Reconciled

^"19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and 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." Colossians 1:19-20 TNIV

Since the fullness of God dwells in Christ Jesus, then through Him all things are either reconciled or in the reconciliation process - whether things upon the earth or things in heaven, through the blood shed on the cross. This is huge. The ramifications of this passage are awesome.

The first item to notice is that reconciliation through the blood applied to all things. We have a tendency to confine it in our thoughts to men being reconciled to God. However, that is only one aspect of the work of the cross. A student of the Bible will soon discover God's love for all He has made - that includes humanity, but is not confined to or by humanity. He loves the sons of men who were created in His image, but He also loves the creation itself and that includes the realm of life known as "heaven."

We find the reconciliation of this section of the creation in Hebrews 9:24-28,

 "It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." TNIV

So heaven itself was cleansed with the blood of our Lord Jesus and thus all traces of rebellion and sin were vanished from the life realm of the Spirit. The blood of Christ was needful and necessary in all aspects of life - everything created had to receive the blood cleansing. Remember that in verse 16 we were told that Jesus created everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. So the reach of the blood sacrifice and the need of the blood sacrifice was complete. All these things have been reconciled - in heaven.

The earth will find its time for such thorough cleansing and renewal (Romans 8), however, for the sons of men it is now - now is the day of salvation. Today is the day to allow the blood to count for each and every one. Today is the day to trust Him and know He has cleansed you and forgiven once and for all - for all.

So the peace is now and is coming. It is a peace that brings reconciliation - the coming together of a person and their God. Then the great work of empowering those reconciled people to function fully in the ministry of reconciliation. This is our call - all of us (2 Cor. 5) and our joy.

Rest well in Him on this Lord's Day, and allow all strivings to cease knowing He has already done all the work and it is our joy to simply flow in Him and allow Him to work His work through us.