Let us open up our copy of the scriptures to Colossians 1, and we'll read verses 13 through 23 of Colossians 1. Let us hear the word of the Lord. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God and Timothy, our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae, Pardon me, I started at the beginning and I'll go to verse 13, which is where I should have started. For he delivered us from the domain of our darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. he is also the head of the body the church and he is the beginning the firstborn from the dead so that he himself might come to have first place in everything for it was the father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him and through him to reconcile all things to himself having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister." The word of the Lord. Let us pray. How we thank you, Lord, for Rosedale Reformed Bible Church, the ground and the pillar of the truth. And we are thankful, Father, for a preacher of righteousness. We pray that we may listen to him carefully today. His office was conceived in the heart of Christ, commissioned by Christ, appointed by Christ, and by the authority of Christ. And he has issues in the glory of Christ. Father, how we love the Word of God and the Word of God preached. And in a world of darkness, it has been a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. these many years. And we have found you to be faithful, Father, faithful and true. And we find that the entrance of your words giveth light. It giveth understanding to the simple. Its author is the God of truth. And an heir of salvation said, the index of reality. And indeed it is. You are the reality behind all reality. It teaches us how to be truly human. It shows us how we were meant to be and warns us against moral self-destruction. You can know all the notions about God without ever tasting in your heart the realities to which they refer to. May it never, ever be said of us. Our concern is not a theoretical one, but a practical one. So we pray that you would write your truth upon us. not in ink, nor by the dead letter of the law, but by the might and power of the living God, that we may be your epistle, read and known of all men. This and only this is true religion. We ask these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, the title of the sermon this morning, as we continue in the book of Colossians, is The Restoration of All Things in Christ. As we've come to this point in the study of this amazing epistle, We're reminded of the fact that there were those who thought that there were rivals, even superior spirits to Jesus Christ. That there were demiurges, they were called, or those that would be higher spirits and various spirits and powers, and were referred to. It was like a proto-Gnosticism, you could say, as scripture looks at secret knowledge. It would be those who think that there's secret knowledge and there's private enlightenment and that kind of thing. And so when we think of Jesus Christ, that he's one in a ladder of those spirits and not, indeed, the level of God. that this scripture would say. The heresy had to be addressed. A letter had to be sent. And a church, a Colosseum, needed to be enlightened to the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed God incarnate of the Holy Trinity, and that Jesus Christ must have all preeminence. That indeed this creation that one is confused with creator is idolatrous. And that the true faith looks through the lens of Holy Scripture and sees that all that exists visible and invisible was created by him, through him, and for him. And so this morning, I ask you to return, if you would, to the text that was read for us here in the epistle to the Colossians. And in this epistle, we see the wonderful and bold way of declaring the state from which we've been rescued, and the realm into which we've been brought. And that is in verses 13 and 14, the dominion of darkness and the kingdom of Christ. And we've dealt with this at some length, so we won't go into it in great depth, but just to catch up with the flow of the context. And there in verse 13, you recall, he says, he's delivered us. The word there is the idea of rescue. He's rescued us from the dominion, or actually the lordship is the word, koreatitas, in case you want to know. That is the lordship or dominion of darkness. And he has not just transferred us like on a ledger, But the word there, methistomy, means that he's brought us from that realm into this realm, into the kingdom of the beloved son. And so when we look at what's been done to us, notice how divine rescue is what we're describing, not a matter of self-help, not a ladder of self-improvement, not something whereby I go through these stages of secret knowledge and reach enlightenment. None of the above. It is wrapped up in a person, the one who is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God. And so when we think of this rule of darkness that we were once in, and we looked at passages that talk about the darkness or the blindness of those in that realm, of the insensitivity of heart to righteousness and the yearning, the insatiable what shall we say, hunger for sin and darkness that was ours prior to God rescuing us from it. But now in Christ we have been brought into an entirely different realm, a realm of light and righteousness, a light of everlasting life, a realm of Jesus the Christ. And so when we think then of the kingdom of our Lord, in verse 14, remember it says, in whom, the son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. And the word there, redemption, remember, is