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The Lord's Day Bible Message Outlines

May 2, 2010
Pastor Dana Johnson

"For it pleased the Father...by Him to reconcile all things to himself...." -Colossians 1:19-20

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

1. The sovereign God was pleased to design a gracious plan of reconciliation for sinful humanity. Consider humanity's need:
Colossians 1:21 - And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

a. We are alienated from God.

b. We are enemies in our mind.

2. It pleased the Father to make the eternal Son of His love a Man to be the mediator of reconciliation. He alone can be Mediator because:

a. He must be a Man so that He could suffer the penalty of our sins.

b. He must be God so that He could satisfy all God's holy demands and grant to us His righteousness.

3. Consider the method of reconciliation:

a. God does it-- He doesn't merely make it possible for us to do it.

b. God uses the redeeming sacrifice of Christ's body and blood.
Colossians 1:20, 22 - And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 22...in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.

c. God exchanges our sin with the righteousness of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

4. Consider the object of reconciliation: all things in heaven and on earth.

a. It doesn't mean merely that God establishes harmony between things in Heaven and things in earth.

b. It doesn't mean that God makes an actual reconciliation for all people without exception-- that would be universalism.

c. Comparing Scripture with Scripture we can observe that the "all things" is the same as those who were predestined to be gathered together in Christ.
Ephesians 1:10 - That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him.

d. They are the whole family of God-- His people of past generations who are now in Heaven: and those still on the earth.
Ephesians 3:15 - From whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

5. Consider the results of reconciliation:

a. Peace with God.
Colossians 1:20 - And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

b. Presented to God as holy and blameless.
Colossians 1:22 - In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.

 

(All Scripture quoted is from the New King James Version)