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 praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
28 October 2010
08 August 2010
Who is God?
“There is none holy as the LORD” (1 Sam. 2:2).
To worship God properly we must know something about Him. True worship must be based on a deep heartfelt appreciation of who God is, what He has done for us, and what He has promised to do: it must be based on truth rather than the inconsistency of our feelings. “They that worship [God] must worship Him … in truth” (John 4:24). Today I just wanted to impress upon you, mainly through scripture verses, one characteristic of God, His holiness. This understanding brings the sinner into a relationship with God that is founded on Him: His character, His work, His promises.
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness” (Psa. 30:4).
“He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is His name” (Psa. 111:9).
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims … and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:1-3).
The declaration of the holiness of God will ring out in heaven throughout eternity: “And the four beasts … rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).
What then do we do with this information? How should it change our perceptions, our actions and our attitude? Go back to Isaiah, hearing the seraphim proclaim in rapturous chorus, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. What was Isaiah’s response to this truth?
“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
However holy Isaiah may have been in comparison to the other Israelites, in the presence of God and His holiness Isaiah became thoroughly aware of his own utter unholiness. So many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, say they are a “good person” and therefore do not deserve the judgement of God which culminates in Hell. If only we would compare ourselves to Him, then we would gain a more realistic assessment of our own sinfulness and see how fitting His judgement is.
Understanding our sinfulness in the eyes of God is not simply a self deprecating experience that ends in despair. No, no! It leads to joy indescribable, appreciation unable to be uttered and a liberty unequalled. In Christ we are no longer held held under the bondage of our sin: we are no longer separated from our Creator. Through the saving work on Jesus Christ on the Cross the relationship God always wanted for us to have with Him is established. When He returns this relationship shall be fully consummated and we shall be as He sees us.
I hope this short study on the holiness of God has been of some encouragement to you. Doing a word study on holiness is a good place to start should you wish to understand this topic in further depth.
God bless,
Laura
PS: On a personal note let me publicly congratulate my dear sister Taliah on the birth of her second child; Elijah James. We are all praying for you and your family (hubby Shane and daughter Abigail) as you welcome this new addition into your homes and lives.
To worship God properly we must know something about Him. True worship must be based on a deep heartfelt appreciation of who God is, what He has done for us, and what He has promised to do: it must be based on truth rather than the inconsistency of our feelings. “They that worship [God] must worship Him … in truth” (John 4:24). Today I just wanted to impress upon you, mainly through scripture verses, one characteristic of God, His holiness. This understanding brings the sinner into a relationship with God that is founded on Him: His character, His work, His promises.
“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness” (Psa. 30:4).
“He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is His name” (Psa. 111:9).
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims … and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:1-3).
The declaration of the holiness of God will ring out in heaven throughout eternity: “And the four beasts … rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning let songs arise to Thee!
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty—
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all Thy saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea,
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which were, and art, and evermore shalt be!
Early in the morning let songs arise to Thee!
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty—
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all Thy saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea,
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which were, and art, and evermore shalt be!
R. Heber
What then do we do with this information? How should it change our perceptions, our actions and our attitude? Go back to Isaiah, hearing the seraphim proclaim in rapturous chorus, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. What was Isaiah’s response to this truth?
“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
However holy Isaiah may have been in comparison to the other Israelites, in the presence of God and His holiness Isaiah became thoroughly aware of his own utter unholiness. So many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, say they are a “good person” and therefore do not deserve the judgement of God which culminates in Hell. If only we would compare ourselves to Him, then we would gain a more realistic assessment of our own sinfulness and see how fitting His judgement is.
Understanding our sinfulness in the eyes of God is not simply a self deprecating experience that ends in despair. No, no! It leads to joy indescribable, appreciation unable to be uttered and a liberty unequalled. In Christ we are no longer held held under the bondage of our sin: we are no longer separated from our Creator. Through the saving work on Jesus Christ on the Cross the relationship God always wanted for us to have with Him is established. When He returns this relationship shall be fully consummated and we shall be as He sees us.
