The Journal of Biblical Accuracy

Download for free the PDF version of the study, optimized for your e-book reader / table / desktop / smartphone PDF version

Colossians 1:21-23 – "holy and blameless, if you continue in the faith"

Moving on, in Colossians 1:21-23 we read:

Colossians 1:21-23
"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Christ has indeed reconciled us to God in the body of His flesh through death, to present us holy and blameless. But this is not unconditional, as there is again an "IF" here, a condition which must be kept in order for these wonderful truths to become a full reality to us in the day of the Lord. What is this condition? Here it is: "if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel". Again see this "continue in the faith". We saw in Romans 11, that if we do not continue in His kindness we will be cut off. The same we see also here: if we do not continue in the faith i.e. if we discontinue in the faith, then we are not going to be counted among those whom He will present as "holy, blameless and above reproach".

As also the epistle to the Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 12:14
"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Only holy people are going to see the Lord and have eternal life. And only Christ can present us as such! But when? "If indeed we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel".

Next section: The race of faith: the example of Paul

 

Author: Anastasios Kioulachoglou