We've Laid The Foundation- Now What?

24 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Colossians 1:24-29

Verses 24, 25 & 26 are all one sentence and are full of truth (and tough to soak in all at once). So here we go- let's first unpack what Paul is talking in his long winded sentence. I find it wonderfully helpful to read Scripture out loud, especially for Paul's writings. Hearing the word spoken out loud and following along with the commas, semi colons and interjections, helps me to better follow the subjects of long sentences. So, if you are in a place you feel comfortable reading out loud, I encourage you to go back and read those verses to yourself.

  "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you,..." 

Paul is saying he can, and does, find joy in the in the middle of the sufferings he's enduring as he preaches the Gospel so that the Colossians (and by extension-us) are able to receive it.

"...and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ,..."

Paul is doing his part in spreading the Gospel, so that the afflictions Christ endured on the cross, are made known to as many people as Paul can reach. Jesus Christ came and died for all of God's children but not every Child of God has heard the Good News.

"...for the sake of His body, which is the church,..."

 Paul continues to teach and preach, so all those God has called to Himself can hear that call. He teaches and preaches the Good News so that the church (not a building, but a body of believers) can and continue to grow.

"of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you..."

God gave Paul the Good News of the Gospel and charged him to guard and carry the word of God to the Gentiles.

"...to fulfill the the word of God,..."

The spreading of the Gospel to the Gentiles (and all nations) is God's will.

"...the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations,..."

The mystery that was hidden, was Who the Messiah is,  the One Who would make that final and all sufficient sacrifice to cleanse the sins of God's people. 

"...but now has been revealed to His saints."

Praise God it's a mystery no longer! The mystery has been revealed. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, is who the Jewish people here looking for; the Messiah. He is the high priest who gave the final sacrifice and was the sacrifice Himself!

Boiled down to its base subject, in these verses Paul proclaims that he finds joy in the bringing of the Good News to the Gentiles despite the suffering he endures.
 In order to keep this post short (relatively speaking), we will stop there this week and pick back up with the rest of the passage next week. But I'd like to leave you with these thoughts based on what we have looked at- Suffering will come as we speak the Good News. There is joy to be found in spreading the Gospel. Its God's plan for all to hear the Good News. If we believe Jesus Christ is who He says He is, then we like Paul, are commanded to take the Good News to those that have not yet heard or believed.

Father, give us the courage to follow after You, to look for ways we might make the Good News known around us. When we face push back or flat out persecution because we bring the Truth of  your Word, give us the strength to rejoice in the knowledge that we are doing as You commanded and that Your love is all that truly matters.  You are sufficient for me in my sufferings and in my times of ease.  Thank You Father for counting me one of Your children; give me the opportunity and words to say when it comes. In Jesus' Name; amen.

Building a Foundation Part 3- Further Up & Further In

"19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in you mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven...." ~ Colossians 1:19-23


How is it we go from "alienated and enemies" to being "holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight"? That transformation occurs, not by any act or good work we could do or have done, but completely and utterly by the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The blood He shed on the cross was sufficient to reconcile us to God. By no other means is our salvation possible. This very fact, once realized and believed in, will produce in us a desire to continue with Christ in the faith; becoming more and more the image of Christ. This process is called sanctification, a word I rarely hear talked about much anymore. That's what I believe Paul is talking about in verse 23. We are to "continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast and are not [to move] away from the hope of the gospel..." The life we live, once we believe on Jesus Christ, is to be an active one; ever-moving further up into the image of Christ, and further into the Word. If this is not true in our lives, we run the risk of ending up like the the Laodiceans (Revelation 2:14-16). This is also what James is talking about in  chapter 2:17, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." The work that we do in this life is not what reconciles us to God, but it testifies to the transformation Christ has worked in us.
So then, how are we testifying to those around us that Christ has given us a new heart, covered us in His blood, and secured our place with the Father for all eternity? For each of us, this looks different in how Christ's love for us manifests itself in our lives, but I think we should be able to agree, we all need to be sharing the Gospel, showing the Gospel and teaching the Gospel by our actions, attitude and words on a daily basis.
So then, this should lead us to pray:

Father, hallowed be Your Name in all the earth, by no other Name can we be saved.  Thank You for the work You completed on the cross. I ask for opportunities to share the Good News with those around me, and when those opportunities arise, I ask for the courage to proclaim Your Name confidently. Put me in situations where I may give God-centered advice and show God motivated love. I trust in You and look to You for guidance in all things, in Jesus Christ's Name; Amen. 

