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Colossians 4 We Need One Another; Christian Life is a Community

2/23/2016

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And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47
Colossians 4
We, the body of Christ are a community of people who love one another in real and tangible ways. Without the fellowship of the church, it is very difficult for a Christian to be comforted through sufferings, mature in Christ, or walk in the Spirit. The final chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians begin with a continuation of the picture of how maturing Christians should behave. Verses 1-6 read,
“Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Verses 18-25 of chapter 3 talk about the maturing Christians’ relational behavior and verse 1 of this chapter carries that thought on. Paul directed: Wives, submit to your husbands. Husbands, love your Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Our behavior, the way the new-self lives as the image of Christ, continues from how we relate to one another to how we relate to The Lord. How we relate to the Lord enhances how we relate to one another. We are told to pray steadfastly being watchful and thankful. Steadfastly means persistently consistently, unwaveringly, with conviction, and faithfully. We pray not only for ourselves, being aware of our deficits and being thankful for all things in our lives but we pray for one another. We pray for our ministries, for the spreading of the Gospel, and our sufferings.
Mature behavior, that is behavior that exemplifies Christ also impacts how we relate to the world. We walk in wisdom toward non-Christians. The Greek word for wisdom sofia means higher spiritual understanding, clarity, insight, skill (human or divine), and intelligence. The time we have with non-Christians may be limited, they may only cross our paths once. We are called not to waste that time foolishly but to make the best use of it. The best use of that time is to embody The Lord, The Word of God and His Spirit to His glory. We therefore act in graciousness which is defined in Strong’s as kindness through the Lord’s influence on our hearts, expressed as accepting, benefice, favor, giving, mercy joy, liberality, pleasure, and being worthy of thanks. We are to speak seasoned with salt, the saving power of Jesus Christ so that we can answer each person.
Every meeting we have is an opportunity to share Jesus. It may not be an obvious recitation of the Gospel. It could be a few sentences of testimony, an act of love, or a show of kindness in Jesus’ name but it should always be to God’s glory. Peter said,
“But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:14-17).
Paul lived out what he wrote to the churches. He wrote this letter and so many of his others from prison. He never let an opportunity to glorify Jesus pass him by. He loved the body of Christ. His letters show his deep feeling for his brothers and sisters, his spiritual children, and his co-workers for Christ. They show his deep devotion and ardor for The Lord. They show his willingness to tell every person he came across about Jesus.
Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, called after Jesus ascended to Heaven, who is responsible for carrying God’s will of salvation to the gentile world did not live his Christian life alone. He lived it with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Verses 7-18 show us that very clearly.
“Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”
Tychius, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras, Luke, Demas, and Nympha are all mentioned by name as being his beloved brothers and sister, co-workers, and co-servants giving him comfort and praying for the church.
Tychius and Onesimus most likely delivered this letter to the church at Colossae and they would also tell the church all that had happened during their visit to Paul in prison. We joyfully share the work of our ministries with each other so as to encourage, embolden, and instruct one another.
Onesimus was a slave to Philemon but had run away, met Paul and become a believer. Because of Paul’s intervention Philemon did not punish Onesimus as he could have (Philemon). It appears that Philemon may have released Onesimus from his servitude and or at least let him serve Paul. Either way, Philemon and Onesimus were master and bondservant in one life and brothers in their lives in Christ. We may have employers, mothers, and fathers in the world but when we are Christians they are our brothers and sisters. Our position in the world is not the same as our position in Christ. In Christ there is no Greek or Jew and no slave or master; we are one in Christ, equals with each other (Galatians 3:28).
Mark had at one time deeply disappointed Paul and for some time Paul did not let Mark work with him (Acts 15:36-41). But Mark learned, he matured and the two reconciled. Paul directed the church to welcome him and no longer hold his past against him. We too cannot hold pasts, present immaturity, or sins against one another. Mark and Justus had been the only comfort from the Jewish Christians that Paul had. We have to ignore denominational lines and remember we are one church, one body with one Spirit. Ephesians 4:1-7 reads,
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”
Paul pointed out the sincerity and intensity of Epaphras’ prayers for the church and their maturation. We too should care that deeply for one another’s walks as much as our own to pray for one another with the grace of Epaphras.
Nympha hosted a church in her home. She opened her home so that people could meet together, fellowship, learn and mature. Her hospitality made the church in Colossae possible. We have to care enough to meet together. It is in gathering together that we are able to mature in Christ and walk steadfastly in The Spirit. Hebrews 10:24-25 reads,
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Believer, you cannot walk in Christ without His body. You cannot mature and so become the image of Christ without the example of who He is around you teaching you to love as He loves. You cannot be comforted and honed by the Spirit if you are the not around those who share His Spirit with you. You need the church and the church needs you.
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Colossians 3 The Intentional Pursuit of The Image of Christ

