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.
Sustain me oh God
Psalms 119:114-120 114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
115 Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws.
It seems as though many of us are living in a season of need. The medical symptoms are either changing or, if stable, the diagnosis is elusive. We become downcast because of being housebound, or our social activities consists of seeing one doctor after another with no end in sight.
David says regardless of his dilemma, he loves God’s laws and it is there where his hope is found. The next time we find ourselves in a state of hopelessness, why not do as David did and focus on God’s laws and His mercy and goodness.
May we look to God for his deliverance and our peace, knowing our help will always come from Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
My Hope is in your Word
Psalms 119:145-152 145 I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD,
and I will obey your decrees.
146 I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
151 Yet you are near, LORD,
and all your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
Have you noticed that once we hear God’s voice, and His precepts become known to us, then we cannot live without them? We do not simply read the Word, but instead we meditate upon it. We ponder upon God’s laws, keeping our minds from wandering.
We know, believe and understand that our hope is in His Word. Ps 27:4 says, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
Can my life be saved by anything or anyone other than God? It can not. Therefore, I dedicate my life to the God of my salvation, knowing that my help comes from Him and my hope is in His Word.
May we keep our hearts and our minds fixed on the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and may we share Jesus with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Seeking Holiness 