2019-03-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As commanded, today’s devotion is designed to look at COL 3: 1-4: 6 and to provide support Scriptures for the notions therein. It’s learned behavior to “focus on the things of heaven and not solely of earth” [COL 3: 2]. This means to get in the habit of “thinking eternally,” which is to consider the eternal consequences of our decisions and actions. Christ teaches us to do this, because His love for us is so great that He wants us to gain eternal life with the Father in heaven. It’s the very reason He submitted Himself to be humiliated, die a painful death on the cross, and why the Father resurrected Him; it’s to give believers in Christ the chance to be saved. One of my favorite passages is COL 3: 3-4, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when He appears, then you too will appear with Him and share His glory!” RO 6: 11 answers the question: To what have we died? “In the same way you are to think of yourselves as dead, so far as sin is concerned, but living in fellowship with God through Christ Jesus.” The very familiar Scripture, JN 3: 16, also supports this section of COL 3. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have everlasting life.”
The next notion is described in COL 3: 5-17, the old life and the new. We are reminded that we must “put to death earthly desires,” like sexual immorality, lust, evil passions, materialism, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry-the sin God hates the most) etc. Such things cause God’s anger against those who don’t obey Him. Our past lives (i.e. before Christ entered them) were dominated by such desires. I’ve often considered this a form of chaos. Once Christ enters one’s life, that chaos is given a new orderliness and no longer takes the lead [COL 3: 5-8]. Inspired by God, Paul felt we should have a clearer understanding of what is meant here, so he wrote, “Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self and its habits and have put on the new self. This is the new beginning, which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in His own image, in order to bring you a full knowledge of Himself” [9-10]. This harkens right back to COL 1: 26-27 and 2: 2-3. No longer do the criteria humans use, like those based on amount of education (degrees or lack thereof), ethnicity, one’s material wealth, nationality, and such matter. Each person is seen and loved equally, as God loves them. These criteria demand a totally different way of looking at people. We are commanded to “be tolerant and forgiving, just as the Lord forgives us” [v. 13]. It is love, that binds us together in perfect unity. Certainly, this is supported in 1 COR 13: 4-13. The peace that Christ gives us is to be a guide for the decisions we make, and we are to be thankful. When we receive Christ, the treasure trove of God’s wisdom is unlocked and available to us. And to think, all we must do is seek our Lord out! [COL 3: 15; JER 29: 12-13]. Everything we have, we should pass along to each other, and we should do so in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ and God the Father [COL 3: 16-17]. I must cite PS 115: 1, which directs us to give the credit for all good things to our Lord and not take it for ourselves. For it is He, Who brings goodness to us. COL 3: 18-21 gives us expectations for various groups- wives, husbands, and children. While often not easy, especially in toxic workplaces, believers in Christ are to work as if working for God. Thus, they set an example for others to follow. This doesn’t mean acting self-righteous. It involves exhibiting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as listed in GA 5: 22-23 and mentioned in COL 3: 12. Those who do this will be rewarded by God in His perfect time and way. We must remember that God judges everyone by the same standard [COL 3: 23-25].
COL 4: 2-6, gives some final instructions that help us to clear our hearts of being led by earthly human desires. “Be persistent in prayer; keep alert as you pray, remember to give thanks and praise to God.” In turn, He will grant us opportunities to preach His message about the mystery of Christ [COL 4: 2-3]. Be wise in the way we act toward those who are not believers, making good use of the opportunities we have. To this writer, it means taking the time, if possible, to build a relationship with our non-believing listeners, finding out where the individual is on his faith-walk. It means never force oneself on those who don’t want to hear Christ’s message or be self-righteous in our approach. As I have often written, we never know which non-believer we encounter is a potential believer. Know that the example we set sometimes speaks volumes over preaching.
PRAYER: O Lord, there is a lot for us to learn; we are still sinners greatly in need of yielding leadership of our lives to You. As we pray to You today, our exposure to Your word has been causing us to make seeking You out a priority. We feel Your love and acknowledge the great extent of Your wisdom. IS 55: 8-9, “’My thoughts,’ says the Lord, ‘are not like yours, and My ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My ways and thoughts above yours.’” Dearest Lord, we return Your love with ours; we offer You praise with a thankful heart for Your attributes and Your deeds on our behalf. Please continue to teach us, to intercede in our lives when necessary, and to direct us in ways that enable us to bring You pleasure. Some say we believe in a fairy story; we beg to disagree! Repeatedly, You have shown the truth of the message of Christ’s death and resurrection, the wisdom of Your teaching, Your availability to us, and that it is reasonable to look forward to gaining eternal life with hope and faith. As we bow our heads in reverence and awe of You, we have the hope that You listen to our prayers, and in that way, show the love You have for us. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: A subject so important as the teaching in COL 3: 1 to 4: 6 deserves more Biblical support than presented today. So, next week, Dear Readers, you can anticipate more to be offered. Our God deserves our time and talents focused on pleasing Him. Our real hope for a bright and endlessly sweet fellowship with Him depends on the depth of our obedient faith in Him now. There are many ways we can demonstrate this faith as we serve Him here on earth. Learning His teaching, including applying it to our lives, and then, passing it on to others in ways that will reach them is what our loving God deserves. He has long-ago earned the right to be the Leader of our lives and a permanent resident in our homes. He has asked us to pass the faith and knowledge we gain on to our children and to potential believers. He wants as many people as possible to gain eternal life with them. The other day, I was having a conversation about seemingly innocent babies with my husband. He reminded me that we are all born with sin, because of the original sin. I reminded Him that all parents have the responsibility to equip their children with the Lord’s important reconnaissance in the war against sinfulness. We should raise them in functional homes. Of course, there are many different circumstances to when and how children are reared in this world. But we owe it to them to raise them with emotional balance, peace that only the Lord brings into our homes, and with His wisdom. That’s truly worth our consideration. Praise and thanks be to the Lord!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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