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What Does It Mean To Be Reconciled To God? (Colossians 1:19-22)

I. The Source Of Reconciliation

II. The Means Of Reconciliation

III. The Result Of Reconciliation

Context & Hook for the Sermon:

Context:

In a world fractured by division—racial strife, social injustice, and personal brokenness—human efforts to bridge gaps often fall short. But the Bible reveals a far deeper separation: the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity. Reconciliation is not just a social ideal; it’s a divine rescue mission. This sermon unpacks Colossians 1:19–22, where Paul declares how God Himself mended the ultimate rift through the blood of Christ, offering hope to the alienated, the enemy, and the lost.

Hook:

Have you ever felt irreparably cut off—from others, from purpose, or even from God? Imagine a division so profound that no protest, policy, or personal resolve could repair it. Yet Scripture proclaims a staggering truth: the God you once ran from has already crossed the divide to reclaim you. This sermon exposes the shocking reality of our rebellion, the costly love that pursued us, and the transformed life that reconciliation demands. Discover why the cross isn’t just a symbol of faith but the hinge of history—where God turned enemies into heirs.

Why Keep Reading?

• You’ll see sin’s separation—and why no human effort can fix it.
• You’ll marvel at God’s initiative—how He chased us down like a shepherd after one lost sheep.
• You’ll confront a urgent question: If Christ paid everything to reconcile you, how can you live unchanged?

This isn’t theoretical theology. It’s a blood-bought invitation to come home.

Table of Contents

1. Opening Prayer & Scripture Reading

• Greeting in the name of Jesus
• Text: Colossians 1:19–22 (KJV)

2. Introduction: The Meaning of Reconciliation

• Definition: Restoration of opposing parties
• Examples of human divisions:
• Masters and slaves
• Jews and Gentiles
• Husbands and wives
• Modern racial divisions
• The greatest separation: Man and God (Romans 3:23)

3. The Problem: Sin and Separation from God

• Sin’s penalty: Spiritual and eternal death (Habakkuk 1:13)
• The world’s futile efforts to moralize society
• The church’s mission: Gospel reconciliation (Great Commission)

4. The Source of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:19–20)

• God’s pleasure in reconciling creation
• Christ’s sufficiency: "All fulness dwells in Him"
• The cosmic scope: Restoration of "all things" (earth and heaven)
• Millennial kingdom prophecy (Isaiah 11:6–9; 60:19–20)
• Refuting universal salvation error

5. The Means of Reconciliation: Christ’s Sacrifice

• Peace through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20)
• Sufficient for all, effective for believers (John 3:16)
• Contrast with human love (Donald Grey Barnhouse illustrations)
• God’s agape love: Christ died for enemies (Romans 5:8)

6. Our Former State: Alienation from God (Colossians 1:21)

• Spiritual deadness (Ephesians 2:1–3)
• Natural hostility toward God (2 Corinthians 2:14)
• Illustration: The funeral and the unresponsive dead

7. God’s Initiative: Seeking the Lost

• Zacchaeus: Jesus’ pursuit (Luke 19:1–10)
• Three parables of seeking (Luke 15):
• Lost sheep
• Lost coin
• Prodigal son

8. The Result of Reconciliation (Colossians 1:22)

• Presented holy, unblameable, and unreproveable
• Practical sanctification: Living "in Christ"
• Avoiding accusations (1 Timothy 3:2–7)

9. Closing Prayer & Hymn

• Thanksgiving for reconciliation
• Prayer for holy living

Sermon Transcript: [46:52]

I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Today, our text for the message is taken from Colossians 1:19-22. Allow me to read for you: "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight". May God bless the reading of His holy and sacred word.

Today, we want to consider the word “reconcile”, which means restoration—to bring two opposing parties together. In life, we have seen and experienced many separations and divisions.

In ancient times,

• there was the great division between the masters and the slaves. Those who were masters looked down upon the slaves. Slaves were considered only slightly above the animals.
• There was also the great division between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews would look down upon the Gentiles as being inferior, impure, unclean, and they were rejected.
• There was the great division between husbands and wives. Women were considered as inferior beings.

It has been said that some Jews would wake up each morning and pray, saying, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not born as a slave, a Gentile, or a woman.’

In our modern times, there is the division between the different races, especially between the whites and the blacks, or the Caucasians and the Asians. That is the reason why people are constantly protesting against racial discrimination in the true sense of the word. People are separated and divided.

But the greatest separation is not one human being from another human being, but between man and God. The Bible tells us that "…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23). No one is exempted. All men have come short of God’s glory. And because of sin, man is separated from God. This separation prevents every sinner from fellowshipping with God, who is perfectly holy and righteous. Habakkuk the prophet said, "[God is] of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity". (Habakkuk 1:13).

