What is the meaning of Colossians 1:21? Once you were alienated from God Colossians 1:21 begins, “Once you were alienated from God”. Paul states a literal fact: every person, before coming to Christ, is cut off from the Lord’s life and fellowship. • Alienation means estrangement—much like Adam and Eve hiding after the fall (Genesis 3:8–10). • Isaiah 59:2 echoes this barrier: “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you”. • Ephesians 2:12 reminds believers they were “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise”. Nothing about this condition is partial or temporary; without Christ it is complete and ongoing. Hostile in your minds Alienation naturally produces inner antagonism: “and were hostile in your minds.” • Romans 8:7 explains, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law”. • This hostility is intellectual and volitional—an inward bias that resists God’s authority, viewing His standards as restrictive rather than life-giving. • 2 Corinthians 4:4 shows the spiritual dimension: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers”. Being at odds with God is not merely emotional; it is a settled mindset until the Spirit opens the heart (Acts 16:14). Engaging in evil deeds Hostile thinking expresses itself in conduct: “engaging in evil deeds.” • Ephesians 2:1–3 describes the same pattern—walking “in the passions of our flesh” and being “children of wrath”. • Galatians 5:19–21 lists the works of the flesh that naturally flow from a heart set against God. • John 3:19 notes that people “loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil”. The verse shows a progression: separation → inner rebellion → outward wrongdoing. Sin is not a series of isolated acts but the lived-out proof of an alienated, hostile heart. summary Colossians 1:21 gives a concise diagnosis of humanity’s need for salvation: every person was once cut off from God, inwardly opposed to Him, and habitually practicing sin. Understanding this triple reality magnifies the grace described in the following verse—that through Christ’s physical body and shed blood, God reconciles those who trust Him. |
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