Old Testament Reading: Psalm 15

“A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.” (Psalm 15, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Colossians 1:21-23

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:21–23, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Please allow me to remind you that the previous passage is all about who Jesus Christ, our redeemer, is, and what he has done to accomplish our redemption. Who is the beloved Son of the Father in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins?  God’s Word says, 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell (NKJV), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20, ESV)

What a marvelous Savior we have in Christ Jesus. We ought to marvel over his person. He is the eternally begotten Son of the Father. We ought to marvel over his natures. He is truly and fully human, and at the same time, he is truly God, for “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily…” (Colossians 2:9, ESV). And we ought to marvel over what he has accomplished. By tabernacling amongst us through the incarnation, the eternally begotten and beloved Son of the Father has reconciled “to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). Our two-natured redeemer, Christ Jesus the Lord, has accomplished our redemption (it is finished!). And he, as the preeminent one,  is worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise.

Whereas the previous passage was all about who Jesus Christ is and what he has done to redeem us from our sin and misery, the one that is open before us today is about the application of this redemption to us, and who we are in him. You can see that this is what the text is about in the first two words. Verse 21 begins, “And you”. In the previous passage, Paul said, “he is…” four times over. But here he says, “and you…” 

Of course, when Paul wrote the words, “and you”, he was writing to the saints and the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae. Strictly speaking, that is who the “and you” refers to. But what Paul said to them can be said to any believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and so all who have placed their trust in Jesus are right to take the words “and you” very personally.

Having considered who our redeemer is and what he has done to accomplish our redemption, we will now consider who we are in him. More precisely, we will consider, firstly, who we were before trusting in Jesus; secondly, who we are now that we are united to him by faith; and thirdly, what we shall be, provided that we continue in the faith, stable and steadfast to the end. 

In The Past, You Were Alienated From God And Hostile In Mind, Doing Evil Deeds

First, Paul the Apostle reminds the Colossians, and every disciple of Jesus along with them, of our condition before being united to Christ by faith. Verse 21: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled…”

Here, Paul describes our natural condition, that is to say, our condition before our conversion and our union to Christ by faith. He reminds us of three things: one, that we were once alienated from God; two, that we were then hostile in mind against God and the things of God; and three, that we were busy doing evil deeds. Let us now consider each of these aspects of our natural and fallen condition. Of course, the purpose of this reminder is to deepen our appreciation for all that Christ has rescued us from. This should, in turn, deepen our love for Christ and move us to serve him more faithfully.  

First, Paul reminds us that, apart from Christ, we were alienated from God.

To be alienated from something is to be a stranger to it and separated from it. And who or what does Paul say that we were alienated from? He must mean God and the things of God. Before our conversion, we were alienated from God and things of God — Christ, the church, and the hope of life everlasting.

When the Scriptures speak of the sinner’s alienation from God, it does not mean that God is distant from the sinner. God is omnipresent. He is in all places at all times. God is, in fact, very near to the sinner. He knows everything about them, even their thoughts. He hears everything they say and sees everything they do. And neither does alienation from God suggest that a sinner does not have a relationship with God. No, God is near even to those who remain in the guilt of their sins, and their is a relationship that exists between the sinner and God. When Paul says that we were once alienated from God, he means that we were once at enmity with him. The relationship that we had with him was a broken one. Before we were united to Christ by faith, we were under God’s wrath and curse because of our sin. Paul communicates the same truth in Ephesians 2:3 when he says that, before their union with Christ, the Ephesians were “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV). This is what is meant by alienation. God is near, even to those who remain in the guilt of their sin. And even the sinner has a relationship with God. It’s just not a good one. To sinners not in Christ, God is Creator and Judge. And he is a righteous judge who will by no means clear the guilty (see Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:3).

