If there is something the events of our world speak to, it is the need for peace. As one person said, “Peace of mind for five minutes, that’s what I crave.” Paul wrote, “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). If I understand it right, the peace noted here is that absence of thought that is debilitating to the believer. The anxiousness that shackles us to temporary things and situations causes us to lose sight of our God, who is in control. Although such peace is essential and its source is our God, there is a peace of greater importance to the believer.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him
to reconcile all things to Himself, by Himself, whether things on earth or things
in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Colossians 1:19-20
We pick up where we left off, once again reminded of who Christ is and that “in Him, all the fullness should dwell.” F.F. Bruce writes, “He is the one, all-sufficient intermediary between God and the world of humanity, and all the attributes of God-his spirit, word, wisdom, and glory are disclosed in Him.” Paul wrote in 1st Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” There is no one other than Jesus to put your trust!
You may recall back in Colossians 1:14; Paul mentions the word redemption and how it was possible through the blood of Christ. In the above two verses, we find two words that speak to this very idea, amplifying the preeminence of Christ Jesus. First, the word reconcile means to change from one state of feeling to another (Strong’s): to reconcile completely and back again (Thayer’s). 2nd Corinthians 5:18, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ….” This act of reconciliation resulted from Christ making “peace through His blood.” The word peace carries a similar thought to reconcile, meaning to harmonize. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the sinful man would be able to claim their newfound relationship with God. Ephesians 2:5 in the ETRV reads, “We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ.” There is no wisdom known to man that can do what Christ has done. There is no angelic being that can lay claim to what God has done through Christ. He is the answer and the only answer.
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled…”
Colossians 1:21
Aliens! Enemies! These describe their condition before coming to know Christ and His redemptive work. This alienation and hostility towards God caused that harmony (i.e., peace) to be severed, all because of sin. His work was the only solution to their problem. It caused me to think of Romans 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Once again, it is in Him that we place our hope. He will present them “holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:22).
To me, the most sobering verse in today’s text is v23. Paul has reminded them that Christ is preeminent, above all other things and that their redemption is only through His complete work on the cross, through the shedding of His blood. This confidence comes “if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel you heard, which we preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” These early Christians faced things that sought to lure them away from their hope in Christ. Salvation was at stake! So, continue to ground yourselves in the message you received! Be steadfast! Cling to Christ, who is your hope because He is the only peacemaker.
Dennis
Biddeford Church of Christ 