June 6, all hostile to God. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind,

doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, Col 1, 21, and 22.

The best news in all the world is that our alienation from God is ended, and we are reconciled

to the judge of the universe. God is no longer against us, but for us. Having omnipotent love on our

side mightly steals the soul. Life becomes utterly free and daring when the strongest being in

the universe is for you. But Paul's message of salvation is not good news to those who reject

the diagnosis in Col 1, 21. He says, you were alienated and hostile in mind. How many people

do you know who say, apart from God's grace, I am hostile to God in my mind? People seldom say,

I hate God. So what does Paul mean that people are hostile in mind to God before they were

reconciled by the blood of Christ? I think he means that the hostility is really there toward the

true God, but people do not allow themselves to think about the true God. They imagine God to be

the way they would like Him to be, which seldom includes any possibility that they might be in

really serious trouble with Him. But concerning the God who really exists, a God who is sovereign over

all things, including sickness and calamity, we were all hostile to Him, Paul says, deep down we

hated His absolute power and authority. That any of us is saved is owing to the wonderful truth

that the death of Christ obtained the grace by which God conquered our hearts and caused us to

love the one we once hated. Many are still learning not to be hostile to God. It is a good thing

that He is gloriously patient.