Daily Bible Reading 9th June 2025 // Colossians 1:20-23
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Having thus proclaimed the mystery of the Person of Christ, Paul now moves on in his confession to explain the mystery of Christ's reconciling work. To speak of reconciliation at all presupposes and implies an already existing state of strife and disharmony, a state of estrangement between mankind and God (v 21). Paul assumes a background of mankind alienated from God and God alienated from mankind (Romans 5:9-10). The picture is of battle lines having been drawn - God on the one side, mankind on the other, hostile to one another, separated, isolated, antagonistic. God and man alienated by sin. This is the 'real' situation for all men and women outside of Christ, despite the facade of open-minded indifference or apathy. The Bible is clear that this has not always been the way of things, but the fall and rebellion of mankind, all those centuries ago, in and through our head and representative, Adam, in the Garden of Eden, disrupted the harmonious relationship. Now instead of friendship, fellowship and communication we have antagonism, hostility and enmity. And the whole created order is somehow mysteriously involved. When man sins and falls because of the 'solidarity of the created order', the whole of creation is spoiled and marred and brought crashing down. Reconciliation occurs, then, when God takes the initiative so that those who were enemies are reunited as friends. Reconciliation occurs when peace is declared in a war (v 20). Reconciliation occurs when antagonism and alienation are replaced by co operation and fellowship. Harmony is restored as fear and distrust are taken away. This is the essential meaning of atonement: at-one-ment. The heart of atonement is reconciliation - God and man at one in and through Jesus Christ.