Thoughts on Colossians 1

Today's reading: Exodus 39; Colossians 1

Reading Colossians 1 this morning, I am just so grateful for the gospel.

Paul, as he opens his letter to the Colossian church really goes to town on the grace of God found in Christ, hitting the root of the gospel, the means of the gospel, the impact of the gospel, and the final result of the gospel, and he hits each piece in details that just leave me really grateful and excited about what God has in store for us.

The root of the gospel

When I say that Paul hits at the root of the gospel, I mean that he dives headlong into the person and work of Jesus.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church – He who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. For God was well pleased for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross – through Him, whether things on earth or things in the heavens.

The more we take to heart the reality of who Jesus is, the more grateful we will be for what He has done for us. Jesus is the eternal God. The phrase, “firstborn of all creation” doesn’t mean He Himself was created, but that He is preeminent above all creation, and all creation is rightfully His inheritance. And why is He preeminent? Because Jesus is the agent of creation. All things were created through and for Him, and it is in Him that all things are held together, meaning that all of creation is currently, and actively, being sustained by Him.

Jesus is the uncreated creator of all that exists, preeminent in glory and honor, perfect from all eternity past, and yet, look what He was willing to do for us!

When Paul says that all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Jesus, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, he is pointing us back to the willingness of our perfect, glorious, creative God to step out of heaven, put on human flesh, and die a gruesome, painful death, suffering the wrath of God due our sin, so that He might reconcile us back to Himself.

God loved us so much, even while we were in full rebellion against Him, that He was willing to do this, to experience life as a man, to be tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin, all so that He could go to the cross and die for us, the just for the unjust, so that we could be brought back into His family.

God did this. Yahweh, the great I AM, did this. The eternal father, wonderful counselor, mighty god, prince of peace, that God did this. I don’t think we will ever wrap our minds around the scope or reality of that choice, either of the reality of who Jesus is, nor of just how far He humbled Himself for us…

The means of the gospel

And for all this, for all the distance that Jesus crossed in stepping down out of heaven and going to the cross, He makes the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God through Himself available to us for free by faith.

There is no work we can do that could merit this forgiveness, and there is no sin which is greater than Jesus and His capacity to forgive.

And you, who were formerly alienated and hostile in mind through evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him, holy and blameless and above reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, that gospel which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

It is all by faith, by trust in Jesus and the work He has done on our behalf, that we are reconciled to God. We come to Him by faith, and we continue with Him by faith, which is why Paul says that Jesus will present us to the Father, “if indeed you continue in the faith… not being moved away from the hope of the gospel…” He does not say, “if indeed you continue without sin,” or, “if indeed you do enough good,” but only, “if indeed you continue in the faith.”

This is why the root of the gospel, understanding more and more the reality of who Jesus is and just how far He came for us, is so important. If Jesus was just a man that did some things, then sure, feel free to add your good works to His. But if He is God Himself, put on flesh, stepping out of heaven, and dying so that He might reconcile you to Himself, what do you have to contribute…?

There is nothing for you to add to the work of Jesus for you. You either accept it and continue in it by faith alone, or you are holding to a different gospel that does not lead to salvation.

It is always, and only, by faith that we can know forgiveness for our sins and reconciliation with God by the blood of Jesus.

The impact of the gospel

Restoration of our relationship with God comes by faith alone entirely apart from our works, but, Paul says, this restored relationship should drive us to transformation and works.

Paul opens this letter telling them what he prays for for them, and part of that prayer is, “that [they] might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God…”

We do not find salvation in, or by, our works, but the more we understand, the more we internalize, the reality of the forgiveness we have received in Christ, the more it should drive us to want to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord who has purchased us by His own blood, and to bear fruit in every good work on His behalf!

He is our God, He is our Creator, He knows how He designed us and how life works best, because He is the author of life. This is why Paul says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we might present every man mature in Christ.” His desire is to see every person mature in Christ, that is, more fully recognizing who He is and subordinating ourselves and our lives, rightly, to Him and His authority, both as our God and as our Savior.

This is the impact of the gospel, not that we are driven to work for the Lord to maintain our salvation or standing before Him, but that the reality of who He is and what He has done for us frees us to grow in Him, to reflect His character more and more, and to walk in the good works that He has prepared for us and that bring Him glory and point others back to the same salvation in Him that we have received. 

The final result of the gospel

And all of this is with the full assurance of eternity in Heaven with our God. We know where we are going. If our faith is in Jesus as the only basis and means of our salvation, then He will present us before the Father holy and blameless and above reproach.

Because of who Jesus is and what He was willing to do, we get to not only live a greater, eternally purposeful, fulfilling, and truly satisfying life here in this life, but when we die, we know that we will spend eternity in the glorious presence of our perfect and loving Creator.

There is truly no possible greater gift than what Jesus has given us in the cross!