2/22/2016

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Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
​Colossians 3
When you were saved, you became a new person. The old you died with Christ and was buried in your obedience as symbolize by your baptism (Colossians 2:12). You came alive but not as the old you who lived to gratify yourself, satiate your own desires and please other people. No you came alive as a new person, a child of God, a friend of Jesus, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. While we still walk on this earth, we still struggle with our flesh, that dead sin nature trying to defeat the living Spirit of Jesus Christ. In our obedient pursuit of the image of Christ we have to remember that the old self is dead and throw it off. We have to remember the new self is Jesus Christ and put on our new clothes, walk in the Spirit, and become the image of Christ. It is intentional, not happenstance. Verses 1-4 read,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Setting our minds and our goals on Heavenly things, the Kingdom of God keeps our focus where it ought to be. Paul compared our lives following Jesus to athletics. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 reads,
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Athletes have a goal and they work toward it. They train, keeping their goal in mind. I have a friend who runs marathons. He started out running shorter races. He set goals to run longer ones, first a 5K then a 10 K until after several years he could run a marathon which is over 42 kilometers. Then he set his goal to run the marathons at faster times. He now regularly places in the various races he runs whether they are 5 kilometers or 26.2 miles. It did not happen because he set the goal, it happened because he set his mind on it and worked toward it. In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul writes it this way,
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
That upward call of God in Christ Jesus, is the image of Christ, it is His glorification and ours (1 Corinthians 2:7). It is a purposeful pursuit. Paul said to forget what lies behind. The enemy will constantly try and tell us we who we use to be. He wants us to remember our old selves, the liars, the thieves, the adulterers, the idolaters, and the selfish. But the Word of God says that we are no longer those people, those people are dead! We are born again, we are not known by those sins any longer. We are now the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  So we do not give in to the lies of the enemy to return to our old lives. Verses 5-11 read,
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self ]with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”
We let our old selves stay dead, we do not give them new lives. Jesus paid the price for our sins already. He is coming to bring the wrath of the Lamb to everyone who refused to accept His payment. How and why could we stomp over His sacrifice by resurrecting our dead flesh? No we are not who we used to be. We not the image of the world, we are the image of Christ. We are not man separate persons and peoples, we are one people, we are the body of Christ, we are the image of Christ. Believer, every single one of us has this new identity, we are collectively the body of Christ and He is in each one of us. If you do not want the enemy accusing you of being your old dead self, why would you think it is okay to do his bidding and accuse a brother of being his old self? How about pursuing the goal of the image of Christ together? Just as we deliberately put off our old selves, we expressly put on our new selves. Verses 12-17 read,
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
What a beautiful description of how we should be living life together. It doesn’t happen by accident, it is done consciously and with intent. It is the goal we set and pursue. Bearing one another is easily written and not always so easily done. There will be people who we, in our flesh have difficulty tolerating. But in The Spirit we can and do love them. The image of Christ is described beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends.”
Remember God is love, to know Him empowers us to love. Love means living in unity and community the way verses 12-17 describe and the way the 1 Corinthians 13 describes. That kind of life doesn’t happen accidently, it doesn’t happen if we just wish or say it is true, and it doesn’t happen by pretending in front of others. There was a woman who for some reason hated me. Every imperfection I have she concentrated on and enlarged so that she couldn’t bear to be around me. She did some things to show other people how lazy, rebellious, and arrogant I was. She rejoiced over the bad things that happened to me because of her hate. It took me years to get over the wounds she inflicted; it took me years to forgive her. But I did because I purposely sought to love her and so forgive her. She is my sister in Christ, forgiven by my Lord, how could I not forgive her? The Lord knows the wrong she inflicted on me. He is God, not me. He is transforming her and He is transforming me.
Looking like Jesus, walking in the Spirit does not look like the world. We look very different from them. Had I been in the world, I would have told the world about this woman’s inadequacies, I would have hurt her back the way I wanted to do. But I am not in the world, I am in Jesus and He is in me. He is greater than the world. I know this to be true and I can overcome the world. 1 John 4:4-12 says it this way,
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
If we want the world to see God in us we live like Jesus, which is vastly different than the way of the world. Verses 18-25 tell us what we should like.
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
The picture we are presented with is one of humility, meekness that is concerned with others rather than exalting our own needs. It is so opposite from the world to submit to your spouse, trusting the love he has for you. It is contradictory to the world to love someone and trust that you never have to be unkind to be treated the way you hope to be treated. It is unlike the world to obey authority figures not in order to please them, gain something, or look good but in obedience to God. Let God be God and let us be who He has made us to be, the image of Christ.
 