And the ‘wages of sin is death’. (Romans 6:23) Not just physical death, but that includes spiritual and eternal death. Reconciliation can only take place when sin is removed from the picture. And the only way sin can be removed from the picture is that the wages or the price of sin must be paid to provide the forgiveness of sin. This is made possible through the salvific work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Today, the world is getting from bad to worse. Many politicians, governments, and other non-governmental agencies all around the world have invested all their time and resources in many of their campaigns to fight against the evil of this world: the social problems, whether it be child abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, violence, etc.

People are going into the streets to protest and try to moralise the world, to make the world into a better place. Oftentimes, Christians have been accused of being not concerned, or we do not care about such problems. ‘You Christians only preach on the pulpit. You only share the gospel and evangelise, but you do not seem to care about these social evils because you do not participate in all these campaigns.’

It does not mean that we do not care or we are not concerned. We are. But our primary Christian duty is not to try to moralise the world or try to make the world into a better place. We can never achieve that. To us Christians, whether the person is a law-abiding policeman or the drug addict living off the street—both of them, if they are without the Lord Jesus Christ, they are lost forever and ever. Eternally lost!

This is the mission of the church. This is the mission of every Christian: to bring across to the world this message that souls can be reconciled to God through the salvific work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Essentially, this is the Great Commission. You and I are called to preach the gospel: the gospel of reconciliation. And we are to preach unto the uttermost parts of the world. The Title of Our Message: ‘What Does It Mean to Be Reconciled to God?’

I. The Source Of Reconciliation [55:44]

Firstly, we see in this passage the source of reconciliation. Let us begin with verse 19: "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;" The phrase "for it pleased the Father" speaks of the good pleasure for His creation to be reconciled to Himself. And the word “fulness” speaks of His divine power, attributes, and abilities. In other words, Paul was saying to the Colossians, ‘You do not need to go to any angel or any other persons to be saved. Salvation is only through God and Him alone.’

And this means of salvation—or reconciliation—was through His only begotten Son. Verse 20: "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Remember, after God had finished His work of creation in the beginning, He said, “Behold, [everything] was very good." (Genesis 1:31). At that point in time, God’s creation was in perfect harmony with Him.

But when Adam ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man fell into sin. That fall not only affected the entire human race but including the entire creation of God. (Genesis 3) That is the reason why Romans 8:22 says, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." All the troubles, wickedness, sins—trace its roots to the Garden of Eden: when Adam fell.

Before the fall of man, there was no death: not Adam, not the animals. But after the fall, every creature is not only separated from God, but they will also experience death. (Genesis 3:21, Hebrews 9:22) This devastating effect of sin will reach a terrifying climax in the Tribulation, when God would pour out His wrath on this sin-cursed world. (Matthew 24:21, Revelation 14:19, Revelation 16:1)

At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return and set up His Millennial Kingdom. (Revelation 11:15), And by Him, He will reconcile all things unto Himself, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)

“Of things in earth”: Isaiah the prophet gave us a vivid picture of what it would mean for all the creation in the Millennial Kingdom. In Isaiah 11:6–9, he said: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp,”—or the cobra—”and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den"—or viper’s hole.

“Of things in heaven” (or in the universe): Isaiah said in Isaiah 60:19–20: "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."

What a wonderful picture of the Millennial Kingdom! In the Millennial Kingdom, God and His creation will be reconciled like it was in the Garden of Eden. And after the Millennial Kingdom, God will create the new heavens and the new earth, where the believers will dwell with Him forever and ever.

II. The Means of Reconciliation [1:02:20]

Some people would use the phrase "all things" (in Colossians 1:20) to refer to all people, including fallen angels, and they would teach this erroneous doctrine known as ‘universal salvation’ that whether people believe or not, they would ultimately be saved. Nothing is further than the truth! You and I must use Scripture to interpret Scripture. By "all things", Paul meant all things for whom reconciliation is possible.

And this reconciliation is only possible through one means—and that is through the peace that our Lord Jesus has wrought on the cross through His precious blood. When Jesus died on the cross, shedding His precious blood to pay the penalty of sins, His work of salvation is sufficient to potentially save the whole world. In other words, even if every human being in this world believed in Him, they would be saved.

But obviously, not everyone believes in Him. And so, it was only efficient—or effective—for those who believe. That is where we get the wonderful verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Only those who believe would be saved.

That was the reason why Paul went on to say in Colossians 1:21, "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." To be “alienated” means to be separated. Remember, Paul was speaking to the Colossians, who were not from the nation of Israel. They were strangers to God’s covenant of promise. They were without hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12) They were walking according to the prince of the power of the air—that is, Satan. They were walking according to the course of the world. (Ephesians 2:2) They were, by nature, the children of God’s wrath.(Ephesians 2:3)

And because they were separated from God—alienated from Him, born with a sinful nature—they were “enemies in their minds”, which means they were haters of God. They might not have said that with their mouths, but they had rejected God’s Word and His commandments. And this was demonstrated through their lives. They were engaging in wicked works—sinful works.

