Turn with me in your Bibles to
the book of Colossians chapter one. Colossians chapter one. Now we all make statements like
this but sometimes especially when we are younger but we make
these statements and we really don't take them seriously until
we get up in years But we know this, that not one of us is promised
another day of life, or even another hour of life. We know
from experience that we've seen people who've lived to ripe old
ages, but we've also seen people, family members, friends, acquaintances,
who have been cut down in the prime of youth whether through
some dreaded disease or an accident as we look upon them. But none
of us have been promised even another minute of life. There
is a day appointed and God is the one who appointed that day. Our times are in his hands. Is that right? That's what the
Bible teaches. And so I would ask you the question and I ask
myself the question. right now as you sit in the pew,
right now as I stand behind the pulpit, is it really well with
my soul? Is it well with your soul? Well,
I can tell you from scriptural testimony, if you'll look with
me at Colossians 1 and verse 23, that it is well with my soul
It is well with your soul, look at it in verse 23, if you continue
in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was preached
to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made
a minister. It is truly well with my soul,
it is truly well with your soul, you continue in the faith, grounded
and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
Now, the majority of people who read the Bible and claim to believe
it would look at a verse like that and conclude, erroneously,
well, that means that my complete salvation and my entering into
the bliss and glory of eternal life is conditioned upon my continuing
or upon my persevering in the faith. And that's not what this
verse teaches. Now what it does teach is this,
that those who have been saved by the grace of God through the
Lord Jesus Christ, those who have been redeemed by His blood
and justified before God based on Christ's righteousness alone,
His righteousness imputed, those for whom Christ died, again,
saved by the grace of God, are kept and preserved by God's grace
And that is evidenced, not conditioned on, but evidenced by the fact
that they will, without fail, by God's power and God's grace,
continue in the faith. Grounded in seven. You see, the
if there is not a condition that we must meet in order to make
it, it is an evidence of the preserving, saving, keeping grace
of God through Christ. That's what it is. Now, how do
you know the difference? All right, let's make good on
that. Look back up at verse 20 of Colossians 1. I preached on
this last week. He's talking about Christ. And he says that it's in Christ
that the fullness of the Father dwells. The fullness of all things,
the fullness of the Godhead, the fullness of salvation dwells
in the glorious person and the finished work of Christ. And
Christ is the one who made peace through the blood of his cross.
Peace with God. That's what he's talking about.
He's not talking about peace with people and peace among nations.
Peace with God. Look at it, verse 20, and having
made peace, this peace has been made. It's been accomplished. How was it made? through the
blood of His cross. It shows how and upon what ground
God is reconciled at peace with sinners. And this is the same
ground upon which God's people, sinners saved by grace, are reconciled
to Him. It is the blood of His cross. The cross and the blood speak
of Christ's obedience unto death as the surety and substitute
of a particular people whom God had given to him before the foundation
of the world in the everlasting covenant of grace. That's who
it's talking about. It speaks of redemption accomplished
by the ransom price being paid in full by Christ for his people. He's our surety. What does that
mean? That means he is responsible
to save me, to pay my debt, to establish righteousness for me,
to keep me, and to bring me to glory. He's responsible. He's accountable for me. Just
like you parents, before your children reach a certain age,
you're responsible and held accountable for them. Isn't that right? You're
their surety, you might say. Well, before the foundation of
the world, Christ was made surety for his people. God's elect,
they're called. As much as people hate that today,
we don't. We know it's our salvation. Because
God chose his people and gave them to Christ. Put all their
sins charged to him, the debt of their sins charged to Christ. And he willingly became accountable. responsible to pay that debt.
