Sermons on Colossians 1:22
The various sermons below converge on the central theological truth that believers are declared holy, blameless, and unreprovable before God through the finished work of Christ, emphasizing reconciliation as both an accomplished historical event and a present reality for the Christian. They collectively affirm that this status is not based on subjective experience or moral perfection but on Christ’s substitutionary death, which silences all accusations against believers. Several sermons highlight the tension between the believer’s ongoing struggle with sin and their declared righteousness, offering pastoral frameworks such as viewing Christian identity as “a saint who struggles with sin” or employing the analogy of God’s timeless perspective that sees the completed sanctification of the believer. Linguistic and theological nuances emerge, including the significance of the Greek term for “present” and the relational imagery of the church as a bride, as well as the cooperative dynamic between divine initiative, human faith, and apostolic labor in the perseverance and ultimate presentation of the church.
In contrast, the sermons diverge notably in their interpretive emphases and theological nuances. Some stress the objective, external nature of reconciliation as a once-for-all event accomplished “on a hill far away,” urging believers to fix their gaze on Christ rather than their internal struggles, while others explore the subjective application of that reconciliation in the believer’s life, highlighting the ongoing experiential reality of salvation. One sermon uniquely underscores the Father’s primacy in the reconciliation process, portraying the Son as the passive recipient of the Father’s redemptive action, which challenges more common views of Christ’s active role in securing forgiveness. Another sermon expands the theme of perseverance by incorporating the role of pastoral ministry as a tangible extension of Christ’s care, linking apostolic labor to the cosmic plan of God and warning against misplaced hope. These differences shape distinct pastoral emphases—some leaning toward forensic justification and assurance, others toward relational intimacy and cooperative perseverance—each offering a unique lens through which to preach Colossians 1:22.
Colossians 1:22 Interpretation:
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Live Oak Church) offers a unique interpretive analogy for Colossians 1:22 by introducing the concept of "reverse engineering" to explain how God can authentically call believers holy and blameless even as they continue to struggle with sin. The preacher explains that, because God is outside of time, He sees the finished work of Christ in each believer—He sees the end of their sanctification journey and thus can honestly declare them holy and blameless now. This analogy is distinct from the more common legal or forensic metaphors and provides a practical framework for understanding the tension between present imperfection and declared righteousness. The sermon also distinguishes between being a "saint who struggles with sin" versus being defined by one's sins, reframing Christian identity in a way that is both theologically robust and pastorally sensitive.
Hope and Reconciliation Through Christ's Supremacy (Alistair Begg) provides a notable interpretive emphasis on the objective, historical nature of reconciliation in Colossians 1:22. Begg stresses that the work of reconciliation "took place on a hill far away"—that is, at the cross—and not in the subjective experience of the believer's heart. He draws a sharp line between the external, completed work of Christ and the internal, ongoing struggles of the Christian, urging listeners to look away from themselves and instead "take ten looks at Christ" for every look at themselves. This focus on the externality and sufficiency of Christ's work is a distinctive interpretive angle, especially in contrast to more introspective or mystical readings.
Transformative Power of Christ's Sacrifice and Redemption (MLJTrust) offers a detailed linguistic and theological analysis of Colossians 1:22, focusing on the Greek terms and the structure of Paul's argument. The preacher highlights the repeated use of terms like "body," "flesh," "blood," and "cross," emphasizing that the reconciliation and presentation of believers as "holy and unblameable and unreprovable" is grounded not in Christ's teaching or example, but specifically in His physical death. The sermon also critiques common misinterpretations that reduce Christ's work to mere moral example or pacifism, insisting instead on the necessity of substitutionary atonement. The preacher's insistence that the Son is "passive" and the Father is the primary actor in reconciliation is a distinctive theological nuance, as is the explicit rejection of the idea that Christ must persuade the Father to forgive.
Reconciliation Through Christ: Past Accomplishment, Present Reality (Desiring God) offers a unique interpretive framework for Colossians 1:22 by distinguishing between the accomplishment and application of reconciliation. Drawing from John Murray’s concept of “Redemption Accomplished and Applied,” the sermon explains that reconciliation was objectively accomplished in Christ’s physical death 2,000 years ago (“in his body of flesh by his death”), but is subjectively applied to each believer in their own lifetime when they come to faith. This dual focus—historical accomplishment and personal application—provides a nuanced understanding of the “now” in “he has now reconciled you,” emphasizing both the once-for-all nature of Christ’s work and the experiential reality of salvation. The sermon also highlights the forensic aspect of being presented “holy and blameless and above reproach,” stressing that this is a legal standing before God, not merely a moral improvement, and that all accusations are silenced because of Christ’s finished work.
