
word is the same Greek word as that rendered mercy seat in Hebrews
chapter 9 and verse 5. The very same word indeed. To make an expiatory sacrifice
that covers, that removes the sin of the elect of God. This Christ did by his atonement. Upon the merit of which atonement
God completely, fully pardons our sins. They are put away. They are gone. Never to be remembered
against us anymore. Never again. Our sins are completely
pardoned, forgiven by the God of heaven. Whereby, upon having
received the Lord God, full satisfaction for our sins from the death of
His Son. He then is reconciled unto the
elect and they to Him upon whom the Spirit quickens and applies
the atonement or the death of Christ. We have received the
atonement. Romans 5 and verse 11. Though
in the margin in that place, you will find it rendered reconciliation. We have received the reconciliation. Now, see this passage from Paul
in 2 Corinthians 5, 18 through verse 21. A wonderful passage
where, upon the ground that God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself, Paul can say, Be ye reconciled unto God. For God has given to us ministers,
the apostles, the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation
is effected through the work of Christ. For Christ, as a merciful
and as a faithful high priest, made reconciliation for the sins
of the people. Hebrews 2 and verse 17. That is, He appeased God. He has made an atonement. He has given a satisfaction for
our sin. And that He did in the capacity
of our great High Priest. We are reconciled to God by the
death of His Son, by the blood of the cross, by the satisfaction
made to God in our behalf for our sin. Shifting gears just
a little bit, we do read of lesser reconciliations also in the Scripture. There's one in Matthew 5 and
24. Brother with brother. Remember
Zot, go be reconciled to thy brother. Then come and bring
thy offering. Paul uses the word again. in
relevance to marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7 and verse
11, a husband and a wife are separated, and Paul said, let
her be reconciled unto him again. Now, when some quarrel came between
them, though no death was required or no blood shedding was required
for these Lesser reconciliation. But in divine reconciliation,
Christ died to affect it. And on our part, it is affected
by the aftermath of regeneration. Our enmity is subdued. We then are brought to love God,
and we willingly and joyfully are reconciled to God when we
have a new heart. But now coming to another aspect
of the great work of the Reconciliator that was set forth by Paul in
Ephesians 2, verse 11 through verse 22. The reconciliation of Jew and
Gentile is discussed in this passage of the Scripture. The
reconciliation of Jew, not separately to God, but in one body reconcile
one to another in one body and also unto God. Making of the
two one new man, Paul said, never were two sorts of people more
diverse than the Jew and the Gentile. Never was there more
animosity that ran between the two people. And the estrangement
was of long standing and it was deep. And it was bitter. So that
they could not deal with one another. John chapter 4 and verse
9. They had no dealings one with
the other. Acknowledge the Samaritan woman. They could not even sit down
at a table and eat together because of the great differences that
were between them. Like Joseph's brothers of old. They could not speak peaceably
one unto the other, as they each, Jew and Gentile, worshipped a
different manner and a different God. There was a great estrangement
between them. Plus, this enmity between the
two peoples was ancient and of longstanding, as well as deep
and abiding. You would never think this enmity
would ever be cured, would ever be healed. And yet, the Lord
Jesus Christ, in His death and blood upon the cross, reconciled
the two together. He brought them together. And
let us know, it was by the same blood and the same death that
affected the reconciliation between alien sinners and our God. So notice some key words and
phrases. If you are in Ephesians 2, in
verse 12, find the word aliens. In verse 14, peace. In verse
15, enmity. In verse 16, again, enmity. And then longer phrases in that
passage. In verse 14, broken down the
middle wall of partition. Verse 16, having slain the enmity. Verse 15, having abolished in
his flesh the enmity, the enmity between the Jew and the Gentile. But we notice this distinction
and difference in the two reconciliations, in that the cause of the esprayment
between Jew and Gentile was not exactly or per se the same. But in verse 15 of Ephesians
2, it consisted, the enmity did, the middle wall of petition consisted
in the law of commandments contained in ordinances or in decrees. The ceremonial law which was
imposed upon the Jew. It was the source of enmity. And it became as a dividing wall
between the two people, Jew and Gentile. Like a wall built between
the two people, as Paul uses that metaphor. But the Lord abolished
it in and by His death, making peace between the two people. As an aside to this, How many
are the divisions in the world today? This morning, how many
could we see and could we name? Divisions between men and men. Men at odds and hating one another. Countries at one another's throat,