How did he pay it? By the blood of the cross. God's
people are justified by his blood, the scripture says. That is,
the basis upon which God declares me a sinner, not guilty, and
declares me a sinner righteous in his sight, is the righteousness,
the blood of Jesus Christ, imputed to me. And His blood, the scripture
says, is the propitiation for our sins and equals the very
righteousness of God revealed in the gospel. That is, His blood,
His sacrifice, His substitutionary work on the cross for His people
is that which brings satisfaction to God's justice against my sin. Christ, having been made sin,
by my debt of sin being imputed to him, went under the wrath
of God and drank damnation dry. And peace is made. He's the Prince
of Peace. He's the subject of the Gospel
of Peace. He is our peace between God and
His people. This brings about eternal and
unchangeable peace with God. Look at Psalm 85 with me. I want
you to see this. beautiful passage that describes
the certain assurances of the covenant of grace. And you know
one thing about it. One of the marks of a false preacher
is when that preacher for the purposes of gaining friends and
influencing people and having a following, speaks peace to
another person or group of people where there is no peace. I can
tell you that you're saved, but it doesn't really matter what
I say. What really matters is what God says. Isn't that right? And how do I know what God says?
Read his word. Who is God at peace with? Well,
look at Psalm 85, and look at verse seven. It says, show us
thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. And look at
verse eight. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak. I wanna hear what God says. If
I'm listening to a man, I wanna hear him preach God's word. Isn't
that right? And that's why I tell you all,
check me out. Don't just take my word for it.
You test me. It's like the preacher up north
who got offended when the man asked him about that, and he
got offended, leaned back, and he said, am I on trial? Well,
the answer to that question is every preacher who claims to
be preaching the word of God is on trial every time he gets
up to preach. Try the spirits. The Word of
God said, test them. Now don't test them by self-righteous,
personal preference means, but by the Word of God. I will hear,
verse eight, what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak
peace unto his people. God speaks peace to his people.
And it says, and to his saints. Who are his people? That's his
elect. He says to his saints, his people and saints are one
and the same. What is saint? It means they're
sanctified, they're set apart by God for salvation. And he says, but let them not
turn again to folly or foolishness. Verse nine, look at verse nine
of Psalm 85. Surely His salvation, that's the salvation that God
freely and fully provides, His salvation is nigh to them, nigh
them that fear Him, that believe Him and worship Him and trust
Him and honor Him. That glory may dwell in our land.
And how's all that peace come about? Look at verse 10. Mercy
and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. And how did that come about?
Verse 11, truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness
shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that
which is good and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness
shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps. Now what's that all about? You
know what that is? That's a beautiful description
of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. who made peace
by the blood of His cross. In Christ, mercy, God's mercy,
God's grace, God's love, and God's holiness, righteousness,
and truth are met together. In Christ, God is a loving God. He's a gracious God and a merciful
God, but He cannot and will not be loving, merciful, or gracious
towards sinners apart from His justice and His truth being honored
and satisfied. And the only way that those two
can come together in the glory of the Lord, in honor of His
nature and character, is in the person of the God-man, the Lord
Jesus Christ, and based upon the work of redemption that comes
by His blood, in where He established righteousness, whereby God could
be both a just judge and a loving Father. just God and a Savior. Now go back to Colossians 1.
How did Christ make this peace? Through the blood of his cross.
Look at verse 21. He says in verse 20, that blood
of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him
I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.
Verse 21, and you that were sometime alienated, that is separated,
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.
This verse shows that even though God has already been reconciled
to his people through the blood of Christ, we all by nature are
spiritually dead in trespasses and sins and even alienated and
enemies of God in our minds by wicked works. And what are those
wicked works? Well, it's sin. But you know
what he's mainly referring to there? man's self-righteous attempts
to qualify himself to be saved, to be righteous, to have peace
with God. Somebody said, well, you better
make your peace with God. But technically speaking, that's
already been made by the blood of Christ. We enter into it by
faith, by God-given faith. You see, our natural state within
ourselves has fallen in Adam and born spiritually dead in
trespasses and sins. It's described right here. Alienated
and enemies in our minds by wicked works. What does that mean? That
means we think that somehow God is gonna let us off the hook.
We think that we can do enough to appease God. to equal out. You know, somebody said that
they used to think that when you got to the judgment that
God was going to weigh your good works with your bad works, and
if your good works outweigh your bad works, you're okay. And if
your bad works outweigh your good works, then you're bound
for hell. Well, that's the kind of thinking that alienates a
person from God and evidences that they're an enemy of God.
