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.
Christ Proclaimed
Colossians 1:24-29 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering 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. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 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.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Who likes a mystery? In Paul’s letter to the Colossians Paul revealed what was considered to be a mystery— that Christ had come not just for the Jews but for the Gentiles as well. Although Paul had not planted the Church at Colassae, it was vital that the errors and infighting within the church be addressed.
Paul heard of the conflicts within the church while under house arrest in Rome. He understood the importance of settling problems before the church was negatively affected. Even today godly people can misinterpret scripture, enter into minor disagreements which can cause difficulties, and allow pride or stubbornness to prevent them from settling arguments.
May we who are intentionally seeking holiness put aside any discord, keeping Jesus at the center of our lives, our relationships, and proclaim Christ always and forever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reconciled and Established
Colossians 1:21-23 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
There are some words that send shivers up my spine. Alienated is one such word. Alienated does not connote a disagreement, but rather isolation. But reconciliation, oh, reconciliation is a word that brings peace and comfort and hope.
And how did reconciliation occur? Through the spent body of Jesus Christ who became the first to conquer the grave and receive a resurrection body. Paul is reminding these new Christians that they have received the truth. It is now up to them to live accordingly.
Paul did not say. “Wait a minute. Did you forget what you were told not that long ago?” Instead, Paul measured his words, showing real restraint. He reminded the Colossians of the unique centrality of Jesus, emphasizing He had no equal in all of the world.
Do you ever read these letters and wonder how you would handle the same situation?
May we learn from the Word as we meditate on its power day after day, and may we determine in our hearts that we, too, will be ready to encourage fellow believers who have slipped on the pathway of life, giving them a hand up to regain their footing.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:15-20 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 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. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 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.
Yesterday when we began our study of Colossians, we started by establishing Paul’s legitimacy as an apostle called by Jesus Christ. Today’s lesson establishes the legitimacy of Christ as the head of the Church.
You might be wondering why we would spend time covering something so basic. Remember, the Colossian church was surrounded by pagan influences , thus some of the false teaching had to addressed.
We might think today’s churches are immune to such issues, but sadly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still being watered down today. One of the lies is that the Bible was written for a different time, a different culture. Therefore, while its message can still lead us to believe for salvation, it is ineffective in aiding us in navigating today’s problems.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
May we maintain complete trust in God’s Word and in the Christ who brought it to life, remembering it is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. Now and forever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for Fellow Christians
Colossians 1:1-14 Colossians
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people — 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world —just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Today I feel led to go through the book of Colossians, beginning with the wonderful prayer for the Church at Colassae established by Epaprus in what is now Turkey. The prayers in the Bible are so very powerful, and when we speak these words aloud, inserting the names of those we are holding up before God, there is a holiness that connects us to our Father in a way nothing else can.
Paul wrote this letter while in prison in Rome, but the topics he addressed such as keeping Christ central to all aspects of life as well as adhering to sound doctrine were similar to his other letters. You will notice this prayer includes reminders of past accomplishments as well as a pledge for continually lifting these Christian’s up before a holy God. I would suggest as we read through this letter that we pray over a specific group or particular people each day as we begin these devotionals.
Notice the aspects of this letter;
- Thanksgiving
- Remembrance
- Prayers for
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Live worthy
- Bear fruit
- Be strengthened
- Have great endurance
May we become grounded as never before as we open our hearts to new understanding and our wills to be led by the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 