at the heart of this rescue. Redemption is the idea of one being set free by the payment of a ransom price. And the ransom price had to be paid, and it's a high one. The ransom price is the blood of Jesus Christ himself. All the rivers of blood that flowed through the centuries, the millennia of sacrifices would not do. But like it said there in Hebrews 9.26, but now once at the end of the ages Christ has appeared to put away sin. He died once for all time. And so we have, as it says here, redemption through His blood. And notice, forgiveness of sins. Beloved, it must not be missed, and it was touched on when we talked about the justification that we have in the confession of faith. That that justification is that in Jesus Christ, as you and I by faith, by the Spirit's effectual call, are brought into Jesus Christ through faith, That is that we are so identified with Him, His death becomes our death to sin. His burial becomes our burial to sin. And His resurrection is we are raised in Him. And we do not come out the other side the same as when we went in. But we are rescued from that darkness. Raised to walk in newness of life in Him. And so we think here of verse 16, just for a moment. It says, "...by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible, invisible, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, all things were created through Him and for Him." In John chapter 6, Jesus in talking to those who would seek to oppose him, of course, as he was so frequently surrounded by the people like that. Jesus said, no one can come unto me unless the Father draws him. For it is written, they shall all be taught of God. But he goes further, in the previous verses, he says something else. He says, those that the Father has given unto me will come unto me. And the one who comes unto me I will by no means cast out. It is, as I mentioned, something that God has done, but the whole point here is we are for Him. He's redeemed us. He's created us. And he is the one who re-creates us. And so we consider this idea of a dominion of darkness that broken the legal call or right to us is no longer. And there we have in Jesus Christ, we are bought with a price. and are His. Secondly, we see this Creator who is firstborn of the creation and new creation's firstborn as well. The word firstborn is used two times, fifteen, and is the first use of it, remember. And we talked about the firstborn. It is the idea of the one who is the heir. It's not talking about his being created. That's not what it's saying at all. Quite the contrary. He is the agent of creation. He is the one through whom all things were created. Remember in the texts we've looked at before, but in John chapter 1 and many others, we talked about how in the beginning he was. The pre-existence of Christ, we've hammered out very clearly. And Jesus said, you know, in his high priestly prayer, Lord glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world was. Oh no, not a creature. Creator. And so he's firstborn, that is to say, he has the right of inheritance. And so it's the right of inheritance because of his redemptive work, because of this being the decree that was done before the foundation of the world, his purpose for coming in and his purpose for creation. And so when we think of his creator, this firstborn of creation looking again, In 15, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the image of God. You look in the various texts that we've compared it to last week, for example, in Hebrews 1, verses 2 and 3, It talks about Jesus Christ as the express image of God's nature, of God's being, of God. In other words, he is the fullest expression and revelation of God. And when it says image, there's a difference, you see. The point being, it's not just the fact that he's a replica. It's not that, not what he's talking about. It is the idea, like Philippians 2 said, that he existed in form. God. Now think of the form of God. When you use that word morphe in the Greek, as it was used, you know, and originally, and as it was intended and used in the New Testament, it means that everything that God is, is His form. It includes His attributes. It includes His essence. It includes His being. It includes everything about Him. The one who is the I am. Jesus said himself several times, but especially in John 8, 58, before Abraham was, I am. And so when we think of the image of God, it means here we see the one who is the fullest expression of the invisible God. He is the one who has his fullness of his nature and his substance, but also the fullness of the revelation of God. It says in times past, and in various ways, God spoke through the prophets, and then later the apostles. But He has spoken in these last days in a Son, the everlasting Son. Well, that being the case, as we see, he is the one that says that not just firstborn of creation, but in 16, as we said, all things were created in heaven and on earth. Now it goes through this list of things, and we don't have time to fully develop it. But heaven and earth, visible, invisible. And it goes to thrones and dominions and principalities and powers. The words that are used there, we'll develop them further as we go into chapter two, but just to give you a sampling of what it's talking about. When it's meaning these various things, it's talking about thrones, that is to say, these things that have ruling power. And the dominions is a word we get our word Lord from. That's why I said lordship of darkness. The ruling or lordship of darkness over our lives, having the kind of rule that would be almost like an absolute rule, not quite. But he says he's