Colossians 1:21-24

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them … For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. § [He] made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless. § And you … He has made alive … , having wiped out the handwriting of...

And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight" (Col. 1:21; 22).

I endure all things for the elect's sake" (2 Tim. 2:10).

Our Father's mercy is all-encompassing. It includes our salvation - " . . . according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5); and our service - " . . . by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living...

Death working in me works life in you" (2 Cor. 4:12, Cony.).

At first the heart hunger for maturity in the Lord Jesus is personal, subjective - and necessarily so. Later, when the path to maturity is known and entered upon, this hunger is projected to His Body, and becomes sacrificially objective.

You. . . hath He reconciled" (Col. 1:21).

Our Father's Cross-love was personal; we were there in the Son. Our Father's heart-love is personal; we are hidden there in the Son.

"Have you ever thought of the Father dealing with you not as to what you are in yourself, but as to where He has positioned...