Colossians 3 [NASB]
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
This passage instructs Christians to ‘put on’ the new virtues fitting their position in Christ. We must not only cease to do the evil things we once did, but “we must learn to do well; not only not to hurt any, but to do what good we can to all”(Matthew Henry).
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
Because God has chosen us, He has made us holy in His sight. We are holy- ‘set apart’ for the Lord and for His work and have been cleansed from all unrighteousness. With this in view, we are therefore beloved of God. What was true of God’s chosen people, Israel, can now be said of the believers in Colossae, and all those who are chosen of God. Paul therefore exhorts the believers to put on the following virtues:
Compassion – love for and mercy towards one another. Kindness – “Spirit imparted goodness of heart” (William Hendriksen). Humility – lowliness, having a correct estimate of oneself. Gentleness – a meekness of spirit, “the submissiveness under provocation, the willingness rather to suffer injury than to inflict it” (William Hendriksen). Patience – long-suffering in the face of adversity.
Luke 6 [NASB]
35"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
36"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Galations 5 [NASB]
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Matthew 11 [NASB]
29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
All of these virtues are characteristics of God which He displays to us in the work and person of Christ.
Romans 13 [NASB]
14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ...
If He has dealt with us in this way, so should we deal with those around us. Paul continues with further instructions:
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
We need to (in the exercise of these virtues) bear with the short-comings of those around us, remembering that they are called to bear with our deficiencies. As not yet perfected and glorified there are many areas we fall short in, and so we need to be ready and willing to endure one another. When a brother sins against us we need to be ready to forgive them. This command of Paul is strikingly similar to the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6 [NASB]
12'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors...
14"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15"But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
We are called to forgive, because the Lord has already forgiven us our sins which are far weightier than any grievances we may have between ourselves. For more on this see the parable of the ungrateful slave of Matthew 18:21-35.
14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Jesus taught love for one another as the fulfilment of the second table of the Law. The love for our fellow believers which Paul speaks of here is the perfect bond of unity. Bruce interprets this as “the grace that binds all these other graces together”. Henriksen comments “love then is the bond of perfection in the sense that it is that which unites believers, causing them to move forward toward the goal of perfection”.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Knowing who Christ is and what He has accomplished for us, we must therefore let His peace rule - govern or direct us. As Matthew Henry points out “We are called to this peace, to peace with God as our privilege and peace with our brethren as our duty”. There is both a peace which we have before our Redeemer and Judge, and also a peace which governs our relationships with one another. If Christ’s peace rules our hearts, we will be enabled to bear with one another and forgive one another, because we are resting in the knowledge of Christ’s forgiveness for our sins. John Wesley points out that the cause and effect of this passage could also be reversed: “And then the peace of God shall rule in your hearts -Shall sway every temper, affection, thought, as the reward (so the Greek word implies) of your preceding love and obedience”. Either way we can apply this test to great advantage: “let the individual, therefore, constantly ask himself, “Will I have peace within if I do this or do that?” Let him be sure to be at peace with God, for only then can he expect to live in true harmony with his brothers” (William Hendriksen). A body made up of many members must be at peace with itself, must exhibit spiritual oneness.
Paul adds that we are to be thankful. This theme runs through the epistle (1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 16, 17; 4:2). As we are thankful for what Christ has achieved we are enabled and empowered to do these things Paul is calling us to.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
The peace of Christ can only rule in our hearts when the word of Christ is richly dwelling within us. This word should richly dwell - take residence, “be always ready and at hand to us in everything, and have its due influence and use” (Matthew Henry), bear much fruit. It should be read, believed, dwelt upon, it should be hidden in the hearts of the believers. For an example of right appreciation of the word see Psalm 119. As a result of this indwelling of the word we can with all wisdom teach and admonish one another. To admonish is to warn, stimulate, and encourage. We must do this in accordance with the rights and duties of our particular office, but note that all Christians are called to teach and admonish in some aspect even if they are not apostles as Paul was or teachers. One of the means of this teaching and admonishing in wisdom is the singing of God-glorifying songs. Let us not look down on this practice as less spiritual or necessary than other more “noble” pursuits. Spiritual songs “fix the interest upon the indwelling word of Christ and carry the attention away from the worldly cacophony” (William Hendriksen).
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Paul gives us an overarching command to close this section. ‘In the name of’ refers to “in harmony with His revealed will, in subjection to His authority, in dependence on His power” (William Hendriksen). As Hendriksen gave a test for a decision based on the peace of Christ in verse 15, so F.F. Bruce gives the following: “When faced with a situation, the believer may well ask “Can I do this ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus’ whose reputation is at stake in the conduct of His known followers? Can I thank God the Father through Him for the opportunity of doing this thing?”” We can offer our thanks to God through Him because Christ has atoned for our sins, and now lives as our intermediary. Paul ends this section by pointing us back to the one and only, all-sufficient Saviour, Christ Jesus.
These are but a few short thoughts on a huge section of Scripture, I pray that they may spur you on to put these verses into practice. God bless, Taliah.
Showing posts with label fruit of the spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruit of the spirit. Show all posts
28 October 2010
19 September 2010
The Spirit-Filled Life
I thought this devotional from 1 John was very good and worth sharing for my entry this week. It is written by Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries.
"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6
"There was a time when I was so disheartened that it made me wonder whether I should remain in the ministry. How could I tell people that Jesus would give them peace and joy when I felt discouraged by my own failure to be godly? I understood what “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) meant but was never sure which of those qualities, if any, would be apparent in me from day to day.
God let me stew in my anxiety until I was fully committed to finding out if His Word was true or not. I encountered my answer in a biography of Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Missions. For a long time he, too, felt that his efforts fell short of the Lord’s expectations. Then Taylor discovered that God wanted believers to take His promises literally. So when Jesus said to abide in Him, He meant that His followers were to stop striving and struggling. Instead they were to trust Him to subdue their flesh.
As a child, I was taught that a person got saved and then went to work for God. You did the best you could to act godly, think right, and speak wisely. When your best wasn’t good enough, well, you tried harder. Such an impossible expectation was wearing me out. This idea of letting Jesus Christ work through me sounded both biblical and liberating.
A grape branch doesn’t bear fruit because of its determined efforts to get sunshine; rather, it simply abides in the vine, and fruit appears. The vine does all the work. In the same way, believers are to be in union with their Savior so that spiritual fruit can grow in their life."
"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6
"There was a time when I was so disheartened that it made me wonder whether I should remain in the ministry. How could I tell people that Jesus would give them peace and joy when I felt discouraged by my own failure to be godly? I understood what “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) meant but was never sure which of those qualities, if any, would be apparent in me from day to day.
God let me stew in my anxiety until I was fully committed to finding out if His Word was true or not. I encountered my answer in a biography of Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Missions. For a long time he, too, felt that his efforts fell short of the Lord’s expectations. Then Taylor discovered that God wanted believers to take His promises literally. So when Jesus said to abide in Him, He meant that His followers were to stop striving and struggling. Instead they were to trust Him to subdue their flesh.
As a child, I was taught that a person got saved and then went to work for God. You did the best you could to act godly, think right, and speak wisely. When your best wasn’t good enough, well, you tried harder. Such an impossible expectation was wearing me out. This idea of letting Jesus Christ work through me sounded both biblical and liberating.
A grape branch doesn’t bear fruit because of its determined efforts to get sunshine; rather, it simply abides in the vine, and fruit appears. The vine does all the work. In the same way, believers are to be in union with their Savior so that spiritual fruit can grow in their life."
21 July 2010
Colossians 3:1-4
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Last study we looked specifically at the heresies which the Colossian church faced, and the answers to these heresies found in Christ and His finished work. This study we are blessed to look at these four short verses which contain incredible truths.
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
This language is similar to chapter 2 where through baptism the believers are buried and raised up with Christ.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
If the believer has been granted these great privileges through the death and resurrection of Christ, then naturally it follows that they should continue to seek the things pertaining to Christ. Hendriksen in his commentary on Colossians states “the verb ‘seek’ implies persevering effort; hence the rendering, “Be constantly seeking,” is not incorrect. This seeking, moreover, is more than a seeking to discover. It is a seeking to obtain... The emphasis, though, is not on the seeking but on the object sought. A precise rendering would be, “the things that are above be constantly seeking.””
Our hearts and minds have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and so we should be constantly seeking the things where Christ is. Our Saviour is not only the spotless Lamb of God, but He has been exalted to the right hand of God.
Christ Himself made this claim before Caiaphas, the high priest, referencing Psalm 110.
Matthew 26 [NASB]
63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."
64Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;
Psalm 110 [NASB]
1The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
What an encouragement it should be to us to know who Christ is, what honour He has been bestowed, and what He has done for us when we were raised up with Him.
Ephesians 1 [NASB]
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him...
For this reason we are told to keep seeking the things above where Christ is.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
The idea behind this verse is that we are to ponder and yearn for these things above. Paul is giving the Colossian believers very practical teaching, this admonition is the answer to all their temptations which they are faced with. Some of the things which are in view here are listed later in chapter 3.
Colossians 3:12-16 [NASB]
...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing ... forgiving ... love... peace of Christ ... thankful...
