Part 3
This will be the encouraging part of this three part series. We have discovered much about Jesus by looking at Colossians 1:15-20. I won't spend much of your reading time on this except to say, Jesus is in every way Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Lord of which there is no comparison or equal. He does not just stand out above all things, but because of his very nature, there is no one or anything that is divine, perfect, and righteous like him. As part of the Trinity of the Godhead, Jesus is not only the representative of God, but the exact image of God as well.
We discovered something very special about Jesus. He sustains all things by his word and everything was created through him and for him. Words can not adequately express what this means for the person who places his or her trust in him. Chapter 1: 19-20 tells us,
"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him."
Why? Verse 20 continues,
"...to reconcile everything to Himself."
How?
"...by making peace through the blood of His (Jesus') cross - whether things on earth or things in heaven."
Do you understand what this little phrase, "by making peace" means? When Jesus created everything in the beginning, everything was good. Then very good when he created man to watch over what he had created. All of creation; especially man, was in a perfect relationship with Jesus. There was no SIN! Man was in a perfectly peaceful relationship with God until Genesis 3 happened. When Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, followed by Adam's complicity, sin entered into all of creation and especially all of mankind.
This means man no longer enjoyed a peaceful relationship with God. The great news of the gospel is that God sent Jesus to die on the cross as a propitiation for man's sin. Propitiation is a theological term meaning Jesus satisfied the wrath of God on man by taking on the sins of man and dying on the cross. There, to borrow from an oft quoted line, "Jesus paid a debt he did not owe, because man owed a debt he could not pay.
Now, to get a better understanding of how special this is, we need to look at a couple more verses.
"And you were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy , faultless, and blameless before Him...." Colossians 1:21-22a
There are some key words contained in these verses explaining just how bad man's situation was/is and just how special Jesus' work on the cross was/is. Let us start with "alienated". It means to be estranged or separated, severed and no longer a part of something. In this case, it means no longer being linked with God or part of God's kingdom. This seems bad enough until we look at the next word "hostile".
The bible says we, as fallen sinners, have become hostile in our minds toward God. In other words, we have become disobedient to God's Word and His commands and want nothing to do with Him. The sins in our lives have driven a wedge between God and us. We are hostile in mind; opposed or animus; at enmity toward God. It is getting worse. Not only are unbelieving sinners separated from God but they also have extreme hatred toward all God stands for. Now, if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you do not have that animosity. If on the other hand, you are reading this and not a follower of Jesus, you have this mindset regardless if you "feel" you do or not. You can not deny it because it is the exact position you are in as a non-believer. You have a mindset of selfish pride and refuse to follow Him.
There is a special phrase in the bible that gets my blood pumping (in a good way)." It is "but now"! When you read in the bible the words, "but now," you need to set up and take special note of what is coming because it rings out the truth of God acting in a certain way to achieve a certain purpose which only He can do. Verse 22, "But now...." The bible says because of who Jesus is and what God's desire is for man regarding a relationship with Him, He (God) has reconciled you to Himself".
Reconciled means to restore something to a right position or relationship. How? By making peace through the blood of His (Jesus') cross. In these two words, the bible points out the estrangement, or the alienation caused by sin, has been done away with resulting in man being reunited with God. That is, if they follow Jesus. You might ask, "What does this mean for me in the long run?" It means when you as a believer die, you will be presented to God as holy, faultless, and blameless. Do you get it? You will not have your sins thrown into your face because God will no longer remember them, having,
"Cast them as far as the east is from the west," Psalm 103:12.
You will stand before God, forgiven and reconciled. You will be received as a child of God belonging to Him.
In closing, I would encourage you to be fearless when someone asks you about Jesus. Do not shrink back in fear of being rejected. If you tell someone about Jesus and they refuse to listen or accept what you say, they are not rejecting you; they are rejecting Jesus. Instead of shrinking back, be prepared to answer with the truth found in these verses. Do not be afraid to open the bible to Colossians 1:15-22 and read it. You can then follow up explaining what each verse is saying.
After you tell them about Jesus, take them down a path toward him by telling how Jesus has played a part in your life. Personal testimonies are powerful. Satan is hard at work in the world to deceive people and distort the truth. Revelation 12 describes Satan as the "Accuser" because he holds up our sins in front of us and before God. Revelation 12:11 tells us in the end, Satan will be conquered by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their (believers) testimony. Just as those testimonies will be powerful in the end, so our testimonies are powerful now.
Be bold when someone asks you about Jesus because; that my friend, is a divinely appointed time when God is reaching out to that person by the Holy Spirit speaking through you. If they reject you now, you have still planted a seed of faith for them. Who knows, maybe the next person to talk to them will be the one who has been given the honor to lead them to Christ, and you will have played a part, your part.
Please feel free to share your opportunities to witness and the results.
Wear Jesus Well,
Blessings,
Steve
The Birthing Cave, Sedona, AZ
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