You want to be friends with God like Abraham, like Moses? How's
that gonna happen? Not by your works, not by your
free will, not by your decision, but by Christ who made peace
by the blood of his cross. And notice he says there in verse
21, yet now hath he reconciled. Even before we were reconciled
to God by being brought to faith in Christ and being brought to
be submitted to his righteousness, as the only ground of peace,
his righteousness imputed, God was already reconciled to us
through the death, the blood, the righteousness of Christ.
Even when we were enemies, Paul wrote, Christ died for the ungodly. This didn't have to wait until
we believed. In fact, it was always God's
mind and purpose from the beginning, even in the case of the Old Testament
saints by promise. based upon what Christ would
come in their day in the future and accomplish through the blood
of his cross. And that's how, as James in chapter two and verse
29 described Abraham as the friend of God. Now friends are not enemies. Abraham was the friend of God.
James 2.23. Back in Exodus 33, 11, listen
to this. The Lord spoke unto Moses face
to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And you know what
that tells me? It tells me that God had reconciled
himself to Abraham and Moses, and Abraham and Moses had been
reconciled already to God. Based on what? The blood of the
cross. You say, but Christ hadn't come
yet and shed that blood. Oh, in the mind of God, it was
a done deal, folks. God doesn't change. God purposed
it. He purposed to save His people. It was always in His mind, but
not apart from the cross, based upon the sure and certain accomplishment
of peace made by the blood of Christ in time. He applied that to Moses, he
applied it to Abraham, or else they would not have been called
the friend of God. There always has been and always
will be one ground of peace between God and sinners, and that's the
blood, the righteousness imputed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Never
has been any other way. And that righteousness upon which
God made peace with Abraham and Moses was not accomplished in
time until Christ died on the cross. But it was always sure
and certain. There was never any possibility
of failure. There was no waiting on, there
was no change in God's mind, you see. Peace made by the blood
of his cross. Christ accomplished this by his
death in his sinless body for the sins of his people imputed
to him and the sure results and fruit of righteousness. To do
what? Look back at Colossians 1 in verse 22. In the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Now here's the question. As I
posed from the beginning, is it well with my soul? Well, look
at it this way. Is God reconciled to me? Now,
He's not reconciled to everyone. Did you know that? In fact, the
Bible says the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.
Where God is reconciled to a sinner, there's no wrath. God is at peace
with a sinner. There's no wrath. And that's
based upon what Christ did. The Bible says in Romans chapter
8, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's
God that justifies. Who can condemn us? It's Christ
that died, the blood of his cross, who's even at the right hand
of the Father, ever living to make intercession for us. There's
no wrath to those to whom God has reconciled. Well, so how
can I know if God has reconciled to me? The Bible says in Psalm
5 and verse 5, God hates all workers of iniquity. That means
his just wrath is upon all to whom sin is imputed. How can
I know that God doesn't hate me, that his just wrath is not
upon me, that he loves me? Is God reconciled to me? Well,
according to the Bible, I can only know this and have assurance
of this as I am reconciled to God. Look at it again. He says in verse 21, and you
that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works. How can I know that God is reconciled
to me, that I'm reconciled to God? And this question is in
line with all assurances concerning how we know that we're saved
by God's grace. For example, the Bible speaks
of the elect. God chose a people before the
foundation of the world according to his sovereign choice. Well,
how can I know that I'm one of God's elect? What does the Bible
say? For example, 2 Thessalonians 2, 13-14. It says this, Paul
says, Brethren, beloved of the Lord, we know, we blessed be
God, we know that God has chosen you because God has chosen you
from the beginning through sanctification of the Spirit, that's setting
apart by the Spirit. How do you know you've been set
apart by the Spirit? through the sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. The gospel message. That's why
Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1 verse 10, wherefore rather brethren
give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you
do these things you'll never fail. What is our calling? It's
the calling of the spirit through the preaching of the gospel.
