November 12

 Colossians 1:21-23

1. We've been studying the core principles of Christianity since September. The central aspect of Christianity is Jesus Christ, as I've mentioned before. However, we often forget this essential truth, Jesus Christ, in our journey of faith. Some individuals also reject Jesus and God as their savior and Lord. Additionally, there are those who fail to recognize God as the living God, despite perceiving God's presence in their lives, as Paul mentions in Romans 1. We refer to this as sin. Sin isn't just about our wrongful actions; it also involves rejecting God. Sin isn't limited to our external conduct but is tied to our identity and inner desires. Today, we'll explore how sin impacts our lives. Let us read Colossians 1:21-22.

Colossians 1:21–22 NKJV

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

2. Sociology is the study of society, focusing on how we can improve and manage our society. Scholars have come up with different ways to think about sociology, like capitalism, consumerism, and even communism. Despite the various approaches, they all aim to understand how people relate to each other, and one key idea in this study is alienation. I've been studying sociology independently for a month now, and recently, I read two books by Karl Marx and Jacques Ellul. Karl Marx is famous for his ideas on communism, while Ellul is known as a Christian thinker and theologian. While reading their works, I came across a significant concept called "alienation," which is key to comprehending how societies function.

3. Alienation, in sociology, means feeling disconnected or estranged from yourself, others, or society. It can take the form of a process, a social status, or an identity within a community. When someone feels alienated in society, they often experience three main emotions: a sense of powerlessness, a feeling of meaninglessness, and self-estrangement. Once they start feelling alienated, for instance, they might believe they can't achieve anything on their own and feel undeserving of success because they perceive themselves as insignificant in society. This can result in a period of self-estrangement.

4. In the section Paul wrote, he used the term "alienated." We were separated or estranged due to sin. He also mentioned that, in our minds, we considered ourselves enemies because of our sinful actions. However, Paul emphasizes that God achieved reconciliation through the death of Jesus, who bore a physical body. According to Paul's perspective, through Jesus Christ, God's purpose is to reconcile us with God because we were previously estranged (alienated).

Colossians 1:21–22 NASB 2020

And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

5. I experienced a sense of alienation during my time in Toronto as an immigrant due to my inability to access the government healthcare system. Although I had access to the school's healthcare services, I couldn't seek hospital care when I fell ill, which left me feeling alienated. This situation led me to ponder how I could overcome this feeling of alienation. I wondered if having access to government support would have prevented this sense of alienation. However, I realized that even with government support, I could still feel alienated if I couldn't change my perspective, as alienation is a result of sin. People have experienced alienation since they sinned in the presence of God, and sin has been the root cause of this feeling of estrangement.

6. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, their perspective shifted from focusing on God to focusing on themselves. Prior to eating the fruit, their attention was on God, but afterward, they became self-aware and recognized their own nakedness.

Genesis 3:6–7 NLT

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

7. Through partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve gained awareness of their existence. The term "to see" in this context implies realizing, recognizing, and perceiving. They became aware of their physical bodies, noticed their nudity, and recognized that they had disobeyed God's command. As a result, they used leaves as clothing and attempted to conceal themselves from God's presence. They sought to create distance or separation from God.

Genesis 3:8 NIV

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

8. This self-awareness can lead people to see differences within themselves and may prompt them to seek out others who share similar appearances, cultures, and even languages. Alienation is not rooted in a particular government system but rather in people's perspectives and how they perceive themselves in relation to others.

9. This self-awareness can cause individuals to notice distinctions within themselves and may encourage them to connect with others who have similar appearances, cultures, and even languages. Alienation is not fundamentally tied to a specific governmental system but rather arises from people's viewpoints and how they view themselves in relation to others. Consequently, sin has led to our separation from God. Sin has made it so we cannot be in the presence of God because people tend to focus on themselves instead of seeking God.

Ephesians 2:1–2 NLT

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Ephesians 2:3 NLT

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

10. Immanuel Kant, a renowned philosopher, introduced the concept of Deontology, an ethical theory that employs rules to differentiate between right and wrong. Kant held the belief that ethical actions should adhere to universal moral principles, such as "Do not lie, steal, or cheat." While it may not entirely eradicate alienation in society for everyone, this approach proved effective for me when I relocated to Pelly. Deontology, which emphasizes moral duty, allowed me to experience a sense of acceptance within the community I joined when they entrusted me with responsibilities.