Think of how terrible it is to be alienated from God and at enmity with him. First, we must consider this to be the loss or deprivation of the greatest of all pleasures. God is good and the source of all goodness. There is no greater pleasure than to know God, to love him, and to be known and loved by him. When Adam and Eve sinned, their greatest loss was not life in Eden, but life lived in the blessed presence of God, their creator and sustainer. It is a terrible thing to be alienated from God, for it is the loss or deprivation of the greatest good. Secondly, this alienation from God is terrible, not only because of what we lose, but for what we gain, namely, God’s wrath and curse due to us for sin. Do not forget that God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth (see Baptist Catechism 7). What an awful thing it is to be alienated from and at enmity with this God—God Almighty—the one and the only. 

Secondly, Paul reminds us that, apart from Christ, we were hostile in mind towards God and the things of God. This begins to explain the cause of our alienation from him. Apart from Christ, we were alienated from God, not because God turned his back on us, but because we turned our backs on him. And notice how deep our treachery runs. The Apostle says that we were hostile in mind towards God. So then, this alienation and enmity have come about, not only because we have sinned against God in word and in deed, but also deep within, in the mind. Before our conversion, even our thoughts towards God were hostile. This means we were at enmity with God in the inner man. This means that we were opposed to him in the mind and heart. 

I’m sure that in this sanctuary, there are some who know this is true. As they look back on their former life—their life before Christ—they can see clearly that their mind, their affections, and their wills were thoroughly opposed to God and the things of God. These are keenly aware that the sinful corruptions had dominion over them before they were converted and drawn to faith in Christ Jesus. As they look back, they will willingly confess that they were vile through and through before Christ showed them mercy. But there may be some who, as they look back on their former life—their life before Christ—will think that Paul’s language is a little extreme. Yes, I was a sinner, they will say. I sometimes did bad things and said bad things, but I was not hostile towards God in my mind. Dear friends, if this is what you think of your life before Christ, I would plead with you to think again. Sin and rebellion take different forms. Some of you lived very dark and vile lives prior to your conversion. You have no trouble admitting that your minds were once at enmity with God. But some of you lived a life of sin and rebellion in more civilized ways. You believed in God’s existence. You tried to live a morally upright life. Perhaps you even went to church. On the surface, you seemed to have it all together. But let me ask you this: Did you really love the Lord? Whatever good you did, did you do it for his glory, or for your own? Did you seek to please him or yourself? Did you seek the advancement of his kingdom or yours? Was your mind set on God, the things of God, and the purposes of God? Or was your mind fixed on the things of this world and your own little agenda as you lived within it? Dear friend, is this describes you, you must see that though your previous life of sin does not look so vile or heinous on the surface as the life of sin that others have led, it was still very sinful. Though you did not shake your fist at God in your mind and heart, and though you did not entertain vile thoughts in your head, your mind was nevertheless at enmity with him, as you lived, not for his glory, honor, and praise, but your own.      

First, Paul reminds us that, apart from Christ, we were alienated from God. Secondly, he reminds us that we were once hostile in mind towards God. And thirdly, Paul reminds us that, apart from Christ, we were busy doing evil deeds. 

Notice the order. Relationally, we were at enmity with God. The reason for this was the sin and rebellion that existed in the deepest part of our being, even in the mind and heart. And what did this enmity of mind produce? Evil deeds. 

Where do our evil, wicked, and corrupt words and actions come from? Answer: from within. We sin with our mouths and without hands and feet, because of the corruptions that reside within our minds and hearts. 

Paul says something similar in Ephesians 2:1-3: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1–3, ESV).

Can you see, dear friends, that we, as fallen and sinful human beings, have big problems? Relationally, we are alienated from God and at enmity with him. As it pertains to the condition of the soul, we are defiled within. Our minds are at enmity with God. Even are thought are not for him, but against him. Our affections are disordered. Instead of hating what is evil and clinging to what is good, we do the opposite. In the mind and heart, we love what is evil. It is no wonder, then, that we used to spend our time doing evil deeds.   

