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COLOSSIANS - Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Studies in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians

Part 1 - The Foundations of Christian Faith (Colossians 1:1-29)

6. Christ the Head and Reconciler of the Church with God (Colossians 1:18-23)


Colossians 1:21-23
21 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, 22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him, 23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven;

Have you Experienced Salvation Completed?

In brotherly frankness, Paul reminded the church members in Colosse that they had grown up in a multi-cultural and godless society, which stood hostile toward the church of Jesus, having a mindset foreign to the gospel. Fundamentally, they were enemies of the Son of God, and either denied His deity and His work of redemption or remained indifferent to Him. Their evil works, arising from their worldly conviction, were increasing. We need to honestly read through the preaching of the Lord Jesus and the apostles, so that we ourselves might recognize how our sins, too, from the past and present, have been heaping up like sand on the sea shore (Luke 16:19-31; 18:9-14; Rom. 1:28-32; 3:9-20; Rev. 21:8; 22:11, 15).

The main problem regarding the knowledge of sin does not lie in the lack of circumcision or failing to keep the Sabbath, but, much more, the blatant egotism in the blood of every person and the hypocrisy of many pious people, who choose to either deny or forget about their sin. Happy the sinner who, in the holiness and love of God and His Son, recognizes that God is our standard of measure, and we, thereby, are absolute failures. That needs to be recognized and confessed from the heart, along with all our atrocious deeds, so that we might shamefully bow before God, in hopeful expectation of forgiveness.

Paul assured even the greatest sinner, who truly repents and shamefully regrets his sin, that Jesus had, through the shedding of His blood, reconciled him to His Father. This reconciliation is available for every person at all times.

At the same time, Paul assures us that the forgiveness of sins is not the final goal of Christ´s death of atonement, but, rather, the cleansing and sanctification of the believer in his entire character. A holiness of life, through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, is indispensable. The Lord Jesus wants to have us stand in His presence as irreproachable, blameless, pure and spotless. The entire life of a confessing sinner is to be renewed. That is the intent of grace, the summons of Christ, and the necessity of self-denial in the power of His love (Eph. 5:27). This renewal needs time. It resembles the taking off of the old man and the putting on of Christ, the new man. The fruit of the Holy Spirit does not grow to maturity in a matter of seconds. Nevertheless, the growth is steady and peaceful.

Hold Firm to the Faith!

Paul was sensible and reasonable. He knew that the descriptions of the glory of Christ, of His merciful grace, of our reconciliation to God through the atoning death of Jesus, and of sanctification through the renewing of our minds all hung on the thin thread of individual and personal faith in Christ. Therefore, he wrote the Colossians: All that I have proclaimed to you is right now yours as your spiritual possession, if you remain abiding in Jesus, the true and only Messiah, like a grape on a vine. If you allow yourselves to be uprooted from trusting in the grace of your Redeemer, through religious fairy-tales and clever lies, and try to bring about your own salvation, through self-achievement, you will lose the power of God. Whoever believes he can achieve eternal profit through good works, by keeping special laws, or with the help of angels and spirits, is very mistaken. This person has yet to recognize the depth of his own depravity or the holiness of Jesus and His irreplaceable sacrifice of atonement. He falls from grace. The faith connection with the crucified and risen One in the power of His Spirit is our eternal life. Whoever draws back from Him loses the certain hope of spiritual life. Jesus alone is our Saviour, the protecting Lord and Guarantor for the glory prepared for us with our Father in heaven.

Hold Firm to the Faith,
That God may never let you fall.
He keeps His Promise!

Paul designated His message of salvation as Gospel, which the Colossians had heard through third persons. The word “gospel” (evangelion) was at that time reserved for special announcements from the House of the emperor – if a son had been born to him or his army had gained a victory. Jesus and His apostles poured the good news of the coming of the Son of God and His victory over sin, death and Satan into this word. It had nothing to do with philosophy, but of historical certainty, which one could either receive with joy or angrily reject. The Colossians heard of the victory of Jesus, believed on Him, and personally experienced that the power of His grace had created in them new life and a consoling hope. Paul and his co-workers spiritually wrestled in uneasiness for this church, for legal fanatics, devoted to the law, wanted to lead them astray from their trust in grace alone, seducing them to seek righteousness through the keeping of the Mosaic Law.

At the same time, the apostle testified to non-Jewish nations that his gospel (evangelion) would be preached in the entire Roman Kingdom, and not just from him personally, but from born-again Christians who glorified Christ in all regions of the kingdom, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual kingdom of the Son of God was, thereby, irresistibly marching forth. Paul, to be sure, was still in prison and awaiting trail. His faith, however, was breaking through steel and stone. It lay hold of the omnipotence of Christ, while at the same time leaving him no peace until he blessed the new churches in the diaspora.

Today a third of the world population call themselves Christians. The power of the gospel has not let up. Whoever believes in Jesus is called, equipped and lead to, as a servant of the living God, take the truths of the gospel to those still in ignorance of its glorious message.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, we thank and extol You because You made us, rebellious sinners, holy, and awakened true faith in us. Uphold us in these difficult times and cause our faith in You to remain firm. Strengthen the hope that You have prepared for us and Your followers throughout the world. Amen.

Question 26: How can we be strengthened and made firm through our faith in Jesus?''

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