Dear friend, this is the picture of you and me. We were once alienated from God, enemies in our minds. We had rejected God and His Word, and we were walking in our own sinful ways. Our problem is not because we cannot make meaningful relationships with other human beings, but because we have no right relationship with God, from whom we are separated. To put it simply, we were once spiritually dead, although we might be physically alive.

Once, I was encouraging a young man to evangelise to his colleagues in his workplace, and he said to me, ‘I don’t discuss spiritual things with my colleagues.’ I asked, ‘Why not?’ The young man replied, ‘Because it is strange to talk about such things.’ ‘Why is it strange?’ I asked. ‘Because it is just not acceptable’, the young man replied.

How true! Because man is dead in sin—spiritually blind, spiritually dead. He is dead to God’s truth, righteousness, holiness, and all the other spiritual things. To him, they are absurd—foolishness. What is good is considered strange.

As 1 Corinthians 2:14 says: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." When a person is physically dead, the first indication is the body’s inability to respond. The dead person is no longer able to respond to light, sound, taste, and emotions.

A young boy attended the funeral service of his close aunty. Her body was laid in the casket—just big enough to fit her body, with a glass panel for the family members, relatives, and friends to have a last look at her body. The little boy asked his mom, ‘Mom, isn’t it uncomfortable for aunty to be put in such a little box? And isn’t aunty always uncomfortable for people to gaze at her?’ The mother replied, ‘It doesn’t matter, my son. It doesn’t matter.’

Indeed, it doesn’t matter even if the light is shining directly at her. It doesn’t matter even if nobody asks for permission to look at her body. It doesn’t matter even if they put too much makeup or too little makeup on her. And it doesn’t matter even if she is being put into a little box. A dead body is totally insensitive to those things. It cannot even respond to the desperate and emotional cries of its loved ones.

Dear friend, that is the way with spiritual death as well. Man is dead not because he has committed sin, but he is in sin. In the eyes of God, a man does not become a liar because he tells a lie, he is already a liar. A man does not become a thief because he has stolen something—he is already a thief. The same goes with all the other sins—whether it be murder, adultery, covetousness, jealousy, envy, and so forth.

Committing sinful acts does not make us sinners. We commit sinful acts because we are sinners. (Matthew 12:33-34) We are born in sin and slaves to sin. If you are a slave to sin, you will be led to sin along those horrendous steps—engaging in wicked ways—and it will eventually lead to death. (John 8:34, Romans 6:16)

However, Paul said to the Colossians: "yet now hath he reconciled [you]" (Colossians 1:21b) What was the thing that so dramatically changed their lives? It was by grace they were saved, through faith—and that not of themselves. It is the gift of God, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8–9). It was He—Jesus—who brought them to the point that they realised the seriousness of sin and the effect of sin. And they were convicted in their hearts that only Jesus alone had made peace through His precious blood on the cross of Calvary.

And so, Colossians 1:22 says: "In the body of his flesh through death,…" But not just any death. If Jesus were to die by strangulation, or drowning, or starvation, He would not be able to save you and me. Because reconciliation and peace with God is only made possible through the forgiveness of sin. And the forgiveness of sin is only possible through the shedding of blood. "Without shedding of blood [there] is no remission [of sins]" (Hebrews 9:22).

This is how much our Lord Jesus loves us. He loves us so much that He suffered the way of the cross. He endured the nails being driven into His hands and His feet. He shed His blood because of His love for us. He died. He was buried. But death could not keep Him in the grave, for on the third day, He rose again from the dead.

Sometimes, we do hear amazing stories of people who were willing to die for another person—and under certain circumstances, they were brave enough to do that. Donald Grey Barnhouse, the American theologian, gave two examples of exceptionally great human love to illustrate his point. Allow me to quote him.

In one story, two men were trapped in a mine which caved in, and poisonous gas was escaping through the pipes. One man had a wife and three children. He had a gas mask, but that mask was torn because of the explosion, and he knew that he would soon perish. All of a sudden, the second man took off his mask and placed it on him, and he said, ‘You have Mary and the three children. I’m alone, and I can go.’ When we hear of such stories, our hearts are moved with emotions.

The other story was about a little girl who had been crippled and needed an operation. The operation was provided for her. But after the operation, the girl needed a blood transfusion, and her little brother was asked to volunteer. He was taken to her bedside, and he fearfully watched a needle being inserted into his veins, and blood was fed into his sister’s body. When the transfusion was done, the doctor put his arm on the boy’s shoulder and said, ‘You are a brave boy.’

