2016-05-12
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, I shared an outline of the book of Colossians, to facilitate our study of its many precious teachings. Even though this book of the New Testament and letter from Paul to the three cities nearby to each other in Asia Minor [modern-day Turkey (Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea)] only has four chapters, it is chock full of great didactics for us to absorb. Paul, was a well-educated man with the mind of an attorney, and a great one at that. He considered objections, met them with effective arguments, and had a heart open to the direction of the Holy Spirit at all times. One can see this in his writing, especially in what I believe to be his greatest work, the book of Romans. In any event, let’s begin today focusing on the intended recipients of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, delivered by another servant of God, Epaphras, who was a local to his fellow Colossians around 60 AD. He can be credited with establishing the church, body of believers, in Colossae. Epaphras was also an evangelist in nearby Laodicea and Hierapolis [COL 4: 12-13]. He was the one who had discussed the church in Colossae with Paul while the latter was in prison in Rome. That is what led to Paul writing the letter in the first place [COL 1: 7]. PHL 23 tells us Paul called Epaphras, “my fellow prisoner” in admiration for the latter’s work in ministry to Christ.
COL 1: 18, “And He (Christ) is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the Beginning and the Firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” [Also, COL 1: 24; 2: 8-19]. The positioning of Christ in Paul’s life, the life of all the apostles of the early church, and every believer, including us, is of paramount importance. The Lord must be First! If so, then everything and everyone else we care about falls amazingly and beautifully in place. Our Lord Jesus is a most unselfish Being, a trait which Paul also acquired and demonstrated in his warnings contained in this important missive. Through knowledge, understanding, and wisdom imparted from Christ, through Paul, we see vital reconnaissance that helps us to live our lives righteously. COL 1: 4b-6, “..Faith in the Lord Jesus and the love you have for all the saints ---the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the Gospel, that has come to you. All over the world this Gospel is bearing fruit and growing just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” This passage is as true today as it was in 60 AD. Even though we hear about the huge numbers of believers in Islam so often, Christianity is still the largest of the world’s belief systems in numbers, e.g. growing with increasing speed in places all over Africa. From our Lord’s point of view, it is the fruit it produces that matters most.
Every believer, then as now, knows he must deal with spiritual warfare. The devil is a wily, cunning being who is evil and knows how to send out his poisoned darts to our most vulnerable places. It is our Lord Jesus, Who offers us rescue from the dominion of darkness, Who works to ultimately bring us into His Kingdom through redemption and forgiveness of sins [COL 1: 13-14]. We can pray PS 19: 12-13, and He will hear us. “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.” Faith in Christ leads to redemption due to His Atonement on the cross and subsequent resurrection [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. COL 1: 21-23, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation---if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel. This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which, I, Paul, have become a servant.” This is akin to the message of RO 5: 9-11, where Paul reveals we have “become God’s friends” through Christ. The gulf between an enemy and a friend is great, and through Christ, we have jumped it! I’ve often written, “we shouldn’t waste one drop of the blood Christ shed for us.” The more and deeper that we delve into God’s word, the better we can understand why. We can ask, how many of our human friends would be willing to suffer and die for us as He did? The truthful answer is a precious few, if any!
He has redeemed us, granted us eternal forgiveness, deemed us innocent and acceptable in the eyes of God, has given us the hope of the resurrection, and made us “secure upon a Rock.” He has shown us grace that we never deserved, and He has set an example of how to interact with others that no one else can for us. He loves us unconditionally, and exhibits the fruits of the Holy Spirit [GA 5: 22-23] as no other ever has. That’s our Lord Jesus, Who deserves to be the Center of our very lives!
PRAYER: O Lord, we come to You today to express the most important of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit---love. Our heads are bowed, our knees bended in reverence and awe of You. You know that with our limited abilities and perspective, You are a Mystery to us; we can’t see You and have trouble imagining what You look like. That is why You made Your Son, as both Man and God in human form. It is why You sent Him at a key time in human history to teach for three years, to suffer, and to die on the cross---taking our sins with Him. Then, You raised Him from hell and returned Him to Your side in heaven, as “the Firstborn of many brothers” [RO 8: 29]. We now have the hope of the resurrection because of what You accomplished through Him and giving us faith in Him. You extended Your most excellent grace even though we are disfigured, imperfect through our inherent sinfulness. You made it possible for us to cooperate with You in sanctification, so that one day we might gain eternal life and sweet fellowship with You. The love You have for us is something we recognize through the Holy Spirit, Whom Christ sent to dwell within us once His heavenly presence was accomplished. We use Your words from 1 COR 13: 4-8a to describe the love You have for us. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” You are a God of frequent second chances, and You grant us security as our faith strengthens. You gave us Your word and prayer to keep us in contact with You--- something for which You deserve praise and utmost thanks. We know You love us unconditionally, as a Parent loves His children. You give us a peace we cannot find from any other source, and we, in turn, offer You our loyalty, honor, and glory. This prayer is offered in the holy/mighty name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The segment “Focus on Recipients” in this “Knowing God” series of messages will continue at the behest of the Holy Spirit. We have more to learn about protection against false teaching, the deleterious effects of human regulations, and other tenets contained in the warnings found in Colossians. In the meanwhile, read these important words from PS 40: 1-2. “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a Rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” The mental picture of these words help us to see that our Lord is here for us, alive and true, willing to help us out of the challenges of our lives. There isn’t a one of us who doesn’t have illnesses, losses, disappointments, and all manner of trouble that comes to us. But there is a great difference between how people of faith in Christ can approach this trouble from those without such faith. We have our Lord, Who loves us and wants us to rely on Him. Non-believers don’t. The books of Psalms and Proverbs particularly have great advice and faith-strengthening words for us. For example, we are taught to be loving, joyful, peaceful, kind, gentle, faithful, patient, good, and to have self-control in GA 5: 22-23. God helps us to be this way in verses like PR 11: 17 by saying, “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.” PR 11: 30 has impacted choices I’ve made in the way I live and in working for In Search of Shalom, witnessing to seekers. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” What a great blessing each of us who has faith in the Lord Jesus has! It gives us direction for our lives; it gives us a sound ethical foundation in His word. We really do stand on a Rock and feel secure! Praise and thanks be to the Lord forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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