If we compare these things with the alternatives of ‘self-made religion’ offered in chapter 2 it becomes clear that if these Christ-like virtues fill our hearts and minds then they shall be of great value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
As Christians we can have assurance that we will receive these things because of the truths in verse 1 - we have already been raised from the dead with Christ, and this same Christ has been bestowed power and authority at the right hand of God.
We are however often tempted to set our minds on the things of earth. Peter walked on water, but began to sink when he looked away from Christ and looked to the wind and the storm around him (Matthew 14:22-32). I so often am dismayed when I am setting my mind on my circumstances and not on Christ. As Meredith shared last week, as Christian we can choose joy in Christ because we can rejoice IN THE LORD. It is in Him that we have these great and magnificent promises.
1 John 2 [NASB]
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
How incredible it is when we see who Christ is and what He has done that we still need to be exhorted to set our minds on Him! May the Lord help us.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Paul repeats here the language of death. We are dead, buried and raised with Christ.
Galatians 6 [NASB]
14But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
These things on earth which we once sought after with our whole being have been crucified to us in Christ. As Matthew Henry states “If we are dead to the earth, and have renounced it as our happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it and seek it. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it”.
As the earth is dead to us we are likewise made alive to a new world – Christ. Paul constantly speaks in this way in his epistles.
Galatians 2 [NASB]
20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Philippians 1 [NASB]
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Christ is now the “principle and end of the Christian’s life” (Matthew Henry). By hidden we understand that our lives are safe in Him. Our lives are also hidden as He is from this present world. The world did not understand Him and does not now see Him as He is – likewise the believer.
1 John 3 [NASB]
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
What a hope we have laid up in Christ!
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Our hope is not only for now, but for the future at His second coming. When Christ appears we will be like Him, and so we will be revealed with Him in glory! If we have been raised up with Christ, all of this is our hope. If our life is now hid with Christ it will then be revealed in Him also. Praise the Lord!
Matthew Henry concludes “Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it? Our head is there, our home is there, our treasure is there, and we hope to be there forever.”
What great things Christ has done for us. He is the Only and All-Sufficient Saviour. He is our hope, our life, our joy.
God bless.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Last study we looked specifically at the heresies which the Colossian church faced, and the answers to these heresies found in Christ and His finished work. This study we are blessed to look at these four short verses which contain incredible truths.
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
This language is similar to chapter 2 where through baptism the believers are buried and raised up with Christ.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
If the believer has been granted these great privileges through the death and resurrection of Christ, then naturally it follows that they should continue to seek the things pertaining to Christ. Hendriksen in his commentary on Colossians states “the verb ‘seek’ implies persevering effort; hence the rendering, “Be constantly seeking,” is not incorrect. This seeking, moreover, is more than a seeking to discover. It is a seeking to obtain... The emphasis, though, is not on the seeking but on the object sought. A precise rendering would be, “the things that are above be constantly seeking.””
Our hearts and minds have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and so we should be constantly seeking the things where Christ is. Our Saviour is not only the spotless Lamb of God, but He has been exalted to the right hand of God.
Christ Himself made this claim before Caiaphas, the high priest, referencing Psalm 110.
Matthew 26 [NASB]
63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."
64Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;
Psalm 110 [NASB]
1The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
What an encouragement it should be to us to know who Christ is, what honour He has been bestowed, and what He has done for us when we were raised up with Him.
Ephesians 1 [NASB]
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him...
For this reason we are told to keep seeking the things above where Christ is.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
The idea behind this verse is that we are to ponder and yearn for these things above. Paul is giving the Colossian believers very practical teaching, this admonition is the answer to all their temptations which they are faced with. Some of the things which are in view here are listed later in chapter 3.
Colossians 3:12-16 [NASB]
...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing ... forgiving ... love... peace of Christ ... thankful...
If we compare these things with the alternatives of ‘self-made religion’ offered in chapter 2 it becomes clear that if these Christ-like virtues fill our hearts and minds then they shall be of great value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
As Christians we can have assurance that we will receive these things because of the truths in verse 1 - we have already been raised from the dead with Christ, and this same Christ has been bestowed power and authority at the right hand of God.
We are however often tempted to set our minds on the things of earth. Peter walked on water, but began to sink when he looked away from Christ and looked to the wind and the storm around him (Matthew 14:22-32). I so often am dismayed when I am setting my mind on my circumstances and not on Christ. As Meredith shared last week, as Christian we can choose joy in Christ because we can rejoice IN THE LORD. It is in Him that we have these great and magnificent promises.
1 John 2 [NASB]
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
How incredible it is when we see who Christ is and what He has done that we still need to be exhorted to set our minds on Him! May the Lord help us.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Paul repeats here the language of death. We are dead, buried and raised with Christ.
Galatians 6 [NASB]
14But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
These things on earth which we once sought after with our whole being have been crucified to us in Christ. As Matthew Henry states “If we are dead to the earth, and have renounced it as our happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it and seek it. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it”.
As the earth is dead to us we are likewise made alive to a new world – Christ. Paul constantly speaks in this way in his epistles.
Galatians 2 [NASB]
20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Philippians 1 [NASB]
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Christ is now the “principle and end of the Christian’s life” (Matthew Henry). By hidden we understand that our lives are safe in Him. Our lives are also hidden as He is from this present world. The world did not understand Him and does not now see Him as He is – likewise the believer.
1 John 3 [NASB]
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
What a hope we have laid up in Christ!
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Our hope is not only for now, but for the future at His second coming. When Christ appears we will be like Him, and so we will be revealed with Him in glory! If we have been raised up with Christ, all of this is our hope. If our life is now hid with Christ it will then be revealed in Him also. Praise the Lord!
Matthew Henry concludes “Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it? Our head is there, our home is there, our treasure is there, and we hope to be there forever.”
What great things Christ has done for us. He is the Only and All-Sufficient Saviour. He is our hope, our life, our joy.
God bless.
18 July 2010
Choosing Joy
Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Christian conference promoting life and families. As I have recalled the many sessions held throughout the weekend, covering everything from Haitian adoptions to euthanasia to embryology, one small point mentioned in passing by one of the speakers has stood out to me beyond any other. The woman being interviewed, Mrs. Michelle Duggar, mother to nineteen children, emphasized the importance of choosing joy even when we don't feel like it. She recounted how, during one especially trying season, she would go around her home singing, "The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength" to remind herself of this important truth.
As followers of Christ, we have an inner joy and peace that the world cannot understand, but sometimes in the day to day tasks we can lose sight of our primary purpose and get so easily caught up in the menial tasks of the day. While I should not put on a fake front, I also should not adopt a spirit of negativity in the midst of my many responsibilities. Lately, as I juggle serving my family at home through housework, cooking, and running one of our businesses, homeschooling two of my siblings, trying to "finish strong" as a daughter and sister in my final few months in my family's home, and attempting to be a sweet fiancée to my gracious soon-to-be husband, all the while planning a wedding, I have consistently found myself in an overwhelmed state more often than not. I have felt tremendously guilty that I am not using the final months at home to their fullest.
Mrs. Duggar's words on choosing to be joyful rang true in my heart and have been a source of comfort to me. As I pondered her words of admonition, I decided to study more scriptures on choosing to be joyful, which I have included here with the hope that they may be encouragement to others as well:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." Psalm 5:11
"...For this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold." Nehemiah 8:10
"This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
Many blessings for a joyful new week!
As followers of Christ, we have an inner joy and peace that the world cannot understand, but sometimes in the day to day tasks we can lose sight of our primary purpose and get so easily caught up in the menial tasks of the day. While I should not put on a fake front, I also should not adopt a spirit of negativity in the midst of my many responsibilities. Lately, as I juggle serving my family at home through housework, cooking, and running one of our businesses, homeschooling two of my siblings, trying to "finish strong" as a daughter and sister in my final few months in my family's home, and attempting to be a sweet fiancée to my gracious soon-to-be husband, all the while planning a wedding, I have consistently found myself in an overwhelmed state more often than not. I have felt tremendously guilty that I am not using the final months at home to their fullest.
Mrs. Duggar's words on choosing to be joyful rang true in my heart and have been a source of comfort to me. As I pondered her words of admonition, I decided to study more scriptures on choosing to be joyful, which I have included here with the hope that they may be encouragement to others as well:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." Psalm 5:11
"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him." Psalm 33:1
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4
"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" Psalm 32:11-12
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:18
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11"...For this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold." Nehemiah 8:10
"This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
Many blessings for a joyful new week!
21 May 2010
Colossians 2:1-7
Last time we looked at Paul’s example to us in his suffering with rejoicing, the fulfilling of his God-given stewardship and his glorying in the mystery now revealed to us in Christ. We concluded that we need to proclaim Christ as Paul did, warning, stimulating, encouraging, teaching every man. We need to work hard, to strive and labour, in God’s strength which works within us.
