Colossians 1:24-29

Colossians 1:24-29  Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.  I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.   To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. 

The fullness of the gospel, the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, remains God's redemption plan through his Son, Jesus, sent to die and to rise again for a lost people.  As Paul wrote: If we have been united with him [Christ] like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.  (Romans 6:5-7)  Following this transformation, we are forever known as the NEWBORN, children of the living God.  As human beings, we are born in the flesh into a world of sin.  Outside of Christ, people live unto themselves, serve their own needs.  Yet a time comes when all must pay the penalty for sin, the sin of Adam: rebellion against God.  With our sins before us as cards placed on a table, they do not line up in our favor: we lose.  But for all who know the Lord, Jesus is the trump card.  As King of Kings, He trumped all the cards that condemned us with his sacrifice at the cross.  Jesus foretold the efficacious power of his blood at the last supper when he drank from the cup, saying, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  (Matthew 26:28)  His words were not understood then, but the New Testament church went forth to change the world because Christ's atoning sacrifice wiped away every condemning sin forever as He cleared the table of every shred of damning evidence, fulfilling God's requirements for sin.  The writer of Hebrews describes the priests offering sacrifices exactly as God had ordained because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  Yet when Jesus became our high priest, He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  After He arose from the dead, his work was finished for all time.  Jesus Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. . .Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.  (See Hebrews 9:12-28)  He who knew no sin bore our sin that He might rise victoriously over sin and death so we might live with him.  THE MYSTERY: HE IN US; WE IN HIM.  This is the great plan: redemption, freedom, adoption, eternal life with Father God.  

Now, we who are born again through Christ are vitally essential to everything He does on this earth.  Through us He changes lives permanently for all eternity.  As new creatures in Christ encapsulated by him and his mission, we are his bond-slaves, created in his image with the Holy Spirit directing our lives.  Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we willingly submit to our Lord and not to our flesh.  Out of love, we desire to function in the body of Christ.  Paul wrote all his letters to churches or believers, yet he spoke of many failings common to the flesh.  He told the Galatians: You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  (Galatians 5:13-15)  Obviously, some of them struggled in those areas to the point he thought they were using their freedom as license to serve their flesh, and he feared they might destroy each other in the process.  For a believer, keeping in step with the Spirit while walking in the sun/Son is our inheritance.  The light of heaven shines in our hearts.  The warmth of the Spirit not only abides in our souls but rests upon our faces.  Because the Son is not only in our hearts but within our total being, life changes: everything is more vivid.  Paul told the Corinthian church the god of this age blinds minds so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  He said he was not preaching himself.  He wanted them to know the same God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” because this same God made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  (See 2 Corinthians 4:4-6)  Everyone has a last day on Earth when our loved ones either receive the news of our death or they gather around us, counting the breaths until we expire.  Then, we will no longer feel the warmth of sun on this side of the veil separating us from our eternal home.  But Praise the Lord, we will never know a moment outside of the warmth of the Son's loving presence, the light of heaven.  

My friend, today is the day of faith: God always works in the now.  We know faith pleases God fully.  Enjoy this day while you still have life and breath, the ability to walk in the sunlight and the privilege to live life fully by faith in the resurrection power of the Son of God who gave himself for you.  Realize with joy that today is the day of the Lord.  Today is the day you can do something on this side of the veil.  If you are wasting your time complaining, arguing, criticizing, faultfinding, worrying, daydreaming, procrastinating, fixing others, working for things of no eternal value, ignoring God's voice, feeling sorry for yourself, comparing your life with someone else's, looking for recognition, holding a grudge, waiting for an apology, lying in bed, watching TV, sitting around doing nothing, why not try something different?  Do something new that is entirely for someone else's benefit--bless someone else, expecting nothing in return.  You will rejoice in the Lord.  Do not let the enemy of your soul who is a liar and a thief take away the sun/Son, the warmth of heaven in your life.  Lift up your head, look around you and see the meadow rich before you in velvet green, full of opportunities.  This is your time to live IN CHRIST by faith.  This is YOUR TIME to be an ambassador for Christ.  This is your time to enjoy every breath you take, as one born of God serving him in fulness of joy.  Jesus says, I have given them the glory that you gave me (SONSHIP), that they may be one as we are one: I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME.  (John I7:22-23)  Paul knew who he was IN CHRIST.  Even though he experienced many difficulties in his life, he never quit running across that meadow, seeking the lost, testifying of Christ, remaining in the sun/Son, pressing on with his eyes on Jesus, using every breath for Christ, rejoicing in the hope and joy set before him.  Therefore he could say, We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.  Likewise, by faith we can dedicate our energy to revealing Christ and his good works to the world that many might come into perfection as sons and daughters of the Most High.