2018-11-09
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to continue writing about the supporting Scriptures to the ideals expressed in the book of Colossians. Moreover, we need to know what God expects of us and what we can expect from Him resulting from the Covenant of Grace. Remember that a covenant is a two-way promise. 1) The body of Christ will share in God’s glory [COL 3: 3-4; 1PET 4: 13; 1 PET 5: 4; HE 2: 10]. 2) Christ is the Head of the body providing it nourishment and direction [COL 1: 17-18; 1COR 15: 20-21]. 3) Both Jews and Gentiles become members of the body equally and form new selves in the process [COL 1: 13-14; RO 1: 16-17; EPH 2: 15; EPH 3: 6]. We must understand that the law central to the Jewish faith didn’t provide salvation, justification, or eternal forgiveness, as Christ’s Atonement does. All the law did was to let us know what pleases God and what doesn’t. For access to God’s blessings, all we must do is to repent of our sin and genuinely profess our faith in the Lord Jesus. We are given the hope of the resurrection for our faith in Him, and what greater gift can anyone give?!
God’s mystery revealed to us is Christ is in us, which means we will share in the glory of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are drawn together in love and are filled with courage. This is so that we have the full wealth of assurance, which true understanding brings. Christ is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge. This is the message that we are urged to pass along to anyone who will listen. [COL 1: 26-27; 2: 2-3]. We’ve been told of the importance of obedience to God’s teaching and are expected to live by it. HE 5: 12-14 reminds us not to remain babies in the faith, but instead, to feast not only on the milk of it but also on the meat of it.
Paul preached about the Person of Christ, not just about “philosophy” or “politics” as the Gnostics did in the past. HE 4: 12-13, “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before His eyes.” Gnosticism was filled with exclusivity and secrets. The truth will always be exposed over time. Paul’s concern about the competition to the truth of the Gospel that Gnosticism presented was real and important to the lives of believers in Christ. Gnosticism didn’t remain on the scene permanently, and that is evidence that God’s will prevails [IS 46: 9-10; IS 55: 11].
There are many reasons why we have a certificate of debt, which are discussed over COL 1:1 -2: 15. We owe it to the Lord to be faithful, obedient, willing to serve Him, and compliant to witnessing to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is by His grace that we are saved. Grace is unmerited favor, and He has already prepared things for us to do in His service. We are saved by grace alone and not by works [EPH 2: 8-10]. We can’t boast about the grace we’ve been given, but we can about God Himself. Boasting about our accomplishments can lead to trouble, but humility pleases the Lord [1 PET 5: 5b]. We don’t deserve the blessings He gives us, but He deserves our loyalty to the covenant. Moreover, God never forgets His covenants made with us [EX 2: 24-25; IS 49: 6; COL 1: 13-14; HE 10: 23]. Through our faith in the Gospel of Christ, the Lord has made us His friends, granting us eternal forgiveness [COL 1: 22; RO 5: 9-11]. This way we can be presented holy and faultless before the Father in heaven. Our Father, through Christ, is always available to us. We can boldly approach His throne with confidence [EPH 3: 12]. When we pray to the Lord with a sincere heart and sure faith, we can do so without guilt and with bodies washed clean by Christ’s blood. We can trust God to keep His promises. [HE 10: 22-23]. These are only some of the reasons why we owe it to God to trust and obey Him.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before you in humility and with deep reverence to acknowledge the many blessings Your Son, Jesus, provides for us. His power to forgive our sin, to bring us before You in purity, to plead for us as our Advocate, and to bring us eternal life is unparalleled. No other Source can give us these things. He is Your second personality and the Firstborn of all creation. You love Him, and He shares Your very nature [JN 14: 9 and 11; COL 1: 15-20]. Because of the faith You have given us, He is able to “transform us by the complete renewal of our mind” [RO 12: 2]. We want to live by the standard He has set for us, as He has taught us what love really is. We also acknowledge the importance of our need to witness to those who will listen to the truth of His Gospel. That wonderful mystery that You reveal to us through Christ opens us to Your wisdom and knowledge, which is far beyond what any human has [IS 55: 8-9; COL 1: 26-27 and 2: 2-3]. Dearest Father, we know that You won’t fall short of keeping any promise You have made, nor will You forget Your covenants with us. We offer You our love, loyalty, faithfulness, and our hearts open and teachable. Praise and thanks be to You! We come to You to seek You out with all our hearts, to learn from You, and to be self-disciplined about doing this. We want to come near to You in sincerity and to experience Your presence in our lives. We ask for Your intervention and wisdom, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led to continue writing about our certificate of debt to our Lord. This is a part of our on-going support of Colossians found in other places in the Scriptures. None of us are so wise that we can get through the challenges, losses, and other rough places in our lives alone. Some people try, but they are not successful. That is why I personally have chosen the path I’m on-one of deep faith in the Lord Jesus and attempts to be an obedient member of the body of Christ. These attempts are sometimes feeble, but I’m assured that my sins, genuinely confessed, before God in prayer are forgiven. My experience has been that my Lord is always on the job. Things, recognized only after they have happened, serve to remind me that I’m being protected from evil. For example, my husband and I recently passed through a section of highway on the way home from a vacation. We saw that there had been a damaging fire on it that was extinguished. The next day, it was hot and very windy, and the fire got started anew. We were safe, and the Lord had been watching over us. I pray that no other fires will start and that no other homes will burn. I’m reminded of JER 29: 11-13. “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and protect you from disaster, plans to give you the future for which you hope. Then you will call to Me. You will pray to Me, and I will answer you. You will seek Me, and you will find Me, because you will seek Me with all your heart.” When we come near to God, good things happen. He supplies us talent to do His tasks and direction for our lives. Along the way, He puts together lasting friendships with others that bring blessing to our lives. Praise and thanks forever be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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