As we go on in the letter of Colossians Paul speaks of his desires for the Colossian believers – what he would like to see in them as they grow in Christ. We also have the first explicit warning in verses 4. Paul has hinted at the temptations which the Colossian believers face in his prayers for them in chapter 1 and his examination of who Christ is and what He has accomplished. We will look more comprehensively at the warnings when we go through the rest of chapter 2. Now for the passage:
Colossians 2:1-7 [NASB]
1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
5For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
-
1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
Paul continues his use of the language of a spiritual ‘struggle’ from chapter 1:24, 29. The word for struggle is also rendered agony, conflict, contention, fight and race in the NT. These are common themes for Paul in his letters. He wanted them to know what he was going through as he supposed that it would affect them and spur them on to accomplish what he sets before them. Paul had concern for these believers, for those in the region beyond them in Laodicea and for those whom he had not yet met. His concerns were well founded as we see in the letter to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22. Interestingly this passage is very similar to Colossians 1, in that the introduction points to Christ being the beginning of the creation of God, and the close shows Him to be the One who overcame and is seated with the Father on His throne. This was obviously something which the believers needed to realize and hold on to if they were to face the opposition which was prevalent in this area.
Revelation 3 [NASB]
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
…
21'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
So what was Paul struggling about?
2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
Paul’s concern was for their hearts. “Once the heart has been thoroughly won over and established in grace, the entire person has become the object of God’s marvelous transforming power” (Hendriksen on Colossians).
He is not wishing for them a simple happiness or merriment, but rather an encouragement which is more solid and steadfast than that as it is founded in love and full assurance of understanding. Later in the letter Paul will call love the “perfect bond of unity” (Col 3:14 NASB). Fellowship with believers was the means to comforting and encouraging each other, and this in love.
As Matthew Henry points out: “We may keep up a communion by faith, hope, and holy love, even with those churches and fellow-Christians of whom we have no personal knowledge, and with whom we have no conversation. We can think, and pray, and be concerned for one another, at the greatest distance; and those we never saw in the flesh we may hope to meet in heaven.”
Paul speaks of attaining all the wealth of understanding. In chapter 1 Paul prayed this for the Colossians.
Colossians 1 [NASB]
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Here in chapter 2 he gives the how of attaining. It is in the encouraged heart and in the united believers knit together in love. It is in full assurance of the Christian doctrines passed on to them through Paul and others. With these things there results a true knowledge of God’s mystery which Paul points out is Christ Himself, as in chapter 1:27 where it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
There is a sense in which when we are encouraged and knitted together we have a knowledge of God’s mystery – Christ, but it could also be said that when we truly have Christ we will be encouraged and knitted together because in Christ these things are found.
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
To attain to all the wealth that comes from a full assurance of understanding we need Christ, because in HIM are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We are, as Hendriksen puts it, “invited to ‘come, discover for yourselves’”.
4I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
What a guard against going astray! In chapter 1 Paul establishes that Christ has “first place in everything” (Col 1:18 NASB), in creation, the church, redemption. Not only this, but He is the “hope of glory” (Col 1:27 NASB), He is “God’s mystery” (Col 2:2 NASB), AND in Him are “all the treasures of wisdom and understanding”.
He is what we are told in Proverbs 2 [NASB] to “make your ear attentive… incline your heart to…cry for… lift your voice for… seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures”.
Whatever persuasive arguments may come we can say as Peter did:
John 6 [NASB]
67So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"
68Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
5For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
Even though he is not with them Paul seeks after their welfare by speaking with people from the church (e.g. Epaphras) and he says that in spirit he is with them. He carries their burdens to the Lord in prayer and rejoices with them in their triumphs.
Paul was concerned for these believers and this letter is full of warnings as we shall see in the rest of chapter 2. Still, in the midst of these very real dangers and concerns, Paul is able to look to the good which God is doing amongst them. In chapter 1:6 he says that the gospel is “constantly bearing fruit and increasing” in them. Here he commends their discipline and stability. They are conducting themselves in an orderly manner as Christians should. Their faith he calls stable, or firm. He has just spoken to them so that no one will lead them astray, yet he says they have a stability of faith in Christ. Note this stability and the faith are IN Christ. Every one should be looking to themselves to ensure that they are not deluded or led astray, even if they consider themselves firm in Christ.
This example of Paul shows us that we should look to the good work which God is doing in believer’s lives. There may be dangers, there may be causes for concern, yet we should still rejoice when we see growth and when we see any fruits being born.
So what is Paul’s commendation to them?
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
There should be a progression. You have received Christ, so walk in Him, be rooted in Him, be established in Him, then you will overflow with gratitude. This is the gospel “constantly bearing fruit and increasing” (Col 1:6 NASB).
Christ is our professed Lord, so we need to make our walk conformable to this profession “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work” (Col 1:10 NASB).
We should be firmly rooted in Him.
John 15 [NASB]
4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
As we abide in Him, He builds us up and allows us to bear much fruit. As we abide in Him we will be established in our faith. In Him are all our needs supplied.
This passage (v 6-7) seems to be Paul’s answer to what he prayed for the Colossian believers in Col 1:9-12 and the appropriate response called for in light of the riches in Christ he speaks of in Col 1:13-22.
-
I pray that as we have worked through Colossians you are being encouraged in you hearts and in your faith and that we can be knit together in love as we fix our eyes on Christ who is our hope of glory. This book presents to us Christ in all His glory. May He grow us in our knowledge of Him.
God bless.
As we go on in the letter of Colossians Paul speaks of his desires for the Colossian believers – what he would like to see in them as they grow in Christ. We also have the first explicit warning in verses 4. Paul has hinted at the temptations which the Colossian believers face in his prayers for them in chapter 1 and his examination of who Christ is and what He has accomplished. We will look more comprehensively at the warnings when we go through the rest of chapter 2. Now for the passage:
Colossians 2:1-7 [NASB]
1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
5For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
-
1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
Paul continues his use of the language of a spiritual ‘struggle’ from chapter 1:24, 29. The word for struggle is also rendered agony, conflict, contention, fight and race in the NT. These are common themes for Paul in his letters. He wanted them to know what he was going through as he supposed that it would affect them and spur them on to accomplish what he sets before them. Paul had concern for these believers, for those in the region beyond them in Laodicea and for those whom he had not yet met. His concerns were well founded as we see in the letter to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22. Interestingly this passage is very similar to Colossians 1, in that the introduction points to Christ being the beginning of the creation of God, and the close shows Him to be the One who overcame and is seated with the Father on His throne. This was obviously something which the believers needed to realize and hold on to if they were to face the opposition which was prevalent in this area.
Revelation 3 [NASB]
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
…
21'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
So what was Paul struggling about?
2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
Paul’s concern was for their hearts. “Once the heart has been thoroughly won over and established in grace, the entire person has become the object of God’s marvelous transforming power” (Hendriksen on Colossians).
He is not wishing for them a simple happiness or merriment, but rather an encouragement which is more solid and steadfast than that as it is founded in love and full assurance of understanding. Later in the letter Paul will call love the “perfect bond of unity” (Col 3:14 NASB). Fellowship with believers was the means to comforting and encouraging each other, and this in love.
As Matthew Henry points out: “We may keep up a communion by faith, hope, and holy love, even with those churches and fellow-Christians of whom we have no personal knowledge, and with whom we have no conversation. We can think, and pray, and be concerned for one another, at the greatest distance; and those we never saw in the flesh we may hope to meet in heaven.”
Paul speaks of attaining all the wealth of understanding. In chapter 1 Paul prayed this for the Colossians.
Colossians 1 [NASB]
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Here in chapter 2 he gives the how of attaining. It is in the encouraged heart and in the united believers knit together in love. It is in full assurance of the Christian doctrines passed on to them through Paul and others. With these things there results a true knowledge of God’s mystery which Paul points out is Christ Himself, as in chapter 1:27 where it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
There is a sense in which when we are encouraged and knitted together we have a knowledge of God’s mystery – Christ, but it could also be said that when we truly have Christ we will be encouraged and knitted together because in Christ these things are found.
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
To attain to all the wealth that comes from a full assurance of understanding we need Christ, because in HIM are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We are, as Hendriksen puts it, “invited to ‘come, discover for yourselves’”.
4I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
What a guard against going astray! In chapter 1 Paul establishes that Christ has “first place in everything” (Col 1:18 NASB), in creation, the church, redemption. Not only this, but He is the “hope of glory” (Col 1:27 NASB), He is “God’s mystery” (Col 2:2 NASB), AND in Him are “all the treasures of wisdom and understanding”.
He is what we are told in Proverbs 2 [NASB] to “make your ear attentive… incline your heart to…cry for… lift your voice for… seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures”.
Whatever persuasive arguments may come we can say as Peter did:
John 6 [NASB]
67So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"
68Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
5For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
Even though he is not with them Paul seeks after their welfare by speaking with people from the church (e.g. Epaphras) and he says that in spirit he is with them. He carries their burdens to the Lord in prayer and rejoices with them in their triumphs.
Paul was concerned for these believers and this letter is full of warnings as we shall see in the rest of chapter 2. Still, in the midst of these very real dangers and concerns, Paul is able to look to the good which God is doing amongst them. In chapter 1:6 he says that the gospel is “constantly bearing fruit and increasing” in them. Here he commends their discipline and stability. They are conducting themselves in an orderly manner as Christians should. Their faith he calls stable, or firm. He has just spoken to them so that no one will lead them astray, yet he says they have a stability of faith in Christ. Note this stability and the faith are IN Christ. Every one should be looking to themselves to ensure that they are not deluded or led astray, even if they consider themselves firm in Christ.