[[Friends, if you are united to Christ by faith, I have a question for you. When was the last time you contemplated what you used to be prior to your conversion? We must be careful here. Do not contemplate your past sin in such a way that you are tempted by it. And do not contemplate it in such a way that you will give the enemy an opportunity to condemn you with it. But with those caveats in mind, there is some spiritual benefit to be found in remembering what you once were before Christ saved your soul. Indeed, it is the very thing that Paul wished to remind the Colossians of as he wrote this text. Do not forget what you used to be! Why so that we might give all the more glory, honor, and praise to Christ for what he has delivered us from and what he has transformed us into.]]

Now, Christ Has Reconciled You To God In His Body Of Flesh By His Death

This is where the Apostle goes next. After reminding us of what we once were, he reminds the Colossians, and every disciple of Jesus, along with them, of who we are now that we are united to Christ by faith. Verse 22: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death…”

When we talk about our salvation in Christ Jesus, it is not uncommon for us to speak of it as an act of redemption. In fact, Paul has already used that term in Colossians 1:13-14, where he says that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV). But here in our text, Paul speaks of our salvation as reconciliation. So what’s the difference between redemption and reconciliation?   

Redemption has to do with rescue or deliverance. To be redeemed is to be set free from something. Indeed, as we consider what Christ has done for us to save us from our sin and misery, it is important to speak of our redemption, for Christ has rescued us from bondage to Satan, sin, and death. When we speak of our reconciliation in Christ Jesus, we are simply looking at our salvation in him from a different vantage point. Christ has redeemed us. He has set us free from bondage. That’s wonderful news! But what has he redeemed us to or for? Answer: Christ has reconciled us to God. 

Whereas redemption has to do with rescue or deliverance, reconciliation has to do with the restoration of a relationship once broken. If two people get into an argument and their relationship is broken, we ought to pray for and work towards reconciliation, that is to say, the mending and healing of the relationship. 

Who is it that Christ reconciled us to? The answer must be God. When God created Adam and Eve, they were at peace with God. Walked with him in the garden-temple and enjoyed his presence. When Adam, our federal head, sinned, that relationship was broken.  We humans, are now by nature children of wrath (see Ephesians 2:3). Jesus Christ, our redeemer, repairs that. It is through him that we are reconciled to God. It is through Christ that the enmity and hostility are turned to peace (see Colossians 1:20). 

Question: When was this redemption and reconciliation accomplished or earned? It was accomplished when Jesus died on the cross and rose on the third day. This is what Paul said in Colossians 1:19-20: “For in [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:19–20, ESV). It was at the cross that our redemption and reconciliation was earned and secured. 

But when do men and women come to be redeemed and reconciled persons? In other words, when is the redemption and reconciliation that Christ has earned applied to sinners? There must be a moment in time in their lives when this happens, otherwise Paul could not have said, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled…”  (Colossians 1:21–22, ESV). The answer is that men and women, boys and girls, are reconciled to God and redeemed from their sin misery, really and personally, the moment they turn from their sins to believe in Jesus. When God, by his grace, grants this repentance and faith to his elect in due time, the elect of God, things really happen to them. At that moment, they actually “delivered… from the domain of darkness and transferred… to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). In that moment, they are actually reconciled to God the Father (Colossians 1:22, ESV).

How does this reconciliation take place? How can it be that guilty, vile sinners like you and me can possibly be made right with an infinitely holy and just God? 

The first thing that must be said is that it happens through our union with Christ. That is what Paul says in verse 22: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Christ] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death…” (Colossians 1:21–22, ESV). So then, we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for the sins of his elect. On the third day, he was raised, and forty days later, he ascended to the Father. The man Jesus was accepted by the Father, and we are accepted by the Father too, so long as we are in Christ by faith, washed by his blood, and clothed with his righteousness. 

The second thing that must be said is that our reconciliation with God happens because Christ fixes the three problems that Paul has just mentioned.  

Jesus Christ fixes the problem of our alienation from God by removing the thing that separated us from God, namely, the guilt of our sin and lack of righteousness. This he does by cleansing us from sin and clothing us with his righteousness. He is able to cleanse us from sin and to remove our guilt because he made atonement for our sins on the cross. He is able to clothe us with righteousness because he is righteous and, as our federal head, has the right to share it with us. 