The young boy knew nothing about the nature of a blood transfusion. And the doctor knew nothing about the actual bravery of the boy—until the boy looked up at him and said, ‘Doctor, how long would it take before I would breathe my last breath?’ He had gotten the idea that he would have to die to save his sister, and he thought that he was going to die as his blood was slowly flowing into her veins. But he did it anyway. This kind of story would sober us, because we recognise that this was love on another whole new level.

But consider this: When Jesus Christ died for us, it was not because we were good, or we were loving, or we were nice people. He died for us while we were yet sinners—unworthy, undeserving, unloving, alienated from God, enemies in our minds, engaging in wicked ways. This is the agape love of God—the highest form of love. Jesus died while we were yet sinners to reconcile us to Himself. (Romans 5:8)

Sometimes, when we sin against our loved ones and friends, it is so difficult to find reconciliation, right? Husbands who sinned against their wives. Someone who sinned against his friend. Sometimes, they are so angry—they will reject any effort to be reconciled. No matter how hard we try, they will reject all forms of reconciliation. No reconciliation, no forgiveness. Period.

But God is different. We have all sinned against Him—again and again and again. And yet, He wants us to be reconciled to Him. He is not indifferent to reconciliation. He is not hostile towards reconciliation. In fact, He wants us to be reconciled to Him. He comes to seek for reconciliation.

In Luke chapter 19, we have the classic example of Zacchaeus. Jesus was passing through Jericho, and He found a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector. Zacchaeus was rich, but in the eyes of the Jews, he was a criminal because he extorted money from the people. He was trying desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was huge, and he was very small. So, he got up onto a tree. And Jesus came to him and said, "Zacchaeus"—being the omniscient God, He knew him by name—"make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." (Luke 19:5)

Some people think that it was Zacchaeus who was seeking after Jesus. But the best Zacchaeus could do—the closest he could get to Jesus—was to climb up the tree to catch a glimpse of Him. And all of a sudden, Jesus turned and said to him, ‘Come down, I will abide in your house.’ The people started to grumble because Jesus was going into the house of a man who was known to be a great sinner.

Zacchaeus said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." (Luke 19:8) That was a clear sign of repentance. And Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house." (Luke 19:9)

We all know this story, and we all love this story. But I want to draw your attention to the statement that Jesus concluded. Jesus said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). That is the character of God. That is the nature of God. He is not just a saving God—He is a seeking God.

Throughout the Bible, we can see that our God is a reconciling God. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 15, we find a similar illustration of God coming to seek and to save the lost—in three parables: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son.

• In the parable of the lost sheep, the man left his ninety-nine sheep and went after that one lost sheep. And until he found it, he was so happy that he called for a celebration. (Luke 15:3-7)
• In the parable of the lost coin, the woman had ten pieces of silver and lost one. She lit a candle, swept the whole house until she found it. And then she called out to her neighbour, ‘Come, rejoice with me, for I have found the lost coin.’ (Luke 15:8-10)
• In the parable of the prodigal son, he had spent everything. He repented and came back to the father and said, ‘Forgive me.’ The father said to the servant, ‘Bring the best robe, put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry: because my son has come back’. (Luke 15:22-24)

In all these three parables, you will find one common theme—and that is, they all seek to find that which is lost. The man finds the lost sheep. The woman finds the lost coin. And the father rejoices to be reconciled with his prodigal son. This is the heart of God. When a sinner returns to God, the Bible says there is great rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:7).

Have you ever looked at yourself and considered yourself as that lost sheep, as that lost coin, and as that prodigal son? It was not you who was seeking after God, but He came to seek you who was lost. If that be the case, how then should we respond after being reconciled to God?

III. The Result Of Reconciliation [1:29:04]

This brings us to our final point: the result of the reconciliation. Look at the second part of verse 22: "To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." God saves us for a sovereign purpose—that He might present us to be holy (which is the same word for saint). The believer is a saint. Contrary to what the Roman Catholics would teach about sainthood, every believer is a saint. A saint is someone who is set apart unto God.

Sin has separated us from God. And when God reconciles us to Him, we ought to be separated from sin. We cannot be dwelling on both boats—living in sin and at the same time saying we are reconciled to God. We ought to be separated from sin.

“Unblameable” does not mean perfect or sinless. No man is. As long as we are alive—still breathing, living in this mortal body—we are still being molested by sin. From time to time, we may still yield to sin. But here, what it means is that your life should not be in question. There should be nothing people can accuse you of. If you sin, you repent, and you turn to God. There should be nothing that would disqualify you from being a Christian. And you must never give the enemies of the gospel the opportunities to attack your faith and Christianity. Be unblameable. “Unreproveable” goes beyond being unblameable. It means no one can charge you of any misdeeds.

