Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Even among humans on earth, reconciliation is not a one-sided process. It implies the willing participation of all parties. It also makes demands of all those parties. And, even if a reconciliation is achieved, it can be broken at any time by further actions of one or more of those parties.

In Christ's incarnation, atoning death, and resurrection, God has done all that He can as a part of that process by making it possible for humans (even while universally in a state of spiritual enmity to Him) to reconcile themselves to Him through faith on their part. And -- as Paul indicates in the cited passage (Colossians 1:23) -- the corresponding response on the part of believers is that they "continue in [their] faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel."

August 20 2021 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

If Christ reconciles all things, why doesn't everyone believe? (Colossians 1:20)

If Christ truly reconciles all things, it is natural to wonder why belief is not universal. Paul's statement in Colossians 1:20 describes the scope of Christ's work, not the automatic response of every human heart. His reconciliation is cosmic in reach, but personal faith still involves human willingness, perception, and surrender. Several realities sit side‑by‑side without contradicting each other.

Christ has objectively accomplished peace through His death, yet people can still resist that peace. Reconciliation is offered, not imposed. God does not override human agency; He invites, persuades, convicts, and reveals, but He does not force trust. 

Love that compels by domination would cease to be love. The very nature of reconciliation assumes relationship, and relationship requires consent. Some refuse because they prefer autonomy, fear surrender, or distrust anything that threatens their self‑constructed identity.

Another reason is spiritual blindness. Paul often describes unbelief as a condition where people cannot see what is true, even when it stands before them. Pride, wounds, cultural assumptions, and competing loyalties can cloud perception. Christ's work heals that blindness, but the healing begins when a person stops resisting the light. Until then, truth can be present without being embraced.

There is also the tension between the "already" and the "not yet." Christ has initiated the restoration of all creation, but its full expression awaits the final renewal. In the present age, people live in the overlap of two kingdoms: one marked by self‑rule and one marked by Christ's rule. The gospel confronts both, but not everyone submits to the word. Some cling to familiar patterns, even if they are destructive, because change feels costly.

Unbelief can also stem from pain. People who have been hurt by religion, disappointed by life, or shaped by environments where faith was mocked may struggle to imagine a God who reconciles anything. Christ's work is sufficient for them, but their story makes trust difficult. Reconciliation is wide enough to include them, yet belief grows slowly when the heart has been bruised.

Finally, Paul's statement points to the outcome of Christ's work. All things will be brought into proper order under His authority. Some will share that reconciliation willingly; others will acknowledge it reluctantly. The fullness of Christ's victory will be visible to everyone, but the joy of that victory belongs to those who respond in faith now.

Summarising the whole thought:

Christ's reconciliation reaches the entire created order, but belief remains a personal act of trust. His work restores the world to its rightful alignment under His authority, yet individuals respond differently because each heart carries its own history, desires, and barriers. Some people hold tightly to self‑rule, others struggle to trust anything beyond their own experience, and many live unaware of what Christ has already accomplished. 

Reconciliation establishes the possibility of peace with God, but it does not erase the human tendency to choose familiar patterns over surrender. Christ's victory is universal in scope, yet faith grows only where a person is willing to receive what He has done.

August 29 2026 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report