All Hostile to God

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. (Colossians 1:21–22)

The best news in all the world is that our alienation from God is ended and we are reconciled to the Judge of the universe. God is no longer against us, but for us. Having omnipotent love on our side mightily steels the soul. Life becomes utterly free and daring when the strongest being in the universe is for you.

But Paul’s message of salvation is not good news to those who reject the diagnosis in Colossians 1:21. He says, you “were alienated and hostile in mind.”

How many people do you know who say, “Apart from God’s grace, I am hostile to God in my mind”? People seldom say, “I hate God.” So, what does Paul mean that people are “hostile in mind” to God before they were reconciled by the blood of Christ?

I think he means that the hostility is really there toward the true God, but people do not allow themselves to think about the true God. They imagine God to be the way they would like him to be, which seldom includes any possibility that they might be in really serious trouble with him.

But concerning the God who really exists — a God who is sovereign over all things, including sickness and calamity — we were all hostile to him, Paul says. Deep down, we hated his absolute power and authority.

That any of us is saved is owing to the wonderful truth that the death of Christ obtained the grace by which God conquered our hearts and caused us to love the One we once hated.

Many are still learning not to be hostile to God. It is a good thing that he is gloriously patient.

John Piper 

The End of the Gospel

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:9–11)

What do we need to be saved from? Verse 9 states it clearly: the wrath of God. “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” But is that the highest, best, fullest, most satisfying prize of the gospel?

No. Verse 10 says “much more . . . shall we be saved by his life.” Then verse 11 takes it all the way up to the ultimate end and goal of the gospel: “more than that, we also rejoice in God.”

That is the final and highest good of the good news. There is not another “more than that” after that. There is only Paul’s saying how we got there, “through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

The end of the gospel is “we rejoice in God.” The highest, fullest, deepest, sweetest good of the gospel is God himself, enjoyed by his redeemed people.

God in Christ became the price (Romans 5:6–8), and God in Christ became the prize (Romans 5:11).

The gospel is the good news that God bought for us the everlasting enjoyment of God.

John Piper 

We Need to Be Reconciled to God

PRAY OVER THIS

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Ephesians 1:3-4

 

PONDER THIS

The word “holy” means God is the opposite of sin. God is righteous and holy, and sin must be punished. God cannot overlook sin.

The world rejects the idea of sin. But God, who is infinite love, has a holy hatred for sin. So, God had in His heart a plan by which sin could be punished and man could be forgiven through substitution. Sometimes we have the idea that we can come to God because of our good works and best efforts, but all our attempts can do nothing before Him. We need the cross. Did you know the Bible says we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son? (Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.) God is not reconciled to you. We’re the sinners. We’re the ones who need to be made right. And we have no way to come to God except through the cross.

What are some ways you have tried to impress God?

Why is it important to remember we are reconciled to God instead of the other way around?

PRACTICE THIS

Write a thank-you note to God for the cross and for the reconciliation He provides.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

How Do You Reckon on Christ?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11

 

PONDER THIS

Reckon is a bookkeeping term. It does not mean to think, feel, or guess but speaks of something that you can count on—a matter of fact. Reckoning in the context of this verse means acting by faith on what you know to be a fact. The fact is that Christ died for you, and you died with Him and you must reckon on it. You may ask, “Well, what does that mean?” If you’re saved, you already know how to reckon. That’s how you got saved. You believe Jesus Christ died for your sins and put your faith where God put your sins—on Jesus. Were you there when it happened? Did you see it with your eyes? No, but you know it to be true, and you reckoned on it for salvation. In the same way, you reckon for sanctification. As you receive the Lord Jesus, so walk in Him. We’re not told to feel it. We’re not even told really to understand it. But we are told to reckon on it.

What would it look like for a person to reckon on the fact of Jesus’s death and resurrection daily?

What might this specifically look like in your life?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of things that might take place in your life if you reckoned on Jesus each moment.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

All Hostile to God

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. (Colossians 1:21–22)

The best news in all the world is that our alienation from God is ended and we are reconciled to the Judge of the universe. God is no longer against us, but for us. Having omnipotent love on our side mightily steels the soul. Life becomes utterly free and daring when the strongest being in the universe is for you.

But Paul’s message of salvation is not good news to those who reject the diagnosis in Colossians 1:21. He says, you “were alienated and hostile in mind.”

How many people do you know who say, “Apart from God’s grace, I am hostile to God in my mind”? People seldom say, “I hate God.” So, what does Paul mean that people are “hostile in mind” to God before they were reconciled by the blood of Christ?

I think he means that the hostility is really there toward the true God, but people do not allow themselves to think about the true God. They imagine God to be the way they would like him to be, which seldom includes any possibility that they might be in really serious trouble with him.

But concerning the God who really exists — a God who is sovereign over all things, including sickness and calamity — we were all hostile to him, Paul says. Deep down, we hated his absolute power and authority.

That any of us is saved is owing to the wonderful truth that the death of Christ obtained the grace by which God conquered our hearts and caused us to love the One we once hated.

Many are still learning not to be hostile to God. It is a good thing that he is gloriously patient.

John Piper 

Whoever Captures Souls Is Wise

They are all around us!

Souls who are searching!

We have a soul that was created for everlasting life by God Almighty!

We are unique!

We have been given a command, by God Almighty, to speak the truth of His word!!

The word of God, the Holy Bible, is a living testimony of His power to save through His Son, Jesus Christ!!

These words were given to man to convict him of his sin, hopefully driving him to his knees to ask Christ for forgiveness, ultimately causing man to repent and follow Christ!

Let us be fruitful, capturing souls for all eternity!

The day of reckoning will come!

We all will be judged!

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.  - Proverbs 11:30

Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. - Ezekiel 18:4

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,

20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. - James 5:19-20

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."

19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. - Jude 1:17-23

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.

13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Reconciliation Leads to Revival!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you know what God wants from you today? Reconciliation. That’s far more important than singing in the choir, preaching a sermon, serving in the nursery, or giving an offering. When we learn this, God is going to bring great revival to our churches.

Revival always begins when people begin to confess their faults to one another, pray for one another, and forgive one another. Revival isn’t raising the roof with a lot of emotion. It is getting the walls down. It is not just saying, “I am going to get right with God.” It is saying, “I want to get right with my brothers and sisters.” 

ACTION POINT:

When we are reconciled, revival will come. And rejoicing will surely follow. And not any kind of rejoicing, there will be Holy Spirit joy when you know there is nothing between your soul and the Savior and nothing between your soul and a brother! Joy unspeakable!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers