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.

More on Lesson 9: Reconciliation and Hope  

This Quarter's Sabbath School Lessons Here: Christ in Philippians and Colossians