Answer: God made peace with all things through the
blood of Christ, shed on the cross, (verse 20).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
Romans 5:10-11: "For if, when we
were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of
His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received
reconciliation."
2 Corinthians 5:16-21: "So from now
on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once
regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the
new has come! All this is from God, Who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not
counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's
ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We
implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God
made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might
become the righteousness of God."
Ephesians 2:12-13: "remember that
at that time you [Gentiles] were separate from Christ, excluded
from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the
promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now
in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near
through the blood of Christ."
Colossians 1:21-23: "Once you were
alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your
evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's
physical body through death to present you holy in His sight,
without blemish and free from accusation--if you continue in
your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out
in the Gospel. This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been
proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul,
have become a servant."
Hebrews 9:14: "How much more, then,
will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that
lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
1 Peter 1:17-19: "Since you call on
a Father Who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as
strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not
with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were
redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your
forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without
blemish or defect."
Revelation 1:4-6: "John, To the
seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to
you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, and from the
seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, Who is the
faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the
kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from
our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests
to serve His God and Father--to Him be glory and power for
ever and ever! Amen."
Revelation 7:13-17: "Then one of
the elders asked me, 'These in white robes--who are
they, and where did they come from?' I answered,
'Sir, you know.' And he said, 'These are
they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore, 'they are before the throne of God and serve Him
day and night in His temple; and He Who sits on the throne will
spread His tent over them. Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon
them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of
the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of
living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes.'"