Blameless Before Christ: A Journey of Faith (Desiring God) introduces a distinctive analogy by comparing the presentation of believers to Christ as a bride being presented to her bridegroom, emphasizing the relational and celebratory aspect of the final presentation “holy and blameless and above reproach.” The sermon also explores the Greek term for “present” (parast?sai), noting its recurrence in both verses 22 and 28, and uses this linguistic detail to connect Paul’s apostolic labor with Christ’s ultimate goal for the church. Furthermore, the sermon uniquely frames the perseverance of believers as a cooperative effort involving three actors: Christ’s reconciling work, the believer’s steadfast faith, and God’s enabling power, with Paul’s own ministry as a fourth actor laboring to “present” the church mature to Christ. This multi-actor model is a notable interpretive expansion on the text.
Colossians 1:22 Theological Themes:
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Live Oak Church) introduces the theme of Christian identity as "a saint who struggles with sin," rather than being defined by one's failures. This reframing is not only psychologically liberating but also theologically grounded in the completed work of Christ as seen by God outside of time. The sermon also explores the practical outworking of justification, arguing that security in one's righteous status before God leads to humility, teachability, and freedom from the compulsion to justify oneself before others.
Hope and Reconciliation Through Christ's Supremacy (Alistair Begg) presents the theme of the objective, external nature of reconciliation, emphasizing that the believer's hope and status as "holy, blameless, and free from accusation" are rooted in the historical event of the cross, not in subjective feelings or moral progress. Begg also highlights the necessity of faith in the proclaimed message—reconciliation is accomplished, but it must be received and believed to be effective for the individual.
Transformative Power of Christ's Sacrifice and Redemption (MLJTrust) develops the theme of the Father's primacy in the work of salvation, arguing that it is the Father's plan, initiative, and action that accomplishes reconciliation through the Son. The sermon also insists on the necessity and sufficiency of Christ's physical death (not merely His teaching or example) for the believer's presentation as holy and blameless, and it critiques any theology that makes the cross a mere tragedy or example rather than a substitutionary, propitiatory act.
Reconciliation Through Christ: Past Accomplishment, Present Reality (Desiring God) develops the theme of “already accomplished, now applied” reconciliation, arguing that the believer’s blamelessness and irreproachability are not achieved by personal merit but are the result of Christ’s objective, historical work on the cross, which is then subjectively received by faith. The sermon adds a fresh facet by emphasizing that the ultimate purpose of reconciliation is not merely to escape wrath but to be brought joyfully into God’s presence as his treasured possession, highlighting the relational goal of salvation (“God is saving us from his wrath for himself”).
Blameless Before Christ: A Journey of Faith (Desiring God) presents a distinctive theological theme by framing the perseverance of the saints as a dynamic interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, with the added dimension of apostolic (and pastoral) mediation. The sermon uniquely asserts that the ongoing ministry of warning, teaching, and struggling by church leaders is a present, flesh-and-blood embodiment of Christ’s own care for the church, thus making pastoral labor a visible extension of Christ’s invisible work. This theme is further developed by connecting the “presentation” of believers to the cosmic household plan of God, which includes both Jews and Gentiles as full heirs of the promises, and by warning against shifting one’s hope from the gospel to the world, using the example of Demas as a cautionary tale.
Colossians 1:22 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Transformative Power of Christ's Sacrifice and Redemption (MLJTrust) provides significant historical context by connecting the language of Colossians 1:22 to Old Testament sacrificial practices. The preacher explains the background of animal sacrifices, the transfer of sin via the laying on of hands, and the significance of blood as a ransom price, all of which prefigure and are fulfilled in Christ's death. The sermon also references the ancient world’s understanding of redemption as the setting free of captives by the payment of a price, deepening the listener’s grasp of the term’s resonance in Paul’s context.
Blameless Before Christ: A Journey of Faith (Desiring God) provides detailed historical context regarding the term “stewardship” (oikonomia), explaining its dual meaning in the Greco-Roman world as both a household plan and the person tasked with administering it. The sermon situates Paul’s apostolic calling within this broader context of God’s cosmic plan, stretching “from eternity to eternity” and encompassing both Jews and Gentiles, as well as the spiritual powers. Additionally, the sermon references the cultural shock in the early church over the inclusion of Gentiles as full heirs of the Jewish Messiah, highlighting the radical nature of the “mystery” now revealed in Christ and the social tensions it created among early Christians.