Dear friend, this is the way you and I should live our lives. And the only way we can live such a life is to be in Christ. If we are truly reconciled to God, and the Spirit of Christ lives in our hearts, then He must be the president of our lives. He must be the Lord of our lives. He must be the Lord of our decisions, our responses to the challenges and issues of life. He must be the Lord who controls our thoughts, our tongues, and our actions.

In everything we do, say, or think, we consider the One who has made reconciliation possible for us. Jesus Christ lives in our hearts, and He must be the president of our lives. So, we must be holy, unblameable, and unreproveable. This is what it means to be reconciled to God. Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we give Thee thanks for this opportunity to consider this passage of Scriptures. Thou hast led us to consider what it means to be reconciled to Thee. As believers, we are reconciled to Thee. Thou art the source of reconciliation. And it is by Thine own good pleasure that Thou desirest for Thy creation—Thy creatures—to be reconciled to Thee.

And the means of the reconciliation is through the salvific work of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came. He lived a perfect life on the face of this earth. He kept all the laws of God—of which we cannot keep. He suffered. He was crucified. He shed His precious blood—for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. He died. He was buried. But on the third day, He rose again from the dead—for He alone is the resurrection and the life.

And through Him, we are reconciled to Thee by faith and through grace. And we must respond by living a holy life. We must be unblameable and unreproveable—not because we are perfect (we are not), but in Christ, we seek to live such a life. And the Holy Spirit who indwells in us will empower us to live a life that will manifest Thy glory—the purpose of Thou reconciling us to Thyself. May each and every one of us, as true believers reconciled to Thee, seek to live such a life: to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1:35:59]

祷告：

阿们。我奉我们主和救主耶稣基督的圣名问候你们。

经文：

今天信息的经文取自《歌罗西书》第1章19-22节。请允许我为你们诵读：

第19节说："因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛在他里面居住。既然借着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平，便借着他叫万有，无论是地上的、天上的，都与自己和好了。你们从前与神隔绝，因着恶行，心里与他为敌。但如今他借着基督的肉身受死，叫你们与自己和好，都成了圣洁，没有瑕疵，无可责备，把你们引到自己面前。"

愿神祝福祂神圣话语的诵读。

信息：

今天我们要思考"和好"这个词，意思是恢复——使两个对立的群体重新合一。

在生活中，我们见过也经历过许多分离与分裂。古代有主人与奴隶之间的巨大鸿沟。主人看不起奴隶，奴隶被认为只比动物稍强一点。

犹太人与外邦人之间也有巨大隔阂。犹太人视外邦人为低等、不洁、不圣洁的，拒绝他们。

夫妻之间也有巨大分歧。妇女被视为低等存在。据说有些犹太人每天早晨会祷告说："神啊，我感谢你，因我没有生为奴隶、外邦人或女人。"

现代社会中，不同种族之间存在隔阂，特别是白人与黑人，或高加索人与亚洲人之间。这就是为什么人们不断抗议种族歧视。人们被分离、被分裂。

但最严重的分离不是人与人之间的，而是人与神之间的。《圣经》告诉我们："世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀"（《罗马书》3:23）。无一例外。所有人都亏缺了神的荣耀。因着罪，人与神隔绝。这种隔绝使每个罪人无法与完全圣洁公义的神相交。

先知哈巴谷说："你眼目清洁不看邪僻，不看奸恶"（《哈巴谷书》1:13）。罪的工价就是死——不仅是肉体的死，还包括灵性的死和永远的死。

只有当罪被消除时，和好才可能实现。而消除罪的唯一方法就是支付罪的工价或代价，以提供罪的赦免。这通过我们主和救主耶稣基督在加略山十字架上的救赎工作成为可能。

当今世界每况愈下。许多国家的政治家、政府和非政府组织投入所有时间和资源开展运动，对抗世上的邪恶——社会问题，如虐待儿童、家庭暴力、酗酒、吸毒、卖淫、暴力等。

人们走上街头抗议，试图教化世界，让世界变得更美好。基督徒常被指责不关心这些问题。"你们基督徒只在讲台上讲道，只传福音，但似乎不关心这些社会罪恶，因为你们不参与这些运动。"

并非我们不关心。我们关心。但我们基督徒的首要职责不是试图教化世界或让世界变得更美好。我们永远无法做到这一点。无论是守法的警察还是流落街头的瘾君子，如果他们不认识主耶稣基督，都将永远迷失。

这就是教会的使命。每个基督徒的使命是向世界传递这个信息：灵魂可以通过我们主和救主耶稣基督的救赎工作与神和好。本质上，这就是大使命。

你我被呼召传福音——和好的福音——我们要传到地极。

我们今天信息的标题是：《与神和好意味着什么？》

首先，我们在这段经文中看到和好的源头。让我们从第19节开始："因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛在他里面居住。"

