Once You Were... But Now You Are

For weeks, Paul has been lifting up Jesus. Now in Day 24 of our Colossians devotional series, Paul turns the corner and brings it all down to us. Because everything he's been saying about Christ has stunning implications for you — and it can be summed up in two life-changing words: "But now."

In this devotional, we dive into Colossians 1:21-23 and explore:

→ The gospel summarized in Paul's "before and after" framing: Once you were alienated, enemies, in rebellion — but now you have been reconciled
→ Why the incarnation matters for our salvation — Jesus didn't just appear human; He became fully human to perfectly represent us in death
→ The mystery of the hypostatic union — Jesus as one person with two natures, fully God and fully man
→ How the Council of Chalcedon gave us the language to talk about this (building on the Council of Nicaea)
→ Why Christ's death has infinite value — because of who He is
→ The staggering exchange at the cross: we give Christ our sin, and we receive His righteousness
→ Why God now looks at you and sees the person and work of Jesus
→ The crucial gospel equation: Faith = Salvation + Works (not faith + works = salvation)
→ John Stott's beautiful insight: "The mark of a Christian is not sinlessness, but a new sensitivity to sin and a growing desire to follow Jesus"
→ Why our sanctification often hasn't caught up to our justification — and that's okay

Key takeaway: "If your faith is real, if you truly trusted Christ, over time there will be signs — not of perfection, but of direction. Changes in how we think, what we love, how we live. The gospel doesn't just change our status — it should change us. That's good news."

This devotional is a powerful reminder of what Christ has done for you, and an honest invitation to ask: Am I seeing meaningful growth — not perfection, but direction?

📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:21-23
🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional
⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-23 if you're just joining us!
⏭️ Coming Soon: We close out our journey through Colossians 1

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the final devotionals in this rich series. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear the "but now" of the gospel today.

💬 Drop a comment below: Where have you seen meaningful growth (not perfection — direction!) in your walk with Christ?

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