This example of Paul shows us that we should look to the good work which God is doing in believer’s lives. There may be dangers, there may be causes for concern, yet we should still rejoice when we see growth and when we see any fruits being born.
So what is Paul’s commendation to them?
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
There should be a progression. You have received Christ, so walk in Him, be rooted in Him, be established in Him, then you will overflow with gratitude. This is the gospel “constantly bearing fruit and increasing” (Col 1:6 NASB).
Christ is our professed Lord, so we need to make our walk conformable to this profession “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work” (Col 1:10 NASB).
We should be firmly rooted in Him.
John 15 [NASB]
4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
As we abide in Him, He builds us up and allows us to bear much fruit. As we abide in Him we will be established in our faith. In Him are all our needs supplied.
This passage (v 6-7) seems to be Paul’s answer to what he prayed for the Colossian believers in Col 1:9-12 and the appropriate response called for in light of the riches in Christ he speaks of in Col 1:13-22.
-
I pray that as we have worked through Colossians you are being encouraged in you hearts and in your faith and that we can be knit together in love as we fix our eyes on Christ who is our hope of glory. This book presents to us Christ in all His glory. May He grow us in our knowledge of Him.
God bless.
22 April 2010
Colossians 1:24-29
Colossians 1 [NASB]
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
-
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
Paul the apostle was like Jesus, ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3 NASB). When Jesus spoke of Paul to Ananias, as recorded in Acts 9:16 [NASB], He said of him: ‘for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake.’ In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul speaks of examples his sufferings for the sake of Christ and the church:
2 Corinthians 11 [NASB]
23Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
When I look at what he went through I am in awe. Many Christians around the world suffer today as Paul did, and we are told to expect as much.
2 Timothy 3:12 [NASB]
12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
So what is our response to be? Paul always speaks of his sufferings with an attitude of joy, thanksgiving and humility. He says to the Colossians that ‘I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake’. I must admit that this is not my response when things get hard. Paul has just finished speaking of Christ’s supremacy in creation, the church and in redemption, and goes on to speak of the preaching of the gospel. In the light of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished on our behalf, and the work of God in the proclamation of the gospel, Paul can say that he rejoices in his sufferings. He knows that it is for the sake of the Colossian believers, and the church as a body. He says that ‘in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions’. Paul says that he is doing his share on behalf of His body the church. All the members of the body contribute their share, in whatever the Lord requires of them. The question remains however - was there something lacking in Christ’s afflictions? In regard to the atoning value of Christ’s sacrifice it is clear in this letter that Christ’s death was sufficient.
Colossians 1:20-22 [NASB]
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--
Colossians 2:14 [NASB]
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
There are two main schools of thought that I could find regarding this passage. The first (supported by William Hendriksen) is that the enemies of God were not satisfied and so are trying to fill up their measure of the sufferings they desired of Christ by causing sufferings in His followers (Revelation 12:13, John 15:18-21). The second interpretation is that Paul had not yet suffered as fully as Christ had, or as fully as Christ had assigned to him. There was still more for Paul to suffer, and so he was filling up what was lacking (supported by Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes). I am inclined to follow the second, however they are not mutually exclusive.
25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
Paul was divinely appointed to his position as a minister to the church in rather spectacular fashion. His apostleship was bestowed on him, and his teachings carried with them a weight of authority because of this. The Colossians needed to remember his authority when faced with contrary teachings. We need to remember that those who are in authority as teachers are called to their position by God.
Ephesians 4:11-13 [NASB]
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
All teachings need to be tested against Scripture, as even those at Berea tested the teachings of Paul.
Acts 17:10-11 [NASB]
10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
It is a great responsibility for teachers, they are charged with ‘fully carry(ing) out the preaching of the word of God’. We should pray for them and support them in their ministry.
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
Hendriksen states ‘In Pauline literature a mystery is a person or a truth that would remain unknown had not God revealed him or it’. In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Paul speaks of a veil still being over the hearts of those who do not know Christ. The veil is however lifted when one turns to Christ. Praise the Lord for God’s mercy and glory. What was hidden from past ages and generations is revealed to us!
1 Peter 1:10-12 [NASB]
10As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.
This greatly humbles me, and convicts me of the way I treat the Bible. I should treasure the privilege I have to be able to access the whole canon of Scripture. This scripture states that the great men of old who were said to have served God with all their heart (David, Abraham, Hezekiah, Josiah) did not have as full a revelation of the mystery of God as I do. And yet Christ says regarding a parable about stewards and masters:
Luke 12:48b [NASB]
48bFrom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
We have been entrusted with the mystery of Christ, fully revealed as never before. What do we do with this treasure? Are we good stewards of what we have been entrusted with?
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
God willed to make known this mystery to His saints. The mystery is glorious, richly glorious. Christ has taken down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, reconciling both to God in one body through Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22 esp. 16).
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NASB]
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The mystery of salvation available to Jews and Gentiles is summed up in ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’. Through Christ, we have an expectation of the glory to be revealed in us in the future.
Colossians 3:4 [NASB]
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of the resurrection hope which Christians have, that our body will be sewn in dishonor but raised in glory. We have not only been forgiven our sins, transferred into the kingdom of God, declared to be the sons of God, and given everlasting life in Christ, but given the promise of glory also! Praise the Lord!
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Whatever Paul preached, wherever and whenever, he proclaimed Christ. He proclaimed the One who is supreme in creation, the church, redemption, who has purchased us by His blood, and who guarantees our future glory. To admonish is to warn, stimulate, encourage. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 he pleads, and in 2 Corinthians 2:4 and Philippians 3:18 he sheds tears. Paul knew that this Christ is the only hope for every man and so He is presented to all through admonition and teaching. This needed to be done with all wisdom because the goal is so important. Paul (and his fellow-workers) proclaimed Christ that they ‘may present every man complete in Christ’. This ‘complete’ could also be ‘perfect’. This role is usually attributed to Christ (Ephesians 5:27) and God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:14). In God’s good plan the wise faithful proclamation of Christ in the form of admonition and teaching is able to accomplish this goal. What a glorious privilege and responsibility. This is in view of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as F. F. Bruce states: “it is then that the work of grace in the believer’s life is complete, it is then that perfect conformity to the likeness of Christ is attained”.
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
Knowing that God has bestowed on him this ministry and that he has a role to play in presenting these believers complete in Christ, Paul says that he labors – literally labor to the point of weariness and exhaustion. However he knows that he is not in this alone. It is also God’s work as seen in Ephesians 5:27 and 2 Corinthians 4:14, and Paul knows that he works according to His power. This power of God is the same power which raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20). Paul records in his letters that his striving included earnest prayers, listening to God, careful planning, letter writing, directing, mentoring, personal witnessing, living as an example. How did Paul accomplish so much? It was Christ in him, God’s power at work.
What does this mean for us? What ministry has God given us? We may not be called as Paul was to proclaim Christ before kings and rulers, but we are called to live excellent lives among the Gentiles (1 Peter 2:12), to go and make disciples, teaching them of Christ (Matthew 28:19), to be subject to our husbands (Colossians 3:18), to do our work heartily as for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) etc. We are called to follow Paul’s example given here. He suffered with rejoicing, knowing what it was achieving. He knew the stewardship God had given him and was seeking to fully carry it out. We need to value the mystery which has been revealed to us, and treasure and study the Word in all its fullness. We need to appreciate the riches of the glory of the mystery which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. We need to proclaim Christ as Paul did, warning, stimulating, encouraging, teaching EVERY man. We need to work hard, to strive and labour, in God’s strength with works within us. Lord help us to this end!
God bless, Taliah.
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
-
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
Paul the apostle was like Jesus, ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3 NASB). When Jesus spoke of Paul to Ananias, as recorded in Acts 9:16 [NASB], He said of him: ‘for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake.’ In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul speaks of examples his sufferings for the sake of Christ and the church:
2 Corinthians 11 [NASB]
23Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
When I look at what he went through I am in awe. Many Christians around the world suffer today as Paul did, and we are told to expect as much.
2 Timothy 3:12 [NASB]
12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
So what is our response to be? Paul always speaks of his sufferings with an attitude of joy, thanksgiving and humility. He says to the Colossians that ‘I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake’. I must admit that this is not my response when things get hard. Paul has just finished speaking of Christ’s supremacy in creation, the church and in redemption, and goes on to speak of the preaching of the gospel. In the light of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished on our behalf, and the work of God in the proclamation of the gospel, Paul can say that he rejoices in his sufferings. He knows that it is for the sake of the Colossian believers, and the church as a body. He says that ‘in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions’. Paul says that he is doing his share on behalf of His body the church. All the members of the body contribute their share, in whatever the Lord requires of them. The question remains however - was there something lacking in Christ’s afflictions? In regard to the atoning value of Christ’s sacrifice it is clear in this letter that Christ’s death was sufficient.
