Col 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
There is no good news unless you understand the bad news. (Sin) What you believe about sin determines what you believe about salvation. And Paul didn’t mince words. He wrote, “You were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds” (v. 21). You cannot fully appreciate what Jesus has done for you until you understand the desperate condition we are all in apart from Christ.
We don’t normally look at our own sin. We usually turn a blind eye to it. We look at ourselves as doing good or for good reasons. We justify our thoughts, words, and actions and don’t give a second thought about whether they are in line with God’s Word or if they honor and glorify Jesus Christ.
If we are a believer we hear much about the GOOD NEWS of and through Jesus Christ. Redemption, Salvation, Forgiveness, and Eternal Life. And we should not only hear this but proclaim it. The problem arises in that we don’t think or talk about “SIN” in the believer.
We are justified by and through faith in the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins. However, there is also the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell us. The Holy Spirit will lead, guide, encourage, convict, and grow and mature us. This growing and maturing is called sanctification. It begins the minute we become believers, “born again”.
We grow and mature as we are in His Word with a heart that seeks and desires to know more and more of what pleases God so that in all thoughts, words, and actions we will honor and glorify Jesus Christ.
Neglecting God’s Word will not grow or mature us. We will remain a baby in not only God’s Word but in the things of God too.
Our sinful nature can only be understood through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit opening our hearts and minds to the wonder of it. It will expose sin if we seek to know the condition of our hearts and minds.
