Daily Bible Reading 12th 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.
God's reconciliation of mankind to Himself not only occured in Jesus' birth and throughout his life and ministry. It also occurred finally and fully, and most importantly, in and through His death and resurrection; it is in the passion and sacrificial death of Christ, as Christ offers himself, the innocent for the guilty, as sin is finally and fully dealt with, that a new state of reconciliation between God and man is established. As Christ suffers in our stead, as He the sinless One becomes sin for us, so the righteous wrath of God against sin is propitiated and God and man are at one. Christ goes to death, He who had no sin takes the deepest and fullest penalty for sin (see Mark 15:34 and 2 Corinthians 5:21). And it is this which is done for all men that Paul applies personally to his readers, to the Colossians and to us. Paul makes it plain that this historic reconciliation accomplished on our behalf, once and for all, by the death of Christ must be received and appropriated by faith (v 23). Reconciliation is experienced when we enter into peace with God. Personal reconciliation is the result and outworking of cosmic reconciliation. That which is done for us must be made effective in us, by the Spirit. This is why, although all men are reconciled, not all men will necessarily be saved. It is possible, incredibly possible, to refuse and to reject God's declaration of peace. This cosmic reconciliation only touches our lives in full measure when, by the Spirit of God, in living faith we receive it, when we yield and submit to it, when we willingly render our submission and gratefully accept the amnesty which Christ offers. By faith we enter into something which has already been completed by God. We appropriate a finished work of reconciliation and so we enjoy peace with God.