March 18, 2025 IN ORDER TO
Colossians 1:21-23 “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, 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.”
What was established through the death of Jesus on the cross exceeds our full understanding; in fact, it defies human understanding. We read in the scriptures about the death and resurrection of Jesus and perhaps we have some mental understanding, but we also need spiritual understanding or enlightenment. Once we are joined to Jesus, dramatic things happen; again, as we grow in the faith, we learn more just how great our salvation is. It is ever so important to know how God sees us. We have now been fully reconciled to God. To reconcile means ‘to bring one thing into correspondence with another.’ Our past sins and even any future sins have been dealt with once and for all. (If and when we sin as a believer, we are to confess it and turn form it.) Not only does God see us as being forgiven, He sees us as ‘holy and blameless and beyond reproach.’ Wow! That may seem as a stretch to us, but that is how God now sees us - all because of the great price Jesus paid in order that we might be reconciled to Him. These things are totally true; but there is something that goes along with this awesome truth. A Christian can be guilty of committing a sin, and if he or she continues in sin, they are not living a holy life and they are not blameless. But, this should be the exception-it is not normal for a believer to sin or to continue in sin. As believers, we are called to continue in the faith, to be firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the gospel-that is the normal Christian life. Living the normal Christian life, the reconciled life, means that we are holy, blameless and beyond reproach. A word of warning: we cannot earn the state of being holy, blameless and beyond reproach. BUT because He has made us new creations and because His Holy Spirit lives in us, we have a desire to live in such a way that is pleasing to Him, and living in such a way is reflective of us being His children. The gospel is more powerful than we probably understand; it has the power to transform us from those who did not know Him to those who have been, and are being transformed into His image. May God give us a clearer understanding of just what all happened when Jesus gave Himself for us on that cross over two thousand years ago. The power of the cross is still flowing for all who are hungry to know God.
Colossians 2:6-7 “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Blessings, Buddy
Colossians 1:21-23 “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, 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.”
What was established through the death of Jesus on the cross exceeds our full understanding; in fact, it defies human understanding. We read in the scriptures about the death and resurrection of Jesus and perhaps we have some mental understanding, but we also need spiritual understanding or enlightenment. Once we are joined to Jesus, dramatic things happen; again, as we grow in the faith, we learn more just how great our salvation is. It is ever so important to know how God sees us. We have now been fully reconciled to God. To reconcile means ‘to bring one thing into correspondence with another.’ Our past sins and even any future sins have been dealt with once and for all. (If and when we sin as a believer, we are to confess it and turn form it.) Not only does God see us as being forgiven, He sees us as ‘holy and blameless and beyond reproach.’ Wow! That may seem as a stretch to us, but that is how God now sees us - all because of the great price Jesus paid in order that we might be reconciled to Him. These things are totally true; but there is something that goes along with this awesome truth. A Christian can be guilty of committing a sin, and if he or she continues in sin, they are not living a holy life and they are not blameless. But, this should be the exception-it is not normal for a believer to sin or to continue in sin. As believers, we are called to continue in the faith, to be firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the gospel-that is the normal Christian life. Living the normal Christian life, the reconciled life, means that we are holy, blameless and beyond reproach. A word of warning: we cannot earn the state of being holy, blameless and beyond reproach. BUT because He has made us new creations and because His Holy Spirit lives in us, we have a desire to live in such a way that is pleasing to Him, and living in such a way is reflective of us being His children. The gospel is more powerful than we probably understand; it has the power to transform us from those who did not know Him to those who have been, and are being transformed into His image. May God give us a clearer understanding of just what all happened when Jesus gave Himself for us on that cross over two thousand years ago. The power of the cross is still flowing for all who are hungry to know God.
Colossians 2:6-7 “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Blessings, Buddy
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