 So, imagine if I gave each person a notebook, a notebook of paper and a pen tonight and asked you to answer this question, what are you hoping for regarding the Gospel? How would you explain what you're hoping or what you hope for? What would you write down? And how would that compare to Scripture? Now imagine if your life was transcribed into that notebook. Just below what you wrote, imagine having the facts of all your actions and words and thoughts documented from the last few months. What would it say you're hoping for week to week? What your pursuits are? Dearly beloved, remember you have something so great to hope for that when compared to the world's best. The world's best is pointless and empty. When you compare what you have to hope for to your sinful desires, the best that your sin could offer is revolting and horrible. The Christians' hopes are in God and all His promises found in His Word. Our triune God has elected Jesus Christ, God the Son, as the focal point of our hopes through the Gospel. Jesus said, you search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me. Follow with me in your Bible starting at Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 through 23. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of His cross, and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven of which I, Paul became a minister. Jesus Christ is all. The Father has and the Father has purpose to reconcile all things to Himself by Christ. Like Colossians, like the Colossians, we're proof of the beginnings of this reconciliation of God. Only during the last sermon, we were reminded by verse 21 what God has done. He has reconciled us His former enemies to Himself. Then in verse 22a, we were reminded how we have been reconciled to God by the bodily death of His beloved Son. Truly His arm is not short that He cannot save when you look at us. Look at what He's done. Look at our lives. Let us rejoice in full assurance of faith. That's where we left off last time. So let's pick up from there and read tonight's text by itself, starting with the words to present in verse 22, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven of which I, Paul, became a minister. Here's the roadmap for tonight. I'll read the rest of it. I divide this text into three main ideas. What I see in here is God's purpose, God's means, and God's exhortation. At title point one out of the three points, God reconciled us for glorification. At title point two, God preserves us by the means of a condition, point three, therefore we must persevere in hope of the gospel, in the hope of the gospel. The main idea, the whole thrust of the sermon tonight is like hearing this exhortation. You chosen of God, stay on the King's highway and don't take your eyes off the heavenly city which ends with Christ in glory. Keep that thought in your head. That is the point of the text. Okay, let's move to point one. God reconciled us for glorification. This comes from verse 22b, if you look at it, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight. Peace with God came to us by Christ's death. Why? For what purpose? The scripture says to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight. Before you begin interpreting this in your mind, let me ask, what exactly is meant by this phrase? Does this mean being born again by the Spirit here and now? Does it mean being made perfect in our soul before the resurrection, like Moses and Elijah and Matthew 17? Or does it mean being glorified with resurrected immortal bodies? The proper interpretation becomes clear when we consider the context, logic, word definitions and a similar verse in Ephesians. Ephesians is a mirror to Colossians in many of its ways. In context, Paul's telling them why they're reconciled. Therefore, as I understand it, the text cannot mean that the purpose of reconciliation is to be made born again because it's a logical fallacy. It's like saying God has made me to be at peace with him so that he could give me a new heart. In other words, regeneration must logically precede reconciliation. For how can one be at peace with God until he has a new heart? It's like in Romans 8, the call, the sexual call precedes justification. Above reproach, it means this word is never used in connection with worship but is a legal term, meaning free from any legal charge, unaccusable or unaccused. Morally is, it means separated or devoted to God, morally pure, blameless, which is often used to describe the absence of defects in sacrificial animals and to describe Christ in offering himself as a sacrifice. However, here it's used metaphorically to mean morally blameless. I don't believe also that this text is referencing being perfect in soul, like Moses and Elijah and Matthew 17. Because of how the adjectives are used in context elsewhere in Paul's writings, specifically Ephesians, if you will turn to Ephesians chapter 5, verse 27. Actually I'm going to read up to, I'm going to go from 25 to 27, husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. For what purpose? That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water of water by the word. And then we have another purpose. That he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she should be holy and without blemish. In this context here it's telling what the purpose of Christ's work is and how he loved his church and how he's going to present them. The same word present is the same word present in our text. The same word holy is the same holy in our text. The same blemish, without blemish is the same blameless in our text. Also who is the one doing the presenting? It's Christ. Who is the one doing the presenting in our text? Yep. So here though it's easier to see that this isn't prior to resurrection because it uses the word glorious. This is illustrating the work of Christ and his glory and what he is going to consummate in the salvation of his people. And this would be deficient if it didn't include Christ's conquering of death. In his presentation if it did not include this text the way it reads with a glorious church that uses the word church to describe everybody together. And when you look at the way the resurrection happens it's always united with everybody together resurrected at once. So here I see resurrection bodies and because of the similarity and the comparison and mirror over here I see resurrection bodies in Colossians. So let's go back to Colossians. So why are you reconciled? It's so that you could be glorified. God intends he is going to get glory and be exalted in your glorification and he intends and has a divine purpose that you look ahead that where he's going. He's going to resurrect your body. We have incorruptible bodies but he will give you an incorruptible body. So if you look at Colossians 3-4 actually I'm going to read 3-1-3-4. If then you were raised with Christ seek those things which are above or above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God set your mind on things above not on things on the earth for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears then you also will appear with him in glory. That's talking about the resurrection. It's not a foreign theme in this letter. So as you think about glorification and you think about that verse I just read let not your thoughts about glorification be separated from being with Christ. Weld glorification to being with Christ in your mind. That's what the scriptures do. