PT-1 "Evidence of Reconciliation" (Col. 1:23)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/4/2017 7:25 PM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  PT-1 “The Evidence of Reconciliation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 1:23

            Message of the verse:  “23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

            I have to say that there are some verses in the Word of God that exhort you to make sure that you are a true believer in Jesus Christ.  “5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Cor. 13:5).  Now if a person fails that test they will one day here the Lord Jesus Christ say to them “22 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matt. 7:23-23)!” 

            Now we have been talking about reconciliation and we have to understand that reconciliation is exactly what we have been stating it is, and probably much more could have been said, but I believe what we said is true.  At any rate this does a non-believer no good and so Paul is telling the Colossians that in order to prove that they have been reconciled to God they need to “continue in the faith and this faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel.”  He is saying that if you do these things then this will show that you are a true believer in Jesus Christ.

            John MacArthur writes “Of all the marks of a genuine Christian presented in Scripture, none is more significant than the one Paul mentions here.  People give evidence of being truly reconciled when they ‘continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast.’  The Bible repeatedly testifies that those who are truly reconciled will continue in faith.  In the parable of the soils, Jesus described those represented by the rock soil as ‘those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away’’ (Luke 8:13).  By falling away they gave evidence that they were never truly saved.  In John 8:31, ‘Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who have believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.’’  Speaking of apostates, the apostle John writes in 1 John 2:19, ‘They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they are not of us.’”

2/4/2017 7:41 PM