Colossians 1:20-22 [NASB]
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--
Colossians 2:14 [NASB]
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
There are two main schools of thought that I could find regarding this passage. The first (supported by William Hendriksen) is that the enemies of God were not satisfied and so are trying to fill up their measure of the sufferings they desired of Christ by causing sufferings in His followers (Revelation 12:13, John 15:18-21). The second interpretation is that Paul had not yet suffered as fully as Christ had, or as fully as Christ had assigned to him. There was still more for Paul to suffer, and so he was filling up what was lacking (supported by Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes). I am inclined to follow the second, however they are not mutually exclusive.
25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
Paul was divinely appointed to his position as a minister to the church in rather spectacular fashion. His apostleship was bestowed on him, and his teachings carried with them a weight of authority because of this. The Colossians needed to remember his authority when faced with contrary teachings. We need to remember that those who are in authority as teachers are called to their position by God.
Ephesians 4:11-13 [NASB]
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
All teachings need to be tested against Scripture, as even those at Berea tested the teachings of Paul.
Acts 17:10-11 [NASB]
10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
It is a great responsibility for teachers, they are charged with ‘fully carry(ing) out the preaching of the word of God’. We should pray for them and support them in their ministry.
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
Hendriksen states ‘In Pauline literature a mystery is a person or a truth that would remain unknown had not God revealed him or it’. In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Paul speaks of a veil still being over the hearts of those who do not know Christ. The veil is however lifted when one turns to Christ. Praise the Lord for God’s mercy and glory. What was hidden from past ages and generations is revealed to us!
1 Peter 1:10-12 [NASB]
10As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.
This greatly humbles me, and convicts me of the way I treat the Bible. I should treasure the privilege I have to be able to access the whole canon of Scripture. This scripture states that the great men of old who were said to have served God with all their heart (David, Abraham, Hezekiah, Josiah) did not have as full a revelation of the mystery of God as I do. And yet Christ says regarding a parable about stewards and masters:
Luke 12:48b [NASB]
48bFrom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
We have been entrusted with the mystery of Christ, fully revealed as never before. What do we do with this treasure? Are we good stewards of what we have been entrusted with?
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
God willed to make known this mystery to His saints. The mystery is glorious, richly glorious. Christ has taken down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, reconciling both to God in one body through Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22 esp. 16).
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NASB]
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The mystery of salvation available to Jews and Gentiles is summed up in ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’. Through Christ, we have an expectation of the glory to be revealed in us in the future.
Colossians 3:4 [NASB]
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of the resurrection hope which Christians have, that our body will be sewn in dishonor but raised in glory. We have not only been forgiven our sins, transferred into the kingdom of God, declared to be the sons of God, and given everlasting life in Christ, but given the promise of glory also! Praise the Lord!
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Whatever Paul preached, wherever and whenever, he proclaimed Christ. He proclaimed the One who is supreme in creation, the church, redemption, who has purchased us by His blood, and who guarantees our future glory. To admonish is to warn, stimulate, encourage. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 he pleads, and in 2 Corinthians 2:4 and Philippians 3:18 he sheds tears. Paul knew that this Christ is the only hope for every man and so He is presented to all through admonition and teaching. This needed to be done with all wisdom because the goal is so important. Paul (and his fellow-workers) proclaimed Christ that they ‘may present every man complete in Christ’. This ‘complete’ could also be ‘perfect’. This role is usually attributed to Christ (Ephesians 5:27) and God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:14). In God’s good plan the wise faithful proclamation of Christ in the form of admonition and teaching is able to accomplish this goal. What a glorious privilege and responsibility. This is in view of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as F. F. Bruce states: “it is then that the work of grace in the believer’s life is complete, it is then that perfect conformity to the likeness of Christ is attained”.
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
Knowing that God has bestowed on him this ministry and that he has a role to play in presenting these believers complete in Christ, Paul says that he labors – literally labor to the point of weariness and exhaustion. However he knows that he is not in this alone. It is also God’s work as seen in Ephesians 5:27 and 2 Corinthians 4:14, and Paul knows that he works according to His power. This power of God is the same power which raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20). Paul records in his letters that his striving included earnest prayers, listening to God, careful planning, letter writing, directing, mentoring, personal witnessing, living as an example. How did Paul accomplish so much? It was Christ in him, God’s power at work.
What does this mean for us? What ministry has God given us? We may not be called as Paul was to proclaim Christ before kings and rulers, but we are called to live excellent lives among the Gentiles (1 Peter 2:12), to go and make disciples, teaching them of Christ (Matthew 28:19), to be subject to our husbands (Colossians 3:18), to do our work heartily as for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) etc. We are called to follow Paul’s example given here. He suffered with rejoicing, knowing what it was achieving. He knew the stewardship God had given him and was seeking to fully carry it out. We need to value the mystery which has been revealed to us, and treasure and study the Word in all its fullness. We need to appreciate the riches of the glory of the mystery which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. We need to proclaim Christ as Paul did, warning, stimulating, encouraging, teaching EVERY man. We need to work hard, to strive and labour, in God’s strength with works within us. Lord help us to this end!
God bless, Taliah.
26 February 2010
Colossians 1:9-14
I was glad to see Meredith’s post from last week was on prayer –she shared with us many scriptures which encourage us to pray and assure us of God’s hearing of our prayers. In my last posting I looked at Colossians 1:1-14, and I will be taking the time now to specifically look at the prayer in this section. I would like to look at at what scripture has to say about each of the things Paul includes in his prayer for the Colossians.
As I have already shared, Paul here shows us his commitment to prayer. Since the time he hears of a group of saints he prays for them. He encourages the subjects of his prayer by sharing with them what he is praying for, and remembers them long after he first hears of them.
To know God’s will is of the uttermost importance. It is vain to try to serve God without knowing what He desires of us.
This knowledge of God’s will is not a mystical knowledge, Paul clearly speaks against this in chapter 2. Nor is it simply intellectual, for the unbeliever, nominal Christian and Satan for that manner can believe many true things about God which do not result in salvation. The knowledge Paul points to is powerful in the believer’s life to produce the fruits given in verse 10. ‘It results from fellowship with God and leads to deeper fellowship. Hence, this clear knowledge is heart-transforming and life-renewing’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
The knowledge of God’s will must be in spiritual wisdom and understanding. ‘Such wisdom is the ability to use the best means to reach the highest goal, a life to God’s glory. It amounts to understanding that is at once spiritual and practical’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
A beautiful description of this wisdom is found in James.
This phrase ‘walk in a manner worthy of the Lord’ appears several times in the New Testament. Each time it is accompanied by some of the attributes which the author believes are fitting this worthy life.
These scriptures give us an excellent model for the godly Christian life. May we strive to accomplish these things in our own lives by God’s grace.
‘That this God-glorifying conduct will actually be the result of being filled with clear knowledge of His will is easy to see, for the more God’s children know Him, the more they will also love Him; and the more they love Him, the more they will also wish to obey Him in though, word and deed’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
The gospel was said to be ‘constantly bearing fruit and increasing’ in Colossians 1:6 in the Colossian believers and in all the world. How does this fruit in good works come about?
The starting point and the result of a God-pleasing life is knowledge of God.
To know God strengthens a believer in whatever circumstances he may find himself.
As I shared last time, this image of power and might is given more detail in Ephesians.
Steadfastness and patience are here referred to as the by-products of the strength and power which God gives His children, as well as growing in the knowledge of Him. I know that I need the God to grow me in this area of my life! How do we respond to affliction, suffering, persecution, setbacks? Do we respond in anger, passion, with a quick tongue? We should not be characterized by these things. Thankfully this steadfastness and patience is God-given.
Let us eagerly pursue these things!
‘Due to strength imparted by God, believers are able, even in the midst of tribulation, to give thanks with joy and to rejoice with thanksgiving. It is to the Father that this thanks is given, for it was He who through His beloved Son freely gives us all things’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
God has done great things.
When we look at Paul’s prayer we see what is possible in the life of a believer. We see the glorious riches which are available to all who call on the name of the Lord. I hope that you can reflect on your own life in light of this example of a God-honouring believer. I know that I fall short in every area, but praise God that He can work these things in me. Let us seek to become more like this example, for we will be becoming more like Christ.
When we look at this as an example of prayer it shows us how high we can aim when we lift our fellow believers to the Lord in prayer. We can ask for these things, because God’s might is indeed glorious and can accomplish these things. Let us give thanks to the Father for what He has done and what He can do!
God bless, Taliah.
vs. 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may…
As I have already shared, Paul here shows us his commitment to prayer. Since the time he hears of a group of saints he prays for them. He encourages the subjects of his prayer by sharing with them what he is praying for, and remembers them long after he first hears of them.
vs. 9 …be filled with the knowledge of His will…
To know God’s will is of the uttermost importance. It is vain to try to serve God without knowing what He desires of us.
Romans 12
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Acts 22
10"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'
This knowledge of God’s will is not a mystical knowledge, Paul clearly speaks against this in chapter 2. Nor is it simply intellectual, for the unbeliever, nominal Christian and Satan for that manner can believe many true things about God which do not result in salvation. The knowledge Paul points to is powerful in the believer’s life to produce the fruits given in verse 10. ‘It results from fellowship with God and leads to deeper fellowship. Hence, this clear knowledge is heart-transforming and life-renewing’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
Proverbs 1
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
vs. 9… in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…
The knowledge of God’s will must be in spiritual wisdom and understanding. ‘Such wisdom is the ability to use the best means to reach the highest goal, a life to God’s glory. It amounts to understanding that is at once spiritual and practical’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
A beautiful description of this wisdom is found in James.
