If You Continue in the Faith: Anchored in Christ

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 9 - Monday

If You Continue in the Faith

“If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” — Colossians 1:23 (NKJV)

Paul’s words are both comforting and sobering. He has just spoken about reconciliation through Christ—about being made holy, blameless, and above reproach. Then he adds two small but weighty words: “if indeed.” Salvation is a gift, but perseverance is a choice.

Grounded and Steadfast

To be “grounded” means to be firmly established, like a building set on a solid foundation. To be “steadfast” means immovable—anchored, not easily shaken. In Colossians 2:5, Paul rejoices in their “steadfastness” in Christ. In Ephesians 3:17, he prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, that they would be “rooted and grounded in love.” The picture is clear: faith is not a passing emotion. It is a settled position.

Faith is not static. It must be exercised. Just as muscles weaken when unused, trust in God weakens when neglected. The Christian life is not sustained by yesterday’s belief. It requires today’s surrender.

A Conscious Choice

Why must continuing in the faith be intentional? Because drift is natural. No one accidentally grows deeper in Christ. But many unintentionally drift away—through neglect of prayer, Scripture, fellowship, and obedience.

Every day presents a quiet decision: Will I trust God’s Word, or my feelings? Will I stand on truth, or bend to pressure? Faith grows when chosen repeatedly, especially when circumstances argue against it.

If you stop choosing faith, something else will choose you—fear, doubt, bitterness, pride. The heart never remains neutral. When we stop anchoring ourselves in the hope of the gospel, we begin to be “moved away” from it.

Personal Reflection

Think about your own experience. When have you felt strongest spiritually? Was it not when you were consistently in the Word, praying, and deliberately trusting God? And when have you felt distant? Was it not when those practices slipped?

Continuing in faith is less about dramatic moments and more about daily decisions. It is quiet faithfulness. It is showing up before God again and again.

The Encouragement

Here is the good news: the same Christ who reconciled you is the One who sustains you. You are not called to cling to Him in your own strength. But you are called to keep choosing Him.

Be grounded. Be steadfast. Refuse to drift.

Today, choose faith again.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for reconciling me to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Thank You for the hope of the gospel that has rescued me and given me new life. I confess that my heart can drift, my focus can weaken, and my faith can grow careless if I am not watchful.

Root me deeply in Christ. Make me grounded and steadfast, unmoved by doubt, fear, or distraction. Teach me to choose faith daily—to trust Your Word over my feelings, Your promises over my circumstances, and Your truth over every competing voice.

Strengthen me by Your Spirit to remain firm when trials come. Guard my heart from drifting away from the hope I have in You. Help me not only to begin well, but to continue faithfully until the end.

I surrender myself to You again today. Keep me anchored in Jesus.

In His name,
Amen.

Reconciled From Wicked Works: From Corruption to Cleansing

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 9 - Sunday

 

Reconciled From Wicked Works

Read: Colossians 1:21–22

In his letter to the church at Colossae, the apostle Paul the Apostle reminds believers of who they once were:
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled…”

That language is strong—alienated, enemies, wicked works. Paul is not exaggerating. He is diagnosing.

Alienated and Enemies

To be alienated is to be cut off, estranged, separated from fellowship. Paul is saying that apart from Christ, humanity is not merely confused or misguided—we are relationally separated from God. Worse still, he says we were “enemies in your mind.” That doesn’t always look like open rebellion. Sometimes it looks like self-rule, pride, indifference, or subtle resistance to God’s authority.

The hostility begins in the mind. Wrong thinking produces wrong living. “Wicked works” are simply the visible fruit of an inward estrangement. Sin is not just behavior; it is a condition of the heart.

But Paul doesn’t stop there.

The Expected End Result

“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” (Col. 1:22).

Reconciliation is not partial. Christ’s death was not meant to make us slightly improved sinners. The goal is presentation—like a bride prepared for her wedding day. In Epistle to the Ephesians 5:27, Paul says Christ’s aim is to present the church to Himself “not having spot or wrinkle… but holy and without blemish.”

That is the end result: restored relationship, transformed character, and a people who stand before God no longer as enemies—but as accepted, cleansed, and set apart.

And this is where things get personal.

Looking Within: The Need of the Cross

When you look honestly at yourself—your motives, your thoughts, your hidden reactions—what do you see?

If you are paying attention, you will not see perfection. You will see mixed motives. Pride dressed up as humility. Selfishness hiding beneath kindness. Impatience masked as discernment. You will see how quickly your mind drifts, how easily your heart resists surrender, how often your “good works” still carry traces of self-interest.

That sight should not crush you—but it should humble you.

The Cross becomes necessary when you stop pretending. The Cross becomes precious when you see that your greatest problem is not external opposition but internal corruption. You don’t just need inspiration. You need reconciliation. You don’t just need advice. You need rescue.

Here’s the truth: the more clearly you see your sin, the more deeply you appreciate Christ’s sacrifice. And the more deeply you appreciate His sacrifice, the more earnestly you desire to live reconciled.

Don’t rush past that self-examination. Let it do its work. It drives you straight to the Cross—where alienation ends, hostility is removed, and enemies are made sons and daughters.