one hating the other. Yes, there would be races that
cannot speak peaceably to one another. Religions there are,
which there is great animosity between them. But these only
are reconciled by the blood of Christ, not by teensy-weensy
feel-good sensitivity, but by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll touch upon this again when
we consider Jesus' death as abolishing the ceremonial law. We'll come
back and visit this aspect of it again. But this morning, Let's
spend the remainder of this study on the other reconciliation that
is stated in the text that we have read. Colossians 1.20, Ephesians
1 and verse 10, and how Paul brings in the subject. Notice
in Colossians 1.20, and having made peace through the blood
of his cross, to reconcile all things unto himself, whether
in earth or in heaven. But in Ephesians chapter 1 and
verses 9 and 10, which I'm about to read, having made known unto
us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he
had purpose in himself, catch that, which he had purpose in
himself, that in the dispensation or the stewardship of the fullness
of time, he might gather together in one all things that are in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, both
in him." In verse 9, he has purposed this. In verse 10, in the dispensation
of time, he might gather together, he might head up, he might sum
up all things by Jesus Christ. Now, this is because of the breach
caused by sin's entrance and the disturbance of the order
of creation both in heaven and in earth. Divisions of several
sorts came in with the entrance of sin, which will be summed
up in Christ in the fullness of time. God has sovereignly
purposed to send His Son in the end of the ages to sum up, to
gather up all things in Him, making Him the head over all
things to the church. And that all things head up in
Christ. That all things are brought together
to head up and summation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, and we
shall never be so disturbed again owing to our Lord's great reconciliation. Paul speaks of a reconciliation,
a summing up, a gathering that as John Eady wrote, and I quote,
above and beyond human salvation, unquote. But that by the same
event, the death of Christ, All things in creation that were
disordered or were disturbed by sin are being reconciled and
gathered together again in Christ. So that that which ensures our
salvation for the elect will also reconcile all things again
unto God through Christ and His death. For example, in Romans
8, 19-21. And let me turn there and read
this if I might, for I don't have it copied down. Romans 8,
19-21. Listen very carefully. For the
earnest expectation of the creature, or the creation, waiteth for
the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature, or
creation, was made subject to vanity, not willingly. but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall
be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God." Notice there in this place, these
things are said of the material earth, verse 20. It was subject
to vanity. It knows slavery. and corruption
in verse 21. Notice again, it did not subject
itself, not willingly. It did not go into bondage on
its own. But according to verse 20, by
reason of him that hath put it in subjection. And notice Paul
adds, in hope or with a hope. It was subjected in hope. Called in verse 19, the earnest
expectation of the creature. Thus, its expectation of deliverance
from bondage is tied to and contingent upon the full manifestation of
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. Again, consider the words
of the Apostle Peter to the Jews in Acts 3, 19 through 22, where
he speaks there of a time of restitution, or literally restoration
of all things which were foretold by the prophets of old. They spoke of these things. Yes, the great Reconciler will
from His death, His one great death upon the cross, gather
all things, sum up all things that were shattered by sin His
death will be the occasion of that. By His death has He wrought
all of this. But now, listen, we do not claim
to find with Origen of old the doctrine of absolute, universal
restoration in these texts of Scripture. It's not that all
will be eventually saved. It's not that all the fallen
angels or the devil himself will be restored. It is not the doctrine
of universal restoration that all fallen angels, sinners and
such like will be reconciled to God without exception. That's
not the doctrine that is found here. Only that by means of Christ's
atoning death, the whole disarray caused by the entrance of sin
will be repaired by His dying on the cross. And as one put
it, quote, be restored to harmony with God, unquote. No wonder
then, we called Him at the head of our study, the Great Reconciler. Colossians 1, 20 and 22. The end result for the elect
being to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in His sight, to reconcile you to God and then to present you
without spot or blemish, to present you without a charge single one,
to present you to God unblameable through the death that Christ
has died upon the cross. has wrought the great and wonderful
reconciliation, the great reconciler, Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord. Stand to your feet, please, for
a dismissal prayer.