Be Reconciled to God

Be Reconciled to God

Colossians 1: 9-10

For this reason we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  

Be Reconciled to God, Paul a righteous man prayed for the faithful brethren in Colossi.  Paul whose prayer availed much,asked the Lord to filled them with knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that they would grow in the knowledge of God, be able to discern things that are of God. For it is the Lord who gives wisdom and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. In Christ, the knowledge of God, His attributes, character and works and word are demonstrated: Christ is “God in the flesh”, in whom the fullness of deity dwells. 

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.(John 1:1)

Jesus said : I am the Father are one .(John 1:30)

And Thomas answered and said to Him,”My Lord and my God. John 20:28

Paul remits the erroneous belief that a special knowledge of God was given to a selective few who had keys to deeper spirituality. Paul emphasized the preeminence of Christ through whom God made Himself known, the only mediator between God and men. “His divine power has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us into His glory and virtue. “ (2^nd Peter 1:3). Paul prayed the saints in Colossi study to show themselves approve to God, to rightly handle the word of truth for their growth in the knowledge of God.

Be Reconciled to God, Paul prayed they would be filled with the wisdom of God by asking God to give them wisdom,knowledge and understanding of Him through the Holy Spirit. When they put into practice the knowledge of God acquired, they should walk in the narrow path of righteousness and in obedience to please God. As a result,they would bear fruits of good works and grow in the knowledge of the one true eternal God to the praise of His glory and grace.

Pause &Think

• What is the will of God?
• How do you gain the knowledge of His will in your life?
• What does it mean to walk worthy of the Lord?
• What can you learn from how Paul prayed for the brethren in Colossi?

Colossians 1:11-12

Strengthen with all might according to His glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Paul asked the Lord to strengthen the brethren; they can do all things through Christ who strengthen them. He asked Our Father of glory to strengthen their inner being with might through His eternal Spirit who dwells in them.  He prayed they would not only be strengthened with the Holy Spirit power but also they would bear fruits of the Holy Spirit : patience which involves waiting in the absence of anger, long suffering involves tolerance of other weaknesses and joy derived from abiding in Christ, His presence or His word.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11)

“God’s patience is unto our salvation; our patience is unto others salvation”

Colossians 1: 13-14

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. In whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sin.

Be Reconciled to God, Paul thanked our Father for making us eligible to partake of the inheritance in the kingdom of light. “He choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. “ Selah. Paul thanked our Father for delivering us from the power of darkness and conveying us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.  “God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. In the dispensation of time, God send His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has send forth the Spirit of His son into your heart, crying Abba Father.

Paul reminded the brethren “whoever confesses with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart God raised Him from the dead shall be saved. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, redeemed us as king and priest unto God, and redeemed us from all lawlessness . “He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:14. Selah.

Pause & Think

• What does it mean to be redeemed?
• What is the significance of Christ redemption?
• How did Christ redeem us?

Colossians 1:15 -17

He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For he created all things that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible where thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things and in Him all things consist.

Paul worshiped Jesus, who makes the invisible God visible.  He worshiped Jesus, the Amen, the faithful and true witness of God, the Beginning of the creation of God. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He is the first born over creation; all things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 

He conveyed the preeminence of Christ over the creation and acknowledged all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him: the head over the host of heaven, the heir of all things through whom the worlds was made to convey the superiority of Christ.

“ Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.  Hebrews 1:3

Pause & think

• How does Christ make God visible to men?
• How is Christ superior than heaven and earth?
• What does scripture means by Christ is the first born over all creation?

“Be exalted oh Lord, over all creation

Be exalted oh Lord, above the heavens of heavens

Be exalted on Lord, over all the earth

May the name of our God be glorified:

Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.”

Colossians 1:18-20

And He is the head of the body, the church, which is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he may have preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness’s should dwell 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.

Paul acknowledged Jesus as Lord, the head of the body, the Church. He is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets; He is the word of God who became flesh and dwell among men; He is the heir of all things through whom the worlds are made. He is the first born from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth. He is the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings, the Word of God. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him- judge of the living and the dead. “He is exalted in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.”

God put all things under His feet: principalities, power, might, dominion every name that is named, not only in this age but the age to come. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.  He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the temple of the living God- the place where men and God meets. The first of the brethren-first born to die and live again: “Do not be afraid; He says: I am the first and the Last. I am He who lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen. And I have the keys to Hades and of death.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

Why did God put all of himself in Christ? The love of God cannot be earned, it cannot be appease, and it’s unconditional.God knew from the beginning Christ would fulfill His plan to save men from eternal condemnation: “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

“Through the death of His flesh, Christ present men holy, blameless and above reproach to God.”

Be Reconciled to God, God testified He was pleased with Christ even before Christ manifested His word, works and His love to men. “When He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately out of the water and behold, the heavens were opened to Him and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and aligned upon Him and suddenly, a voice came from heaven, saying this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Matthew 3: 16-17. In this, God demonstrated His love toward men, by sending His Son into the world, that we might live through Him- the gift of love from God to all men.

God put all of Himself in Christ knowing Christ would obey Him in all things, in essence, He put Himself in Himself “so that men would become one with Him through Christ.  “… God created men in His own image; in the image of God He created him male and female, he created them. …whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. Jesus said: “ …that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in Me and I in you, that they also may be one in Us that the world may believe that you sent Me.  John 17:22

John 10:30

Jesus said: my Father and I are one.

John 14: 10-11

Jesus said: Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

John 15:7

Jesus said: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.

John 15:10

Jesus said: If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father ‘s commandment and abide in His love. 

Ephesians1: 10

“Therefore, in the dispensation of fullness of time, He might gathered together one and all things in Christ, which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him.”

Paul & think

• What is the significance of Christ being the head over the body of Christ?
• What does the first born from the dead means and why is it significant?
• Why did it please God to put all of Himself in Christ

Colossians 1:21-23

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight if indeed you continue in faith, grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I Paul became a minister.

Paul reminded believers, before salvation, they were dead in their trespasses and sin, and lived according to the world and were separated from God. As carnal minded people, we were defiant to God, His ways, and His word, which cause us to engaged in evil. “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor he who does not love his brother”.1 John 3:10. 

However, if any man is in Christ, He is a new creation, old things has passed away, behold, all things are becoming new. In Christ, when believers put to death the deeds of the flesh, and are drawn to God, believers have peace with God and can stand bodily before God in Christ: Holy, blameless and above reproach. Therefore , having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ , through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand , and rejoice in hope of glory of God. “For when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having being reconciled we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”.  Romans 5:9-11

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself not imputing their trespasses to them and have committed to us the word of reconciliation” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Paul encouraged believers to continue in faith, by hearing the word of God, be grounded and steadfast by building upon the apostles, prophets and Christ Himself.   In doing this, they will not move away from their faith: faith in God, their hope: the hope of the gospel, a living hope that does not disappoint, and their love: the love of God and the love of their neighbor as themselves in light of the gospel.

Pause & think

• What does it mean to be reconciled to God?
• Compare your life prior to faith in Christ and your life now with faith in Christ?
• What are the blessing and benefits of being reconciled to God through faith in Christ?
• What is the significance of Christ death, burial, resurrection, ascension and return?

Thank you Father, for reconciliation us to yourself through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.