"因为父喜欢"这句话表明了神乐意使祂的创造与自己和好。"丰盛"一词指的是祂的神圣权能、属性和能力。换句话说，保罗对歌罗西人说：你们不需要通过任何天使或其他人得救。救恩唯独通过神自己。

这种救恩或和好的方式是通过祂的独生子。

第20节："既然借着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平，便借着他叫万有，无论是地上的、天上的，都与自己和好了。"

记住，神在创世之初完成创造之工后说："看哪，一切都甚好"（《创世记》1:31）。那时，神的创造与祂完全和谐。但当亚当吃了分别善恶树上的禁果，人类就堕入罪中。这次堕落不仅影响了全人类，也包括神的整个创造。

这就是为什么《罗马书》8:22说："我们知道一切受造之物一同叹息、劳苦，直到如今。"所有的麻烦、邪恶、罪恶，都追溯到伊甸园。

亚当堕落前，没有死亡——无论是亚当还是动物。但堕落之后，所有受造物不仅与神隔绝，也将经历死亡。罪的毁灭性影响将在大灾难时达到可怕的高潮，那时神将向这个被罪咒诅的世界倾泻祂的愤怒。

大灾难结束时，基督将再来，建立千禧年国度。借着他，使万有——无论是地上的、天上的——都与自己和好了。

• *地上的事物：**先知以赛亚生动描绘了千禧年国度中所有受造物的景象。《以赛亚书》11:6-9说："豺狼必与绵羊羔同居，豹子与山羊羔同卧；少壮狮子与牛犊并肥畜同群；小孩子要牵引它们。牛必与熊同食；牛犊必与小熊同卧；狮子必吃草与牛一样。吃奶的孩子必玩耍在虺蛇的洞口；断奶的婴儿必按手在毒蛇的穴上。"
• *天上的事物：**以赛亚在《以赛亚书》60:19-20说："日头不再作你白昼的光，月亮也不再发光照耀你；耶和华却要作你永远的光，你神要为你的荣耀。你的日头不再下落，你的月亮也不退缩；因为耶和华必作你永远的光，你悲哀的日子也完毕了。"

千禧年国度的景象多么美好！在千禧年国度里，神与祂的创造将和好，如同伊甸园中一样。千禧年国度后，神将创造新天新地，信徒将与祂同住，直到永远。

有人用"万有"指所有人，包括堕落的天使，并教导"普世救赎"的错误教义——无论信与不信，最终都将得救。

这与真理相去甚远。我们必须用圣经解释圣经。保罗所说的"万有"是指可以和好的一切。这种和好只能通过一种方式实现——就是我们主耶稣在十字架上用祂宝血成就的和平。

耶稣死在十字架上，流出宝血，为罪付上代价，祂的救赎工作足以拯救全世界。换句话说，即使世上每个人都信祂，他们都能得救。但显然，并非所有人都信祂。因此，只有相信的人才能有效得救。

这就是我们熟悉的经文："神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生"（《约翰福音》3:16）。只有相信的人才能得救。

这就是为什么保罗在第21节继续说："你们从前与神隔绝，因着恶行，心里与他为敌，但如今他借着基督的肉身受死，叫你们与自己和好。"

"隔绝"意味着分离。保罗是对歌罗西人说话，他们不是以色列国民。他们是神应许之约的局外人。他们没有指望，没有神。他们随从空中掌权者的首领——撒但。他们随从今世的风俗。他们本为可怒之子。

因为他们与神隔绝——与祂疏远，生来就有罪性——他们"心里与祂为敌"，意思是他们恨神。他们可能没有用口说出来，但他们拒绝了神的话和祂的诫命。这通过他们的生活表现出来。他们行恶——犯罪。

亲爱的朋友，这就是你我的写照。我们曾与神隔绝，心里与祂为敌。我们拒绝了神和祂的话，随从自己的罪路。

我们的问题不是无法与他人建立有意义的关系，而是与神——我们与之隔绝的那位——没有正确的关系。简单说，我们曾经在灵性上是死的，尽管肉体活着。

有一次，我鼓励一个年轻人在工作场所向同事传福音，他对我说："我不和同事谈论属灵的事。"

"为什么不？"

"因为谈这些很奇怪。"

"为什么奇怪？"我问。

"就是不被接受。"

确实如此。因为人在罪中是死的——灵里瞎眼，灵里死亡。他对神的真理、公义、圣洁和其他属灵的事是死的，对他来说，这些都是愚拙的。好的事被视为奇怪。

如《哥林多前书》2:14所说："然而，属血气的人不领会神圣灵的事，反倒以为愚拙，并且不能知道，因为这些事惟有属灵的人才能看透。"

