Colossians 1:15-20

Colossians 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

After reassuring the Colossians of his joy and confidence in their work for God's kingdom and his continual prayers for their successful ministry as servants of the Lord, Paul points to the total sufficiency of Jesus Christ the Son of God as the express image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  Paul has heard that some of the believers are straying into false doctrines such as the worship of angels.  He forcefully instructs them that Jesus created all things in heaven and on earth, in the invisible and the visible realm.  He emphasizes God placed his Son as the head over all creation, including the church, that in everything he might have the supremacy.  Paul takes this opportunity to ask this body of believers if they have forgotten that God reconciled the entire world to himself through the death of his precious Son, that it pleased the Father to make sinful mankind holy and clean through the shed blood of his Son, allowing Jesus to present a fallen people to him as heirs of his mercy and grace.  In just a few sentences, we see the miracle of grace described succinctly for the church at Colosse and for us:  Jesus our Emmanuel, God with us, made a way for freedom from sin and eternal fellowship with God where there was no way, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Since Jesus is the creator of all things, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, Paul concludes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is in control.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  Jesus is the center of existence, the Alpha and the Omega, the bright and morning star, the Light of the World, the Dayspring of eternal life.  We who are IN CHRIST are not simply part of a religion: we are IN LIFE, for He is the creator of all life.  In Christ we are enveloped within his righteousness, brought into harmony with God.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:12-14)  As a result of this new birth, this new creation, we are no longer enemies of God because of our unrighteousness with our carnal spirits at war with God's spirt.  We are at peace with God, adopted into his family as his beloved children empowered to live in harmony with his plans and his will.  Paul wrote to the Romans and spoke of the prophecies concerning how the Gentiles would receive the message of salvation, that one would spring up from the Root of Jesse and the Gentiles would hope in him.  Therefore, Paul declared: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (See Romans 15:7-12)  That same Holy Spirit is our hope today as we trust in God and walk in the peace and grace of our dear Savior who has provided such an amazing position of life and victory for the church.

When God created mankind, He created Adam and Eve to walk with him.  When sin entered the scene and they were tempted and fell from that perfect state, their days were numbered.  In our human flesh, we are of the linage of Adam, and our days are numbered.  Adam and Eve's sin produced death; our sins outside of Christ produce death.  That is the way of the flesh.  The Bible calls Jesus the second Adam: He became the giver of life.  Although the Bible says the wages of sin is death, it goes on to say the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.  When John the Baptist was born, his father regained his voice, so he could tell the people the baby was to be called John.  As part of an amazing prophesy, Zacharias declares, And thou, child [John], shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring [Jesus] from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  (Luke 1:76-79 KJV)  Jesus made an open show of the mankind's bondage to Adam's sinful nature by living a perfect life.  The perfect Son of God became the perfect sacrificial Lamb for our sins.  His death substituted for our death.  He bore the wrath of God for our inclination to go astray and our inability to keep the Law. The first Adam left us an inheritance of sin.  Jesus, the second Adam, left us a glorious inheritance of redemption and life everlasting.  A sinful Adam produced death: a righteous Christ produced a new creation, cleansed and made holy, clothed in the royal robes of his righteousness.  When we feel we have not lived up to our inheritance or when the enemy tempts us and we stumble, we sometimes lose sight of the truth of who Christ is; and we forget God's plan is for us to escape from guilt, shame, and condemnation.  Remember, the Word is your sword: use it!  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  (Romans 8:1)  WALK IN HIM TODAY.  You are reconciled: JESUS IS YOUR PEACE!  Amen.  

   

   

  

Colossians 1:9-14

Colossians 1:9-14  For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

After rejoicing in the Colossians' understanding of God's grace in all its truth because they learned the word of truth from Epaphras, Paul moves on in today's passage to share his constant prayer for these believers for God to reveal the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  He does not imply he prays these prayers that they might escape suffering or trials by prospering physically and financially, free from any spiritual demands.  Instead, he says, prayers go up in their behalf "that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."  He reminds them they are servants, called by the Lord to bear good fruit by growing in him, finding their strength through the power and might of the Holy Spirit.  With this strength, he prays they will run the race faithfully with fortitude as patient and joyful children of God, giving thanks to their heavenly Father who has adopted them into his family, bringing them from the bondage of darkness into the kingdom of the Son where all who trust in the Lord are forgiven and made free from sin.  This is the inheritance of the saints--an eternal birthright of the redeemed that does not decay.  Peter understood this inheritance when he wrote:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  (1 Peter 1:3-7)