That is not sentimental theology. That is salvation.

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Prayer

Father,

When I look honestly at my heart, I see how much I need You. I see pride, fear, selfishness, and thoughts that do not honor You. Left to myself, I would remain alienated and resistant to Your will.

Thank You for reconciling me through the body and blood of Jesus. Thank You that the Cross was sufficient—not only to forgive me but to present me holy and blameless in Your sight.

Search me. Cleanse me. Transform my mind and my works. Let me live as one who has been reconciled, not as one still at war.

Teach me to cherish the Cross daily and to walk in the new life You have given me.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Sabbath School Lesson 9: Reconciliation and Hope

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians

Lesson 9

Reconciliation and Hope

You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson.

Paul’s central message in Colossians is simple but massive

Paul’s central message in Colossians is simple but massive

Jesus Christ is supreme over everything—and He is fully sufficient for your salvation and growth.

Let’s break that down clearly.

1. Christ Is Supreme

In Epistle to the Colossians 1:15–20, Paul presents one of the most powerful descriptions of Jesus in Scripture. Christ is:

• The image of the invisible God

• Creator of all things

• Head of the church

• The One in whom all fullness dwells

Paul is saying: There is no higher spiritual authority. No rival power. No hidden knowledge beyond Him.

2. Christ Is Sufficient

The church in Colossae was being pressured by false teachings—mixes of philosophy, legalism, and mystical spiritual add-ons. Paul’s response is firm:

You don’t need extra rules.
You don’t need secret wisdom.
You don’t need spiritual intermediaries.

“In Him you have been made complete” (Col. 2:10).

If Christ is truly God and reconciled you through the cross, then nothing else can add to that.

3. Live Like It’s True

Because Christ is supreme and sufficient:

• Set your mind on things above (Col. 3:1–2)

• Put to death sin

• Put on compassion, humility, forgiveness, and love

• Let Christ rule your home, work, and relationships

This isn’t abstract theology. It’s practical transformation.

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If I had to reduce Colossians to one sentence:

Hold fast to Christ alone—because He is enough.

And that message still hits hard today. Whenever Christianity becomes complicated, performance-driven, or mixed with “extras,” Colossians pulls us back to the center: Christ above all.

The Eternal Deity of Jesus

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 8 - Friday Further Thought 

The Eternal Deity of Jesus

At the heart of the gospel stands a staggering claim: Jesus Christ is not merely a great teacher, prophet, or exalted being—He is eternal God. Colossians declares that Christ is “before all things” and that “in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17, NKJV). That is not the language of a created being. That is the language of the Creator.

Paul goes even further: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth… All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16). If all things were created by Him, then He Himself cannot be part of the created order. He stands outside of it—eternal, self-existent, sovereign.

Why This Matters for Salvation

Now think carefully: What if Jesus had been created?

If Christ were anything less than eternal God, the entire plan of salvation collapses. A created being—even the highest created being—could not bear the infinite weight of the world’s sin. Sin against an infinite, holy God carries infinite consequence. Only an infinite Savior could provide an infinite atonement.

John opens with unmistakable clarity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Verse 3 adds, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Then verse 14 tells us the Word became flesh. The One hanging on the cross was the eternal Word.

If Jesus were created:

• His sacrifice would be limited.

• His righteousness would not be divine.

• His power to save would be insufficient.

• Our assurance would be uncertain.

But because He is eternal God, His sacrifice carries infinite value. Colossians 1:19–20 tells us that in Him “all the fullness” dwells, and through Him God reconciles “all things” by the blood of His cross. The fullness of deity gives fullness to redemption.

What Is Lost If He Is Not Eternal?

If Christ were not eternal:

• The cross becomes the death of a noble martyr, not the self-giving of God.

• Salvation becomes a transaction among creatures, not the Creator entering history.

• Worship becomes misplaced, even idolatrous.

• The hope of eternal life becomes fragile.

Hebrews 1:8 declares of the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Revelation 1:8 calls Him “the Alpha and the Omega… who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Eternity belongs to Him.

This doctrine is not abstract theology. It is the foundation of your confidence. When you kneel at the cross, you are not trusting in a created intermediary. You are trusting in God Himself—eternal, unchanging, all-sufficient.

And that changes everything.

Because if the One who died for you is eternal, then His love is eternal. If His being has no beginning and no end, neither will the salvation He secured.

The Personal Implication

This truth demands worship, trust, and surrender. The eternal Creator stepped into time. The One who holds the universe together allowed nails to pierce His hands. The cross was not God delegating salvation—it was God accomplishing it.

If Jesus is eternal God, then your salvation rests on an unshakable foundation. If He is not, then everything is uncertain.

There is no middle ground.

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Prayer

Eternal Father,
We praise You for sending not a created being, but Your eternal Son. Thank You that Jesus is before all things, above all things, and that in Him all the fullness dwells. Strengthen our faith in His eternal deity. Guard us from any thinking that diminishes who He is. Help us to rest in the finished work of the cross, knowing that our salvation is secured by the infinite, everlasting God.
In the name of Jesus—the Alpha and the Omega—we pray,
Amen.