CHRIST THE RECONCILER
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christs physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusationif you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel [Colossians 1:21-23] NIV.
The word reconciliation means a change of relationship from hostility to harmony and peace, between two parties.
Paul is addressing believers, who truly believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled them to God. They know that before salvation they were enemies of God, alienated from God and in open rebellion against God. We understand from verse 22 that God has one great purpose in reconciliation, and that is to present the believer perfect, holy and without blemish before Himself. Verse 23 indicates a person can be moved away from the hope held out in the gospel. We need to ask ourselves, what then would move a person away from the hope found in the gospel? How about worldliness, lust, greed, comfort, friends, persecution, pride, fame, power, family, job, false teaching ect. May I say; it is not enough to profess Christ. A person must live for Christ. A person who professes Christ and does not live for Christ is living a lie. A person has to continue in the faith and grow to such a degree that he will never move away. If he moves away from Christ and stays moved away. He will have denied the faith. The believer must be so grounded in Christ that he can withstand the severest storms of life. Continuing strong in the faith is an absolute essential for the well being of the believer.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. [1 Corinthians 15:58] NIV.
So has God made reconciliation conditional? What is your view?
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christs physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusationif you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel [Colossians 1:21-23] NIV.
The word reconciliation means a change of relationship from hostility to harmony and peace, between two parties.
Paul is addressing believers, who truly believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled them to God. They know that before salvation they were enemies of God, alienated from God and in open rebellion against God. We understand from verse 22 that God has one great purpose in reconciliation, and that is to present the believer perfect, holy and without blemish before Himself. Verse 23 indicates a person can be moved away from the hope held out in the gospel. We need to ask ourselves, what then would move a person away from the hope found in the gospel? How about worldliness, lust, greed, comfort, friends, persecution, pride, fame, power, family, job, false teaching ect. May I say; it is not enough to profess Christ. A person must live for Christ. A person who professes Christ and does not live for Christ is living a lie. A person has to continue in the faith and grow to such a degree that he will never move away. If he moves away from Christ and stays moved away. He will have denied the faith. The believer must be so grounded in Christ that he can withstand the severest storms of life. Continuing strong in the faith is an absolute essential for the well being of the believer.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. [1 Corinthians 15:58] NIV.
So has God made reconciliation conditional? What is your view?