James 3
17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
vs. 10 …so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects …
This phrase ‘walk in a manner worthy of the Lord’ appears several times in the New Testament. Each time it is accompanied by some of the attributes which the author believes are fitting this worthy life.
Ephesians 4
1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Philippians 1
27Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
1 Thessalonians 2
10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers;
11just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,
12so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
These scriptures give us an excellent model for the godly Christian life. May we strive to accomplish these things in our own lives by God’s grace.
‘That this God-glorifying conduct will actually be the result of being filled with clear knowledge of His will is easy to see, for the more God’s children know Him, the more they will also love Him; and the more they love Him, the more they will also wish to obey Him in though, word and deed’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
1 Corinthians 10
31Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
vs. 10 …bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…
The gospel was said to be ‘constantly bearing fruit and increasing’ in Colossians 1:6 in the Colossian believers and in all the world. How does this fruit in good works come about?
Ephesians 2
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The starting point and the result of a God-pleasing life is knowledge of God.
Proverbs 4
8But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
vs. 11 …strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might…
To know God strengthens a believer in whatever circumstances he may find himself.
Philippians 4
11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
As I shared last time, this image of power and might is given more detail in Ephesians.
Ephesians 1
19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
vs. 11 … for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…
Steadfastness and patience are here referred to as the by-products of the strength and power which God gives His children, as well as growing in the knowledge of Him. I know that I need the God to grow me in this area of my life! How do we respond to affliction, suffering, persecution, setbacks? Do we respond in anger, passion, with a quick tongue? We should not be characterized by these things. Thankfully this steadfastness and patience is God-given.
Romans 15
5Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
Galatians 5
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Let us eagerly pursue these things!
vs. 11-14 …joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
‘Due to strength imparted by God, believers are able, even in the midst of tribulation, to give thanks with joy and to rejoice with thanksgiving. It is to the Father that this thanks is given, for it was He who through His beloved Son freely gives us all things’ (W. Hendriksen on Colossians).
God has done great things.
When we look at Paul’s prayer we see what is possible in the life of a believer. We see the glorious riches which are available to all who call on the name of the Lord. I hope that you can reflect on your own life in light of this example of a God-honouring believer. I know that I fall short in every area, but praise God that He can work these things in me. Let us seek to become more like this example, for we will be becoming more like Christ.
When we look at this as an example of prayer it shows us how high we can aim when we lift our fellow believers to the Lord in prayer. We can ask for these things, because God’s might is indeed glorious and can accomplish these things. Let us give thanks to the Father for what He has done and what He can do!
God bless, Taliah.
06 February 2010
Words spoken in Haste
Proverbs 29:20, "Seest thou a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than him." (KJV)
I realize that I did previously say that I was going to look at the virtuous woman passage of Proverbs 31 yet I have decided to change my mind at the last minute (not something terribly unusual for me) and write about something else. This issue has been impressed upon me heart for the last month - words spoken in haste.
What does it mean to speak in haste?
The Hebrew word that is translated hasty in Proverbs 29:20 is a verb meaning “to press or urge”. Furthermore hasty in words means to speak pressingly or with urgency. I can say that there have been times in my life when I have spoken too hastily; I have said “I love you” before I should; I have given advice based on feelings; and I have lashed out in anger, frustration and hurt. In my life the following words of Spurgeon ring only too true:
"Hasty words are but for a moment on the tongue, but they often lie for years on the conscience."
Why do we, Christians, speak in haste?
I believe that it primarily has to do with the flesh - we are saved by God through Jesus and are therefore positionally “seated with Him in Heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6) yet conditionally we still sin. God sees us positionally righteous (praise the Lord!) yet while on this earth we must contend with the flesh. Hasty words are an expression of the flesh and should be hateful to us.
Galatians 5:16-18 says "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." (RSV)
So, how do we stop speaking in haste?
There are two things, the second which builds upon the first:
First is to be walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). George Müller learned the secret of walking by the Spirit: meditate on the precious truths of the Word of God until your heart is happy in God, resting in his promises.
Secondly, James 1:19 says, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Being “slow to speak” is the exact opposite to speaking pressingly or with urgency. Practically speaking I believe its all about getting into the habit. Wait before you speak and consider the effects of what you are going to say. Then, if you don’t have anything to say that is constructive or edifying, don’t say anything at all!
Is this hard? Of course it is! Its war! We are warring against the flesh! Will you fail? Yes, you will fail, but don't loose heart, we have a faithful Lord who will not leave us or forsake us.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)
The most important thing is to keep your heart with all diligence... read the Word, delight and rest in His promises, pray that God would do the work, have the glory and impart to us the strength to be a James 1:19 Christian.
Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life."
I realize that I did previously say that I was going to look at the virtuous woman passage of Proverbs 31 yet I have decided to change my mind at the last minute (not something terribly unusual for me) and write about something else. This issue has been impressed upon me heart for the last month - words spoken in haste.
What does it mean to speak in haste?
The Hebrew word that is translated hasty in Proverbs 29:20 is a verb meaning “to press or urge”. Furthermore hasty in words means to speak pressingly or with urgency. I can say that there have been times in my life when I have spoken too hastily; I have said “I love you” before I should; I have given advice based on feelings; and I have lashed out in anger, frustration and hurt. In my life the following words of Spurgeon ring only too true:
"Hasty words are but for a moment on the tongue, but they often lie for years on the conscience."
Why do we, Christians, speak in haste?
I believe that it primarily has to do with the flesh - we are saved by God through Jesus and are therefore positionally “seated with Him in Heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6) yet conditionally we still sin. God sees us positionally righteous (praise the Lord!) yet while on this earth we must contend with the flesh. Hasty words are an expression of the flesh and should be hateful to us.
Galatians 5:16-18 says "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." (RSV)
So, how do we stop speaking in haste?
There are two things, the second which builds upon the first:
First is to be walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). George Müller learned the secret of walking by the Spirit: meditate on the precious truths of the Word of God until your heart is happy in God, resting in his promises.
Secondly, James 1:19 says, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Being “slow to speak” is the exact opposite to speaking pressingly or with urgency. Practically speaking I believe its all about getting into the habit. Wait before you speak and consider the effects of what you are going to say. Then, if you don’t have anything to say that is constructive or edifying, don’t say anything at all!
Is this hard? Of course it is! Its war! We are warring against the flesh! Will you fail? Yes, you will fail, but don't loose heart, we have a faithful Lord who will not leave us or forsake us.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)
The most important thing is to keep your heart with all diligence... read the Word, delight and rest in His promises, pray that God would do the work, have the glory and impart to us the strength to be a James 1:19 Christian.
Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life."
21 January 2010
Colossians 1:1-14
I want to share with you a few things from the book of Colossians, we will see how far the Lord takes me through but I hope to cover the book this year. The first section I will look at is chapter 1, verses 1 to 14, but first a little background.
This book was written by the apostle Paul when he was first imprisoned in Rome around 60-61AD, at the same time that he wrote to the Ephesians and to Philemon. Tychicus and Onesimus delivered this letter [Col 4:7-9]. Tychicus delivered Ephesians [Eph 6:21] and Onesimus delivered Philemon [Philem 10-12] so it is very possible that this was part of the same journey. The city of Colossae was decimated in an earthquake in 61AD and never rebuilt, so the letter would have been written and presumably delivered before this time. Colossae was situated in Phrygia and was under Roman rule. The gospel was first preached in this region by Paul and Silas with Timothy [Acts 15:40-16:6].
Now to look at the text:
This book was written by the apostle Paul when he was first imprisoned in Rome around 60-61AD, at the same time that he wrote to the Ephesians and to Philemon. Tychicus and Onesimus delivered this letter [Col 4:7-9]. Tychicus delivered Ephesians [Eph 6:21] and Onesimus delivered Philemon [Philem 10-12] so it is very possible that this was part of the same journey. The city of Colossae was decimated in an earthquake in 61AD and never rebuilt, so the letter would have been written and presumably delivered before this time. Colossae was situated in Phrygia and was under Roman rule. The gospel was first preached in this region by Paul and Silas with Timothy [Acts 15:40-16:6].
Now to look at the text:
Colossians 1
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
A quick note on the greeting - both the author and receiver are referred to as being of Jesus Christ and in Christ (v. 1). Before he begins Paul establishes what he always seeks to emphasize – our standing in Christ.
Paul and Timothy thank God ever since they heard of the fruits which the Colossian believers are displaying. They direct this thanks to God, for He is the source and it is He by His Holy Spirit indwelling these believers that these fruits are being born [Gal 5:22-23]. When we see good fruit do we praise our Father who is the source?
What specifically were they thanking God for? Paul and Timothy had heard of their faith, their love and thanked God for the provision of their hope in heaven. Paul has put these three together elsewhere in his writings [e.g. 1 Cor 13:13]. We have a hope laid up… in heaven (v. 5) [for a beautiful description see 1 Pet 1:3-5], provided for us by God. These Colossian saints have faith in Christ, and exhibit love… for the all the saints (v. 4). What a beautiful thing to behold in a group of believers! And for these things God is to be praised.
