The Letter To The Colossians Week #4 -The Point: The work of justification explained -The Memory Verse (due today): Col. 1:21 -The Assignment (due next week): Write a paper explaining the process of reconciliation. Use this text first; then you may use other passages. Please use your own words as well to explain what Jesus reconciled us from and to.

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 19 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 19 In Jesus dwells all the fullness of God. –Fullness 4138, mowledeth = lineage, native country, offspring, begotten, born, issue kindred native or nativity –The word fullness means to come from God and represent Him here on earth. See Col. 2:9 –Jesus was fully God and fully man

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 20 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 20 This verse explains why God was pleased to have Jesus be His offspring representative here on earth. –-Jesus came to reconcile all things to God the Father. –Reconcile = 604, apokatallasso = –to reconcile fully -Reconcile means: “To call back into union or fellowship” --Noah Webster 1828 –At the fall in the Garden of Eden, fellowship with God was broken. –At the cross, fellowship was restored (for those who accept the finished work of Christ). Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation Peace was made again with God on our behalf because of Jesus. –We have peace with God. Romans 5:1 –This came at an enormous price! –The blood of Jesus was the price that needed to be paid. –There is no forgiveness of sin without shedding of blood. See Heb. 9:22

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 21 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 21 This is the first time since verse 10 that Paul addresses the people he is writing to. –Paul was referring to their past (pre-salvation) as an alienation from God. The truth is we were separated from God because of our sin. The blessing is that God reached out to us in our sinful condition. –Rom. 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It’s good to remember that God is the one who reached out to us concerning salvation.

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 22 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 22 Jesus reconciled us in the body of His flesh. –This gives us insight into God’s work of redemption. It was the flesh (human) part of Jesus that was used to purchase salvation. –Killing of the body –Shedding of the blood –This death of Jesus’ perfect flesh was what has made it possible to present us holy before God the Father. Jesus was made to be sin for us so we could be made righteous! II Cor. 5:21 –It wasn’t His soul that was made to be sin. –It was His flesh. –When God the Father looks at born-again Christians, He sees the blood of Christ, not our sin.

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 23 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 23 This verse seems to deflate the passage if you take the English versions at their face value. There are a couple of different ways you can read this verse. –Popular view: Many people just reading this could come to the conclusion that all the benefits God provides (not on your merit) can be yours if you continue in faith and are never moved away from that. However… The word “if” isn’t a conditional clause that is based on the future. The “if” that Paul uses here is the “if” of argument. It does not mean that something could be if something else is true; rather it means that something is true since something else is true. –J.V. McGee A better word for “if” in our English language would be “since.”

Colossians Chapter 1Verse 23 Colossians Chapter 1 Verse 23 Expositor’s view: It is hard to see the text support a conditional statement here and because the word “if” should be translated “since,” then this is a statement about how this reconciliation is accepted (by faith) and what the benefits are of this reconciliation (never being moved away from the hope of the gospel). This verse, which seems at first glance, to be destructive to the doctrine of eternal security, is really a great verse to aid us in understanding our eternal security in Christ. Since the Colossian believers began a relationship with God through faith, they have been grounded and steadfast. They are not being moved away from the hope of the gospel. -The hope of heaven is a sure hope, not a conditional hope. -Hope = 1680, elpis = to anticipate, expectation, or confidence -Titus 2:13, 3:7 -Heb 6:11

Conclusion The work of Christ is very involved. This was not an afterthought or a quick fix. The work of justification was detailed, costly and brings great assurance.

Challenges Spend time this week just reflecting on what Jesus has done for you. Don’t ever let the thought of Jesus dying on a cross become stale; keep it fresh by remembering all that is involved. Remember the Lord’s death till He comes.