Chico Alliance Church
“Restored Relationship”
I. Paul exhibits effective Prayer 1:1-12
II. Paul exalts the Father’s great transfer program 13-23
A. The Father rescued us from the kingdom of darkness.
B. The Father transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
C. Jesus redeemed us and forgave our sin.
D. Jesus is supreme over all
1. He is the image of the invisible God
2. He is the firstborn (in charge of) all creation because he did it.
3. He is before all things
4. He holds all things together
5. He is the head of the church
6. He is the firstborn from the dead
The final two facts concerning our king are found in Colossians 1:19-23
7. All of God’s fullness dwells in Him 1:19
8. Father reconciled all things to Himself through Him. 1:20-23
Introduction
Broken relationships are among the most painful experiences on earth.
Marriages Friendships Parents and children Brothers and sisters
There are all kinds of pain in this fallen world. Relational pain ranks high on the list. It began from the first break in relationship with God due to self-centeredness.
God and man. Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel. The rest is history.
Jealousy, broken trust, ambition, competition, betrayal, prejudice.
In Galatians 5 Paul outlines some of the problems that come from a fleshly walk.
Galatians 5:19-22 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
I find it interesting to note how many of the things listed describe relationship problems. God designed us to live in community. Satan is out to destroy community. The first thing that happens when we stop living by the direction and energy of the Holy Spirit is broken relationships. When the desires of the flesh dictate behavior you can be sure that difficulties in relationships are not far behind. Kingdom kids are evident by the quality of their relationships. John makes it clear that you cannot love God and hate your brother. It is incompatible with how God’s kingdom operates. From the beginning, problems with horizontal relationships with people originate from a problem in one’s vertical relationship with God. Paul offers another list that illustrates what happens when man fails to acknowledge God as God. Romans 1:28-31
When we think of a depraved mind we think of someone who commits horrible crimes. Look at God’s view! In order to appreciate what God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit made possible; we must clearly understand man’s plight in his rebellious state. The need for rescue includes much more than the fact we were in bondage to the evil prince of darkness. Our need relates to broken relationship first with the creator.
7. All of God’s fullness dwells in Him 1:19
There are three significant words here.
“Fullness”
This is the same word used in Paul’s prayer earlier that they be “filled” with the knowledge of God’s will. In this form it indicates one who has been “filled”, “permeated”, “saturated” It was well pleasing that very person and purpose of the Father fill the Son.
“dwell”
It pleased the Father that this fullness “dwell” in him (emphatic position in the phrase). This word is the word to live, or to inhabit linked with the preposition “down” resulting in a more intensified concept to “make dwell”, “settle as a permanent residence. This is not just some but “all” the fullness. Jesus, fully man but also fully God. He is eternally the God/Man. As stated earlier and summarized here, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the exact representation of the Father. It pleased the Father that this is the way it is. No competition, no jealousy.
Col 2:3 “In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Col 2:9 “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in body form.”
Being fully God and fully man, Jesus became the perfect one to bring about reconciliation between a Holy God and rebellious man. John 1:16 “Of His fullness we have all received.”
Just as it pleased the Father that all his fullness dwelt in Him, so it please the father to reconcile all things to Him self through him (empathic position).
8. The Father reconciled all things to Himself through Him. 1:20-23
The truth of reconciliation is a most vital truth. It is the answer to broken relationship with God displacing man and disturbing God since the fall of Adam. Before we can appreciate what Jesus did we must understand the gravity of our position before God. Just because we do not feel offense does not mean it does not exist.
The need for Reconciliation
Scripture addresses man’s broken relationship with God in many different ways both in the Old Testament and the New. Isaiah 59:1-2
Even in our passage here we have a clear description of the problem.
“you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds.”