The hope which they have is found in the gospel, here called the word of truth (v. 5). What a beautiful name! Paul comments on the pattern which follows the preaching of the word, and in doing so encourages the Colossian believers that what they have seen in their lives is evidence of God at work. The gospel is said to be constantly bearing fruit and increasing ever since it is heard … and understood (v. 6). This is a good passage to look to when we are considering our own walk with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 13 [NASB]
5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
We are called here to examine ourselves, and Colossians is providing a standard - constant and increasing fruit since the day we heard and understood this word of truth. Christians sin, and are called to repent.
1 John 1
3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
A quick note on the greeting - both the author and receiver are referred to as being of Jesus Christ and in Christ (v. 1). Before he begins Paul establishes what he always seeks to emphasize – our standing in Christ.
Paul and Timothy thank God ever since they heard of the fruits which the Colossian believers are displaying. They direct this thanks to God, for He is the source and it is He by His Holy Spirit indwelling these believers that these fruits are being born [Gal 5:22-23]. When we see good fruit do we praise our Father who is the source?
What specifically were they thanking God for? Paul and Timothy had heard of their faith, their love and thanked God for the provision of their hope in heaven. Paul has put these three together elsewhere in his writings [e.g. 1 Cor 13:13]. We have a hope laid up… in heaven (v. 5) [for a beautiful description see 1 Pet 1:3-5], provided for us by God. These Colossian saints have faith in Christ, and exhibit love… for the all the saints (v. 4). What a beautiful thing to behold in a group of believers! And for these things God is to be praised.
The hope which they have is found in the gospel, here called the word of truth (v. 5). What a beautiful name! Paul comments on the pattern which follows the preaching of the word, and in doing so encourages the Colossian believers that what they have seen in their lives is evidence of God at work. The gospel is said to be constantly bearing fruit and increasing ever since it is heard … and understood (v. 6). This is a good passage to look to when we are considering our own walk with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 13 [NASB]
5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
We are called here to examine ourselves, and Colossians is providing a standard - constant and increasing fruit since the day we heard and understood this word of truth. Christians sin, and are called to repent.
1 John 1
8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
However, the Word is clear that there should be an evidence of fruit in a Christians’ life. Do we say we have faith in Christ Jesus? This should be accompanied by a love … for all the saints and a treasuring of the hope laid up for you in heaven (v. 4-5). Paul goes on to speak of this in chapter 3, that IF you have been raised you should/will seek the things above where Christ is.
Colossians 3
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
The Colossian believers were in danger of adopting teachings in addition to those of Christ [see Col 2:16-23], and so Paul emphasizes even in these opening verses the sufficiency of the gospel. It is the word which you previously heard, which is accomplishing the same fruit in all the world also, and has been doing this since the day you heard of it (v. 5-6). The message you had at the start is not just something to be assented to and then moved on from. It is the foundation and the means of further building. It is THE word of truth (v. 5).
A quick note on Epaphras. He shared with Paul what he knew of this church and encouraged him with this news. Can we do more to encourage one another with news of God’s goodness in the lives of those around us? Some of the church at Colossae questioned the authority of Epaphras, and so Paul goes to great lengths here and in Col 4:12-13 to establish him as a faithful, godly brother. Paul points to Epaphras as part of the reason that they pray so fervently for these believers. Do we pray for those who perhaps disagree with us? Do we seek to encourage them even if there is an area of contention between us, knowing that we are all in Christ?
Then we have Paul and Timothy’s prayer. This is an absolutely incredible prayer, it is my favorite in the whole bible, and I fear that I will not be able to do it justice in this small blog. If you are able to also study it for yourself in your own time, or use it as a template for your own prayers I feel that there is great blessing here. I will examine some aspects of the prayer here, but will look at it in greater detail next time. I feel that it should be considered in light of verses 1-14, but also deserves much time and attention. As my good friend Trevor would say ‘we may not come this way again’ so lets spend the time getting into the text!
Paul was a praying man. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that…(v. 9). This is unceasing prayer and petition, prayer being more general, and ‘asking’ being specific requests made. Other times when Paul uses this language are:
Romans 1
However, the Word is clear that there should be an evidence of fruit in a Christians’ life. Do we say we have faith in Christ Jesus? This should be accompanied by a love … for all the saints and a treasuring of the hope laid up for you in heaven (v. 4-5). Paul goes on to speak of this in chapter 3, that IF you have been raised you should/will seek the things above where Christ is.
Colossians 3
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
The Colossian believers were in danger of adopting teachings in addition to those of Christ [see Col 2:16-23], and so Paul emphasizes even in these opening verses the sufficiency of the gospel. It is the word which you previously heard, which is accomplishing the same fruit in all the world also, and has been doing this since the day you heard of it (v. 5-6). The message you had at the start is not just something to be assented to and then moved on from. It is the foundation and the means of further building. It is THE word of truth (v. 5).
A quick note on Epaphras. He shared with Paul what he knew of this church and encouraged him with this news. Can we do more to encourage one another with news of God’s goodness in the lives of those around us? Some of the church at Colossae questioned the authority of Epaphras, and so Paul goes to great lengths here and in Col 4:12-13 to establish him as a faithful, godly brother. Paul points to Epaphras as part of the reason that they pray so fervently for these believers. Do we pray for those who perhaps disagree with us? Do we seek to encourage them even if there is an area of contention between us, knowing that we are all in Christ?
Then we have Paul and Timothy’s prayer. This is an absolutely incredible prayer, it is my favorite in the whole bible, and I fear that I will not be able to do it justice in this small blog. If you are able to also study it for yourself in your own time, or use it as a template for your own prayers I feel that there is great blessing here. I will examine some aspects of the prayer here, but will look at it in greater detail next time. I feel that it should be considered in light of verses 1-14, but also deserves much time and attention. As my good friend Trevor would say ‘we may not come this way again’ so lets spend the time getting into the text!
Paul was a praying man. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that…(v. 9). This is unceasing prayer and petition, prayer being more general, and ‘asking’ being specific requests made. Other times when Paul uses this language are:
Romans 1
9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.
Ephesians 1
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
Philippians 1
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
1 Thessalonians 1
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,
2 Thessalonians 1
Ephesians 1
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
Philippians 1
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
1 Thessalonians 1
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,
2 Thessalonians 1
11To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power,
Philemon
4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
What an example for us to follow! What a convicting standard for us to compare ourselves with. Since the time he hears of a group of saints he prays for them, both alone and with others. He shares this with the subjects of his prayer and encourages them. He remembers them long after he first hears, and does not only pray for those who are sick or suffering. Are we guilty of only bringing certain people to the Lord? When we first studied this my husband and I looked at our prayer list and it consisted only of those who were having difficulty or were ill. But Paul here says for this reason also he prays (v. 9). What reason? He also informed us of your love in the Spirit (v. 8). Paul heard good reports, and so began to pray for them!
And what does he pray?
Colossians 1
Philemon
4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
What an example for us to follow! What a convicting standard for us to compare ourselves with. Since the time he hears of a group of saints he prays for them, both alone and with others. He shares this with the subjects of his prayer and encourages them. He remembers them long after he first hears, and does not only pray for those who are sick or suffering. Are we guilty of only bringing certain people to the Lord? When we first studied this my husband and I looked at our prayer list and it consisted only of those who were having difficulty or were ill. But Paul here says for this reason also he prays (v. 9). What reason? He also informed us of your love in the Spirit (v. 8). Paul heard good reports, and so began to pray for them!
And what does he pray?
Colossians 1
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
What a list! What struck me when I first looked at this passage is that Paul aims high. He knows his God can and will accomplish these things in the Colossian saints, otherwise why pray for them? Paul believes it is possible to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (v. 9), to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects (v. 10), and to attain all steadfastness and patience (v. 11). Do we pray such lofty things for our fellow believers or have we settled for less? When we pray for someone to get well physically we need to submit this request to the Lord’s will and pray ‘yet Your will be done’. When we are praying for spiritual growth however we already know the Lord’s will – that we may be found to be in the likeness of Christ! Too often I find myself praying that someone may be strengthened a little more, that they may have a little more wisdom or knowledge of God. But here Paul takes our minds higher, points us to the power and might of God which accomplishes these things. The letter to the Colossians is very similar to the letter to the Ephesians, and we read there in a similar passage:
Ephesians 1
9and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
What is our view of our Lord’s power and might? God raised Christ from the dead, saved us from our sins and has given us eternal life. He is mighty to accomplish these things in our life. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (v. 13-14).
What a God we serve! Let us aim high in our prayers for one another. Let us believe that God can accomplish these things in our lives. Let us consider ourselves to see whether we are bearing the fruit which accompanies the hearing and understanding of the word of truth. And if we find that we are in Christ let us always give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light (v. 12).
A final word from Hudson Taylor – the man who believed God. “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.”
May God bless you.Taliah.
