God’s Plan
Colossians 3:18-25 18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Good Sunday afternoon everyone. We have reached a section of the Scriptures that I have lived by for a good part of my life. But first let’s look at what Paul tells the Colossians about the right behavior of Christian households.
For any man who has used these or other Scriptures as a means to control his wife, wrongly believing he can treat her any way he likes because she has an obligation to submit, he has not only misunderstood the Scriptures, but he has completely taken God’s Word out of context .
In studying Theology we were often warned against proof texting. In other words, it is our responsibility to read the Bible in such a way that informs our beliefs rather than picking verses that prove what we already regard as true. We can be sure of two things: the Bible is the best source to prove the Bible, and if Scripture goes against the character of God, then we have incorrectly interpreted the meaning.
There is a hierarchy in Heaven and on earth, and for there to be any harmony we must act according to God’s plans. Submission does not mean that God regards women as less than men. Instead, we are to give one another a sacrificial love.
Children, be obedient to your parents because God says obedience is better than sacrifice. Fathers, treat your wives and your children with love and with care because that is the will of God
And finally, verses 23 and 24 instructs us to work in whatever we do as unto the Lord. That means whether I am a worker at McDonalds or an executive at an Insurance Company (or a Pastor), it is our privilege and our duty to work for God.
May we follow God’s Holy Word in all we say and do for this is God’s plan.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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I
Being Raised with Christ
Colossians 3:1-17 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We have already touched on the idea that the Colossians heard the gospel message, yet they continued exercising the pagan practices that were dominant in the area. In today’s scripture we see that salvation does not consist of repentance and forgiveness alone but must include a transformation.
Paul is quite specific in the changes that should be evident in the lives of a Christ follower. But I have noticed two areas of our lives that seem to be resistant to such change. One is in the area of unforgiveness. Why do we as Christians have so much difficulty in showing forgiveness to others?
The other area that seems to trip us up has to do with our language. Perhaps it is my age, but when I hear a self professed Christian use profanity I am not just uncomfortable, I am shocked that a Christ follower would align himself with the world rather than try to model Christ.
May we set an example for our younger sisters and brothers in the faith by walking, talking, thinking and behaving like Christ, for this is our calling, this is our duty.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Reality is in Christ
Colossians 2:16-23 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Today we look at a portion of Paul’s letter that deals with the physical world and superstitions that were observed during that time. Paul declares straightforwardly that the festivals and celebrations that were common had no part in the new life found in Christ.
Today we may mistakenly believe that what we see is reality. But fellow believers, Paul says the world in which we live is a shadow of the world to come.
May we join together with other believers to strengthen our faith by speaking only the truth found in God’s word, acting on His authority, and rejecting those actions that have no lasting value in the Kingdom of God or in this world.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Keep on Keeping On Christians
Colossians 2:6-15 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
As we continue in Colossians, Paul reminds these new Christians that their foundation is in Christ and Him alone. Because their faith is rooted in Jesus, they have the ability to be strong in the Lord, being of good courage and ever thankful.
Occasionally we think the wickedness of this world is something new, yet Paul warned the Colossians about listening to false teaching. I always encouraged my congregations to read their Bibles daily, developing a close relationship with the Holy Spirit so that they would not only grow in their Christian walk, but that they would immediately recognize any false teaching, even from the pulpit.
The last few verses of this section are a concise view of the gospel
- Christ paid the legal debt for our sins
- They were nailed to the cross while we were still dead in our sins
- The resurrection power of the Holy Spirit brought us into new life through forgiveness, redemption, and restoration.
Today’s churches are not automatically immune to the cultural influence that surrounds them. The Church was never intended to be influenced by the world, but instead we were to become world overcomers.
May we be so immersed in God’s love and in His teaching that we share Jesus with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Contending for the Faith
Colossians 2:1-5 1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
How many of you have been a part of starting a new church? You begin by checking out the demographics, sending out mailers, announcing a new congregation, then you find a building to rent. And each Sunday morning you have faithful members who show up with a Uhaul loaded with chairs, dividers and other paraphernalia.
But even more important than the physical properties accompanying a church is the sound teaching upon which that church is built. Paul says he wants the church to be encouraged in heart and united in love.
May we follow Paul’s example as we encourage the people where God has planted us, giving of ourselves and standing strong in the faith. May we who are committed to Jesus Christ and Him crucified be dedicated to do as Paul did—encourage the church in heart and unite them in love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 