What is the gospel? It's God's purpose and promise
to save his people from their sins by his grace through the
blood of Christ based on his righteousness alone. It's that
gospel wherein the righteousness of God is revealed. How God justifies
the ungodly through the blood of Christ. justified by His righteousness
imputed. How can I know, for example,
that God has justified me, that God has declared me not guilty,
that God has declared me righteous based upon Christ's righteousness
imputed? Well, it says in Romans 117 that
in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith, for as it is written, the justified shall live by faith. If you're justified, what will
you do as a result of that? You will live spiritually by
faith. What does that mean? By looking
to Christ, by resting in Christ, by pleading Christ and His blood,
His righteousness. How can I know that I've been
redeemed by the blood? We sing a chorus up north called,
I'm redeemed by love divine, glory, glory, Christ is mine. How do I know I'm redeemed? Well,
what did Christ say? Well, he said, the good shepherd
gives his life for the sheep. John 10 and verse 11. Didn't
he say that? That means redemption. He gives
his life as a ransom, as a redemption price, the blood, paid the debt
in full to God's justice. The good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep. And what does he say about his
sheep? My sheep hear my voice. Now what does that mean? Does
that mean we have a dream? Or does that mean we hear voices
behind us? No, it means we hear his gospel
in the power of the Spirit. that brings us to faith in Christ
and repentance of dead works, brings us to follow him. He said,
my sheep hear my voice, I know them, they know me, and they
follow me. Are we following him according
to his word? What about regeneration and conversion,
the new birth? How do I know I've been born
again by the Spirit? Well, the Bible says that we
receive Christ as He is identified and distinguished in the Word,
as the God-man, God in human flesh, who accomplished redemption
for His people by His blood, His righteousness, and secured
their eternal salvation and glory. We believe in Him and repent
of our works. Now this text here in Colossians
1, It has to do with the assurance of knowing that God is reconciled
to me, and I'm reconciled to God. What is the evidence? Perseverance, continuance. Look
at verse 23. If you continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel which you've heard, which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.
Brother Randy read there in Hebrews chapter 3 it says the same thing
talking about the family of God in Christ He says He says but
Christ in Hebrews 3 6 but Christ as a son over his own house his
own household his own family Whose house we are we that is
that we're members of his household in his family And it says if
we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto
the end That's continuing, that's perseverance. And then down in
verse 14 of Hebrews 3, it says, for we are made partakers of
Christ. We are in fellowship with Christ. We are made partners
with him in the sense that we're his family. If we hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast unto them. Well, what is our confidence?
Paul stated our confidence. It's the God-given faith that
we have in Christ. whereby we are taught of God
and know Him as the Lord our righteousness, where we believe
in Him according to God's identification and distinction of Him in the
word. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God in human flesh. What
did He do? He accomplished redemption to
secure the salvation of His people. Where is He now? He is risen.
He died, was buried, and rose again the third day and ascended
unto the Father ever living to make intercession for us. Do
we believe it? And do we commit to Him? Now, what does that mean?
Well, Paul said it in 2 Timothy 1, 12, I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded that He is able. See, my confidence is not
in my abilities. And let me tell you something,
my confidence is not even in what God has enabled me to do.
It is totally 100% in what Christ was able to do, is able to do,
and did do, He is able to keep that which I've what? Committed
unto Him against that day. Now what have I committed unto
Christ? I'll tell you what I've committed unto Him. My whole
salvation, my whole eternal well-being, my whole redemption, my whole
justification, my whole sanctification is committed to Christ. And He's
able. You see this, if you continue,
if you will. These are not conditions that
sinners must meet out of their own free will and own decisions
and cooperative efforts in order to attain or maintain reconciliation,
peace with God, salvation. And let me say this too. This
doesn't mean that we find assurance by looking within ourselves. Now how do I know that? You know
the Bible says examine yourself, whether you be in the faith.
That's not look into yourself, that means examine yourself whether
or not you believe what God says. Whether you be in the faith,
the faith of the gospel. Now how do I know this? Because
of the gospel itself. What does the gospel say? It
says I'm a sinner. I cannot save myself. I cannot
keep myself and I cannot seal the deal. I can't do it because I don't
have the desire, the will to do so of myself. In myself, based
on my natural abilities, I'm alienated and enemies in my mind
by wicked works. What does the gospel say? It
says that God is holy and just and he must punish sin. I'm a
sinner. How can God be just and not punish
me for my sins? God hates all workers of iniquity.
