Colossians 1:21-23

Alienation…Reconciliation.
This passage reminds me of how I was alienated from God. My thoughts were hateful to him and my actions were evil because of my inherent rejection of him in my thoughts and deeds. Therefore I and all people were alienated from God. This brings to my mind the passage…there is no one who is good, no one who seeks God, no one who understands, none.(Rom3:10) Further I picture the Bridge diagram and how my sinfulness has alienated me from God. Here there is no hope…only alienation…isolation…fear of death because life holds no hope. But in the midst of my alienation from God, Jesus did the most incredible thing ever. He suffered in his body and died with the purpose of presenting me before God as holy and blameless without accusation. Jesus deserves the glory for this act. This is why the crucifixion was such a tremendous event. It allowed me and all believers to be made holy in God’s eyes.
The Purpose of Reconciliation is Presentation
Since we were alienated from God we could never be before him in his presence. But the result of the reconciliation was a presentation of all believers into the presence of God as holy and blameless children without accusation. Since God is holy (sin cannot exist in his presence without being destroyed by his wrath) we had to be made holy in order to come before him in prayer and to know him personally. The cross required this. Romans 3:22-26. So now I have been presented fully before God in his presence holy.
Who will be presented before God holy?
v. 23 Those who hold to the faith they profess and do not become choked out by the weeds of the world. There are many who profess Christ for a season, but in the end forsake him…this reveals they were never presented holy before him because they were never in Christ. This is hard to understand and makes me marvel at God that he is God. It makes me grateful for my salvation and it humbles me because I do not want to leave Christ for the world. I want to hold onto my faith and the hope I have in the gospel.