Christ is All
Christ is All
This is our final lesson in the “Christ is All” series studying Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Two verses form the basis for this study: "In God’s beloved Son we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1:14), "He made you alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Col 2:13).
There is not a single sin ever committed by any human being that could not have been forgiven. When a person comes to Christ in faith, that person is able to access the fullness of God’s mercy. Every trespass is forgiven. "When you were dead in your transgressions... God made you alive together with Christ, having forgiven you all transgressions, having cancelled out the record..." (Col 2:13-14). Christ is able to make us "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (Col 1:22).
Nowhere in scripture is a sin described as “unforgivable”. Certainly many people will never be forgiven, but that is not because Christ’s death cannot avail for them, or God’s mercy is witheld from them. Anyone who seeks forgiveness will find it. No exceptions. The principle of fullness that Paul presses in Colossians applies to the gospel of salvation "proclaimed in all creation under heaven... teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ" (Col 1:23,28).
There are those who proclaim the fullness of God’s sovereignty, but deny the fullness of his grace, because (they say) God’s grace is not available to many. If people are alienated from God (Col 1:21), and he grants them no right to trust him, obey him, and enter into his kingdom (Col 1:13,22), how can he justly lay claim to be sovereign over them?
How may we obtain forgiveness of all trespasses? We cannot be forgiven through our own righteousness. Reconciliation to God comes to us "through the blood of Christ’s cross" (Col 1:20). We must trust in this, not in ourselves.
Paul appeals to the Colossians to let God rule their hearts, and be willing to put away all sin out of their lives (Col 3:5-15). Without this change of heart forgiveness is not granted. God’s grace is not a licence to sin, it is a solution. In addition, Paul also shows that the act of being baptized is a necessary part of a proper response to Christ (Col 2:12).
Series outline