人身体死亡时，第一个迹象是身体失去反应能力。死人不再能对光、声音、味道和情感作出反应。

一个小男孩参加他亲近阿姨的葬礼。她的遗体放在棺材里，大小刚好容纳她的身体，上面有玻璃面板，供家人、亲戚和朋友最后瞻仰。

小男孩问妈妈："妈妈，阿姨被放在这么小的盒子里不舒服吧？而且阿姨不是不喜欢被人盯着看吗？"

妈妈回答："没关系，儿子。没关系。"

确实，即使光直接照在她身上也没关系。即使没人征得同意看她的遗体也没关系。即使给她化妆太多或太少也没关系。即使她被放进小盒子也没关系。尸体对这些完全无感。它甚至无法回应亲人绝望和 emotional 的哭喊。

亲爱的朋友，灵性上的死亡也是如此。人死在罪中，不是因为犯了罪，而是活在罪中。

在神眼中，一个人不是因为说谎而成为骗子——他已经是骗子。一个人不是因为偷东西而成为贼——他已经是贼。其他所有罪也是如此，无论是谋杀、奸淫、贪婪、嫉妒等。犯罪不会使我们成为罪人。我们犯罪是因为我们本是罪人。

我们生在罪中，是罪的奴隶。如果你是罪的奴隶，就会被引向罪，沿着可怕的阶梯，陷入恶行，最终导致死亡。

然而，保罗对歌罗西人说："但如今他借着基督的肉身受死，叫你们与自己和好。"是什么如此戏剧性地改变了他们的生命？

他们得救是本乎恩，也因着信；这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸（《以弗所书》2:8-9）。是耶稣——祂使他们认识到罪的严重性和罪的后果。他们心里确信，唯有耶稣借着在加略山十字架上所流的宝血成就了和平。

所以第22节说："在基督的肉身受死"——但不是任何一种死。如果耶稣是被勒死、淹死或饿死，祂就不能拯救你我。因为与神和好、与神和平均只能通过罪的赦免实现。而罪的赦免只能通过流血实现。"若不流血，罪就不得赦免了"（《希伯来书》9:22）。

这就是我们主耶稣爱我们的程度。祂爱我们至极，甚至忍受十字架的道路。祂忍受钉子穿透祂的手和脚。祂流血，因为爱我们。祂死了，被埋葬。但死亡不能将祂拘禁在坟墓里，因为第三天祂从死里复活了。

有时我们会听到人为他人舍命的感人故事。美国神学家唐纳德·格雷·巴恩豪斯举了两个人类大爱的例子来说明这一点。

其中一个故事，两个男人被困在塌方的矿井里，毒气从管道泄漏。一个人有妻子和三个孩子。他有防毒面具，但因为爆炸面具破了，他知道自己很快会死。突然，第二个人取下自己的面具戴在他身上，说："你有玛丽和三个孩子。我独自一人，我可以走。"

听到这样的故事，我们的心会被感动。

另一个故事是关于一个生病需要手术的小女孩。手术后，女孩需要输血，她的小弟弟被要求献血。

他被带到她床边，恐惧地看着针头插入他的血管，血液流入姐姐的身体。输血结束后，医生拍拍男孩的肩膀说："你是个勇敢的孩子。"

小男孩对输血一无所知。医生也不知道男孩真正的勇敢，直到男孩抬头问他："医生，我还要多久才会断气？"

他以为自己必须死才能救姐姐，以为自己的血慢慢流入她的血管时自己就会死。但他还是这么做了。

这类故事让我们肃然起敬，因为我们认识到这是另一种层次的爱。

但想想：耶稣基督为我们死时，不是因为我们好、可爱或善良。祂在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死——不配、不值得、不可爱、与神隔绝、心里与祂为敌、行恶。

这是神的爱——最高形式的爱。耶稣在我们还作罪人的时候死，为要使我们与自己和好。

有时我们得罪所爱的人和朋友时，很难和好，对吧？丈夫得罪妻子，或某人得罪朋友。有时他们非常生气，拒绝任何和好的努力。无论我们多么努力，他们都拒绝一切形式的和好。没有和好，没有宽恕——只有怨恨。

但神不同。我们都得罪了祂——一而再，再而三。然而祂希望我们与祂和好。祂对和好并非漠不关心，也不敌对和好。事实上，祂要我们与祂和好。祂主动寻求和好。

《路加福音》第19章有撒该的经典例子。耶稣经过耶利哥，遇见一个名叫撒该的人，他是税吏长。撒该富有，但在犹太人眼中他是罪人，因为他讹诈百姓。

他迫切想见耶稣，但人太多，他又矮小。于是他爬上树。耶稣来到树下，说："撒该"（全知的神知道他的名字），"快下来！今天我必住在你家里。"

