The Supremacy Of Jesus (Part 2) Series

The Supremacy of Christ (Reconciliation)

Colossians 1:19-23

20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ¡¦s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation ¡X 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Intro: One of five key words used to describe the richness of the doctrine of salvation

„« Justification ¡V a sinner stands before God condemned, but is declared righteous. (Rm. 8:33)

„« Redemption ¡V a sinner stands before God a slave, but is granted freedom. (Rm. 6:18-22)

„« Forgiveness ¡V a sinner stands before God a debtor, but has his debt paid and forgotten. (Eph. 1:7)

„« Adoption ¡V a sinner stands before God a stranger, but is made a son. (Eph. 1:5)

„« Reconciliation ¡V a sinner stands before God as an enemy, but is made a friend. (2 Cor. 5:17-21)

Word: Reconcile (apokatallaso) to totally, thoroughly, and completely change one¡¦s state and standing from enmity to friendship.

Not katallasso ¡V which means to change or exchange from enmity to friendship but apokatallasso ¡V which is an intensified meaning that is thorough and cannot be undone.

I The Plan of Reconciliation

Verse: 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

A General Reconciliation

1 The Redeem His Lost Creation

Idea: Through the sufficient work of Christ on the cross where His blood was shed, Christ had made a provision for all things to be reconciled with God.

Idea: Everything the Godhead created through Christ in the beginning was lost and cursed in the fall.

Verse: 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Rm. 8:19-21

2 To Reveal His Truth

Note: In the fall, all was lost and cursed and fell under the influence of Satan. Satan is both the ruler of this world (2 Cr. 4:4) and the prince of the air (Eph. 2:2) using his time and influence to blind the hearts and minds of men.

Idea: Jesus came to reveal the truth , expose the enemy, and restore order, and reclaim His people.

B Specific Reconciliation

Verse: 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

Note: Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Mankind is the center of God¡¦s universe and creation. While He is concerned with all of creation, we are the centerpiece of both His creative and redemptive plans.

Words: alienated (apallotrioo) estranged, cut-off, and separated referring to one¡¦s condition (Rm. 6:23)

Sin separates and estranges us from God bringing with it the harsh penalty of physical and spiritual death.

Verse: There is none righteous, not even one¡K All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rm. 3:10,23)

Word: Enemies in your minds (echthros) hateful and warring referring to one¡¦s attitude. People who rebel against and resent God¡¦s Word, His standards, and His grace.

Note: The natural man (the flesh) is total depraved and is at war with the Spirit of God. He loves the darkness and hates the light (John 3:19-20) ¡V not solely b/c of ignorance, but mostly b/c of a love for sin.

Verse: 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God¡¦s invisible qualities¡Xhis eternal power and divine nature¡Xhave been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator¡Xwho is forever praised. Amen. 26B/c of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God¡¦s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Rm. 1:18-31