2018-05-25
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In examining supporting Scriptures to what we learn in Colossians, it’s helpful to look back over the blessings of faith in Christ mentioned in this NT book so packed with spiritual goodness. HE 11: 1, “To have faith is to be certain of the things for which we hope and to be sure of things we cannot see.” Grace is unmerited favor [EPH 2: 8-9]. Peace is “being set on a solid Rock (Christ) and made to feel secure” [PS 40: 2]. All three of these intangibles are found in COL 1: 1-2. Love is more difficult to define, but it is described beautifully in 1 COR 13: 4-8a. Love comes from God is the topic of 1 JN 4: 7. It is the feelings we should have for one another and Him that Christ demonstrates for us, in comparing faith, hope, and love, it is said to be the greatest.
One of our greatest hopes is the hope of resurrection, as taken up in 1 JN 2: 19, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” COL 1: 23 gives us the message that we should remain firm in our faith, unshaken from that which you had when you first heard the Gospel, to make this hope a reality. It is faith in Christ, which rescues us from the dominion of darkness, as we are reconciled with God through faith in Him. Our sins are eternally forgiven [COL 1: 13-14; JN 3: 16; RO 1: 16-17; RO 5: 9-11; 1 JN 1: 9]. COL 1: 26-27 and 2: 2- 3 define God’s mystery, that held secret until now. Job’s utterance, in JOB 33: 4, and Paul’s, in RO 6: 6, and 11, tell us we are no longer slaves to sin but are alive in Christ. In different words, the same sentiments are expressed in COL 2: 20-23. It should be recalled that when God repeats something in the Bible, He is telling us it is important for us and to Him. Christ’s supremacy above all other spiritual rulers and authorities is mentioned in COL 1: 16-18 and 2: 10 and again, in HE 1: 4. Our to persist in faith against foolish, human-crafted arguments and to not be trapped into their rules and regulations are found in COL 2: 4, 8, 16-19, and 29. Support for these notions can be found in HB 2: 4, RO 14: 4-6, HE 4: 12, and 2 TIM 3: 16-17. Cancellation of the written code in favor of living in the Spirit is discussed in COL 2: 14 and supported in RO 7: 6 and GA 5: 25-26. Please don’t allow the number of citations in this message deter you from seeing the connections made.
We are told, in COL 3: 1 -2 and 5-10, to keep our minds on the things of heaven and to put off earthly desires in favor of being truthful and forsaking the old self in favor of the new self. Thinking in eternal terms will enable us to do God’s will more easily. 2 COR 5: 17 speaks of putting off the old self, since the new has come (when we accept Christ). God judges us all by the same standard, which means that wrongdoers will be punished, and the righteous will be rewarded REV 2: 10. These latter notions are supported in PR 10: 7, EZK 18: 20, GA 6: 8-10, and 1 PET 4: 14. We are told to be forgiving and why, in COL 3: 13. This is supported in IS 55: 6-7 and EPH 4: 32. Believers who persist in their faith in Christ will appear with Him and share in His glory is the message of COL 3: 3-4. This is supported in PR 15: 7-9 and 1 JN 2: 17. Devotion to prayer with an understanding of its power is expressed in COL 4: 2 and is supported in PS 34: 4, 56: 3, 64: 1, and 145: 18-19, RO 8: 26-27, 1 JN 4: 4, and 1 PET 5: 6-7. The church is to be unified is expressed in COL 3: 14-17 and is supported in EPH 4: 3. Please take the time to consult any of these citations which are unfamiliar, because the positive messages are so worthwhile.
I have saved a discussion of water immersion as it relates to ritual cleanliness and baptism for next week. As one studies the Scriptures, he cannot avoid realizing the great connections between the OT and NT. God’s remarkable consistency in teaching and blessing us through reading it shouldn’t be missed. We must understand that God’s will for us is in our best eternal interests.
PRAYER: O Most Heavenly Father, we come before Your mighty throne, seeking You out for greater understanding of Your word and advancement in our spiritual maturation. The supernatural quality of Your teaching is increasing hunger for it, as we are exposed to it. Before Your Son, Jesus Christ, made Your will clearer and impacted our lives, we were lost, miserable, and afraid. Yet, You loved us enough to make His presence known to us at some time in our past. We never knew before what unconditional love was, nor did we realize the importance of obedience to You. PS 139: 13-14, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Over time, we came to realize that You are with us constantly and that You are always available to us in prayer. Our faith grows as we study Your word, listen for Your answers to our prayers, and give us life in Christ. We come before You as imperfect sinners undeserving of Your grace. We cannot boast about anything we are or do but can boast about You. You have given each of us a set of talents, and prepared work for You in which we can use them. Our lives have gone from chaos to orderliness, from being lost to becoming members of Your family who have clear direction. You freely share Your wisdom with us, and we are blessed greatly by that. It is for these reasons that we will continue to seek You out and obey Your commands. This prayer is said in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: As mentioned above, we will take up an examination of baptism that allows us to see its roots in the OT. I was flipping the pages of a calendar on my desk to bring it up to date. The Holy Spirit has a special and very applicable message for us. “Love so great: Christ died for us; He lives for us.” This notion is so central to our faith! Our Father wants us to understand that His love for us is so great, that He gave His only begotten Son on the cross, so that whoever believes in Him won’t perish but will have eternal life. Yes, that’s JN 3: 16! Salvation, eternal forgiveness of sin, and justification weren’t available to us until the Father made this unbelievably difficult and unselfish sacrifice of One so precious to Him. What makes this so poignant is that RO 8: 38 tells us nothing can separate us from the love of God. Each of us is in the process of being sanctified, i.e. is working to uncover our sins and genuinely confess them before God, while God works to forward our spiritual maturation, so we can gain eternal life. If we consider (in detail) the ramifications of what this truth means in our individual lives, it is nothing short of amazing. JN 1: 29, “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world.” As a Messianic Jewish person (one who has accepted Christ) who has lost a portion of her family in the Holocaust, I can’t help but find God’s unconditional love toward me this way. It was necessary for me, now in my mid-70’s, to wait for God’s perfect time and way to discover my ancestry all the way back to the 1700’s. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I found out from where in central Europe they came. The Jewish people have undergone unparalleled persecution over the last 3000 years. Prior to this, I had concluded that my family would have destroyed any paper trail that allowed anti-Semitic authorities to trace them. God showed me I was wrong. This is only one of countless blessings that have come my way, resulting from strong faith in Christ. The learning curve has had its rough, hard places, but overall it has been a blessing. I may not know what God has in store for my future, but I do know that “Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow” [HE 13: 8]. And that, Dear Ones, is encouraging. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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