Modern-day believers sometimes want to ignore the countless scriptures that clearly state we are sojourners in this world, people passing through, not permanent citizens of this world.  Ignoring the full gospel, we adopt a faith that mixes the American dream with pop psychology, self-help ideas, and a selfish desire to have all we can get.  Then we call our me-first lifestyle God's blessing, forgetting much of what Jesus said when He walked on this Earth about taking up the cross and following him.  We sing, "I surrender all," while accumulating all we can for ourselves and giving a little bit of our time, energy, and resources to the kingdom of God.  We serve God in the good times of plenty when things go well and the blessings outweigh the trials; but when we face chronic illness, financial reversals, huge disappointments, heartbreaking betrayals, or prolonged hardships, our hearts so easily turn to stone and suddenly we blame God.  For Christians the age-old enigmas remains:  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do hardworking believers suddenly lose their jobs and search unsuccessfully for months for another one?  Why do Christian couples remain childless when nonbelievers have children they do not even appreciate or nurture?  Why do faithful Christians die young or face one difficulty after another while so many ungodly folks live seemingly long and prosperous lives?   Why do people seem to forget about the needs of others as they become more successful in life?  Why do the wealthy give a smaller percentage of their money to the work of the Lord while the poor give generously out of their need?  We could pose countless why questions such as these.  The prophet Jeremiah said, You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you.  Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all the faithless live at ease?  (Jeremiah 12:1)  Soon after the flood, God said evil was in man's heart continually.

When we read Jesus' words, He does not address the social injustices of his time, but He does address the heart: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  (Matthew 15:8)  Neither does the Apostle Paul deal with these earthly problems to any extent.  Paul rarely speaks of his own hardships except to let believers know he suffered for the sake of the gospel, encouraging them to rejoice in their trials.  He repeats this often, saying at one point, "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."  (Philippians 1:29-30)  He held little interest in this transitory life other than telling people to live for Christ.  Focussing on the celestial world rather than the terrestrial, Paul declares those who are not IN CHRIST remain in spiritual darkness.  He says if we dwell in the kingdom of the Son, we are alive through the cross of Christ, and we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Understanding these basic truths of the spiritual world by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must remember who we are and why we live and have our being.  With this spiritual wisdom and understanding, we can say with the saints of the ages what Paul wrote to the church when he taught grace: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20)  With the knowledge we are SAVED BY FAITH, alive IN CHRIST, and strengthen by HIS GLORIOUS POWER, we should not become bogged down with the enigmas of life.  We should live JOYFULLY in the Truth of the SPIRIT.  We should live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.  By faith we should bear fruit in every good work, grow in the knowledge of God, be strong in his power, run with great endurance and patience, give thanks to the Father for bringing us into the kingdom of light.  Yes, life IS hard to understand sometimes, especially when we are experiencing adverse circumstances and when our hearts break in times of great sorrow and pain.  But God is on the throne!  He never leaves us, never forsakes us.  He comforts us with a mother's loving kindness and tender mercies.  The purpose of life is to know, love and serve him and to live for him and with him forever.  He has rescued us!  Rejoice!  Amen!      

Colossians 1:3-8

Colossians 1:3-8  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints — the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.  All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.  You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Although Paul writes to the church at Colosse in a pastoral role, we should remember his "dear fellow servant," Epaphras, actually first shared the gospel message with the Colossians.  As a new believer, probably saved in Ephesus, Epaphras was not content to remain under the teaching of Paul.  He returned to his hometown as a missionary to a predominantly Gentile population, explicitly preaching that God sent Jesus of Nazareth to suffer and to die for all who would believe in him as the propitiation for their sins and the Way to life eternal.  He brought this simple message that Christ's life, death, and resurrection was the ultimate Good News!  Paul says he has heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and compliments the Colossians for placing their trust in the Lord, receiving forgiveness of their sins, and understanding the message they have received.  He encourages them with the thought that this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.  He begins with comforting remarks because as a spiritual father, he also writes this letter with some words of correction in mind that will be easier to express if he first shares his sincere love for the church.  He does not want anyone to doubt his thankfulness for this body of believers or his appreciation for the work of his brother and fellow laborer, Epaphras.  No matter the difficulties Paul encounters, his letters to the churches, speak of his love for the people and his great joy in their faith.  He rejoices in the fruit of the church and expresses himself as a loving father might speak to his children who had worked diligently and done well yet needed instruction.  He might say: "I am proud of you, but beware of the pitfalls surrounding you.  Keep on the right track, and I know you are going to make it.  I believe in your commitment to Christ our Lord!"  Through the unction of the Holy Spirit, Paul knew nothing was going to stop the Good News!  

Christ said He had to go away that He might send the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.  The Holy Spirit remained faithful to the New Testament church--so diligent, so constant, shining the Light of the gospel forth into the darkness.  God does such amazingly wondrous deeds in such remarkable ways through mere human beings through the power of Christ in us.  No wonder the angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  (Luke 2:10-14)  This is the message Paul reiterates for the church in Colosse; this remains the only sure and true foundation for all of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Jesus is the Good News: the Plan of God, the Grace of God, the Mercy of God, the Peace of God.  He is God's perfect covenant--freedom from sin, restoration, adoption, life eternal.   He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  (Colossians 1:15)  Therefore, the message we carry to the world is not an alternative lifestyle, not a list of rules or regulations: we offer Jesus, Messiah, Lord of All.  Of course, this message sounds too simple for the world; sometimes, sadly, the message remains too simple for Christians.  