How does Jesus Christ fix the problem of our hostility of mind? Answer: He renews us inwardly by his word and Spirit. Through regeneration or conversion, he enlightens the minds of his elect spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; he takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh and renews their wills (see Second London Confession 10.1). This is the new birth that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about (see John 3). This is the new creation that Paul spoke of, saying, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… ” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV)

And how does Jesus Christ fix the problem of our bondage to sin? By delivering us from Satan’s dominion and by regenerating our souls, Christ frees us from bondage to sin and enables us, by his grace, to turn from sin and to do what is pleasing in his sight. As Paul says, “We were buried… with [Christ] by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, ESV). A little later, he says, “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:13–14, ESV). 

Will disciples of Christ still sin? Yes, of course. Corruptions remain within us, and so we still sin. But sin does not have dominion over us as it did before. And so Paul writes to the believer, saying, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). And so Peter exhorts us, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11, ESV).

This He Has Done To Present You Holy And Blameless And Above Reproach Before God

This brings us to our final point. After Paul reminds us of what we were before Christ, and of who we are in Christ, he then directs or attention to what we shall be. ​​“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:21–23, ESV)

The words, “in order”, signal that Paul is about to state the purpose or objective of the redemption and reconciliation that Christ has accomplished and applied. Christ has redeemed and reconciled you to God “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”  

Our right standing before God through Christ may be considered from three vantage points. 

First, it is a present reality. If you have turned from your sins and placed your faith in Christ, then Christ has already presented “you holy and blameless and above reproach before [God].” If you are in Christ, your sins are forgiven. If you are in Christ, you have been clothed in his righteousness. If you are in Christ, the hostility has been removed. In fact, in Christ you have been adopted as a beloved son or daughter of the Father (see Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 2:18; Galatians 4:4, 5, 6; John 1:12; Romans 8:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews 12:6).

Secondly, as we consider Paul’s words, “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him”, it is right to see this as a progressive project. Here I am speaking, not of justification or adoption, but of sanctification. 

I love what our confession says about sanctification in chapter 13: 

Paragraph 1. They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified, really and personally, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Paragraph 2. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

Paragraph 3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ, as Head and King, in His Word hath prescribed to them.

Christ has redeemed and reconciled you to the Father “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him”. Through the process of sanctification, we learn to, more and more, walk in holiness, blamelessly, and above reproach before God. And this is one of the things that Paul is urging in his letter to Colossians, isn’t it? He prayed for this: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” (Colossians 1:9–10, ESV)

Thirdly, Paul’s words, “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him”, are also about the future and have the day of judgment in view. Christ died and rose again to present us holy and blameless and above reproach before God today, tomorrow, and especially on judgment day. 

And how can it be that we, who are guilty, vile,  sinners, will stand before God, holy, blameless, and above reproach on judgment day? It is only possible if we are united to Christ by faith, washed by his blood, clothed in his righteousness, and reconciled to the Father through his bodily death on the cross. 

Question: Will the progress that we make in our sanctification help us at all on judgment day? Not one bit. The progress we make in our sanctification and the good works that we perform may result in rewards in heaven (rewards to be cast at the feet of King Jesus!), but this will not aid us on judgment day, for we committed many vile sins before we placed our faith in Jesus, and we have committed many vile sins after following him. These sins need to be washed away, and only the blood of Christ will do. 

This is why Paul concludes the passage with this caveat: “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:23, ESV). If we wish to stand holy and blameless and above reproach before God on the day of judgment, then we must be found in Christ. And how do we come to be united to Christ? Only by believing in him as he is offered to us in the gospel. As you know, the Colossians were being tempted to supplant Christ and to minimize his sufficiency. Paul warned them that the consequences would be devastating. If we wish to stand before God, holy and blameless, we must continue in the faith to the end. We must remain stable and steadfast. We must not shift from the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.