Daily Bible Reading 10th 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.
In these verses Paul explains the means and the extent of this reconciliation/at-one ment. Reconciliation between God and man takes place 'through Christ' (v 20) (through the Incarnate Son of God in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily), 'in/by Christ's physical body' (v 22), through his 'death' (v 22), 'through his blood shed on the Cross' (v 20). There are a number of things we must say about this to distil the essence of these verses and to savour the marvellous truths they contain. Reconciliation is something God does for us in Christ. The initiative belongs wholly to God. The whole idea of man searching for God is a nonsense. We were alienated, enemies in our minds, rebellious and antagonistic. We needed to be subdued, rescued and pacified. In and of ourselves we are unable and unwilling to make any moves towards God. It is God, the offended party, recognizing the inability and unwillingness of men to be reconciled, who effects a reconciliation for us and on our behalf. The stunning fact that Paul is pointing to here, the sheer and utter grace on the part of God, is that we, humankind, men and women as a whole, who were alienated and estranged, are reconciled to God, by God's gracious action, apart from anything that we do, apart even from any positive response on our part, while we are still rebellious.