2018-09-07
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Because it has been a while since we studied COL 1: 1-2: 15, let me review its high points. This passage contains Paul’s prayer for the people, the person and work of Christ, Paul’s work as a servant of the church, and the fullness of life in Christ. Paul’s prayer is one of thanksgiving for the faith and love of the people, which is based on the hope of what is kept safe for each enduring believer in heaven. This love arises from the realization of God’s unparalleled grace given to each person who believes or is a potential believer. What God has reserved for us in heaven results from Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. COL 1: 15-20 reminds us that Christ is “the visible likeness of the invisible God and the Firstborn of all creation.” In union with Him, all things have their proper place, and He is the Bridegroom, the Head of the church. It is by His Atonement that we are saved and eternally forgiven [JN 3: 16; 1 JN 1: 9] when we profess faith in Him and repent of our sins. He has God’s full nature. God made peace with the believer by His Son’s blood shed on the cross [RO 5: 9-11]. Paul has suffered for the sake of his own faith in Christ and relates that his task for God is to fully proclaim Christ’s message. This message was held secret until Paul was given this task to reveal it. God’s mystery is Christ in us, who believe, which means that we will share in His glory. Christ is the key, Who opens the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge to all who believe in Him. We should be thankful for all these blessings. Paul urges us not to be taken in by false teaching and human-crafted wisdom. There is fullness of life when in union with Christ, for we are released from the power sin has over us. Our Lord Jesus is supreme over all other beings. Christ made a public spectacle of spiritual rulers and authorities by leading them as captives in His victory procession.
Since this discussion is part of a larger one which reveals the relationship between the Lord Jesus and believers in Him, it should cover supporting Scriptures. We’ve been referred to as believers, the body of Christ, or the family of God; these are different terms for the same entity. As such, RO 8: 14-16 reminds us that the Spirit has made us God’s children. Since the word in Hebrew used here for God is “Abba,” rather than “Av,” when we cry out to God, a lovingly fatherly relationship is revealed between God and the believer. (“Av” is a more formal term). Wholesome intimacy and acceptance describes this relationship. Prior to our profession of faith, we had been spiritually dead. Now, we are alive in Christ and thus, have sweet fellowship with the Father [RO 6: 11].
Recognition of the competition to the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s time historically helps the believer to understand one of Paul’s greatest concerns. I refer here to the human-crafted philosophy known as Gnosticism. The latter didn’t contain truth, teach love, or give hope, as a life in union with Christ does. Nor did Gnosticism teach righteousness. The concept of unselfish sacrifice for the benefit of others was not a part of this bogus belief system. IS 53: 5-6 was written 300 years before Christ’s earthly incarnation. “Because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the blows He received. All of us were like sheep that were led astray, each going its own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on Him, the fate all of us deserved.” This Isaiah passage is certainly a prophecy of what was to come! 1 PET 2: 24-25, which I hope you will review, repeats this same notion. Christ gave His life on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have given us Your word, which we can’t help but understand by our own observation is both consistent and true throughout. What You prophesy comes true; what You teach is always wise and righteous. With our limited natural perception, we are motivated to seek Your wisdom and insights. You have told us that when we seek You, we will find You, in JER 29: 13. Our experience with You is that You intervene in our lives when there is a need and teach us the power of prayer. You provide for our needs. PS 81: 10, “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will feed you.” You show us the difference between a true need and a want. Sometimes those lessons are painful for us, but they are necessary. One thing we must spend time doing is to recognize the many blessings that come to us, because Jesus gave His life on the cross. We must not take them for granted. You extend Your grace to us, even though we don’t deserve it [EPH 2: 8-9]. One of the greatest of these blessings is escape from spiritual death, which is eternal life with You. Through the Holy Spirit, Your Spirit, we come to see our need for Your word and its value to us [2 TIM 3: 16-17]. Your Spirit pleads for us in words we can’t express [RO 8: 26-27]. He is also our Counselor, Who never gives us false teaching or acts deceitful. We thank and praise You, recognize Your attributes, and are grateful for all do for us. We are honored to serve You and to bring Your goodness to a broken world. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit urges me to write about the consequences of breaking God’s Law [any of the Ten Commandments]. This important subject helps to reveal yet another portion of our relationship with God. As for this week’s topic, I will share some of my own experience with God now. It’s been nearly fifty years since I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. In the beginning of this time, I felt motivated to nail down and study the word of God. It’s importance to my life wasn’t appreciated right away, but it soon became apparent to me that God was intervening in my life to affect some amazing changes in it. The more I studied, the more I wanted to spend time with His word. That had never happened with any other book. My attitude was converted from “I’m the victim” to “how very blessed I am.” In fact, I was beginning to believe PHIL 4: 13, “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” No one goes through life without challenges, and I’ve had plenty of them. But things now were different than before Christ made His presence known to me. I’ve lost many people who meant a lot to me, but Christ has also brought many others into my life who teach me the value of not only studying His word, but by living it. I am, by no means, perfect; only Christ can truthfully claim that. But, I now know I’m a work in progress. I’ve endured illness severe enough to render me physically partially disabled. And yet, my life is much more about what I can do to serve God, rather than what I can’t do. Like my husband, I’m a Stephen minister, a trained care-giver, who works one on one with a care-receiver. I did this for many years, but then my mobility issues got in the way of working at this as I got older. Instead, the Holy Spirit gave me the idea of using my knitting and crochet skills to make prayer shawls and other items for those in need (including care-receivers). Today, I lead a group of women who join me in this activity. The Holy Spirit has replaced my former chaotic existence with a life directed and pleased to serve the Lord. I am both grateful and awe-struck at how the Lord works in our lives to better them. Believe me! He takes a stubborn, willful person and is willing to take the time necessary to show him/her a better way to live. This isn’t easy work for Him, and only a fool wouldn’t be grateful for His efforts.
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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