11. When I relocated to Pelly, the local residents treated us as a young family rather than outsiders. They extended an invitation for me to become the chairperson of the Pelly Housing Authority, and my wife was offered a position at the Pelly Library. This warm reception contrasted with the experience we might have had in a place like Toronto, where we would likely have remained foreign workers. In Pelly, the residents entrusted us with responsibilities similar to their own, making us feel genuinely welcome. It's often easier to exclude foreigners from becoming a part of our community. We frequently suggest that they can maintain their culture, which might imply that they are welcome to live here with their cultural identity but may find it challenging to become actively involved in our society as the same identity.

12. We're familiar with the story of Ruth, who moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law. Bethlehem wasn't her hometown, but she chose to go with her. During that time, she was fine with living alone because Naomi, her mother-in-law, didn't have another son for Ruth to marry. In the ancient Near Eastern tradition, there was a concept of helping widows. If a woman's husband died, his brother was expected to marry and take care of the widow. If he refused, the widow could face social rejection and possibly end up as a prostitute. Therefore, Ruth's decision to live with Naomi in Bethlehem, a foreign place for her, was a courageous one. Fortunately, she was accepted there and even married one of Naomi's relatives in Bethlehem. This marriage ultimately made her an ancestor of King David.

Ruth 1:4–5 LBP

These young men, Mahlon and Chilion, married girls of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. But later, both men died, so that Naomi was left alone, without her husband or sons.

Ruth 1:16 LBP

But Ruth replied, “Don’t make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God;

Ruth 1:17 LBP

I want to die where you die and be buried there. May the Lord do terrible things to me if I allow anything but death to separate us.”

Ruth 4:11 LBP

And all the people standing there and the witnesses replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who has now come into your home, as fertile as Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you be a great and successful man in Bethlehem,

Ruth 4:12 LBP

and may the descendants the Lord will give you from this young woman be as numerous and honorable as those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”

Ruth 4:18–22 NKJV

Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

13. Sometimes, when we think about evangelism or missions, we tend to place excessive emphasis on doctrine or a deep understanding of the Bible. Starting with doctrine often leads to discussions about sin and its consequences, which, while important, may not be effective when engaging with people who don't believe in Jesus. Consider this: if Boaz had initially insisted that Ruth must convert to Judaism before they could marry, or if he had begun by explaining Jewish customs, laws, or doctrines to her, would they have been able to get married? The key to Ruth's ability to marry and eventually become an ancestor of King David did not lie in doctrine or an understanding of sin. Instead, it was her acceptance by Boaz that allowed their marriage to take place, and Ruth to no longer feel like an outsider.

14. Yesterday was Remembrance Day, a time when we honored the sacrifices made by soldiers. In 2019, I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the Norquay Remembrance Day service. During my speech, I expressed my gratitude for Canada's support during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. At that time, my country was in a vulnerable position, being one of the poorest and smallest nations in the world. Despite our outsider status, Canada made a remarkable decision to join the Korean War effort, sending over 28,000 soldiers. They didn't turn a blind eye to the needs of a struggling outsider.

15. Even before the Korean War, there were approximately 150 missionaries in Korea from 1890 to 1945, spreading God's love. This history of selfless giving left a profound impact on me, and I felt a debt of love towards Canada. It was one of the reasons that inspired me to consider moving to Canada. Today, I'm proud to say that I've become a pastor at a Canadian church, and this journey is a testament to God's love and the kindness of the Canadian people.

Romans 13:8 NIV

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:9 NIV

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:10 NIV

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 John 4:18 ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

16. Sin caused us to turn our focus inward, away from God, leading to our separation from Him. However, our compassionate God sent His only Son to us, bridging the gap through His sacrifice. It's therefore our duty to observe our society and our church, seeking out those who may have been estranged. When we identify them, we should extend the love of God, welcoming them into our church and our Yorkton community. We, as the church, are a caring community of God, and it is our responsibility to share the love of God with both Yorkton and the world.