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Colossians 2 It is the Work of Jesus not the Rules of Religion that Saves

2/21/2016

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For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10
​Colossians 2
Paul was not in Colossae, he had never met many of them, but he needed them to be encouraged to mature in Christ together and conform to His image. They were inundated with people teaching them the rules of Judaism as well as myths and false teaching that were clearly not biblical. If they took these false teachings seriously they could not mature into the full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God because they would be filled with the knowledge of a false god, carefully constructed to mimic the One True God. Verses 1-5 read,
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”
Paul encouraged the church to know God, to pursue Jesus, the Truth, the Way, and the Life and so strengthen their faith and not to adulterate the Gospel with lies.
I recently watched a film with a story which took place in 16th century England. The story was largely about the struggle between the Catholic Church at the time ruling Europe and their difficulty accepting a Protestant monarch. The Vatican’s response to anyone who did not follow what they called the one true church reminded me of the Pharisees response to the first Christians and the world’s response to Christians today. In the film, the Catholics had such an ardor for their religion they lost the ardor for Christ. As I reflected on that, I realized that many people begin with a zeal for Jesus that develops into a fervor for Christianity and then into a fanaticism for rules. It is an easy slope to slip down and one we must be rigorous about keeping clear of. If we fall off the path of following Jesus and begin following religion, we will not conform to the image of Christ, we will conform to the image of the Pharisees.
Paul did not want this to happen to the church at Colossae and he knew that it could happen because people were preaching rules rather than Christ to them. He was not with them in person, but they belonged to Christ and had the same Spirit he did. He appealed to them to let The Holy Spirit lead them and not people teaching anything other than Jesus. That does not happen by accident. It is a persistent and deliberate choice. Verses 6-10 read,
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Receiving Christ is not the entirety of faith; it is the first step of a walk. Accepting Jesus places us on the path to follow Him, but following Jesus means actually making Him Lord, taking steps and walking with Him, not merely calling Him Lord and standing at the foot of the path. Jesus is God, all of Him, not part of Him. In Him dwells the completeness of God and you and I have been filled in Him, Jesus our Lord!
Do you get that? The Holy Spirit is inside you. He is the fullness of God and He indwells you! He has become an elemental part of you. Indwells means to possess, inhabit, and exist within. Synonyms are: built-in, complete, connate, elemental, inborn, intrinsic, and utter. He dwells in you. It is not impossible to follow Christ because the same power that raised Him from the dead is in you! Romans 8:10-14 encourages us that we can walk with Jesus.
“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
You don’t need anything more! You have the fullness of God in you! It is He who changes you from sinful to righteous. It is not rules and rituals that change you. It is The Lord who conforms you to Christ’s image. Verses 11-15 read,
“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. We willingly give Him the sins of our past, present and future and put our old selves to death with Him. But Jesus raised from death and with His Resurrection we are given new lives. God did that work! No work we do has anything to do with our salvation. God died on the cross, God resurrected, God chose us, God saved us. Our debt of sin is cancelled, it is erased. We can’t pay for something we do not owe! The enemy tries to throw guilt in our faces and tries to get us to think we ought to be following a long list of rules in order to make up for all that sin, but he and his minions were put to shame when Jesus rose from the dead and conquered them forever.
The enemy will keep trying to discredit us. People will accuse us of hatred and hypocrisy. They will accuse us of not doing enough pious acts. But the Law of God was fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 5:17). There is nothing more we must do to be saved. We humbly hand over our sins to Jesus, make Him Lord over us, and believe He is the Risen Christ and He does the saving (Romans 10:9). Jesus did give us some commandments; love the Lord with our whole selves (Matthew 22:37), love one another (John 13:34), take the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19), and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). These commandments are not about being delivered, but rather about living out love. Obedience is the result of our faith (Romans 1:5). It strengthens our faith it does not create it.  Ephesians 2:4-10 reads,
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
People will do the job of the enemy and accuse us of not being Christian enough, of not following the rules of the church, and of not following the myths they believe we ought to follow if we call ourselves Christians. But we do not call ourselves Christian, Christ calls us His own! (1 John 3:1). We don’t pray to saints or angels, bow to men, or hate any people. We worship The Lord, the One True God, we obey Him, and we love His people. Don’t let the accusations of the enemy lead you to try and save yourself by your own works. Verses 16-23 reads,
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
No matter how hard you punish yourself, no matter how many rules you follow, you cannot stop the desires of the flesh. Resisting temptation makes you want to satiate those desires all the more. With every self-flagellating strike you only confirm the desire you try and beat out of yourself. With every crack of the whip you repeat the condemnation, “do not lust” and increase your craving. Why punish yourself? Jesus already took the punishment! Does His sacrifice mean nothing? When you take on the work of God and try and save yourself, you exalt yourself and minimize The Lord. Galatians 2:17-21 reads,
“But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
The same passage in The Message puts it this way,
“Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.
19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.”
Believer, are you trying to save yourself? Are you following rules and rituals to please a religion instead following Christ? Are you working hard make yourself good instead of delighting in the rest of the Lord? Go back to the gospel. Jesus saves. He, the fullness of God is in you! You do not need anything more than Him.
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Colossians 1 Our Hope is the Image of Christ