Colossians 1:22 Cross-References in the Bible:
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Live Oak Church) references 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 5:21 to support the idea of believers being made new and being credited with Christ’s righteousness. Romans 8:1 is cited to reinforce the absence of condemnation for those in Christ, and the example of Paul addressing the Corinthians as "saints" despite their ongoing sin (1 Corinthians) is used to illustrate the reality of declared holiness.
Hope and Reconciliation Through Christ's Supremacy (Alistair Begg) references John’s writings (1 John 2:1-2) to explain Christ as advocate and propitiation, and alludes to the prologue of John’s Gospel and Hebrews 1 to situate the supremacy of Christ. The sermon also references Calvin’s commentary to clarify that reconciliation must be received by faith, and draws on the language of Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 5 to explain the nature of estrangement and reconciliation.
Transformative Power of Christ's Sacrifice and Redemption (MLJTrust) weaves together a vast array of biblical cross-references: John 3:16, Galatians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2, Isaiah 53, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:9, and others. Each is used to reinforce the centrality of the Father’s initiative, the necessity of Christ’s death, and the substitutionary nature of atonement. The preacher also draws on the typology of Old Testament sacrifices and the Day of Atonement to illuminate the meaning of "holy and unblameable and unreprovable" in Colossians 1:22.
Reconciliation Through Christ: Past Accomplishment, Present Reality (Desiring God) draws on several biblical passages to illuminate Colossians 1:22. Colossians 2:13-14 is used to show that the “record of debt” was nailed to the cross, emphasizing the objective cancellation of sin at the moment of Christ’s death. Acts 10:43 is cited to demonstrate that forgiveness is received by faith, not automatically, thus supporting the distinction between accomplishment and application. Romans 5:1, 5:9-11 are referenced to show that justification and reconciliation are both accomplished by Christ’s blood and received by faith, with the future aspect of salvation (“shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God”) also highlighted. 1 Peter 3:18 is used to reinforce the idea that Christ’s suffering was “to bring us to God,” underscoring the relational goal of reconciliation.
Blameless Before Christ: A Journey of Faith (Desiring God) references 1 Peter 1:5, Philippians 1:6, and 1 Thessalonians 5:24 to support the doctrine of perseverance, emphasizing that God’s power ensures believers will continue in faith. Ephesians 3:8-10 and 3:4-6 are used to elaborate on the “mystery” of Gentile inclusion and the cosmic scope of God’s plan. 2 Timothy 4:10 is cited as a warning against shifting one’s hope from the gospel to the world, using Demas as an example. Philippians 2:29-30 is referenced to explain the phrase “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” drawing a parallel between Epaphroditus’s risky journey and Paul’s own sufferings as a tangible extension of Christ’s love for the church.
Colossians 1:22 Christian References outside the Bible:
Hope and Reconciliation Through Christ's Supremacy (Alistair Begg) explicitly references John Calvin, quoting his assertion that "all that Christ has done for us is of no value to us so long as we remain outside of Christ." Begg uses this to stress the necessity of personal faith in the proclaimed reconciliation, not merely an objective accomplishment. He also cites the advice of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, who urged his congregation to "take ten looks at Christ" for every look at themselves, reinforcing the sermon’s emphasis on Christ-centered assurance.
Reconciliation Through Christ: Past Accomplishment, Present Reality (Desiring God) explicitly references John Murray’s book “Redemption Accomplished and Applied,” crediting it with shaping the sermon’s interpretive framework. The sermon recommends the book and uses its title as a conceptual lens for understanding the distinction between the historical accomplishment of redemption (including reconciliation) and its personal application to believers, arguing that this distinction “unlocks so much of the New Testament.”
Colossians 1:22 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Hope and Reconciliation Through Christ's Supremacy (Alistair Begg) opens with a detailed illustration from popular culture, referencing the 1971 song "I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing" and its association with Coca-Cola. Begg contrasts the song’s utopian vision of harmony and reconciliation with the persistent brokenness and fearfulness of the modern world, as well as the pessimism of secular thinkers like Bertrand Russell. He humorously imagines Russell’s wife enduring his bleak pronouncements, using this as a foil to highlight the unique hope offered in the gospel and the objective reconciliation described in Colossians 1:22.