Colossians 1:15-23, Part 14

Verse 21 describes the previous condition of the Colossians, and in doing so lists for us some of the effects of sin on the human person: "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds" (ESV). The two categories of damage are the intellectual and the behavioral, or thought and conduct. Adam's sin initiated a spiritual corruption in him that has been passed on to all his descendents, so that every person after him is born with a depraved heart.

All of a sinner's beliefs, thoughts, reasonings, desires, priorities, ambitions, and emotions are against God. Because God is a God of truth, and the truth about all things are established and disclosed by him, a sinner is therefore also against truth and cannot know the truth, not just what is usually considered religious truth, but the truth about any matter. Sin ensnares all non-Christians in irrational systems of thought and methods of investigation, so that in all subjects of study they are never able to rise above the level of foolish speculation. They do not want to know the truth, and they are unable to find the truth. Their foolish and immoral thinking is in turn manifested in their wicked actions. These include various intellectual demonstrations of their unbelief and disagreement against God, and also things such as murder, adultery, dishonesty, covetousness, hatred, and so on.

Thus one way to summarize the sinful condition is that non-Christians are foolish and wicked people who perform foolish and wicked actions. As Ephesians 4:18-19 says, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." They are alienated from God. They are unfamiliar with intelligence and righteousness.

So Scripture presents God and non-Christians as enemies. All non-Christians hate truth, reason, and goodness. But this relationship is not one-sided. They are enemies, not just because sinners are hostile against God, as evident in their thoughts and actions, but also because God has foreordained his wrath against them, and he executes his decree in condemnation and judgment both in this life and in the life to come.

There is no quality or resource in sinners by which they can save themselves. Salvation is granted only through the one way that God has appointed, and sinners cannot earn their pardon by good deeds. But speaking hypothetically, even if there is a way by which they can save themselves, non-Christians cannot find it, for their depraved minds lack intelligence. And even if it is permitted, they cannot perform enough good deeds – or any good deed – that is sufficient to cancel the debt incurred by their wickedness, for all their works are evil. It is necessary to acknowledge the extent of the depravity of man in order to understand and appreciate the grace and glory of Christ in his work of redemption. When we compromise the doctrine of sin, we also undermine the doctrine of salvation.