I hope this short study on the holiness of God has been of some encouragement to you. Doing a word study on holiness is a good place to start should you wish to understand this topic in further depth.
God bless,
Laura
PS: On a personal note let me publicly congratulate my dear sister Taliah on the birth of her second child; Elijah James. We are all praying for you and your family (hubby Shane and daughter Abigail) as you welcome this new addition into your homes and lives.
17 April 2010
A Testimony of God's Faithfulness
Since my last entry, I became engaged to a godly, wonderful man. Throughout our courtship, God's great faithfulness has proven itself to me again and again and I am so excited to share our story. Although this entry is not a typical "Bible study" post, it is my prayer that my testimony of God's faithfulness may be an encouragement to others who may also be clinging tightly to His Word as they trust Him with situations in their lives.
A God-honoring marriage has been the desire of my heart for many years. Upon high school graduation, I chose to live at home with my family and prepare for, Lord willing, my future as a wife and mother. I was not interested in wasting my time dating guy after guy in hopes that the right one may come along, so I decided to allow God to entirely script my love story. I was waiting for a man to come into my life who would be willing to pursue me with intentionality, and most importantly, with my father's blessing. Living in a small farming community without many likeminded families nearby often made my years of waiting discouraging, but the Lord continued to give me the strength to trust Him and His perfect timing.
In 2007, I began a blog with one of the main purposes being to encourage younger girls to embrace their season of singleness by striving to serve their families at home, as I was also learning to do. I would have never guessed that the Lord would use this avenue to bring my future husband into my life! Providentially, in September 2009, a young man stumbled upon my blog through a fairly random Google search. He wrote about how he was struck by my life choices in regard to living at home and desiring to be a homemaker instead of pursuing our culture's more typical path of a college degree and full-time career.
During a week of emailing, I decided to Google his name to make sure his story added up and to possibly learn more about him. However, as I came upon article after article expounding on this young man's exemplary character and impressive accomplishments, I became very hopeful that the Lord may be causing him to find the slightest interest in me!
While I was enjoying getting to know him, and through his emails it became evident that he most likely was interested in me, I knew it was unwise to continue unsupervised correspondence with a young man I met online. I asked my family for their thoughts regarding this situation and decided to email Stephen telling him that I would like to get to know him better, but only with my family's guidance and approval. I was not interested in carrying on a long-term guy/girl friendship with him and felt it was important for our relationship to be intentional.
I was pretty certain that he would think I was extremely presumptuous and archaic and I would never hear another word from him. However, I was shocked and thrilled when I read the email he sent my father the following night! I was so amazed and felt so undeserving of this godly, amazing, and brilliant man's interest.
Over the following four months, Stephen and my father corresponded over the telephone and email, discussing Stephen's walk with the Lord and convictions that are of importance to our family. As I continued to read Stephen's letters that were sent to my father (I checked my parents' email address so often that I usually read Stephen's emails before my parents did!) and his incredible testimony of God's saving grace in his life, I began to desire more and more that the Lord would cause him to be the man for me.
At times this felt like an unbearably long wait. I was so eager to know what the Lord's will would be and struggled to maintain an open hand, willing to let go of Stephen if the Lord should close the door for a future relationship with him.
In my journal entries from this time, I cried out to the Lord for wisdom and acceptance of His will. When I became impatient, I was encouraged by scriptures and godly friends that encouraged me to press on and to trust that my father would clearly discern the Lord's will. The scripture that brought the most encouragement to me through this time was Colossians 1:9-12:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Two friends first prayed this verse over me, then the following Sunday, the pastor preached on this passage, and then several weeks later, at a different church, this passage was expounded upon yet again. I was given a new confidence that the Lord saw my often impatient heart and was using many avenues to show me He was in control. This verse became my prayer; that I would have the "knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (i.e. "Is Stephen the right man for me?"). Would Stephen, as my husband, lead me to live a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way? Would I continue to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God as Stephen's wife? This scripture put the looming situation back into perspective. I was reminded that my purpose was ultimately to glorify God with my life, and I just needed discernment as to whether or not Stephen was the man God had chosen for me to join together with in fulfilling this great purpose.