2/20/2016

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​Colossians 1
Today we begin reading Paul and Timothy’s letter to the church at Colossae. As with most of Paul’s letters, he begins by telling the church how much he loves them. Verses 1-8 read,
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”
Because Paul loved the church so much, he wanted them to grow into who they were meant to be. Who we are meant to be is the pinnacle of who we are created to be, that is the image of Christ. Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). But the fall brought sin and death into the world and keeps humanity from living that image. When we come to Christ, The Holy Spirit comes in and begins working on us, changing us back to who we are supposed to be, the image of Christ. The more mature we are, the more we look and behave like Jesus. Maturity or looking like Jesus is the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love and love shows in walking like Jesus.
Paul encouraged the Colossians that he saw the fruit of maturity in them, he saw the love they had for all the saints. They didn’t love because they were good people. They loved because of the hope laid up in heaven. What hope is the hope laid up in Heaven? It is our ultimate glorification when we will be perfected in the image of Christ. Every bit of sin and flesh we hold onto now will be gone and we will finally be exactly who we are meant to be seamlessly united with Jesus Christ in New Jerusalem for eternity. 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 says,
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

And the author of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 12:22-25,
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
When we read about hope in the Bible, it is not talking about wishing or yearning it is talking about confidence in God’s promise as already fulfilled, faith. Hope gives us the courage to keep going through all the muck and mire of life because we know what and who awaits us. Theses promises such as eternal life and perfection are so sure, that we can consider them already done. Hebrews 10:14 reads,
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Jesus perfected us, past tense! It is already done even though we are going through the process still. He perfected or completed us who are being sanctified or purified and made holy. Our love for Jesus causes us to love one another. Our love for one another causes us to want each other to become mature, to grow in the Spirit and be more like Jesus. Jesus’ image is the fruit we bear and Jesus’ image or His glory is what increases our faith and the church. Because of our love for one another we pray for each other to constantly and consistently grow. Verses 8-14 read,
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Paul’s prayer for the church in Colossae encourages us that we should be filled with knowing God’s will along with discernment and understanding. We do not just say, God’s will is that all people come to know Him (1 Timothy 2:4) or God’s will is all people glorify Him (Isaiah 43:7). We are filled with it, we act on it, we walk and we bear fruit in every good work. And doing so, increases our knowledge of God which is also God’s will (Hosea 6:6). It is not an easy walk. It takes strength, endurance and patience. But we have our hope and so we can walk that walk with persistence, fortitude, and joy! What is our hope? We are delivered, saved from the kingdom of darkness, ignorance and slavery to the prince of the world and now we are in the Kingdom of God. We belong to the King of kings, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Knowing God is His will for us. Knowing God results in obedience, faith, and maturity. Knowing God brings us into unity with Him and so conforms us to the Image of Jesus Christ. To know God we must know Jesus. Who is Jesus? Verses 15-20 tell us,
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Hebrews 1:3-4 reads,
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”
The fullness of God, everything God is dwelled in Jesus. If we want to know who God is, we need to know Jesus. Jesus made it possible to know or unite with The Father because He, the perfect image of God paid the price of death on the cross for us. He resurrected to give us eternal life (John 11:25). He ascended to give us The Holy Spirit and so fully unite us with God (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is the nature of God and He chooses to indwell us. He chooses to transform us into Jesus’ image. We can know God because we have His own Spirit in us. Verses 21-23 describe it this way,
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
If we love God, if Jesus is our King, if The Holy Spirit indwells us we will know Him and we will mature and want to know Him more. We want this for ourselves, for one another, and for the sake of the lost. But the transformation does not happen automatically. We walk with endurance, patience and joy through the suffering. It is suffering that teaches us obedience and it is suffering that develops the character of Jesus in us. Romans 5:2-5 reads,
“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Remember what that hope is, it is us perfected to the image of Christ and living absolutely united with him eternally. That is how we go through the trials with endurance, patience and joy. Are we crazy to rejoice in suffering? No, we are wise to rejoice in suffering. We can take joy in suffering because we recognize God’s mercy through it. Verses 25-29 read,
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”
What Paul is saying when he says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body” is that suffering is what is making him more like Jesus. As he became more mature and knew God more, he was responsible to teach others what he knew. As we grow to be more like Jesus, we have a responsibility to live it out and tell others who Jesus is and how wonderful He is. Unity with Jesus and His Body requires we all become the image of Christ. The more we know God, the more we become like Him, the more we want to know Him. It is a lovely cycle but not a circle an infinite spiral which brings us closer and closer to perfect Jesus. The more mature we are the more we love Jesus and one another. The more we love one another the more mature we want all of us to be. It is another infinite spiral which brings us closer to Jesus and more united with the body. Love and knowing God which leads to maturity form the double helix of the kingdom of God.
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Colossians 4 People Should Wonder Why You're Different

