Colossians 1:20 (NIV84)
20 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.
Jesus, through his shed blood on the cross, reestablished proper friendly interpersonal relations with the Father for us. The reconciliation is bigger than just you or me, but let’s think about you for a moment. Let’s think about what this verse is really saying.
First, we needed reconciliation because we were not in proper relationship with God. This doesn’t mean that God didn’t love us or want a relationship with us. On the contrary, that is exactly why Jesus shed His blood on the cross to reconcile us to God. We were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1); we had no way to reconcile ourselves. Our behavior, our sacrifice, our good deeds were not and are not enough. It takes the shedding of blood to forgive sin. (Heb. 9:22). Without forgiveness, not counting our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19), there can be no reconciliation. Jesus is our peace and has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2:14), our sinfulness. He did that through the cross. He did it once for all. (Heb. 9:26, 10:10). That means it never has to be done again. As Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished!” (exclamation added)
So, what do we have to do? Receive the gift. (Rom. 5:17). Jesus did it all. We have to do nothing but accept it. We are always reconciled. We are always at peace with God. His blood was good enough. If you are like me, you have inadvertently tried to add some good works to his blood. Maybe you have tried to convince God to forgive you. Maybe you were taught that after you sin, you have a broken fellowship with God. God never breaks fellowship with us! We may try to repair the breach in our relationship, but there is no breach to God. Why? The shed blood of His Son on the cross. That was final and good enough.
I am afraid that we project our personality and tendencies onto God. But He is not like us. His ways are higher than our ways. Honestly, after I have blown it severely, I don’t even understand His grace towards me. I sometimes hide. I have cried and begged to have relationship again. How about you? I have heard it said that if you feel far off from God, guess who left? You. Except that is not true! Christ is IN us. He can’t leave. He is always with us. He will never forsake us. All of this has happened because of Jesus’ torture and death on the cross. That is good news my friend. You are reconciled and in an interpersonal relationship with God. Forever! So get happy and tell Jesus you love Him!