Colossians: Alive In Christ Shembull

The shocking message of these verses is that a relationship with God isn’t natural to us. In fact, we’re told here that it’s never been something that we naturally want or desire. Verse 21 tells us that, by nature, we’re alienated, hostile to God and given over to sin. No one naturally has a relationship with God. This natural opposition to God is never changed through us ‘recognising the error of our ways’ or ‘making amends’. Rather, our opposition can only be healed by God himself: he reconciles us to himself through his Son (v. 22). In other words, we can’t reconcile ourselves to God, but only God can reconcile us to God . And this is what he has done through his Son. Amazingly, the reconciliation that we now enjoy isn’t just the end of hostilities, but it’s also a totally new position and identity. We have now become holy, blameless and above reproach (v. 22) through Jesus’ death on the cross. Yet, this reconciliation is even bigger than us personally being made right with God, for we see that Christ reconciles all things to God. The gospel isn’t the hope just that we personally will be saved, but that our fallen world itself will one day be remade and put right with God. There is a hope of a new creation. What a great hope our world has! Though, in rejoicing in this, we should guard against those who teach that every individual will therefore automatically be made right through Jesus (an idea called universalism). Verse 23 makes clear that this cannot be the case, as reconciliation only occurs as we persevere in faith in the Son. Without explicitly trusting in and following Jesus, we won’t get to be a part of this fantastic plan God has for the world. Reflection 1\. What, according to this passage, is the basis of your relationship with God? How do you know that you're secure with God? 2\. What things will help you continue in unwavering faith in the hope of the gospel (v.23)?