An Important Question Only You Can Answer

“Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using— according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

Colossians 2:20-23 (NKJV)

Paul first laid out how our salvation is possible (Colossians 2:11-15) and now has a warning for us as we seek to follow after Christ, while awaiting His return. To paraphrase and translate what Paul is asking into our modern culture- if you claim to follow Jesus Christ, even call yourself a Christian, then why do you choose to follow culture's rules, neglecting those given by Christ? Our present culture may seem as though the rules make sense and are for your good, but they have no power to help you grow into the image of Christ. The only power the rules and guidelines of this present culture have, is the power to distract you from submitting to God's sovereign authority.

Our modern culture's biggest and most effective lie is that it tries to convince us that we know what's best for us and our souls and that no one has the authority to question us or our choices. Now, this is where we must look honestly at ourselves and ask, why do I say God's love is good enough to save my soul, but not good enough to know what is best for my life? We were not rescued for our own sake, but for God's sake. To become His children; one of His chosen people. We cannot choose what parts of Jesus Christ we accept; it is all of Christ or Hell. 

In Christ, we are made free; free from the changing whims of culture and from the legalistic religious law that lies to us with its list of rules. 

By what Christ did on the cross, we have access to God-the Father, Creator of all things- by the power of the Holy Spirit and the invitation to boldly and blamelessly approach His throne.

Father, there is freedom in You. I acknowledge that I have not fully submitted myself to Your perfect authority and still struggle with trying to find a better way for myself, and for that I repent. I ask for the strength to fully rely on You and Your way for me, knowing that whatever You have for me is best. Thank You for loving me enough to correct me and bring me back when I stray.  I love You. In Jesus Christ's Name; Amen. 

The Good News

"13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." - Colossians 2:13-15

We have come to my most favorite telling of the Gospel in all scripture.  Christian- He, the God of all things, Jesus Christ, has made you alive in Him! What better news is there that this?!! But the news goes on, not only has He made you alive, He also erased the record of His children ever having sinned against Him.

By the blood of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Atoning sacrifice, God no longer sees my sins because Christ took them upon Himself, dying the death I deserved, so that I could be called a son of God. On the cross, "He has taken it out of the way" so that nothing stands between my God and me.  I can boldly approach the throne of the Almighty and He calls me son. This was not exclusively done for me, but for any and all who submit to the authority of Christ Jesus; by faith alone, through God's grace alone we are made His children.

This act of reconciling His children back to Himself was not something He did in secret, but rather for all the world to see.  Just as the father of the prodigal son, did not simply welcome his son home in the quiet, but instead held a feast from the overflow of the joy in his heart at his son's return; God showed the world that the final sacrifice had been made, freeing His children from the regulations of the law. (We will talk more about this next week)

Father, this week my prayer is simply Thank You for Your salvation of me. May I never forget what You have done for me; let this knowledge be what drives my actions, attitude and words. In Jesus' precious Name; Amen.

A Caution & A Choice

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according the the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. - Colossians 2:8-10


As we continue through the book of Colossians, we come to a passage that is close to my heart. This requires a little backstory on me- I received my B.A. in English from a liberal arts University in Georgia where I spent three and half years reading and studying philosophers from every age; Aristotle, Plato, Durkheim, Kant and Nietzsche to name a few. Each of these philosophers, whether inadvertently or directly, did their best to prove there was another way to live life. A life that did not have Jesus Christ at the center or in it at all.
Now most of us don't regularly have lengthy debates on the existence of God or the essence of Man, but we do watch television, listen to the radio, and go outside our homes. The world has its own philosophy and it desires you to live your life according to its rules (or lack thereof). We are constantly being told it's okay to use sex to sell products, it's fine to get divorced because you can't get along, you are the only one that should have a say in what you can or can't do, chase after what makes your heart happy, etc. This is also what Paul is cautioning us against; "the basic principles of the world".
There is a Creator and Designer of the Universe, Who has laid out boundaries for His creation to live by and the whole World rages against those boundaries, whether inadvertently or directly, and Paul remind us that Jesus Christ is "the head of all principality and power". This fact is what causes King David to pen, "The law of the LORD is perfect" and through Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, do we find salvation. (Psalm 19:7 NKJV)
There are also those that try to incorporate Jesus in there philosophy as a moral teacher and nothing more. To this, I will allow C.S. Lewis to respond because he did it better than I.

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about [Jesus Christ]: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." - Mere Christianity

I'll leave you with this thought, who is Jesus Christ to you; Is He a madman or your King? If He is your King then I say, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV)

Father, you are King, sovereign and so necessary to my life and all creation. Thank You for the command to live within Your boundaries; they have been laid in welcome places and for my good. Open my eyes to the deceit of the world, and to the watering down of truth and give me the strength to stand firm on the foundation of truth. In Jesus' Name; Amen

Paul's Task. My Task. Your Task.

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

Last week, we looked specifically at Verses 24-26. To recap, that sentence can be summed up like this-Paul proclaims that he finds joy in the bringing of the Good News to the Gentiles despite the suffering he endures.

Now to look at the rest of the passage; Here we go.

Some of the Jewish people were not pleased that the Gentiles were allowed in the following of Jesus. (see Acts 13:45, 50 & 14:19) Nevertheless, Paul being given the task of preaching to the Gentiles, presses onward, understanding that God intended for the Gentiles to be shown the mystery that had been once hidden from all of them.  That mystery being the truth that Jesus Christ is the Anointed Messiah, the One Who would die for the sins of all of God's people. And regardless of which people group they were born into, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus dwells in His people. He is our only Hope and Christ Jesus is Whom Paul preaches. Paul does not stop at merely preaching Christ, but goes on to teach the people as well.

Here is where I want to camp out; as Christians we are called to proclaim Christ, to tell people of their need of Jesus, the Savior. But that's not all, we are also called to show them how to follow Him. (Matthew 28:18-20). The NIV translation of Colossians 1:28 says, "teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ".  That is disciple making; working toward people's maturity in Christ. We cannot leave people solely with the knowledge they need Jesus; we are commanded to show them how to follow Him as well. Our job as Christians, just as Paul's was, does not stop but perhaps truly begins once people see their need for Christ as their Lord. This is the end Paul encourages the Colossians to work toward. This is the end I encourage you to work toward.  We are to show people how to follow Jesus Christ, because Christ shows us how to follow Him. James also urges us to work toward this end within ourselves, "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4 NIV), This should go without saying, but I don't think people say it enough-In order to be able to show people how to biblically follow Christ, we must first be following Christ biblically.

Father, thank You for leading me to Yourself! There is no other place I'd rather live my life.  I ask for strength, grounded in You and Your truth, so that I may walk uprightly, living my life according to Your law, not only for myself, but so I may relate You and Your greatness to those around me. Discipleship is not an easy task, but with You it is a possible one. As I follow You, may I call others to follow You along with me and other believers.  I look to You in all things. In the only name that truly matters, Jesus' name; Amen.