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Beloved it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is when he is revealed when he comes and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. In glorification your resurrected body can never decay just as Jesus' body can never decay. It will be without disease or ailment or pain. Your body will always function to the fullest extent of its God given limits. Your imagination and memory will work together in perfect harmony. Like the legs of an Olympic runner they will never they will run tirelessly after God's infinite glory never perceiving a finish line. Your will will always be directed a right in love aligned perfectly with the will of God. Your conscience will always rejoice as you constantly serve and worship Christ from a pure heart. You chosen of God stay on the king's highway and don't take your eyes off the heavenly city which ends with Christ in glory. So here we're standing on the king's highway which leads to glory in God through Paul's pen God has lifted our eyes to the horizon and pointed at his intended destination for us glorification with Christ. And with great assurance and joy we might think we've received all the instruction we're going to need however with great love, confidence and also great seriousness. Paul doesn't end the sentence with a period but moves on with a comma and a condition which brings us to point to God preserves us by the means of a condition. This comes from verse 23a if indeed what about the if one might ask is not the whole program in jeopardy doesn't it all depend on us all ultimately does this mean a Christian can lose their salvation no God is sovereign unchangeable and cannot deny his unbreakable word that no one will snatch his sheep out of his hand. If we were to look at the context it would refute that as well over and over Paul reminds them and assures them of what has already happened in one place will look if you look in chapter 2 verse 13 and you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh he has made alive together with him having you forgiven you all trespasses. I heard a brother say one time that would be double jeopardy if God paid for your sin forgave you and then punish you. Paul doesn't have in his mind that these people are not Christians. He knows they are he's heard of their fruit and he says having forgiven you having wiped out all the handwriting requirements that was against us. So this if indeed if we go to other scriptures or we stay right here in context it doesn't it is not intended to bring doubt nor does it mean that the whole programs in jeopardy. So what does it mean? On the other hand one might be tempted to take election and force this condition to fit into another verse. It's like there are certain things about God's word that we hold is true but we can't understand how they work how they fit together in harmony. Like how Christ is fully God and fully man and particularly what this issue is ultimately is man's responsibility and God's sovereignty. And what people want to do is they want to force one into the other like John Wesley he would take a warning passage which show he would say look you can fall away therefore this promise is contingent on you. And some of us can do it the other way around and say all the conditions that's just mean sense or it doesn't apply to us. It's really meant for unbelievers who are among the people so that they can test themselves and see that they're not continuing and that they're not genuine. When you read the letter he gives no indication that he thinks anybody's lost. From the very beginning starts off with two the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae and then the pronouns of you, you, you, you, you comes all the way down to our verse. So he has in his mind when he gives them this condition saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus having forgiven you all trespasses. So this condition is in a sense like because you're continuing. This condition doesn't mean that you can lose your salvation rather this is written to genuine believers in Colossae originally and by comparison to you as well. Also glorification eternal life with with Christ is at stake here since the if indeed follows the divine intention of glorification. Here's the correct interpretation. Paul is emphasizing the fact that salvation is not complete that they need to persevere. This is one of the ways God preserves his saints in this life. The if indeed begins a conditional clause which is God's means to preserve his people. We say God will preserve his people. How does he do it? He does it like this because the very condition itself causes his people by the work of the Spirit to persevere. Its function is not to create doubt because he has just finished telling them that they were reconciled. Its function is to keep them headed in the right direction and strip them of presumption. We all have need of assurance and diligent perseverance. Don't miss the force of it either. This condition is powerful. Brethren, God intends you to be glorified if you continue. This is one of the ways God keeps you on his narrow path. I was thinking of analogy. Imagine a mother. She's gotten a little bit older. She went to college and she was a collegiate swimmer, captain of the swim team. She had won several matches. She has a daughter and she wants to teach her daughter as she gets old enough how to swim. She takes her alone, doesn't need to send her to classes. She knows what she needs to teach her and it's likely going to be a lot better training than she would get at the Y or some other place. She takes her into a pool and trains her week after week. She doesn't tell her, but one day she says after seeing her daughter learn