A. Introduction. Last week

1. The Lord said in verse 20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross," this is not possible without reconciliation by the cross of Jesus Christ.

2. Because verse 21 says "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works," remember the word "sometime" means before time or before you were saved. We could never without the blessed event of the cross join God in fellowship.

B. Verse 23a "If ye continue in the faith"

3. Some will attempt to make this a condition of works to keep our salvation, however this is not a condition.

4. We had just learned that it is Christ that reconciles us to God and that it is God who brought it all about. Verse 21 "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" We cannot undo what God has done Romans 8:34 – 39

5. We that are saved will stand before God sin free because Christ on the cross has washed all of our sins with His blood, however our relationship does not end there. We are (here in this life) in a progressive holiness or we are to live holy lives from salvation to death of Christ return.

6. These Colossian believers were (as so many today have) drifted away from truth and if they drift away from truth then they are living unholy lives or are not progressing their holiness in Christ.

7. Paul goes on in verse 23 "and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel," Those that loose their faith in truth, loose their faith in the second coming. This is the hope of the gospel (the second coming) if you talk to folks that are moved away from truth you are most likely assured to find them not looking or hoping for Christ coming hour.

C. Verse 23a "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,"

8. Faith that is grounded and settled is true faith that is based on God’s word in which we are not to allow ourselves to be moved away from.

9. Christ has made us "holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" it is up to us to keep ourselves holy and in fellowship with God through Christ. Remember Sanctification is a progressive holiness and this should be our goal in life and this is only possible by being "grounded and settled" in truth. If we are Christ second coming is what we are gazing on.

D. V. 23 "which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;"

10. Genuine faith has genuine hope and any one who truly hears the gospel has both. So in that we have heard the gospel, the same message Paul was saved by and preached to every single person he could.

11. When Paul says the gospel preached to every creature does not mean that he did that but rather it has no boundaries as far as race, age, sex, nationality, or ETC. it is like John 3:16 "For God so loved the world" doesn’t mean He loves every person but rather His love goes beyond the Jews.

12. The Gnostic teachers taught that salvation was limited to and available only to a select group of intellectually elite people. The truth is the gospel is available to the entire world however only the elect of God those "yet now hath he reconciled" V. 22 will believe.

E. Verse 23 "whereof I Paul am made a minister;"

13. Paul was made a minister by Jesus Christ (just as all ministers are) and because he is a minister he has a responsibility to Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to every creature, to preach the hope in Jesus Christ, to preach truth, and ETC.

14. Paul could not do his own thing as a minister just as these Colossian believers could not do their own thing. He was to preach so they could be grounded and settled in truth just as they were to stand.

15. Teachers like these Gnostic teaches and those of today are not of God.