有人以为是撒该在寻求耶稣。但撒该最多只能爬上树看看耶稣。突然，耶稣转身对他说："下来，我要住在你家里。"

众人私下议论，因为耶稣竟到罪人家里住宿。

撒该站着对主说："主啊，我把所有的一半给穷人；我若讹诈了谁，就还他四倍。"这是悔改的明确表现。

耶稣说："今天救恩到了这家。"

我们都知道也喜爱这个故事。但我要你们注意耶稣的结语：

耶稣说："人子来，为要寻找、拯救失丧的人"（《路加福音》19:10）。

这是神的性情。这是神的本质。祂不仅是拯救的神，更是寻找的神。

整本圣经中，我们看到我们的神是和好的神。《路加福音》第15章用三个比喻同样说明神寻找、拯救失丧的人：失羊的比喻、失钱的比喻和浪子的比喻。

在失羊的比喻中，人撇下九十九只羊，去寻找那一只迷失的羊。直到找着，就欢喜快乐，请朋友邻舍来庆祝。

在失钱的比喻中，妇人有十块钱，失落一块。就点上灯，打扫屋子，细细地找，直到找着。然后请朋友邻舍来，说："和我一同欢喜吧！因我找着了那失落的一块钱。"

在浪子的比喻中，浪子耗尽一切。他悔改回家，说："饶恕我。"父亲却吩咐仆人："把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿，把戒指戴在他指头上，把鞋穿在他脚上，把那肥牛犊牵来宰了，我们可以吃喝快乐。因为我这个儿子是死而复活，失而又得的。"

这三个比喻都有一个共同主题：他们都寻找失落的。人找着迷失的羊，妇人找着失落的钱，父亲欢喜与浪子和好。

这是神的心意。当一个罪人归向神，圣经说天上也要这样为他欢喜（《路加福音》15:7）。

你可曾视自己为那只迷失的羊、那块失落的钱、那个浪子？不是你寻找神，而是祂来寻找失丧的你。

若是如此，我们与神和好后当如何回应？

这带我们到最后一点：和好的结果。看第22节后半部分："把你们引到自己面前。"

神拯救我们有一个至高目的：使我们成为圣洁——与"圣徒"是同一个词。信徒就是圣徒。与天主教教导的圣徒观不同，每个信徒都是圣徒。圣徒是被分别出来归给神的人。

罪使我们与神分离。神使我们与自己和好后，我们就当从罪中分别出来。我们不能脚踏两条船——既活在罪中，又说自己与神和好。我们应当从罪中分别出来。

"没有瑕疵"不是指完全或无罪。只要我们还活着，住在这必死的身体里，就仍受罪困扰。我们有时仍会屈服于罪，但这里的意思是：你的生命不应受质疑。不应有人能指责你什么。若你犯罪，就当悔改归向神。不应有任何事使你不配作基督徒。你绝不可给福音的仇敌机会攻击你的信仰和基督教。要无可指摘。

"无可责备"比"没有瑕疵"更进一步，意思是无人能控告你任何过错。

亲爱的朋友，这是你我当活出的生命。唯一能活出这种生命的方式是在基督里。如果我们真与神和好，基督的灵住在我们心里，祂就必须是我们生命的主宰。祂必须是我们决定的主，是我们应对生活挑战和问题的主，是我们思想、言语和行动的主。

在一切所行、所言、所思中，我们都要思想那位使我们和好成为可能的——耶稣基督住在我们心里，祂必须是我们生命的主宰。

所以我们必须圣洁、没有瑕疵、无可责备。这就是与神和好的意义。

让我们祷告：

我们在天上的父，我们感谢你有这机会思考这段经文。你带领我们思考与你和好意味着什么。

作为信徒，我们已与你和好。你是和好的源头。你按自己的美意，愿意你的创造、你的受造物与你和好。

和好的方式是通过我们主耶稣基督的救赎工作。祂来，在这地上活出完全的生命，守全了神的律法——这是我们无法做到的。祂受苦，被钉十字架，流出宝血——因为若不流血，罪就不得赦免。祂死了，被埋葬，但第三天从死里复活。因为唯有祂是复活和生命。

借着他，我们因信靠恩典与你和好。我们必须以圣洁的生活回应。我们必须没有瑕疵、无可责备——不是因为我们完全（我们并不完全），而是在基督里，我们寻求活出这样的生命。住在我们里面的圣灵会赐我们能力，活出彰显你荣耀的生命——你使我们与你和好的目的。

愿我们每个真信徒，既与你和好，就寻求活出这样的生命，归荣耀于你宝贵的圣名。

我们奉耶稣的名祷告。阿们。

结束诗歌：

最后，让我们唱结束诗歌。