the techniques, learn all the swims, and seeing her stamina and her speed, she enters her into a contest with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, which she knows her daughter's never been in before. She enters her in and the daughter goes as confident and she begins swimming a distance longer than she's ever swam before. She's not paying attention to the other people she's racing against. She's doing so well she doesn't realize that she's laps ahead and she begins to think that she's losing and she's becoming a disappointment to her mother and she's getting tired. So she stops and begins to cry and just weeping, thinking that the best thing for her to do is to finish, just to not even get, not finish the race, but get out of the water, go home. And her mother comes over to her and kneels down and says, daughter, you will win the race if you continue. The analogy fails in a number of areas, but do you see how in that context the condition isn't like some attack on your assurance? It's the same way here. Paul says in chapter one how thankful he is for them. He continues to praise God for them and he gets there and the Colossians are having this problem in their church with men coming in and teaching false doctrine. There's heresy. There's Judaistic kind of legalism. There's mysticism and there's kind of the beginnings of Gnosticism and this elitist type thinking going on and the whole thing is taking away from Christ. And he comes in there and opens this up and in our verse he's telling them that Christ is everything and you need to continue hoping in him. Okay, let's move to our third and last point. Therefore we must persevere in the hope of the gospel. This comes from verse 23b, let me read it. You continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard which was preached to every creature under heaven of which I, Paul became a minister. One might ask after the previous point, how do I heed the if and fulfill the condition God has given me? Well on the one hand remember God gives saving faith and preserves his people. The condition in one sense will be fulfilled because God will supply all the strength to do it and at judgment God will receive all the glory and praise for what he has caused you to do by his spirit. But in another sense you are responsible. Under God's sovereignty nor your assurance of salvation negates your responsibility to fulfill this condition. So back to the original question, how do I heed this? Well the main verb of this clause is continue. It means to persevere. That's where we get our word persevere from, it means to stay or to remain. And now you wonder, well what does it mean to continue, to persevere, to stay, to remain? What are we going to remain in? It's the faith. The faith is using the definite article there, it's not using your. If you look in chapter one verse four, since we heard of your faith in Christ, you see how it doesn't say we heard of the faith in Christ? Well back in verse 23 he's not saying your faith, he's saying the faith and what he's talking about is not their personal individual faith, but he's talking about the content of what they put their faith in. So what do you need to continue in? The content of what the Christian's faith should be in. What is that? It represents all that we hold is true regarding God and His Word, namely the gospel, and at the center of that is Christ. These adjectives, now you might ask, well what does it look like? How am I going to continue in the faith? What does continuance in the faith look like? We have an answer. It looks like somebody who's described this way, somebody who you could describe as grounded, steadfast, and not moving away from the hope of the gospel. You know what someone who looks like is continuing in the faith is someone that is like Martin Luther in the faith. Everything comes, the doctrines of the gospel are attacked, and he has got roots that go so deep because of God's grace. We each need that faith. The word grounded there is also used in Matthew 7, 24, 25 when Jesus was talking about the man who built his house upon the rock. And the reason why it didn't fall over in the storm was because it was built on the rock. Well, in New York City, you know, they have some of the tallest skyscrapers in one of the biggest cities in the world, and those things stand for so long. It's known that their bedrock there is some of the best in the country, that it's the prime place to build skyscrapers because of the bedrock. So, your hope, what you're hoping in, you should be hoping in such a way that your faith is described as unmovable, grounded. I see here of UCS students who have come from their parents' house into the college and they meet our evangelists, our brothers and our sisters there. And many of them are just distraught and troubled and just completely moved away from the Gospel, completely confused. And what a grounded person will look like is someone whose hope in Christ won't budge. It doesn't budge. The world and all of its trappings doesn't make it budge. I was thinking of the Hoover Dam, but we're out of time. Let me just finish with application. Examine your beliefs in the content of what you're hoping in and hoping for. What hopes are driving your decisions and plans? Are you deluded by any modern-day philosophies or traditions that contradict the word or aren't in the word? Like a reformed version of your best life now. Are you trusting in Christ alone and hoping to be free from sin and with Christ and glory? Repent of wrong beliefs and hope in Jesus Christ who is living and reigning even now. Go to Him by faith and prayer and call on Him who died for you to fix your eyes on Him. Study His Word to renew your mind in hope of what is not seen in your lifestyle. Examine your lifestyle. What are you pursuing? What does your life and conscience say right now? To hope in and for Christ is to long to be with Him and be like Him. In your hope of eternal life, are you now putting off sin and putting on righteousness? Let's pray. Lord, our God and Father, praise You, Lord, You are eternal and sovereign in control of all things. Thank You for the sermon tonight and thank You for the clarity. Thank You for the blessing of salvation and the reconciliation. Thank You for Your conditional statements, Lord, that cause us by Your Spirit to want to persevere and cause us, Lord, to look upon Your Son and hoping ourselves in this world. And I pray that tonight Your people, Lord, would be benefited by Your Spirit and the hours to come and in this week in meditation of today and all that You have spoken. Amen.