2016-07-29
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, we looked at the problem of human-crafted regulations on the lives of those living under law and under misinterpreted teaching from Christ. Neither of the latter groups understood the mystery of God, which is Christ dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. The basics of our covenant relationship with God also weren’t properly understood, leading to not really knowing Who Christ is and what He has done for us. The first part of COL 3 deals with rules for holy living, God-ordained ones.
We are told, in COL 3:1-2, “Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” This is a way of saying “think eternally.” We are to consider any impact or consequences of our decisions, words, and actions on our eternal life with the Father in the future. Since no one knows when he will physically die, so he must do this now, in preparation for that day of glorification. Only the Father knows that exact day, and He has chosen it to exact the greatest good for us. Remember Rick Warren’s assertion that we have two purposes for our life—1) our immediate purpose, tied with our God-given talents, and 2) our cosmic purpose, which is tied with the legacy we will leave behind after our physical death for future generations. All we know is that if we faithfully obey God, both of these will be fulfilled. We usually don’t know what our cosmic purpose is during our earthly lifetime.
One of the most powerful truths given by Paul in this letter to the Colossians comes in COL 3: 3-4. “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when He appears, then you too will appear with Him and share His glory!” This passage is crucial to how we should conduct ourselves on earth and what we can eagerly anticipate in heaven. It’s so important to me, that I have it tacked up where I can see it every day. This is the result of having been “a new creation in union with Christ; the old self has disappeared, and the new being has come” [2 COR 5: 17]. It’s a reminder of the tremendous power for good that God uses when we genuinely repent and confess faith in the Lord Jesus. I see it as a gift, a way out of the slimy pit of misery, lack of direction, destructive anger, and self-loathing that was my past. Only a God Who loves His human creation can and would do this for us! With the privilege of sharing in Christ’s glory that is part of our covenant relationship with Him, comes the responsibility to faithfully obey God’s commands and make His will our own.
This applies in every aspect of our lives. Intellectually, it applies in nourishing our minds with learning wholesome things, implying both careful selection of what we are willing to be exposed to and not wasting time with useless and unnecessary pursuits. PR 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This does not exclude something like bird-watching, handicrafts, woodworking, and the like, but it does exclude something like dabbling in pornography or anything to do with the occult. Physically, we need to do what we can to keep our bodies healthy. 1 COR 6: 19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have received from God?” If I might offer a personal opinion, this would apply to getting tattoos from questionable sources. Certainly it would apply to engaging in sexually promiscuous behavior. Emotional balance and good health is difficult to achieve with the pressures of today’s society. Certainly the breakdown of the family unit, all these so-called alternative lifestyles, the habit of impatience, the pressures of the workplace, greed, destructive competition, and raising children in our present society have all contributed to emotional imbalance in people’s lives. Our spiritual lives are tested by the challenges of our circumstances, disappointments, losses, serious illnesses, and other trials of our lives. But we must remember that what God teaches us is the same yesterday, today, and forever [HE 13: 8]. The Bible is God’s love letter to His children. Understanding why we should live up to knowing Who Christ is, what He has done for us, and the other teaching in its pages is a gift. This is a gift that requires us to spend daily time with God’s word, pray often listening for God’s messages and lessons, regular participation in Christ-led congregation, and, if it helps one, getting into a good Bible study with other believers.
COL 3: 5-8 gives us the kind of things we must eliminate from our lives in order to engage in holy living. COL 3: 9-10, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator.” This passage goes right to the work on us that the Lord is doing. We are now called upon to renounce the old ways directed by the natural desires and to become “baptized into Christ and having clothed yourselves with Christ” [GA 3: 27]. God created us in His own image [GN 1: 26] and in the process of our sanctification, He is revealing more and more of Himself to us, i.e. we are getting to know Him better by living the holy life. That matters! Praise be to our God!
PRAYER: O Lord, once again we come to Your throne in freedom and confidence that You want to hear from us. Our heads are bowed in reverence and awe of You. You are a God Who loves His human creation and wants us to mature in our covenant relationship with You. Your omniscience allows You to use Your omnipotence to reveal more of Yourself to us as we are ready to receive this knowledge. As we gradually mature in our faith, we can’t help but realize the great gift that Christ’s Atonement is to us [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. Moreover, there are many facts that make us want to open our hearts to Your Spirit and to live the holy life that You desire for us. One of those facts is Your most excellent grace, that undeserved merit, that forgiveness of sins, and the good deeds You have prepared for us to do [EPH 2:8-10]. For those of us who study Your word every day, we are learning about our history and the work You have done to civilize mankind over time. 2 TIM 3: 16-17 is definitely true. Another fact is the power of prayer and Your availability to us through prayer. We are so blessed to have these wonderful ways to get to know You better. We thank and praise You for Your hard work with us, and so much more. We offer ourselves in service to You and willing to make the changes in our lives that move us closer to Christ. We understand we are a work in progress, and that we are still sinners capable of sinning. It is our intention to take the responsibility for our thoughts and actions, to make changes that You tell us are needed in our individual lives, and to work toward being obediently faithful to You. These prayers and assertions we say in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: As this “Who Christ Is” segment of the “Knowing God” messages continue, we will go on with more on the rules for holy living and Christian households found in COL 3. This little book, Colossians, with its four chapters is jam-packed with important things we need to know to come closer to God. Some of them are rules for holy living; others are didactics that God sends as messages to enrich our lives. All of it is practical, real, timeless, and truthful. We don’t ever have to worry that God lies to us or teaches us evil, for He has no evil in Him [1 JN 1: 5]. There is some Biblical encouragement I want to share. It is 1 JN 4: 4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them [spirits that have not acknowledge Jesus], because the One Who is in you [the Holy Spirit] is greater than the one who is in the world.” With Christ’s Atonement having taken over our fate from the evil one, having been victorious over spiritual death, those who believe in Him will also overcome. That’s us, the people who believe in and are faithful to Jesus! I’m hoping that you are finding this as comforting as I do. It allows us to look at the bigger, eternal picture when we are in the “belly of the beast” [amidst terrible trials] and see that, through Christ, there is a way out. Remember this: 1 COR 10: 13, “No
temptation has seized you except what is common in man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Now that’s a God Who loves each of us! Praise be to Him forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2016. All Rights Reserved.
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