What a list! What struck me when I first looked at this passage is that Paul aims high. He knows his God can and will accomplish these things in the Colossian saints, otherwise why pray for them? Paul believes it is possible to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (v. 9), to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects (v. 10), and to attain all steadfastness and patience (v. 11). Do we pray such lofty things for our fellow believers or have we settled for less? When we pray for someone to get well physically we need to submit this request to the Lord’s will and pray ‘yet Your will be done’. When we are praying for spiritual growth however we already know the Lord’s will – that we may be found to be in the likeness of Christ! Too often I find myself praying that someone may be strengthened a little more, that they may have a little more wisdom or knowledge of God. But here Paul takes our minds higher, points us to the power and might of God which accomplishes these things. The letter to the Colossians is very similar to the letter to the Ephesians, and we read there in a similar passage:
Ephesians 1
9and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
What is our view of our Lord’s power and might? God raised Christ from the dead, saved us from our sins and has given us eternal life. He is mighty to accomplish these things in our life. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (v. 13-14).
What a God we serve! Let us aim high in our prayers for one another. Let us believe that God can accomplish these things in our lives. Let us consider ourselves to see whether we are bearing the fruit which accompanies the hearing and understanding of the word of truth. And if we find that we are in Christ let us always give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light (v. 12).
A final word from Hudson Taylor – the man who believed God. “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.”
May God bless you.Taliah.
07 January 2010
Just a Closer Walk with Jesus
Thank you for your study, Laura! What an appropriate beginning for this blog. It made my mind travel along the lines of, “This woman sounds so wonderful – how could I ever be like her? How could I glorify God through my very being?” Pondering your three-step process, the following words sprang to mind: “I am week but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong. I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee… Just a closer walk with Thee; grant it, Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee; let it be, dear Lord, let it be!” It became the title for today’s study.
First thought: do I really mean it when I sing or say, “JUST a closer walk?” I tend to storm my Father’s throne with so many petitions. And although Jesus told us that it’s ok to do so, once in a while I need to stop and re-assess my priorities… Well, walking more closely with Jesus is definitely at the top of my list, but HOW do I actually do it? Once my mind started down that track, many verses came to mind and began to form a story line further to Laura’s three-step process. I decided to put them into a slideshow for you, but you may wish to keep reading first to get the bird’s eye view before pondering the slides at the end of this post.
What do I need for my daily walk? First, I need a solid foundation. In order to trust God, I need to know that He and His word are absolutely trustworthy. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 tells me that this is so. If I believe it, then I also know that God’s word supplies everything I need for every good work. And furthermore, that it keeps me from sinning against Him if I hide it in my heart (Ps. 119:11).
Do I need to produce ‘good works’? Yes! Not in order to be saved, but because I am. Good works are the evidence of my new nature. You see, I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for this very purpose. Just imagine, God actually prepared those works for me beforehand that I should walk in them (Eph. 2:10)!
What constitutes a ‘good work’? A ‘good work’ is not just doing a specific thing like being a Good Samaritan. In essence, it means doing absolutely EVERYTHING to the glory of God – whether I eat, or drink, or do anything at all (1 Cor. 10:31). Glorifying God in all that I do is the outward expression of my inward faith. The Bible warns believers not to forsake the assembling of themselves together because they need one another to stir up love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25).
Why are good works so important? Because God’s light shines through them, and He gets the glory generated by them (Matt. 5:16). Obviously, every Christian undergoes a growth process before their mind is renewed by Scripture. But even older Christians tend to retain some corners of their minds (and thus their bodies) that remain conformed to the world. The thing is, the more my mind is conformed to what God’s word tells me, the more closely I will walk with Him, and the more effectively I will prove in practice what is His good and acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:2). And thus (in some small measure, of course) I become God’s light in this dark world!
I am no longer my own - ouch! I grew up being ‘my own woman’, doing my own thing. I like planning and deciding and… But I don’t want to do that any more because I have been bought with a price – the ultimate price: Christ’s blood. My body has become the temple of the Holy Spirit (how awesome is that!) and I am to do His bidding (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Paul begs us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, purely because this is our reasonable service (Rom. 12:1). It is for this purpose that I want to walk with my Savior every day, no, every moment. I want Jesus to be magnified in my body in every situation (Phil. 1:20-21). I want Him to live through me in a very obvious way (Gal. 2:20).
How can I tell whether I am actually walking with Jesus? It’s definitely not a fuzzy feeling! When I esteem others more highly than myself and don’t do things through selfish ambition or conceit (Phil. 2:3), I am getting closer. When I cover the sins of others by exercising love (Prov. 10:12), I am doing well. But when I follow Christ’s commandment to love others as He loved me, then I am walking in His Spirit (Jn. 13:34-35). Whenever I ask, “What would You have me do, Jesus?” and walk accordingly, His Spirit will display godly fruit in me (Gal. 5:22-23), and this fruit will give all honor and glory back to Him.
My resolution: To let the things of this earth grow dim in comparison to God’s glory and grace, and to treat each fellow Christian as though I were dealing directly with the Lord Himself. I need to remember that He lives not only in me but also in them, and that He therefore takes my behavior toward them very personally. Acts 9:4-5 refers to Paul’s persecution of Christians, yet the Lord said, “Why are you persecuting ME?” (no slide for this one).
Please visit again next week to read Meredith's study on... surprise!
And finally it's time for the slideshow (you can click on the 'full' button to watch full screen :-) I hope that your hearts will be encouraged with a yearning for our wonderful Savior.
Wishing you every spiritual blessing for the coming year,
Margaret
First thought: do I really mean it when I sing or say, “JUST a closer walk?” I tend to storm my Father’s throne with so many petitions. And although Jesus told us that it’s ok to do so, once in a while I need to stop and re-assess my priorities… Well, walking more closely with Jesus is definitely at the top of my list, but HOW do I actually do it? Once my mind started down that track, many verses came to mind and began to form a story line further to Laura’s three-step process. I decided to put them into a slideshow for you, but you may wish to keep reading first to get the bird’s eye view before pondering the slides at the end of this post.
What do I need for my daily walk? First, I need a solid foundation. In order to trust God, I need to know that He and His word are absolutely trustworthy. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 tells me that this is so. If I believe it, then I also know that God’s word supplies everything I need for every good work. And furthermore, that it keeps me from sinning against Him if I hide it in my heart (Ps. 119:11).
Do I need to produce ‘good works’? Yes! Not in order to be saved, but because I am. Good works are the evidence of my new nature. You see, I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for this very purpose. Just imagine, God actually prepared those works for me beforehand that I should walk in them (Eph. 2:10)!
What constitutes a ‘good work’? A ‘good work’ is not just doing a specific thing like being a Good Samaritan. In essence, it means doing absolutely EVERYTHING to the glory of God – whether I eat, or drink, or do anything at all (1 Cor. 10:31). Glorifying God in all that I do is the outward expression of my inward faith. The Bible warns believers not to forsake the assembling of themselves together because they need one another to stir up love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25).
Why are good works so important? Because God’s light shines through them, and He gets the glory generated by them (Matt. 5:16). Obviously, every Christian undergoes a growth process before their mind is renewed by Scripture. But even older Christians tend to retain some corners of their minds (and thus their bodies) that remain conformed to the world. The thing is, the more my mind is conformed to what God’s word tells me, the more closely I will walk with Him, and the more effectively I will prove in practice what is His good and acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:2). And thus (in some small measure, of course) I become God’s light in this dark world!
I am no longer my own - ouch! I grew up being ‘my own woman’, doing my own thing. I like planning and deciding and… But I don’t want to do that any more because I have been bought with a price – the ultimate price: Christ’s blood. My body has become the temple of the Holy Spirit (how awesome is that!) and I am to do His bidding (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Paul begs us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, purely because this is our reasonable service (Rom. 12:1). It is for this purpose that I want to walk with my Savior every day, no, every moment. I want Jesus to be magnified in my body in every situation (Phil. 1:20-21). I want Him to live through me in a very obvious way (Gal. 2:20).
How can I tell whether I am actually walking with Jesus? It’s definitely not a fuzzy feeling! When I esteem others more highly than myself and don’t do things through selfish ambition or conceit (Phil. 2:3), I am getting closer. When I cover the sins of others by exercising love (Prov. 10:12), I am doing well. But when I follow Christ’s commandment to love others as He loved me, then I am walking in His Spirit (Jn. 13:34-35). Whenever I ask, “What would You have me do, Jesus?” and walk accordingly, His Spirit will display godly fruit in me (Gal. 5:22-23), and this fruit will give all honor and glory back to Him.
My resolution: To let the things of this earth grow dim in comparison to God’s glory and grace, and to treat each fellow Christian as though I were dealing directly with the Lord Himself. I need to remember that He lives not only in me but also in them, and that He therefore takes my behavior toward them very personally. Acts 9:4-5 refers to Paul’s persecution of Christians, yet the Lord said, “Why are you persecuting ME?” (no slide for this one).
Please visit again next week to read Meredith's study on... surprise!
And finally it's time for the slideshow (you can click on the 'full' button to watch full screen :-) I hope that your hearts will be encouraged with a yearning for our wonderful Savior.
Wishing you every spiritual blessing for the coming year,
Margaret
A Closer Walk With Jesus
View more presentations from Dr Margaret Lepke.
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