Well, I'm a worker of iniquity. How can I stand before God and
not be declared a worker of iniquity? How is that possible? I don't
have the answer to that in myself. If there is any answer to that,
we must go to God. You see, God says his way of
looking at a sinner like me and in justice have mercy and grace
and love, in justice declare me not guilty and righteous in
his sight is through the work, the merits, the blood, the righteousness
of another, the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace reigns through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. The gospel tells me
that my whole salvation, that's my election before the foundation
of the world, my justification by God, my redemption, my sanctification,
my new birth, my perseverance, and my entering into final glory
is all all conditioned on Christ who fulfilled those conditions
by His obedience unto death and secured my eternal life and glory. You know, when people come to
these if passages in Scripture, the reason people view these
if passages as conditions that sinners must meet in order to
attain or maintain salvation rather than as evidences of the
work and the glory and the power and the grace and the goodness
of God in Christ is because they're hearing and believing a false
gospel. What are they hearing and believing today? What are
most churches who call themselves Christian today preaching? They're
preaching salvation conditioned on you and me. It's like we were told about
a church somewhere here in town that had a mirror in one of the
rooms. And as you went up to the mirror,
it had written on it, you're looking at the person most responsible
for your salvation. Well, that's true. Then we're
all goners. You see, The gospel always points
us to Christ, leaves us with no hope in ourselves. Christ
who fulfilled all conditions to secure the salvation of his
people. And the reason people look within
themselves to find assurance is because of self-righteousness
and unbelief. They look within at, do I believe
enough? Am I sincere enough? Am I doing
enough? And the answer to that question
is always in the Bible, no, no, no. Let me tell you something,
what the gospel tells you. Christ, he did enough. More than enough. And he's my
host salvation. He's my righteousness before
God. God's word forbids us to look within ourselves. to find
evidences of the Spirit's work within me, other than what God
says, and what is the evidence of the Spirit's work in me? I
know my sinfulness, my depravity, my helplessness, and I know Christ,
His glory, His power, His goodness, His righteousness, His blood,
His grace. Assurance of salvation does not
come by looking at the fruit, but looking at the vine. Faith's
object is not the fruit. It's not even faith itself. Faith's
object is Christ and his righteousness. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness. Where are you going to find that?
In Christ. And notice what he says here
in verse 23, if you continue where? In the faith grounded
and settled. The gospel truth. What is the
faith? The faith is the gospel. Christ and Him crucified, wherein
the righteousness of God is revealed. As old Dr. Gill said, it's not
the sandy foundation of man's own works and righteousness and
peace made by his own performances. It's the foundation of the rock
that we stand upon, who is Christ, the Lord our righteousness, and
against Him the gates of hell will not prevail. And through Him and by His power,
we who are saved by His grace will never totally fall away. We're grounded. We're settled
by God's grace in Christ. And we have nothing else to brag
about, do we? Nothing else to boast. We rejoice,
we glory in Christ Jesus. We rejoice, we glory in the cross,
His work. He's my hope. And he says in
verse 23, be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. What
is the hope of the gospel? It's the certain assurance and
expectation of salvation and glory in Christ. Not in myself. You know why we
persevere and continue in the faith? Because he will not let
us go. He said no one can pluck him out of my father's hand.
Peace has been made. He's brought us to be at peace
with him. And we're not moved away from
the hope of the gospel. That gospel, he says, which you've
heard, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
And which was preached to every creature under heaven. Now Paul
doesn't literally mean every creature. We're not preaching
to dogs and cats. And he doesn't mean every person,
every human being without exception. This was an expression to show
that salvation is not only for God's chosen people among the
Jews, but of the Gentiles too. You know who this gospel is for?
Well, Christ said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to
me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast. Whosoever
believeth. Whosoever calleth upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved. It's for anybody who wants it.
Problem is, by nature, we don't want it. We want it our way.
We want it in a way that leaves us some room to glory. That's
why people believe these if passages are conditions they must meet.
It gives them room to glory. But the gospel message that brings
a sinner to Christ leaves us no room to glory, no room to
boast, no room for assurance, but that which comes through
the work, the blood, the death, the cross, the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in him who lived, who died,
who was buried, who arose again the third day. Why? Because of
the justification of his people. Now that's what we continue in,
and that's what evidence is that peace has been made between God
and his people, and his people have been reconciled to him.