In early January, Stephen flew from England (where he is studying) to Virginia to meet my family and me. This was when our courtship really began to progress. We spent a week seeking the Lord's will and getting to know each other better.
I can't really even begin to describe how impressed I was! We began to have a great peace about our future and, after much prayer and consideration, my father gave Stephen his full approval for pursuing marriage.
Over the following two months, our relationship grew much deeper and our hearts became closely knit as we corresponded nearly every day, discussing our hopes, convictions, struggles, daily happenings, and much, much more. My love and respect for Stephen grew abundantly and rapidly. I was so eager for his next visit.
In mid-March, Stephen flew back to Virginia to spend another week with my family and me. It was the most perfect, wonderful week! On March 15, 2010, Stephen took me on a lovely trip to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's plantation). After we toured the home and strolled the grounds, Stephen led me to a peaceful wooded sitting area, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him!
We are so excited about our future serving the Lord together. God used His means to bring His man into my life in His timing. All glory goes entirely to the Lord. Contrary to what many advised as necessary, I did not have to put myself out there or date an endless string of guys to get the man the Lord had already chosen for me! I simply had to live the life to which the Lord had called me. My somewhat counter-cultural life as a twenty-two year old living at home, striving to serve her family, and preparing to be a wife and mother is the very thing that Stephen says first attracted him to me.
The Lord has answered my prayers for a godly husband with a man so much greater than I ever could have imagined. I am not marrying the "man of my dreams"-- my dreams were nothing compared to what God had in store for me! It is so evident that the Lord has been preparing both of us for each other for many years, shaping each of us into the one who perfectly suits and complements the other. Our vision and hopes for the future correspond beautifully.
I am so blessed to be marrying a man with a desire for us to carry out our biblical roles in our future home. He encourages me and is proud that I want to be a homemaker and helper to him and a dedicated mother to our children. I could not possibly be any more proud to be the girl at his side. I can't wait to be his wife! Stephen prays the sweetest prayers over us and will be such a wonderful spiritual leader for our future family. We both pray that the Lord will use us mightily as a couple; that we may leave behind a Christ-honoring legacy. I pray nearly daily that the Lord will mold me into an excellent wife for such a godly man.
I hope that this miraculous story of God bringing together a stay-at-home daughter from a small town and a godly man with a bright, exciting future will serve as an encouragement to you! God is so faithful and He truly will do what is best for us and brings glory to Him if we simply trust Him!
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4
A God-honoring marriage has been the desire of my heart for many years. Upon high school graduation, I chose to live at home with my family and prepare for, Lord willing, my future as a wife and mother. I was not interested in wasting my time dating guy after guy in hopes that the right one may come along, so I decided to allow God to entirely script my love story. I was waiting for a man to come into my life who would be willing to pursue me with intentionality, and most importantly, with my father's blessing. Living in a small farming community without many likeminded families nearby often made my years of waiting discouraging, but the Lord continued to give me the strength to trust Him and His perfect timing.
In 2007, I began a blog with one of the main purposes being to encourage younger girls to embrace their season of singleness by striving to serve their families at home, as I was also learning to do. I would have never guessed that the Lord would use this avenue to bring my future husband into my life! Providentially, in September 2009, a young man stumbled upon my blog through a fairly random Google search. He wrote about how he was struck by my life choices in regard to living at home and desiring to be a homemaker instead of pursuing our culture's more typical path of a college degree and full-time career.
During a week of emailing, I decided to Google his name to make sure his story added up and to possibly learn more about him. However, as I came upon article after article expounding on this young man's exemplary character and impressive accomplishments, I became very hopeful that the Lord may be causing him to find the slightest interest in me!
While I was enjoying getting to know him, and through his emails it became evident that he most likely was interested in me, I knew it was unwise to continue unsupervised correspondence with a young man I met online. I asked my family for their thoughts regarding this situation and decided to email Stephen telling him that I would like to get to know him better, but only with my family's guidance and approval. I was not interested in carrying on a long-term guy/girl friendship with him and felt it was important for our relationship to be intentional.
