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We continue with what I said under Col. 1:22 here in Part 4.
Paul wasn't naive. He knew that there were many born-again Christians (including some at Colossae) who, for one reason or another, had never become "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" (or who had fallen from that state), but he also knew that being "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" was God's will for every Christian and that His grace was sufficient through the blood of Christ and by the mighty indwelling Holy Spirit. This is good news, very good news! It is God's will that we be sanctified/transformed and live in an abiding state of holiness! To all the Christians who were not living in the center of God's will, Paul's message was get holy now with top priority (by God's grace in Christ) and then stay holy until the end (by God's grace in Christ).
I'll quote a paragraph from what I said on the meaning of these words in Col. 1:22 in my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin" (page 188), "HOLY [Greek "hagios"] and BLAMELESS ["amomos"]. These words are also used together in Eph. 1:4 and 5:27. I believe these words are used in Eph. 1:4 and 5:27 with the sense that Christians are enabled to be (and are required to be) holy and blameless (basically) from the time of conversion - this is the Christian ideal. (See the discussion of Eph. 5:27 under "hagiazo" [the Greek verb that is translated "sanctify/make holy"] earlier in this chapter. Ephesians 1:4 is discussed under Eph. 5:27.) The viewpoint of Col. 1:22, 23 is essentially the same as Eph. 1:4 and 5:27. It is assumed that the readers are holy and blameless; but here in Col. 1:22, 23 the apostle emphasizes the need for his readers to maintain this state (by the grace of God) until the day of judgment. Then they will be presented before Him HOLY and BLAMELESS and BEYOND REPROACH. (Cf., e.g., 2 Cor. 11:2; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23; Jude 1: 24.)"
I have learned over the years that most Christians do not think it is possible for Christians to live in a state of holiness, or that God actually calls us to such a walk in the New Testament (most believe, for one thing, that there are quite a few verses in the New Testament that teach that it is impossible for Christians to stop sinning as long as we still live in this world), but to me it is clear that they are wrong. These things are discussed in some detail throughout my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin," and in many of my papers. Again, let say that what I am sharing is good news, very good news!
We do not have to continue sinning; we are not supposed to continue sinning. But holiness and victory over sin are far from being automatic, and the warfare against us is intense; we need all the enabling grace that God has made available to us. We still have the all-to-real potential to sin; the old man/the flesh still wants to manifest itself in sin; and the world and the devil and his demons are committed to facilitate our sinning if we leave any room for them whatsoever.
Holiness and victory over sin come by the grace of God in Christ THROUGH FAITH. One major problem is that most Christians do not have faith that it is possible to stop sinning. I am not speculating; they will tell you that they don't believe that it is possible for them to stop sinning. As I mentioned, many (large numbers) do not even believe that the Bible teaches that God has called us to stop sinning, or has provided the grace for us to stop sinning, or expects us to stop sinning.
Something is terribly wrong where Christians are not even trying to stop sinning, and we have a lot of that in our day. The message of the gospel isn't sin, get forgiven, and then go sin some more. I'm not saying that Christians lose their salvation if they commit a sin, but we must be quick to repent; one sin (if it really is sin) is a big deal! My primary goal is to help Christians see that the Bible teaches that God hates sin and He sacrificed His Son for us so that we could, and would, make it a top priority to live in the righteousness and holiness of God and stop sinning. "He Himself bore our sins [with the guilt and the penalties, including the major penalties of spiritual death and the bondage to sin that comes with spiritual death] in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin [stop sinning] and live to righteousness..." (1 Pet. 2:24).
We don't need more condemnation in the body of Christ, but we do need the commitment of faith (faith based on what the New Testament actually teaches) to be set apart (holy) for God and live for Him by His grace, in accordance with His revealed will.
The warfare against holiness in intense, but God is a Mighty God; He is good; and His sanctifying grace is sufficient for those who make it top priority to learn about and then appropriate and cooperate with that grace (which includes all the work of His Spirit) through faith.]] - (23) if indeed you continue in the faith [To continue in the faith (in Christianity) includes continuing in the truth of the gospel (correct doctrine) by faith and continuing in the holy and righteous lifestyle provided and required by the gospel by faith.] firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel [[I'll quote a few sentences from what I said in my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin" (page 189). "The hope of the gospel" speaks of the glory that all true Christians will begin to share at the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Cf., e.g., Col. 1:5, 27; 3:4; Rom. 5:2; 8:17-25. Colossians 1:5 says: 'because of THE HOPE laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, THE GOSPEL.') To "continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast" is to "not [be] moved away from the hope of the gospel." Those who do not continue in the faith forfeit "the hope of the gospel." (See my paper "Once Saved, Always Saved?"]] that you have heard [[The apostle knew, as he mentioned in this epistle, that some of the Colossian Christians were being tempted to waver from a state of being "firmly established and steadfast" in the basics of the gospel, but he wrote here from the point of view that the Colossian Christians were "firmly established and steadfast." I'll quote a paragraph from my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin" (pages 187, 188) to demonstrate that Paul wrote from that general viewpoint. 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 (Col. 2:11, 12), and they had "laid aside the old self [man] with its evil practices" (Col. 3:9). They had been made alive together with Christ (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 NKJV says: "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 and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:12 says: "Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." As the apostle continues in Col. 1:22, he writes from the viewpoint that the Colossian Christians are already "holy and blameless and beyond reproach," and in Col. 1:23 he writes from the viewpoint that they are "firmly established and steadfast" in the faith. Other statements by the apostle in this epistle show, however, that he was being somewhat generous in saying these things. (Cf., e.g., Col. 1:9-11, 28, 29; 2:1-4, 16-23; 3:1-4; 4:13.) He knew, for one thing, that some false teaching had been accepted by some at Colossae.]], which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. (24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake [[Paul did not enjoy suffering, but he could rejoice in his sufferings that came with his commission to take the gospel to the world, because he knew that he was doing the will of God (to His glory) and that his ministry was bringing great blessing to a large number of people, especially the Gentiles who were becoming Christians, in that he was the apostle to the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:7, 8). He also knew that his faithfulness would be rewarded.]], and in my flesh [The words "in my flesh" here mean in my existence with a physical body in this present world. He accomplished what he did in/by the Spirit, not in/by the flesh.] I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. [[It must be understood that Christ's atoning work stands complete; nothing that the apostle Paul, or anybody else, could do was/is needed to complete that all-important work. But it is also true that Christ had shown Paul that his apostolic ministry, as he took the gospel to the world, which was a necessary part of the outworking of God's plan of salvation, would involve much suffering for Paul (cf., e.g., Acts 9:15, 16; 20:17-24; 21:11-13; 1 Cor. 4:9-13; 2 Cor. 6:4-10; 11:23-27; 2 Tim. 1:8; and 2:9, 10). Also, the "afflictions" that the apostle Paul bore (and not just Paul's) can be called "Christ's afflictions" in that Paul was sent by Christ, in that the hatred of Satan and the world against Paul was a manifestation of their hatred against Christ (cf., e.g., Matt. 10:24, 25; John 15:18-21; 17:14), and in that Christ Himself is afflicted when His people are afflicted (cf. Acts 9:4, 5). The New Testament makes it clear that all true Christians, and not just ministers, will know some suffering through spiritual warfare, persecution, etc. (cf., e.g., Acts 14:22; Rom. 8:17, 18).]] (25) Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God [cf. Eph. 3:2] bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of [["So that I might fully carry out the preaching of [The NASB has the words "preaching of" in italics"] is all one word in the Greek (an aorist infinitive of the verb "pleroo"). The NIV has, "TO PRESENT to you the word of God IN ITS FULLNESS
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