Colossians 1:21

Colossians 1:21 says, And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.  Paul said that by their wicked works, or sin, that the people of Colosse, who were Gentiles, had been alienated from God, but now through Jesus Christ's sacrifice for their sins on the cross, and by putting their faith in Him, they could be reconciled to God.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are alienated from God by our wicked ways, but once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to God.  Verse twenty-two adds, In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  Paul said that through His life here on earth, including His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead that Jesus Christ made it possible for anyone to be presented to the heavenly Father as unblameable and unreproveable if they put their faith in Him.  This is still the only way to be reconciled to God, and Jesus Christ has already made the sacrifice for everyone so all anyone has to do to be reconciled is put their faith in Him.  Verse twenty-three continues, If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;  Paul told them that they could have this reconciliation to God if they put their faith in Jesus Christ and were unmoveable in that faith.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we should be unmoveable in our faith, but if we do falter at times, we are forever a part of the family of God.  God Himself seals us as His and nothing can ever take us away from Him.  Paul said he was a minister of the gospel,  which came by his calling from God.  As followers of Christ, we are all called to proclaim the gospel to those around us, even if we are not called to preach.  Verse twenty-four states, Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:  Paul said that he rejoiced in his sufferings for the sake of the gospel for the glory of Jesus Christ and the benefit of the church.  We as Christians should have the same attitude today, but too often we are ready to give up on witnessing for God at the least little inconvenience in life.  Verse twenty-five adds, Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;  Paul again said that he was made a minister of the gospel by the dispensation, or calling, of God.  If someone is truly a minister today, it has to be by the calling of God and then they must allow the Holy Spirit to speak through them.  Verse twenty-six continues, Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:  Paul said that the mystery of the gospel had been hidden for ages, but now had been made known to the saints, those who accepted Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation.  For too many people today, the truth of the gospel of Christ is still hidden, because they are still ruled by the things of this world.  Verse twenty-seven declares, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:  Paul said it was God Who made known the gospel of Christ and the riches of glory that this mystery made known to the Gentiles.  Paul did not just decide on his own to go and share the gospel with the Gentiles, but he was sent by God.  We as followers of Christ are commissioned by God to go into all the world and share the gospel, even to those who we may not like.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:  Paul said that he preached the gospel of Christ so that everyone who accepted it could be presented perfect before God by their faith in Jesus Christ.  This should still be our desire today.  Verse twenty-nine continues, Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.  Paul said that he continued to strive to present the gospel to everyone he met because this desire worked mightily in him.  We need to have this same desire today if we are to be effective in reaching the world for Jesus Christ.