over all principality. He created all of the thrones. He created these lordships. He created, as it says, the next is rulers or principality. He created these rulers, the word there is arche, you know, it can be two ways. It's used sometimes in the beginning, we'll see that in a moment in another verse, but it's also used as the idea of ruler. So he's created the rulers, and finally the authorities. The word there is authority, exousia, we get our word executive from it. It is the idea of might or authority over things. And it says all of that's invisible, whether it be angels, whether it be the reflection of heavenly power here on Earth, working through angels as mediators or working through, even Satan and his demons, I remember reading. Martin Luther talking about Satan. And I don't remember the quote exactly, and I can't even exactly remember where it was, but he said this, words to this effect. And he said, the devil is horrible, and powerful, and destructive, and is the enemy of our souls. But then to emphasize the fact, the devil is not sovereign, the devil is a creature. not a creator, not dualistic, not equal with Jesus, God, anything. He says, but he's God's devil. Remember in Job chapters one and two, where the devil came before the Lord on his throne. And he said, where have you been? Of course, he knew where he'd been. And he said, been walking to and fro upon the earth. And he said, what have you done there? And he goes through this conversation. Finally, he says, have you considered my servant Job? And what did he say? And he says, does he serve you for nothing? You've set this hedge about him, and you have blessed him immeasurably. All of these things, of course he serves you. You let me at him, he'll curse you. And the Lord says, okay, take everything but don't touch him. You know the whole thing about the story. But notice, this is one who comes and the Bible is clear. And as we see here, Jesus Christ is the one who will cast him into the lake of fire. The devil is limited and can do only that which God says he can do, created. Principalities and powers, people speak as though the devil is co-equal or something of that nature. No, not even close. Christ's creator, the devil creature. And every principality and power on earth, Christ by his appointment. overall. It says all things were created through him and for him. Remember the heir, the firstborn. And then in verse 17, it goes, this is something I don't want you to miss. I mentioned the word a minute ago. You don't know Greek, I understand, but see if you can follow this one, arche. Remember I said that beginning, how many translations have it in verse 17. It says here, and He is before all things. In Him, all things consist. Now, He is before all things. Think of 18, 19, I'm sorry. It pleased the Father that in Him, all the fullness should dwell. Now I'll come back to 18. Those two things bracketing 18, it says, he is the head of the body of the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have the preeminence. When you look here at verse 18, the head of the body of the church, the beginning, there's our word arche. I know you don't know Greek, but I'm going to give you a Greek lesson anyway. It doesn't hurt you. And it helps. The word arche here is used, it doesn't mean he's the first one created, that's far from what it's getting at. It means he's the one who is the origin of what is creation, what is created. The first cause of what is creation. And so when we think of him, he is the one who is the origin, the cause of creation. And then he goes on to say, it has an arche, that's the one origin or first cause, and then prototokos, that is to say, the firstborn. And why would it say the firstborn of the resurrection from the dead? Well, that brings me, he's not just creator, and firstborn, but you see he's firstborn of creation, firstborn of a new creation. What do I mean? That's the third thing I'm talking about in verses 18 and following. You see here the point that's making, and let me just hasten because I have two minutes and I won't be able to develop it obviously, but I don't want to leave you in suspension either. So let me fast forward to 21. In 19 it says, the Father and the fullness made should dwell in him. And in 20 it says, by him to reconcile all things to himself. And 21, and you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled. As you think of what we talk about in restoration, redemption means to set free. He's the one who shed his blood and bought and paid the price. He set us free from darkness. He's the creator. He created all things that were very good. What happened, but the fall, as you look at the cover of your bulletin, it kind of catches the progress, or maybe we should say regression in some ways in history. And He created all things very good, but there was sin that entered into creation, and the fall, and therefore the curse, and therefore the sin, and the chaos, and the destruction, and death that entered in, and disease, a flood, and on and on we could go. But what did Jesus come to do? He's the firstborn by His resurrection from the dead. What is the resurrection from the dead? It is, as it were, the first, the beginnings of a new creation. Of setting this creation free. Of setting us free from the fall. Notice the way it describes us there in reconciliation in that verse we read in verse 19. It says, at one time, notice what we were, what we were like. in a fallen state under the dominion of darkness and sin. It says, it pleased the Father, the fullness dwells on him. I'm sorry, verse 21 is what I meant. And you who were once alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked works, but now he is reconciled. What is the work of Christ? And this we shall develop next week. And by the way, what is your work in mine? What is sanctification that goes on in our lives? What is happening in the ministry of the church? What is happening in the family? It is the idea of reconciliation. That Christ is come to set all things right. And so as he hung there on the cross. where there was once a people that were Israel, for example, they were the people of God. And here now he brought his church. And you see the church is that which is includes the old covenant people, but it also expands immeasurably the people of God. And so people from every nation, tribe, and people and tongue, no longer a small or isolated way, but he goes forth to the ends of the earth. Think of what's happening through the gospel, beloved. As the gospel goes to the ends of the earth and the Spirit of God effectually calls people out of darkness, the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of light in Christ. As He is there restoring the lives once hostile, enemies against God, slaves to sin, death had dominion over them. Now, by the gospel in Jesus Christ, we are raised to walk in newness of life, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5. Verse 17, a verse you all know. If anyone is in Christ, what does it say? He is a new creation. All things are passed away, behold. All things have become new. Everyone here in Christ, you are a new creation, but it's not over. It's only just begun. And the walk that we have in this life, sanctification, is where we're dying in this union with Christ, with His death, burial, and resurrection, actively, vitally, livingly, by the Spirit, affects all of our lives. So every sin, we'll see it in chapter 3, you see that we're dying to sin. being made alive and renewed by the Spirit more and more, being made alive under righteousness, and that more and more and more and more God is conforming us to the image of Christ. But that, too, is not the end. We don't end up with sinlessness in this life. I wish it were so, but it's not. When Christ comes again, it'll all be set right. But what about between? When we die, absent from the body, present with the Lord, what does it say? The spirits of just men and women made perfect. And there are all the saints in the heavenly Jerusalem. And when Jesus comes again, what happens? There is a setting straight all judgment on the lost. glorification and resurrection and glorification of the saints, why will you and I be raised? You ever ask yourself that? Obvious, isn't it? Aren't we in union with Christ? Because Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. Every single believer will be raised too. And this creation, it says in Romans 8, it's groaning, waiting for the day of redemption when it's set free. The restoration of all things. Notice it said there in verse 20, the restoring or restoration of all things or reconciliation of all things in heaven and on earth. So that all will be filled with the presence of the Lord to his glory. A new creation in 2 Peter is described this way. A new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The shadow of sin and death will never ever pass across the surface of it again. Our hearts, our minds, our lives conform to his will. The wisdom and knowledge of God, that's what would direct us in the hunger and thirsting after righteousness described in the Sermon on the Mount, will be filled and satisfied. The reconciliation, the restoration of all things. This is part one. We shall return to it next week. Believe me, beloved, I've only scratched the surface, not of my long-windedness, but of the truth and the glory of it. May God cause us to realize that we're part of the mighty and glorious work of Christ, where he restores all things to himself. to the glory of the Father. Amen. Let's pray together. Holy Father, as we have merely introduced the subject matter for today, really, may we in this general way get a sense of everything you're doing now. Father, we see the multitude of things and we say, I don't see reconciliation now. I see anger and hatred. I see wars and rumors of wars. I see marriages that are dashed on the stones of hostility and resentment. I see children angry with their parents and parents with their children. I see alienation and hostility and darkness and sin everywhere I turn. But that's not true, is it? We also see your redemptive work in your church. The church, the ecclesia, those called out unto you in union with Christ, forming the body of Christ. and that we are one, united with one spirit, one baptism, one hope, one confession, etc. Because we have one Lord, one Father, one Spirit, uniting us all unto your glory. And you've committed unto us the only way the reconciliation takes place as you have ordained through us. That is by the gospel. You've given us the ministry, the service, the blessing, the ministry of reconciliation. We look from below and we see all the loose ends, like a lot of threads thrown in a great wad and all the loose ends dangling, and we say, what a mess. But if we could see from heaven's perspective, Father, your perspective, we could see the beauty of the tapestry that you are weaving in history even now. And as you weave that together and complete it, Father, we recognize you do all things well. May we, Father, bow in prayer and declare boldly the wonders of your grace in Christ, the means whereby you do it. In the name of our Lord Christ, we pray it. Amen. Now receive the benediction of the Lord. Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.