ENEMIES!

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. —Colossians 1:21-22

Enemy! That is what you were, fellow follower of Jesus (Romans 5:10). We who follow Jesus used to be at war with Him, but now “we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1). Not only were we enemies, but we were separated from Him by our evil thoughts and actions, spiritually dead and under God’s wrath (John 3:18, 36; Ephesians 2:1-3). We who were His enemies are now His friends (John 15:15).

Now, positionally, we stand before God without fault, holy and blameless because God has been pleased with the propitiation of His Son in whom we have trusted. We now have the “righteousness of God” because of what Jesus has done for us (II Corinthians 5:21). Rejoice fellow follower of Jesus in the perfect standing we have in Jesus and let us live faithfully for Him out of the gratitude of our hearts. May it be so!

Dear Father, it is truly astounding what You have done for me through Your Son, Jesus. Oh, that I would live a lovingly obedient life to honor Him. May this be so in His authority and by Your Holy Spirit’s power. So be it!