If the letter St Paul wrote to the Colossians (about AD 60) is written to us today, would it still be applicable?

Can we identify with what St Paul had said - "Now God has reconciled you, by Christ's death in His mortal body. Now you are able to appear before Him (God) holy, pure and blameless" (v 22)?

Yes, it is true that before the "now", there is the past - our personal history of being "foreigners and enemies" to God "in the way that we used to think and the evil things that we did" (v 21).

Yes, this reconciliation with God is God's initiative through the death of Christ. Yes, this reconciliation now enables us to "appear before Him (God, the divine judge)" holy, pure and blameless" (v 22).

Yes, being "holy, pure and blameless" is not a forever-state, and we need to "persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith" and not "drift away from the hope promised by the Good News" (v 23).

Let the knowledge and the experience that we are forgiven, made right with God and empowered to live holy lives - encourage us to be steadfast in the face of the storms, stress, and sinful temptations in our daily lives.

In every challenging situation, let us remember to pray like the psalmist, "O God, save me ... O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth" (Ps 54:1-2). Be assured - God is our help. God upholds our cause and our lives (Ps 54:1, 4).