Colossians 1:21-23

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of [or as shown by] your evil behavior. ²²But 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-- ²³if 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.

Paul transitions a little bit here, but his focus is still on Christ. He basically applies his general teaching specifically to the Colossians in order to stress that Christ is a sole and sufficient Savior, not just generally for mankind but specifically for individuals, namely the Colossian believers. He does this with a four-step process. First Paul reminds us of the sin that separates us from God. Second Paul reminds us of the reconciliation that comes to those in Christ. Third Paul shows that our sanctification necessarily follows our justification in the work of God through Christ. And fourth Paul issues a qualifying warning, meant to serve as encouragement to perseverance in faith, relying on Christ, and clinging to the hope we have.

irst, we were once alienated from God and enemies of God due to sin (Ephesians 4:18-19). Paul’s message here is to humble us and perhaps to evangelize any lost people in his audience. If you haven’t received Christ, then you are out of fellowship with God, hostile to God, and unable to please Him (Romans 8:7-8). Before you received Christ, you were alienated from God, enemies of His due to your evil behavior. Our rebellion against God is on every front – mind, will, and body. And so recalling this reality in our lives brings us down into right humility and exalts Jesus as supremely sufficient, for everyone who has received Him knows the change that He has brought to their lives, including but not limited to “peace with God” (Romans 5:1). The phrase “enemies in your minds” is speaking of the hostility unbelievers have to spiritual truth, to the very thought of a holy and just and righteous God. It describes a self-centeredness that is incapable of submitting to the rule of God in one’s life, an inability to see God’s outlook on life. And finally, evil behavior is seen in those who disbelieve the gospel truth. Apart from Christ, it is impossible to do things with right motives, for right reasons, to glorify God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). There is no neutral position that humanity can have with God. We’re either alienated from Him or reconciled to Him. That’s Paul’s lesson from v21.

Second, Paul points to Jesus as the reconciling agent of God Father (v22). Though we were alienated from God, enemies in our minds, evildoers, God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus. Paul will speak of this in more drastic terms later – we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). How did God make us alive? How did God reconcile us to Himself? Through Jesus, but more specifically, through His “physical body through death.” It was a blood-reconciliation, and it’s fully completed. There’s nothing more to do. Christ is sufficient. But Paul wants us to see the cost of our reconciliation: the price was the death of the Son of God’s love. You will one day be more holy than you are now. You will one day be happier than you are now. But you will never be more reconciled than you are now. Praise God!

Third, also in v22, Paul points to God’s purpose in reconciling us to Himself. God justified us in order to sanctify us, to glorify us, “to present [us] holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” This brings to mind Romans 8:28-30, the Golden Chain of Salvation. The false teachers may have suggested that forgiveness through Christ is nice, but this other stuff, these mystical rituals and speculative spiritual knowledge will enhance your life. But Paul says, “No. Christ is sufficient, for He is making you perfect.” He is making us holy, that is, sinless and set apart unto God. He is making us without blemish, pure and clean, spotless; He is making us free from accusation, meaning no one will be able to find anything flawed in our entire character and being. Why would God want to do that? “We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus” (Romans 8:29). But why? To have fellowship with Him! And we have to be perfect to enter into His presence. We get to be perfect to spend eternity with our Maker; and through Christ it comes to pass (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Fourth, in v23, Paul gives the appropriate response to this good news of the gospel in the form of a careful warning, a qualifier of the reality of the work of Christ in us. Faith is the link between Christ and His people, and that link must be maintained. And it certainly will be, for if it is genuine, then it is “established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” Calvin says, “Here we have an exhortation to perseverance, by which he admonishes them that all the grace that had been conferred upon them hitherto would be vain, unless they persevered in the purity of the gospel. And thus he intimates, that they are still only making progress, and have not yet reached the goal. For the stability of their faith was at that time exposed to danger through the stratagems of the false [teachers]. Now he paints in lively colors assurance of faith when he bids the Colossians be grounded and settled in it. For faith is not like mere opinion, which is shaken by various movements, but has a firm steadfastness, which can withstand all the machinations of hell.” We persevere, because God preserves us. And we make our calling and election sure by holding fast to the gospel, not adding to it (as the false teachers were instructing) or taking away from it (namely in our culture by denying our dire circumstance, our sinfulness in light of God’s just and righteous holiness).

Paul concludes here in v23 by reminding the Colossians of three reasons they should hold fast to that hope, remaining established and firm in their faith in Christ. First, they have heard the gospel, this very gospel, the one that he, as a servant of it, is even now proclaiming, the gospel that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Second, they are not alone; the gospel is fruitful throughout the world. They shouldn’t base their stance on this truth, as Paul uses hyperbole here (Romans 15:18-25), and even if all else were to fall away, we must not; but the fact that others believe and continue to believe does encourage us in our walk with Christ. Third, the fact that Paul himself is a servant of the gospel should lead them to strive for perseverance. They respect Paul, though they haven’t met him, and they see his efforts to forward the gospel. Perhaps they know of his dramatic conversion and his many sufferings for Christ. I’d like to think that if I received a letter from Paul today that I would be encouraged in my faith. Well look here. I have thirteen letters from Paul, and though not specifically addressed to me, they certainly apply to me.