Our Past. Our Present. Our Future.

Our Past. Our Present. Our Future. o Colossians 1:21-23 September 29, 2019 THE BIG IDEA: Every person is born into a state of alienation from God. Christ has done everything necessary for us to be reconciled to our Creator. Your past does not have to be your identity in the present or the future! Everything we see in verses 21-23 is based upon an assumed understanding of what Paul said in previous verses about who Jesus is: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. He is God He is the Creator of All That Was Created He is the Sustainer of All of Creation He is the Head of the Church He is Preeminent He is the Only Reconciler of all that is Broken in Creation Colossians 1 1 Colossians 1:21-23 (ESV) 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 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, 23 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. Truth 1: Your Past. o We were alienated from God. Man’s natural disposition toward God is not apathy, but antagonism. [Ephesians 2:1-3] o We were hostile toward God in our thinking. [Romans 1:18, 21] This led to evil deeds. Jesus’ explanation of our outward behavior and the source of true change of a life is that it is all always a matter of the heart. [Mark 7:20-23] Truth 2: Your Future. o o o Holy – pure; set apart for God and His glory Blameless – unblemished; without fault or guilt Above reproach – unaccusable How we interpret Paul’s words hangs upon a 2-letter word, “if”. à Is Paul saying, “You will only be presented holy and blameless if you consistently live a good life from here on out”? à Or, is Paul saying, “Since you have been truly reconciled to God through Christ, your heart, mind, and behaviors have all been changed by the power of the Gospel at work in you, you will continue in the faith”? Truth 3: Your Present. o o o Continuing in the faith – abiding; staying Stable and steadfast – unshakeable; unchanging, steady Not shifting from the hope of the Gospel – staying focused; not changing your mind 3 Realities to Take With You 1. Your past is not a ball and chain of shame to drag around for the rest of your life, but a part of your testimony of Christ’s work to radically change your life from the inside out. 2. The evidence and assurance of what Christ has done for you will be seen in your perseverance in the faith. 3. Your restless heart will only find rest in Jesus.