This passage spoke anew to me - Colossians 1
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
When we see the connection of v.20, 21 w v.23 it is plain that those who are in faith and continues in the faith (the assumption here is faith in the atonement, v.22 of Christ) are the ones that enjoy the present reality of being reconciled to God. This faith is the one produced by the hearing of the Gospel, the good news that Christ has died to pay for sins. It is beautiful to see here that the Gospel, faith and reconciliation neatly tied together in one paragraph.