Building a Foundation Part 2: Jesus Christ, My God Appointed Captain

“15-[Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16-For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17-And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18-And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence.” Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV)

In last week’s entry I alluded to the fact that Jesus Christ is the only One who has the power to deliver us from Sin. So where does that power come from? The answer can be found in this passage from Colossians (among other places), and is the second foundational truth I desire to share with you. So here we go:

Verses 15 and 16 tell us Jesus is the manifestation of the invisible (to us here on earth) God of Heaven; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is God with us; Emmanuel. He is God; the same God in Genesis- the Creator. That which God created, was created specifically for Jesus Christ, His Son.

Throughout Scripture, and many different cultures, all that is a father’s is given to the eldest son (the firstborn) as his due inheritance. This is exactly what Paul is showing us here -Jesus Christ, the Son, inherits kingship over all creation from God, the Father. Not only is He King over the living, but by being crucified on the cross and being raised from the dead on the third day, He is given authority over the dead. The dead. That’s us; dead in our Sin. We were born dead in Sin and by God’s grace given life through Jesus Christ’s blood on the cross.

So, God has given to Jesus Christ, all creation and all God's people, as His inheritance. He has been uniquely given the power over life and over death, making Him the only One who qualifies as the perfect sacrifice; the One whose innocent blood was shed to cover our Sin.

This passage in Colossians is one of my most favorite descriptions of Jesus Christ, my King, the One to whom I bend my knee. It proves His supremacy in all things; it proclaims His majesty. What this means for you and me, on a day by day, hour by hour basis, is that we should look to Christ as the captain of our ship. Under His headship, He leads and guides us. So read the Word, talk with Him, heed the direction of our Captain. In our lives Jesus Christ should be preeminent. He deserves and should always hold the highest place.

Jesus, my King, You are sovereign and I willingly submit to You. Thank You for the gifts and abilities You have granted me. May they ever be used to further Your Name. Lead me to lead others to the Truth You have given us in Your word. The Holy Spirit does the work, but I desire to fulfill the task You have graciously given me. Great is Your Name and greatly to be praised. You are preeminent in all things Lord, continue conforming my life to live under that truth and under Your headship. In Jesus’ Name; Amen.

Building a Foundation: Part 1

[Jesus Christ] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. -Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV)

Christian, this is the answer to the question, “why do you follow Jesus Christ?”. He is the only One who has the power to deliver us. We will get to the reasons why He is the only One later this month, but for now, know that Jesus Christ is the One that brought you out from darkness and into His Father’s Kingdom. Not merely into the Kingdom but into it as a Child of God!

His shed blood on the cross was the only acceptable payment; the only way in which we were able to receive forgiveness for our Sin. The belief that this is fact, is foundational as we look toward eternity. It gives us a Hope that those still in darkness do not have and it’s the Hope that we are commanded to take to the people around us and to all the nations.

In all circumstance remember that it’s Jesus Christ we follow. He paid the debt that we could not. His blood is the only avenue into Heaven and He is the only avenue by which we are able to have a relationship with God here and now.

As you move through the days of your life, remember what He did, thank Him continually, and live differently because of what He did for you and all His people.

I end all my quiet time with prayer, so I thought I’d add my prayer to the posts, but I encourage you to talk to Him yourself.

Father, my King, my Redeemer, thank You. May I never lose sight of the significance of what You did for Your people at Calvary. As I grow closer to You, I fall more in love with You and desire to do whatever You’d have me do. Give me the eyes to see, the ears to hear and the heart to follow after You. In Jesus Name, the only Name that matters; Amen.