Bible Studies
Holy Father, we humble our hearts before you. We want to understand the new covenant. We want to live the new covenant, by your grace and for your glory. In Jesus' mighty holy name! Amen!
When we stopped last time, we were on page 186 of my book, under the heading, "Some Verses that Use 'Hagios' and Fit the Ideal Pattern." The Greek adjective hagios is used more than two hundred times in the New Testament; it is normally translated "Holy/holy" or "saints." A saint is a holy person, a person set apart for God. The "ideal pattern" refers to Christians actually being set apart from all sin and everything defiling, and living for God in an abiding state of holiness, by His grace, through faith, in accordance with the terms of the new covenant. This is good news, very good news! This is what we want, isn't it?
We come to Eph. 5:3-8. I'll quote verse 3. (I used the New American Standard Bible, 1977 edition, in my book.) "But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints [plural of hagios]." "Immorality or any impurity or greed" must never "be named [as existing] among [the] saints." The NIV's translation is effective, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." Being holy; being a saint, includes being set apart from immorality, impurity, greed, and everything else that is sinful and defiling. Ephesians 5:4-8 (and the verses that follow) continue with the same emphasis on the need for Christians to live in an abiding state of holiness.
Now I'll quote verse 3 again, and then verses 4, 5. "But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints [plural of hagios]; (4) and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting [which are not fitting for saints], but rather giving of thanks. (5) For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
It's important to see that the "immoral [person]" of verse 5 refers back to the word "immorality" of verse 3; that the "impure person" of verse 5 refers back to the word "impurity" of verse 3; and that the "covetous man" of verse 5 refers back to the word "greed" of verse 3. In verse 5 Paul said, "covetous man, who is an idolater." In other words, the covetous man makes an idol of the things he covets.
I'll quote Eph. 5:5 again, "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." If we don't have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God the Father, we are not headed for heaven. This makes holiness very important, doesn't it?
I'll quote verse 6 and make a few comments, "Let no one deceive you with empty words [There were deceivers in Paul's day, and there are many deceivers in our day.], for because of these things [What things? The sinful things the apostle has been talking about] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." The way to avoid the wrath of God is to live as sons of obedience (through the sanctifying grace of God in Christ) instead of living as "sons of disobedience." We must make truth, obedience, holiness and righteousness top priorities.
I'll quote verse 6 again and verses 7, 8. "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things [these sinful things] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (7) Therefore do not be partakers with them [The "sons of disobedience" will partake of God's wrath. We certainly don't want to be partakers of God's wrath with them.]; (8) for you were formerly darkness [Darkness goes with sin, Satan, and his kingdom of darkness.], but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light." God's light includes His truth, His righteousness, and His holiness. In the ideal case Christians will walk as children of light in an abiding state of holiness, by His sufficient grace, through faith. We must aim at that target!
Holiness is not an optional matter for Christians (see Rom. 2:1-16; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; and Col. 3:5-11, for example). Holiness is a big part of what new-covenant salvation is all about. I'll quote Heb. 12:14 from the NKJV, "Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." This is good news; God enables us to do what He calls us to do. Also, the New Testament makes it clear that God forgives Christians when they sincerely repent.
Now we come to Col. 1:21-23. I'll quote the verses, "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, (22) yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy [Greek hagios] and blameless and beyond reproach - (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."
The study of Col. 1:9-14 in chapter 7 of this book should be read as an introduction for this study of Col. 1:21-23. (We discussed Col. 1:9-14 in an earlier article.) Also, most of the content of chapters 6-8 of my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin: Full Salvation Through the Atoning Death of the Lord Jesus Christ," is relevant to this study of Col. 1:21-23.
Now I'll quote verse 21 again, and we'll discuss the verse, "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds." They "were formerly alienated" from God (see Eph. 2:12; 4:18; both verses use the same Greek verb as Col. 1:21 for "alienated/excluded"). Colossians 1:21 speaks of the former sinful lifestyle of the Colossian Christians, their lifestyle before they became born-again Christians (see, for example, Col. 1:3, 14; 2:11, 13; 3:5-9; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-5:14). They had been "hostile in mind" (see Rom. 8:5-8; 12:2; and Eph. 4:17, 18); they had been "hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds." If we think wrong in our hearts, we will live wrong.
Now I'll quote verse 22 again, "yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy [Greek hagios] and blameless and beyond reproach." I believe the word "He" in "He has now reconciled" speaks of God the Father. See verses 19, 20, for example. God the Father has reconciled us to Himself in [or, by] the body of [Christ's] flesh through death; that is, He has reconciled us to Himself by Christ's atoning death. The NIV has, "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death."
I'll quote the first part of Rom. 5:10, "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." As we discussed under Rom. 5:10 in chapter 6 of this book ("Holiness and Victory Over Sin"), and in an earlier article on this site, being reconciled to God necessarily includes the transformation (to the righteousness and holiness of God) of those who were formerly "ungodly" (Rom. 5:6); formerly "sinners" (Rom. 5:8); and formerly "enemies [of God]" (Rom. 5:10). This glorious transformation is frequently spoken of in the New Testament (including Col. 1:9-14; 2:10-15; and 3:1-4:1).
The Christians at Colossae were no longer "alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds" (Col. 1:21). They had been renewed in mind and were now engaged in righteous deeds. The old man had been buried (see Col. 2:11, 12), and they had "laid aside the old [man] with its evil practices" (Col. 3:9). They had been made alive together with Christ (see Col. 2:12, 13), and they had "put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3:10 KJV). Colossians 2:5-7 say, "For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. (6) As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (7) rooted [or, "having been rooted
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