3/27/2015

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When we glorify Christ we stand out and others want to know how and why we can be so different. They want to know Jesus for themselves when they see Him lived out in our lives.
Colossians Chapter 4

How we act, the way we speak, and the manner of our responses to life matter. People are watching. Unbelievers are taking note. When we glorify Christ we stand out and they want to know how and why we can be so different. The Holy Spirit within us makes us distinct, and that distinction is amazing. They want to know Jesus for themselves when they see Him lived out in our lives.

But we have to make an effort. We have to put on Christ and choose to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. (Colossians 3:12). That means we ought to pray for one another that we will do those things.

Verses 2-4 read,

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

Notice Paul didn’t ask them to pray He would be released from prison. He certainly didn’t enjoy prison but He knew that his suffering had a purpose. He was there to share the truth of Jesus Christ with everyone he could. He asked that the door would be open, not to the prison, but for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.

What is the mystery of Christ? It is that we have salvation, absolute forgiveness, complete redemption and full restoration through the Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:26-29). It is a gift of grace by faith, not by works. Once saved we are given God’s Holy Spirit and He resides within us, guiding us and transforming us to Jesus’ image. (1 Timothy 3:16). One day Jesus will return and He will gather all the redeemed with Him. (1 Corinthians 50-56).

Knowing that we hold the key to someone coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior we should behave in a manner worthy of Him. 1 Timothy 3:15-16 reads,

“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.”


How is it that we should act toward unbelievers? Verses 5 reads,

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

We should walk in wisdom, making the best use of the time. What difference will they see in us, if we act just like them, making foolish choices, speaking crudely, and filled with drunkenness instead of the Spirit?

Walking in wisdom means being led by the Spirit, using His discernment, and obeying Him.  Colossians 1:9-10 says,

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Making the best use of time is important. We are here for a purpose. We are here to reveal Christ to them, to share the truth with them, and let them know there is hope in Jesus. We have to choose to spend the time we have with them, be it 3 minutes, 3 hours, or 3 days in the way the Spirit leads and not be afraid to be bold. What is more important, their salvation or whether they feel annoyed? No one knows what tomorrow will bring, no one knows the day she will die, no one knows the hour of Christ’s return. Time is of the essence. Ecclesiastes 8:6-8 reads,

“For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.”

Verse 6 says.

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

The way we speak makes a difference. If we tell vulgar stories instead of telling about the greatness and goodness of God, if our speech is peppered with judgement instead of salted with grace, then why would our answers to the big questions matter? Why would anyone even ask us the big questions?

Our lives are a testimony to Jesus. Everywhere we go, whether we want to be or not, we are Christ’s ambassadors. We are witnesses to God’s great love and ministers of the gospel. We have to always be ready to share the truth and defend the truth. 1 Peter 3:15-17 reads,

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.”

Even in suffering, we should be graceful, loving, and kind, more concerned with others than ourselves, since we know that God is with us. Paul was in prison and his concern was the ministry, he wanted to be sure that he was able to share the gospel and that the churches and friends he cared for were able to share the gospel.

Paul closed his letter to the Colossians with verses of greetings and encouragement to and from different people. Verse 12 reads,

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

And verse 17 says,

“And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

So I encourage you today, stand mature in fully assured in the will of God, fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord, walk in wisdom, make the best use of the time, and let your speech be gracious so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

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Colossians 4:2 Prayer, What Good is It?

3/26/2015

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Colossians Chapter 4 Verse 2

Colossians 4:2 reads,

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Continue, endure, keep going, do not stop, and restart when you do stop. Prayer is not meant to be a last ditch effort, a weak accompaniment, nor an activity only to begin and end a day.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads,

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Prayer is an ongoing two-way conversation with the Lord. We bare our souls to Him, even though He knows us more deeply than we know ourselves. We praise Him and thank Him for everything whether perceived as good or bad. We tell Him our needs and our hopes for ourselves and others. We listen to Him. We obey Him. It is a constant exchange and it keeps us strong, appreciative, growing, and in obedience. In Luke chapter 11 Jesus taught the disciples to pray. Verses 2-4 read,

“When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

This prayer includes praise and requests for physical and spiritual needs. And Jesus told the disciples a parable to let them know God would grant their requests. Luke 11:5-13 says,

“And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Prayer is not ineffective. It is not a crutch. It is powerful on multiple levels. It affects the person praying and the people around her. It affects relationships between people and the Lord, and relationships between people and neighbors.

Paul says we are to pray steadfastly. That is faithfully, constantly, unwaveringly, and persistently. Because we do not get an answer right away doesn’t mean we should give up. Paul said, “Continue steadfastly in prayer.” Jesus said it by telling the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8.

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

It is the squeaky wheel that gets the oil. Prayer is not complaining or whining. God hates grumbling. Prayer is faithfully asking the Father to grant a request that aligns with His will. The widow asked the judge for justice, not a revenge. The neighbor asked for bread for a visitor, not steaks for a party. The children asked their father for fish. Prayer is not meant to be greedy children with a list for Santa Claus. Prayer is about the relationship with God, our Father, our Savior, and our Peace. Prayer is about glorifying God, through our transformation to the image of Christ. When we pray steadfastly like the persistent widow, our Father grants us our requests.

Paul also exhorts us to be watchful in our prayer. We must be aware of our needs and of those around us, of when those needs are met, and of the fulfillment of God’s glory at Christ’s return. We have to stay watchful, alert, observant, attentive, and vigilant. Our prayer lives influence and involve more than just us, and we have to remember that. It is not just between us and God. Our relationship with God is public, lived overtly and so our prayer lives concern not just us but the world around us. What is the condition of our heart? What is happening in the world around us? What is happening to our neighbors and friends? What is happening in the government? What should we be praying for? Jesus also reminded us to remain watchful. Luke 21:34-36 reads,

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

If we pray and pray, yet don’t pay attention to when those needs are met, we become like ungrateful spoiled children who never appreciate what they have and what they are given. Paul also said our prayer must include thanksgiving. We need to acknowledge all the Lord has done for us and say thank you. He not only blesses us with good things, but He blesses us through suffering, He carries us through trials, He provides our needs and He has given us eternal life, freedom, and the Kingdom of Heaven. There is so much to thank Him for. Yet too often, thanksgiving is an abrupt and thoughtless addition to prayer.

Appreciate what God has done for us! Grasp the greatness of what He is doing. Realize the awesomeness of what He has promised. Be thankful, be glad, be grateful, and tell Him so. Tell the world. That kind of prayer life results in a person without anxiety, a person who the world can’t understand, and of whom they will take note. Philippians 4:4-7 says,

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I regularly hear people say, “All we can do is pray” or “The only thing left is prayer” as if prayer is a last resort. Prayer is the first thing we should do in any situation. It is not a fallback but a lifestyle of constant steadfast watchful and thankful communication with the LORD God Almighty. It is powerful. It changes us. It changes the world.

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Colossians 2 You are Saved by Jesus Christ, not Self-discipline.

3/24/2015

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Colossians Chapter 2

Believer, you are saved. You are saved by Jesus Christ once and for all. Your salvation is a miracle. It is huge. You don’t have to fall prey to a list of rules, rituals, or regulations to maintain your religion. You don’t have to question your salvation because someone says that if you’re saved then you will do this or do that. You have a relationship with God. Your salvation shows itself and you can be confident in it, because you can be confident in Christ.

Are you part of a local body? Believer, you are part of the body and in order to experience the wholeness of that, you need to be part of a community of believers. Paul put it like this in verses 2-3,

“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

When you are with other believers you are with people who reflect Christ, who are filled with the Spirit, who are seeking the same thing as you are, the Kingdom of God. You are knit together with them. You are interwoven with them inextricable from them. Being with others who share the same Spirit, the same goal, and the same Lord creates an environment where you are free to grow and mature in Christ and where you get to know God more intimately than you could ever get to know Him walking the path alone. And you are less likely to fall for wacky doctrine.

The Gospel is the gospel. It doesn’t change after you’re saved. Nothing gets added to it. Jesus Christ doesn’t change. You were saved by grace. You won’t lose your salvation due to hidden rules or rituals. Hebrews 13:8-9 say,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”

Stay rooted in the truth. Keep walking in truth. Get to know God more and more. Let your relationship with Him grow deeper, not broader. Pulling beliefs from religions, adding philosophies that sound good or make us more acceptable to the world make for a wide shallow relationship. Traditions, festivals, and ceremonies have nothing to do with grace, truth, or faith. Verses 6-8 read,

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

There are people out there who feel the need to force wacky doctrines on others. They’ll tell us that you must pay attention to this spirit or that spirit, that we must give up all material possessions, seek prosperity, punish ourselves, follow a set of strict rules, or live liberally without caring about how our actions affect others. We’ve seen people who drift from belief to belief, trying this one on, checking that one out, and trying to get to know God by following a worldly religion.