“alienated” perfect passive verb
to alienate, estrange, to be shut out from one’s fellowship and intimacy
Paul expressed man’s condition as being shut out from fellowship and intimacy with God at a point in time and still shut out, estranged, alienated. Eph 2 talks about being dead in trespasses and sin, children of wrath. Eph 2 also talks about hopelessness.
remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
This alienation is due to sin. It manifests in hostile thoughts toward God and hostile deeds.
being darkened in their understanding, excluded (alienated) from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. Eph 4:18
Romans 8:6-9
We were made for relationship with God. Sin broke relationship with God. The message of the Gospel is not that we can escape hell. The issue is that we can be reconciled to God and enjoy His presence forever. Hell is alienation from the face of God, the direction of His attention. Without that relationship there is NO LIFE.
The Fact of Reconciliation
Through Christ the Father made reconciliation possible for all things. To God and to each other. All creation both seen and unseen. Christ reconciliation possible through His sacrifice on the cross because he removed the barrier (later illustrated in Colossians) and decrees which caused the rift between us. Reconciliation between God and man and man and man differ at this point. To bring two alienated people together usually requires understanding and compromise on the part of both parties. God could not compromise the issues that cause the alienation. God in Christ met those righteous demands for us. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This peace and reconciliation was accomplished at a point in time at His death.
Verse 21-22 clearly illustrates the change in condition.
Although you were in trouble in the past because of your thoughts toward God and behavior against God, because of Christ he has NOW reconciled you in His fleshly body through death.
Ephesians 2:13-22 also graphically demonstrates the difference.
Romans 5:6-11
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while 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. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
We should never, never, never miss the importance of this gift.
The purpose of Reconciliation
The purpose of reconciliation is restored relationship.
“in order to present you before Him”
The word “present” means to cause to stand or place beside, place near, place a person or thing at one’s disposal, present a person for someone to see or question, bring near.
I have always interpreted this as a future time. It is not a future verb. This is a point time action verb. Because of the rescuing, redeeming, forgiving, justifying work of God on our behalf, Jesus can bring us near the father and place us, who were once useless and hostile, at His disposal. He stands us in right relationship with God as those who are holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Same truth in the last verse of Jude’s letter.
No wonder the writer of Hebrews can offer such wonderful encouragement to those who have lived a life of rebellion against God to draw near in confidence. Hebrews 10:14-22
If while you were enemies Christ restored relationship with the Father how much more will He do now that you have been reconciled? The strength of this hope is found in the strength of the faith. The last section of this passage appears on the surface to put an impossible condition on this reconciliation. Let us look carefully at what I believe it actually teaches.
“if indeed” or if and it is true or SINCE you “continue”. This word means to remain, or abide, continue in. Paul teaches here that Christ has reconciled us to the Father that He might place us near the father in a holy blameless, beyond reproach state since we have been firmly established in Him. The action here is PASSIVE. We do not firmly establish ourselves in the faith. We do not keep ourselves steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. These are perfect passive verbs. A work established at a point in time for us and still established. Not moved way from the hope of the Gospel and still not moved.
Paul told the Philippians to continue to work out what God has worked in. It is God who is at work in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. He also affirmed that He who began a good work in them would continue until the return of Jesus. The Gospel that we embrace is a wonderful message of hope based on the work of Jesus Christ who took us as enemies both in mind and deed and place us in the very presence of our holy God. It is a message that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. A message of hope and grace that even the angels long to understand. It is a message that God entrusted into the hands of people.
“Of which I Paul was made a minister”. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
CONCLUSION
The king of our new kingdom is a wonderful king. Paul rapid fires some powerful truths.
• He is the image of the invisible God
• He is the firstborn (in charge of) all creation because he did it.
• He is before all things
• He holds all things together
• He is the head of the church
• He is the firstborn from the dead
• All the fullness dwells in Him.
• The Father reconciled all things to Himself through Him.
What reconciliation it was! Through His sacrifice and payment for our sin, Jesus made it possible to stand before God in full relationship and fellowship with boldness and confidence.
• Accept it.
• Rejoice in it.
• Proclaim it.
Once we understand the glory of our reconciliation with God we will be in a much better position to take care of our relationships with people