For the believer, the message must always be: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:16-17)

  

As Epaphras went forth with a fire burning in his soul to spread the message of Christ to his people and produced faith and love in the hearts of those entrusted into his care, may we remember Christ's call: Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.  (Mark 1:17)  As followers of Christ, we should walk by faith, presenting God's agenda, reflecting his likeness, sharing his love.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:5-8)  We too should show forth the Good News: the Plan, the Grace, the Mercy, the Peace.  We should not have to talk so much about the cross of Christ as to have it revealed in and through us by the Holy Spirit as we extend Christ to others through our daily service and sacrifices.  As we know so well, this kind of love is a struggle for every believer.  It is hard for us to give up our lives for others.  It is hard even in our speech to give up our negative, judgmental talk.  We can spot the faults in someone else so much easier than our own mistakes.  That is human nature.  The flesh wants first place or at least an important place where we are recognized for how important or successful or hardworking we are.  Jesus took our place and went to the cross where He humbly prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing."  We might have said, "Father, look at all I am doing, and no one even appreciates me."      

Colossians 1:1-2

Colossians 1:1-2  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 

Paul begins by introducing himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, bringing God's grace and peace.  He understood God's plan for him as an apostle, starting and fathering churches as the Holy Spirit led him from place to place.  In this role Paul did not prosper according to human standards; instead, he faced setbacks, persecutions, and imprisonment.  Writing to the church at Philippi about his struggles, he declared, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Although he said he would rather be with Christ, he wanted to live, "so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me."  He asks the church to follow his example: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. . .For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.  He asks them to have the same attitude as Christ who did not go his own way but went to the cross, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Paul ends with this final plea: Do all these things without complaining or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.  He said he did not want his labor to be in vain, but added even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.  So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.  (See Philippians Chapters 1 & 2)   

As with countless believers across time, Paul's life after his conversion was poured out as a drink offering on the altar.  His life was an epistle for the world to read.  Every generation has examined Paul's writings and his life: countless believers have feasted upon his words, growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord through the anointing and inspiration of the Holy Spirit because Paul said yes to God and did not fall back when faced with terrible hardships and suffering.  The churches Paul fathered multiplied exponentially through the millenniums.  Paul admitted at times his suffering was so great he longed to be with God rather than to complete his role; yet he did not forsake his Lord or his calling because of these problems, fears, or anxieties.  He emphatically proclaimed,. . .we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLB)  Even in chains, he encouraged men and women in their faith and continued to teach gospel truths: We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.  May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God’s holy people, who live in the light.  For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.  God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.  (Colossians 1:11-14)  Paul understood his role in the church, knew no other life would satisfy him, and rejoiced in the perfect will of God.  All believers must know God's will and follow the Holy Spirit's call. 

Dad has a story his likes to tell about God's will:  After I gave my life to the Lord in my early teens, I felt a strong call from the Holy Spirit that I should be a teacher in the public schools.  Such a thought terrified me, for I was a young man who stuttered in his early years and remained reluctant to speak out in a group or perform in front of people.  How could I become a teacher if I was afraid to give a speech in front of an English class?  I never gave a speech throughout high school: rather than speak in front of my classmates, I willingly accepted a failing grade.  Since this fear remained with me during college, I postponed the speech class required for educational majors until my senior year when I had no choice but to sign up for the class.  We gave four different kinds of speeches during that quarter.  I miraculously survived all of them without embarrassing myself or dying of a heart attack.  Surprisingly, my professor considered me as having "exceptional talent" in giving speeches.  After the last class, she asked me to stay behind for a few minutes because she had something "important" to tell me.  Of course, I just wanted to leave that building for good, but I stayed to listen to her.  She shared that she thought I was a "gifted speaker" and went on to say she wanted to work with me and to help me "enter speech contests around the world."   I told her I would think about it, but I never darkened the doors of that building again.   

Although that professor's words sounded absurd to me and the thought of entering speaking contests brought abject fear to my heart; her words also brought confidence to me as I realized later what a great miracle God had performed in taking a fearful stuttering young boy who would rather fail than make a speech and turning him into a speaker who could stand in front of a group and even impress the instructor.  What a mighty God we serve!  God saw me through that difficult hurdle and many others.   Eventually I became an award winning teacher.   At first I found it difficult to imagine God could use a public school teacher effectively.  My first principal stopped me short one day.  He called me into his office, lecturing me forcefully:  If you want to be a minister, go out and minister; but you are a teacher, that is what we expect of you.  He spoke the truth.  Teaching was my calling, and I needed to bring God in the classroom through my actions and deeds, not so much words.  So for thirty years I did just that, and I feel I accomplished God's will for my life.  Not all of it was easy.  At times I thought of quitting and doing something more spiritual.  But I was called to be a teacher, to serve as God's hand extended wherever I was.  I was to teach for the glory of God and that is exactly what I did.  My wife kept many letters I received through the years from parents and students, telling me how much they loved my class, how much they learned, how much they appreciated me.  We would pray for my students.  I would lay hands on the desks when the classroom was empty and ask God to touch broken hearts and to heal wounded spirits.  I also had many opportunities on the side to share Christ's love because when you let Christ shine through you, people see the light, are attracted to the light, want what you have.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  (Colossians 3:23-24)  Amen!