To know God, we only have to follow Christ. He is God. To know God we only have to realize we are have His Spirit inside us. He is God. He saved us by a miracle. He changed us wondrously. He didn’t just say, “You’re saved. Good luck with that, see ya in 60 years, hope you do well.” He made us a new creation. He transformed us and transforms us. He is with us. We were sinners, now we are blameless, forgiven, and righteous in His sight. We were dead, now we are alive. We are saved! Verses 9-15 read,

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

It doesn’t say, we were dead, raised to life and now have to stay on life support, following rules in order to stay born again. It says we were raised to life by faith in the powerful working of God! It says all our sins are erased. It says our debt is paid and we have no legal demands on us. God saved us supernaturally, He circumcised our hearts. No physical ritual can trump that or do what God has already done. Why beat ourselves up for sins that God has expunged? Why give license or power to the devil, demonic powers and worldly spirits when we have already triumphed over them through Jesus Christ?

Jesus is our Lord. We follow Him. There is one command. 1 John 3:23-24 puts it this way,

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

Don’t give in to someone telling you that you must follow a set of rules or customs to be saved. Follow Christ. You have His Spirit. Your Brothers and Sisters have His Spirit. Follow Jesus. Verses 16-19 read,

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

People come to us and say, “You’re doing it wrong! Christians can’t drink that, eat that, or go there.” They follow customs and philosophies. They follow ideas that sound good but are not from Christ. The Pharisees added rules and traditions in an attempt to ensure they were keeping the law and they ended up worshipping the laws and traditions instead of the Lord. Verses 20-23 say,

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

Following all those rules, might make us look more “Christian” but they won’t makes us more Christ-like. Severe self-discipline and forgoing all pleasure like asceticism seems right, but Jesus didn’t tell us to never enjoy life or to live in perpetual punishment. Where is the joy in that? There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. We are set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-2).

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Colossians 1:15-29 Who is Jesus? What is the Truth?

3/23/2015

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Colossians Chapter 1 Verses 15-29

What is the Gospel? What is the truth? It is this; Jesus Christ is the only way to be forgiven, reconciled to the Father, and given a share in His inheritance. We can’t be redeemed by good works, positive thoughts, or happy words. Jesus is the only way to redemption. Who is Jesus? People want to know why they should believe the Gospel when there are so many philosophies they could follow, beliefs which tell them they are good, they are one with the universe, or free to do whatever they choose in this life. Believer we can tell them about Jesus. We tell them by the lives we lead, the changes Jesus makes in us, and by knowing Him well enough to tell people who He is. Verses 15-16 describe Him this way,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”

He is the image of the invisible God. That means He is God manifested or revealed so that we can see Him and know Him. What does it mean that He is the first born of all creation? Does it mean He was created first by God? No. He is God. Rather, the firstborn of all creation means He is the prototype, the template by which everything was created. We endeavor to become like Him, and as the Spirit perfects us, He makes us to the image of Christ. We become like Christ so that He is revealed to others so that they can know Him too. Everything in the heavens, on earth, including angels, spirits, lands, and governments were created by Jesus. He is not lower than God. He is not a creation of God. He is God and was with Him when all things were created and in fact all things were created through Him and by Him. John 1:1-3 puts it this way.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Colossians 1 Verses 17-20 read,

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

It is through Jesus, for Jesus and by Jesus that everything spiritual and physical exists. So He is before all things. He is the highest authority. And while that is true of all creation it is especially true of the church, His body, who reveal Him to the world. It is because He died for our sins, and raised from death to life that we, when we accept the gift of His propitiation for our sins are raised to new and eternal life in Him. Because of that, we are reconciled, that is reunited and united with God. Jesus was and is fully God, even when He became a man, the completeness and perfection of God was in Him. When Jesus makes peace between the Father and us, His Spirit dwells in us and transforms us to His perfection.

How awesome is it that we can be at peace with God? We can speak to Him, fellowship with Him, and commune with Him. And not just occasionally at appointed times, but always and continually because He is with us always and continually. That is because of the blood He shed. The horrible death He died to pay for our sins makes it possible. Verses 21-22 read,

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”

Once we were estranged from God, separated from Him by our sin. We had naturally antagonistic, selfish minds which led us to sin to get what we wanted. But because the Father loves us so much, because Jesus died and rose again, and because The Spirit indwells us we are no longer sinful children of wrath but now at peace with God we are considered righteous. None of our sins are held against us and we have a new mind, the mind of Christ. We want to please God. We no longer seek to please ourselves. As we are transformed and we mature, there is no more animosity between God’s will and our own.

But the Gospel doesn’t gel with the worldly beliefs, the spiritualisms, mysticisms, universalisms, and many other isms the world prefers. Her truth and his truth, my truth and your truth do not exist, they are lies. There is one truth, one Gospel. There are not many paths to enlightenment. There are many paths to delusion. There is no other way to the Father except Christ Jesus. He is God. He is the Son of God, the Image of God, the Word of God. Anything else is a lie. Paul encourages the believer to stay steadfast in that knowledge. Verse 23 reads,

“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

We don’t have to doubt the simple truth. We don’t have to complicate it. We don’t have to shift from philosophy to philosophy. Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life. There is no other way to the Father except Him. (John 14:6). Suffering and trials may shake us. We may want to find an easier way, a way that makes it okay to be selfish, a way that blames others. But The Way gives suffering a purpose as we are matured and conformed to Christ. The Way makes us blameless in Christ when we take responsibility and repent from sin. The Way may not always be easy but we are never alone as we walk it and it leads to the awesome and beautiful promise of our inheritance in Christ. Verses 24-29 read,

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Our Christian walk is not alone. Not only do we have God with us. We have our brothers and sisters. Our walk affects theirs, and theirs ours. And our walk affects those watching from the outside too as we reveal Christ to them. The mystery they don’t understand is made known in our lives, how we walk, and how we handle life. We mature. We change. We grow. We live publicly for Christ together with the Brethren and in doing so we proclaim the Gospel to everyone.

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Colossians 1:1-14 A Relationship with God is not a Private Matter.

3/22/2015

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Colossians Chapter 1 Verses 1-14

Today we begin reading the letter to the church at Colossae from Paul and Timothy. Many in the church were making their faith very private and esoteric, which in turn made it easy to adopt mysticism and asceticism into their spiritual practice and belief. A private faith, and a faith that relies on the self is a faith that can be easily warped by humanitarianism, various philosophies, and other worldly beliefs.

Paul begins his letter to the church with a prayer of thanksgiving and encouragement for them. Verses 4-5 read,

“since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,”

Sincere faith in Christ always manifests in love. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. God is Love. Love is not an empty feeling but is seen, heard, and experienced by those who receive it. The love and community we form with the brethren now is a shadow of the fullness we will experience one day in New Jerusalem. God is keeping it safe for us now as we practice it here on this earth.

That faith based on the truth of the Gospel is not a private or stagnant thing. It changes us. It changes others. It affects the world. Verse 6 says it this way.

“which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,”

The truth comes to us. The Holy Spirit allows us to hear it, understand it, and believe it. But we do not hold it covertly to ourselves. We live it overtly. Our lives testify to it. We display it by changing to the image of Christ. We reveal God by bearing the fruit, the traits of Christ, who is Love. And that is ever increasing. It increases day by day within us as we become more of Christ and less of us. He increases as our lives bare out the truth by our change and affect others to hear, understand, and believe the Gospel of Christ.

In order to mature, to become more like Christ through the transformation of the Holy Spirit, He continues to teach us. We get to know God more and more. Verses 9-10 read,

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

The knowledge, wisdom, and understanding we gain doesn’t stay hidden and private. It bears itself out in our walk. The more we know God and the more we know about Him, the more we want to know God and the more we want to please Him by loving others with good works.

We change when receive Christ. We are transformed when the Spirit enters us. We are revolutionized when the Father restores us to a relationship with Him. That change is not a private inner change but a public obvious total conversion. It reshapes us. It affects everyone around us. The transformation is not always easy but we are not alone. Often the revolution of our heart involves hardship and pain. But we are not alone through that suffering. And even the way we handle the tribulations we face have influence on the world. Even our travails are not meant to be kept secret. Verses 11-12 encourage us.

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light”

We can no longer live in the dark of the lies, idolatry, and worldly philosophies. We know there is no “your truth” or “my truth” but THE Truth. The Gospel is one gospel not many. Verses 13-14 read,

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Be careful that your relationship with God is not a private one. Intimacy with the Lord is important, but it is not meant to be experienced solely in the closet. Your relationship with God is meant to be lived out loud, all the time, be it in your closet, on the street, in the sanctuary, or in the workplace. Jesus Christ permeates your entire life. The Holy Spirit saturates every part of your being. The Father should be glorified by every aspect of who you are. God is enigmatic to many of the world but He is not a secret to be kept. He is a mystery to be unlocked. You are the key. Your witness reveals God to the world.

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    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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