2018-11-23
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I’m led to continue writing about supporting Scriptures to the book of Colossians. How can we not notice that this little book of the Bible with only four chapters holds so much the Lord is sharing with us? Our “certificate of debt” is great indeed when one thinks of the many blessings our Lord gives those who believe in Jesus Christ. There are so many reasons to be confirmed in the faith and experience the joy of it. The apostle Peter writes, in 2 PET 1: 3-9, a prescription for how to answer God’s call and share in His very glory. His divine power provides everything we need to close in on a good working knowledge of the One Who calls us to faith. To our faith, we should add knowledge that comes from studying the Scriptures, self-control, endurance, godliness, affection, goodness, and love. In this way we will escape from the destructive lust that is in the world and come to share in the Lord Jesus’ divine nature. [Remember 1 JN 4: 4]. Because of the great sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross and His resurrection, our past sins are eternally forgiven.
The apostle Paul doesn’t want us to be coldly doctrinal in our approach to our faith and other people, nor should we be legalistic. Instead, we should be over-flowing with thanks and praise to our God for what we have. Last week, I wrote about how self-righteous Christians put others off with their attitude and approach. They really do a lot of damage. However, the opposite in building faith can come from humble believers, who present the Gospel message simply and accurately. These witnesses convey the love of Christ they have in their hearts. They engage in relational witnessing, which involves getting to know the potential believer over time and meeting them where they are in their faith walk.
1 COR 2: 7-9, “The wisdom I proclaim is God’s secret wisdom, which is hidden from human beings, but which He had already chosen for our glory before the world was made. None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as the Scripture [IS 64: 4] says, ‘What no one ever saw or heard could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him.’” This passage is a clear reference to God’s mystery [COL 1: 26-27 and COL 2: 2-3]. At the time Paul was on house arrest in Rome and wrote to the people of Hierapolis, Laodicea, and Colossae, his greatest concern was that the new believers should not be taken in by competing philosophy, such as Gnosticism. Humans plumbing their own intellect to find answers to life’s intangible questions without Jesus Christ were bound to believe in evil practices. Being an elitist is surely a slippery slope in that direction. The same can be said of keeping secrets from select groups of people. Any kind of faith in a human-centered philosophy, rather than God-centered faith in the truth leads to trouble. I feel the need to eschew the belief that mankind can “work” their way into heavenly glory. Yes, I know many belief systems believe in that, but I take the following passage as it is written, EPH 2: 8-10, “For it is by God’s grave that we are saved through faith. It is not the result of our own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do.” This not only is a working definition of grace, but it gives us God’s intentions for us to understand the relationship between works, “good deeds,” and grace.
We are told, in COL 2: 9-10, “For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in His humanity, and you have been given full life in union with Him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.” Numerous modern denominations don’t understand this principle. Some believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate entities. Others deny the Christ has the fullness of God altogether. We believe that while we don’t have the fullness of God, Christ does, because He is God’s second personality. We believe there is only one God [DT 6: 4-5]; therefore, the believer is complete in Christ. The famous theologian Charles Spurgeon says, 1)” We are complete without Jewish ritual ceremony, 2) without help from human-crafted philosophy, 3) without inventions of superstition, and 4) without human merit.” Christ is the Head of all principalities and powers. He created all angels and is Head over them. RO 1: 22-23, “Those who reject God say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshipping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals, birds, animals, or reptiles.” We must remember that idolatry is the sin God detests the most. This is no matter what form it takes. Only the Trinity is worthy of our worship.
PRAYER: O Lord, those of us who have read Your word, the Bible -OT and NT, have been greatly benefitted by it. You have revealed Who You are, how You work in us through Christ and the Holy Spirit, and how to behave toward others that builds faith in Christ. You have also been there for each one of us, readily accessible by means of prayer, and in other ways. If we look back over our lives with Christ, we see how Your love is transmitted through Your answers to prayer and teaching. You inspire humans like the apostles and prophets, who do Your bidding for them to write what You gave them. Your commands are just and fair, even though our lives are filled with challenges, losses, illnesses, and other kinds of trouble. You never abandon us [PS 9: 9-10]. The qualities in italics above are only some that You, through Your Spirit, make available as gifts given through Your magnificent grace. “But the Spirit produces: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these, “GA 5: 22-23. We are not to be proud of human achievement without consideration from whence it really came. Irritating one another should not be practiced, and jealousy is foolish. The Spirit is with us 24/7. We can appeal to Him in our supplications, first separating needs from wants. Human desire and lust should not rule our lives, for what they want is the opposite to what Your Spirit wants. If we yield leadership of our lives to You, we will not be led into evil, and we can avoid many of the pitfalls that beset people who serially reject You. It is our desire to be faithfully obedient to You, even though we are not perfect. Please help us to do that successfully. We know we cannot be Your obedient servants and friends without Your help. We thank and praise You for all You do for us, and for being so available to us. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: As we continue this discussion of supporting Scriptures to the book of Colossians, I’m led to follow the plan the Holy Spirit has set out for me. Our “certificate of debt” grows, but also our opportunities to retire this debt with obedient faith in Christ. It takes openness, self-discipline, and understanding mixed with the Lord’s wisdom to gain eternal life. But the Lord created us with the ability to do this. Self-discipline means not always taking the easy way out of controversial situations, not ignoring the needs of others, being willing to study and gain knowledge of the Scriptures (God’s word and His “love letter” to all who believe), and demonstration of the love Christ modeled for us. I’ve often said that the Bible has supernatural qualities that we humans can’t explain. My own experience with it is that every time I read the same verse or passage in a different context, I learn something new. So, repeated reading of the Bible every day has never bored me. For a person who has a terrible time sticking with repetition in other parts of my life, this is nothing short of the amazing power the Lord has. It has given me a kind of discernment that allows me to tell the truth from a lie. I can testify to the truth of the Gospel and to the trinitarian nature of our one God. Being a “completed Jew” has allowed me to see the whole and understand each of its parts. Last night, I watched Bernhard Langer, a superb golfer, receive the Payne Stewart award for his faith, excellence of character, and what he has done- not only for the game, but in helping others through his charity work. He is only one example of many people whose lives have been blessed by Christ’s presence. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always, Lynn © Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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