There is a verse in Colossians that I have read many times, but one day the weight of it stopped me. It is one of those verses that, when you really let it sink in, changes how you see everything.
Paul writes:
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 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 1:19-20All things. Whether things on earth or things in heaven. All things are being reconciled.
Not just people. Not just believers. All things. The whole created order. Everything that exists.
What Does Reconciliation Mean
To reconcile means to restore to friendship or harmony. To bring back into relationship. To make peace where there was hostility.
When Paul says all things are being reconciled, he is saying the entire universe is being restored to what it was meant to be. The fall affected everything. And the redemption in Christ restores everything.
The word reconcile here is apokatallasso, which means to reconcile fully, to restore completely. This is not partial restoration. This is complete reconciliation. Everything that was broken is being made whole.
The Cosmic Scope
Notice Paul does not say some things. Or most things. He says all things. Things on earth. Things in heaven.
This includes the spiritual realm. The angels. The principalities and powers. Everything in the unseen world. Everything in the seen world.
And it includes you. The reconciliation of all things includes you specifically. You are not outside of this restoration. You are in the middle of it.
When God looks at you, He sees someone who is being restored. Someone who is being made whole. Someone who is part of the great reconciliation of all things.
What This Means For You
Here is what this means practically. The brokenness you see in your life, in your relationships, in the world around you, is not the final word.
The final word is reconciliation. The final word is restoration. The final word is peace.
This does not mean everything is okay right now. It means everything will be okay. The process is underway. The restoration has begun. And it will be completed.
You Are Part of the Restoration
The next time you feel broken, remember this. You are part of the great reconciliation. The same power that reconciles all things to God is at work in you. You are not outside of the restoration. You are in the middle of it. And it is almost complete.
The Blood of the Cross
Paul is clear about how this reconciliation happens. It is through the blood of Christ. Through the cross.
There is no other way. There is no other path to restoration. The cross is the means by which peace is made. The cross is the method by which all things are reconciled.
This is why the cross matters. It is not just about your personal salvation. It is about cosmic restoration. It is about putting everything back together.
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
Colossians 1:15-16All things were created through Him. And all things are being reconciled through Him. The one who made everything is in the process of restoring everything.
That is the biggest story ever told. And you are in it.
Father, thank you for the cosmic reconciliation you are accomplishing through Christ. Help me to trust that the brokenness I see is not the final word. Remind me that I am part of your great restoration, and that the same power that reconciles all things is at work in me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire