2017-03-03
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, the Holy Spirit led me to end at COL 2: 15. This week I’m commanded to begin with a general discussion of COL 2: 16-23. We are reminded to not let anyone’s judgment of us based on what we eat, which day we celebrate the Sabbath, or such things hold weight. One with an “unscriptural mind” potentially delights in false humility, worships angels, or is judgmental. This person’s behavior toward us should not keep us from our connection to Jesus Christ. Nor should it keep us from being connected to the support of other believers in Christ. The human-crafted regulations that others might impose on us appear to be wise, but are not. Please don’t take this as my saying we shouldn’t follow constitutional laws or laws like traffic ones designed for our safety. The rules not to be obeyed are ones designed to be harsh, judgmental against Christ and His followers, ones which involve false humility, etc. As COL 2: 23 tells us, “…They lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
We need to look at rules for holy living, found in COL 3: 1-17, but may not get through all of it this week alone—that’s how much “meat” is here for the Christian soul. COL 3: 1-2, “Since then, 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.” Often, I have said that we must consider decisions and perceptions in the eternal sense and not just the earthly sense. This means, for example, when deciding if you want to engage in a certain activity, ask oneself if it will bring us closer to God first. Thinking first before speaking is a good way to do this. Of course, this is only one example, but it serves the purpose of clarifying a tough habit to acquire. It means breaking old, well-worn habits. As a believer in Jesus Christ, we eagerly hope to be glorified and join Him in heavenly eternal fellowship in the future, as RO 8: 18-19 expresses.
COL 3: 3-4 states one of my favorite reminders to us all. “For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” As we grow closer and closer to our Lord, it is He Who one sees rather than the human led by bodily desires that we used to be before we believed. If a human is physically imperfect, even ugly, we can see through to his soul. If that person is a believer in Christ, his soul is beautiful unlike his outer self. His outer appearance means nothing (if he has decent personal hygiene J ). That is a reason why Hollywood’s emphasis on a certain outer appearance has no real value. It’s God’s opinion that matters. Imagine; we are being told that we will share God’s glory if we are led by the Holy Spirit in the way we live our lives! What greater gift can our faith in Jesus Christ have? A friend of mine, who is herself a profound believer, told me this: “God is the strength of my heart, relaxed, perfect, has continuing energy, and knows all. He is my God, my Father, lives and works through me.” This means she has given control of her life over to the Holy Spirit, and God directs her actions, words, relationships, and decisions. When God deems the time is right, He will call us to a blissful, eternal fellowship with Him in heaven. A true believer wants to obey COL 3: 5-9’s directives to put to death earthly desires and no longer allow them to dominate your life-things like destructive anger, passion, hate, insults, obscenities, lies, and the like.
In our putting on the “new self,” God is constantly renewing us in His own image, so that we may have a greater knowledge of Him. God is keeping His end of the covenant in doing this. Can we be trusted to keep our end of the covenant to obey Him in all we think and do? Are we wasting the blood He shed for us by refusing or delaying? These are tough questions only we as individuals can answer, and they must be addressed.
PRAYER: O Lord, we stand before Your mighty throne to acknowledge our imperfect obedience and our need to obey Your teaching to improve it. You are a powerful, gracious, and kind God—One Who loves us even when we don’t deserve it. We thank and praise You for never giving up on us and for the wisdom You impart through Your Holy Spirit. We have set up barriers using human-crafted grouping by things like educational background, material wealth, gender, ethnicity, and even our clothing. We have disobeyed You by allowing our emotions rather than Your directives for holy living to drive our words and actions. Money has been a temptation and a weakness in our society; it is often used in wrongful ways. You have told us, in MT 6: 24, “No one can serve two masters…God and mammon.” We thank You, Dearest Father, for giving us GA 5: 22-23, a clear list of the qualities You want us to exhibit. We pledge to listen for Your direction and make the changes necessary in our lives. We acknowledge the great gift of Jesus Christ You have given us. In His holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded to continue discussing COL 3: 11-17 and beyond if space permits next week. COL 3 gives us rules the Lord established for holy living and for Christian households. These are rules that have stood the test of time and lead to our best eternal outcome. There are some blessings we can expect to come our way when we obey the Lord’s instructions. My own experience has examples. Amidst my grieving a number of years ago at the loss of a good friend, came these devotions. She got a terminal diagnosis due to a brain tumor, and she asked me to write to her every day. I did this only to discover that I couldn’t keep talking about myself. So, I began writing about the Lord and His word. She loved that, and others caught on that I was doing this. They asked to receive my notes, and a figurative snowball began rolling down a hill. I realized God deserved that I take the time to carefully research His word before writing. So after my friend passed away, I began sending these devotions weekly instead of daily. They have blessed me, and your letters praising them have kept me going. I love receiving your comments. PS 115: 1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.” Praise and thanks be to the Lord!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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