21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. (Col. 1:21-23 ESV)
After the brief excursion into the Song of the beloved Son, Paul returned to the main theme of the letter, which is the theme of all Paul’s letter, and indeed of the entire Bible. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In terms of relationships, the gospel is about a dramatic reverse in relationship between God and man. Just as reverse in any relationship, this change happens both in time and with a cause. The cause, which is the core of the gospel, rests in Christ who died in his body of flesh. We were once alienated and hostile in mind and cast out from God. This resembles a practice in Chinese history during Tang and Song dynasties. If the emperor found fault with someone, the offender’s fate came down to two choices: either immediate execution or exile, either north to Cangzhou or south to Lingnan. In other words, the sinner would suffer either a quick death or a slow and painful one in a remote wilderness. This example helps us understand why it is a good news when God sent His Son into the world, endured from sinners such hostility against Him, and sacrificed His life on the cross for sinners. If you were exiled by the emperor to a faraway wilderness to suffer and die, and suddenly you heard someone was sent for you by the emperor from the royal court. It cannot be for a trivial matter for a royal envoy to travel this far and descend into the banished land. If he did not bring bad news, then it must be a good one. The exiled would have every reason to be terrified by the news at first, and he would think, alas, the emperor must change his mind and sent for my quick death. (This happened quite often in Chinese history.) But if the royal envoy did not kill you, rather, he took upon his shoulder all the hard labor and your due punishment, (By the way, this never happened in Chinese history.) what does that mean to you? I bet you would immediately pack your belongings and set out for the capital city without delay.
It is a small thing for the birth of Christ to divide human history into before (BC) and after (AD). When Christ enters into a person, He would divide that person’s life into a before and an after. The moment when the Colossians believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, a new era had begun for them. The gospel inserts a time dividing marker into each believer’s life, separating the new from the old, and he can always tell the huge difference between the once and the now and the future full of hope. Without believing in the gospel, a person can be born in 2000AD, but still live in the old era of BC, still alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. Such a person is still separated from Christ, having no hope (future) and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12 ESV) In this sense, the gospel is like a door God placed before everyone, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matt. 7:8 ESV) When this door opens, time begins to move forward. God is waiting on the other side, this door opens to the future that’s full of hope.
For each who received Christ, the door of reconciliation has swung open. He is standing over the threshold of this open door, with his past of alienation at his back, and holy and blameless before God’s presence beckoning in front. Every day he is stretched out by this tension in time: to never forget his past and never lose sight of the future. This tension inherent to the gospel would stretch each believer’s life like a full draw bow: By remembering the past, through the redemption of Christ, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. (Rom. 5:20 ESV) With such grace upon grace and strength upon strength, we can draw our bow into the shape of a full moon. By looking forward to the future, we aim at the target of resurrection of our body and the glory of children of God, which is the hope of the gospel. Because our faith in the gospel is not an occasional emotional spasm, but an aiming with a full draw bow stretched out in time, Paul encouraged the Colossians to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. The gospel would thus prepare us for a lifetime, and the arrow will be let out the moment we depart from this world. It will surely hit the bull’s eye and we will receive the crown of righteousness. (2 Tim. 4:8)
This hope in the gospel indeed resembles a full draw bow towards heaven. It was first promised by God after the great flood. When God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants, God said, I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Gen. 9:13 ESV) When God judged the world with the flood, He was aiming his bow of wrath downward, then He promised peace for sinners by hanging His bow upside down in the cloud. That is a sign of the covenant of peace which ultimately fulfills in Jesus Christ. All who put their trust in Christ are like little full draw bows looking towards heaven. We are bows of peace in a rebellious world, and are signs of new covenant between God and sinners. This gospel of peace will be proclaimed in all creation under heaven, so that all can escape death and as an arrow, shoot into the eternal life.
Prayer: O Father! Thank you for reconciling with us in the beloved Son and for giving us the ministry of reconciliation.
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