I was pretty certain that he would think I was extremely presumptuous and archaic and I would never hear another word from him. However, I was shocked and thrilled when I read the email he sent my father the following night! I was so amazed and felt so undeserving of this godly, amazing, and brilliant man's interest.
Over the following four months, Stephen and my father corresponded over the telephone and email, discussing Stephen's walk with the Lord and convictions that are of importance to our family. As I continued to read Stephen's letters that were sent to my father (I checked my parents' email address so often that I usually read Stephen's emails before my parents did!) and his incredible testimony of God's saving grace in his life, I began to desire more and more that the Lord would cause him to be the man for me.
At times this felt like an unbearably long wait. I was so eager to know what the Lord's will would be and struggled to maintain an open hand, willing to let go of Stephen if the Lord should close the door for a future relationship with him.
In my journal entries from this time, I cried out to the Lord for wisdom and acceptance of His will. When I became impatient, I was encouraged by scriptures and godly friends that encouraged me to press on and to trust that my father would clearly discern the Lord's will. The scripture that brought the most encouragement to me through this time was Colossians 1:9-12:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Two friends first prayed this verse over me, then the following Sunday, the pastor preached on this passage, and then several weeks later, at a different church, this passage was expounded upon yet again. I was given a new confidence that the Lord saw my often impatient heart and was using many avenues to show me He was in control. This verse became my prayer; that I would have the "knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (i.e. "Is Stephen the right man for me?"). Would Stephen, as my husband, lead me to live a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way? Would I continue to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God as Stephen's wife? This scripture put the looming situation back into perspective. I was reminded that my purpose was ultimately to glorify God with my life, and I just needed discernment as to whether or not Stephen was the man God had chosen for me to join together with in fulfilling this great purpose.
In early January, Stephen flew from England (where he is studying) to Virginia to meet my family and me. This was when our courtship really began to progress. We spent a week seeking the Lord's will and getting to know each other better.
I can't really even begin to describe how impressed I was! We began to have a great peace about our future and, after much prayer and consideration, my father gave Stephen his full approval for pursuing marriage.
Over the following two months, our relationship grew much deeper and our hearts became closely knit as we corresponded nearly every day, discussing our hopes, convictions, struggles, daily happenings, and much, much more. My love and respect for Stephen grew abundantly and rapidly. I was so eager for his next visit.
In mid-March, Stephen flew back to Virginia to spend another week with my family and me. It was the most perfect, wonderful week! On March 15, 2010, Stephen took me on a lovely trip to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's plantation). After we toured the home and strolled the grounds, Stephen led me to a peaceful wooded sitting area, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him!
We are so excited about our future serving the Lord together. God used His means to bring His man into my life in His timing. All glory goes entirely to the Lord. Contrary to what many advised as necessary, I did not have to put myself out there or date an endless string of guys to get the man the Lord had already chosen for me! I simply had to live the life to which the Lord had called me. My somewhat counter-cultural life as a twenty-two year old living at home, striving to serve her family, and preparing to be a wife and mother is the very thing that Stephen says first attracted him to me.
The Lord has answered my prayers for a godly husband with a man so much greater than I ever could have imagined. I am not marrying the "man of my dreams"-- my dreams were nothing compared to what God had in store for me! It is so evident that the Lord has been preparing both of us for each other for many years, shaping each of us into the one who perfectly suits and complements the other. Our vision and hopes for the future correspond beautifully.
I am so blessed to be marrying a man with a desire for us to carry out our biblical roles in our future home. He encourages me and is proud that I want to be a homemaker and helper to him and a dedicated mother to our children. I could not possibly be any more proud to be the girl at his side. I can't wait to be his wife! Stephen prays the sweetest prayers over us and will be such a wonderful spiritual leader for our future family. We both pray that the Lord will use us mightily as a couple; that we may leave behind a Christ-honoring legacy. I pray nearly daily that the Lord will mold me into an excellent wife for such a godly man.
I hope that this miraculous story of God bringing together a stay-at-home daughter from a small town and a godly man with a bright, exciting future will serve as an encouragement to you! God is so faithful and He truly will do what is best for us and brings glory to Him if we simply trust Him!
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4
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.
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