Daily Worship, Spirit and Word Aug. 15, 2024

Part Four: Continue in the faith, grounded and STEADFAST.

“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.” (Colossians 1:21–23, NKJV)

Which do you believe? The word of God or your favorite theology? We know that we are saved by grace through faith. Grace is God’s part. Faith is our part. And yes faith is a gift given to every person by God. Faith comes from God too. However, once it is given, it is ours to use or lose. What will we do with our faith? We can overcome the world with it. Or we can set it up on a shelf and say, “Whatever will be will be.” Even a muscle in your body has to be used for it to stay alive.

Apostle Paul clearly states that we were alienated and enemies in our minds because of our wicked works. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. God has reconciled us to Himself through the death of Christ Jesus. His purpose was to present us holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight. And He will do this if we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and remain unmoved from the hope of the gospel.

The grace of God remains available to all, but if it is not accessed by faith, grace does not flow to us. And, if you believe Paul, the flow can be quenched after we believe if we stop believing. So continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast. Continue to be grounded and steadfast in the hope of the gospel. Put your hand to the plow and do not look back. Stay in faith regarding Christ Jesus and all of His words. Keep His promises (that which gives you hope) in your heart and in your mouth.

How could any believer ever get to the place of the willful sin of rejecting Christ, His blood and His grace as mentioned in Heb. 10:26-30? A clue is mentioned in Col. 1:21: “who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works”. The practice of wickedness alienates our minds from God.

We have received the gift of righteousness. Practice your gift. Walk in righteousness and reject wickedness.