Colossians 1:15-23

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Steve Foster

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

This passage is packed with theology! It is impossible to cover the depths of Paul’s words. But take a moment to reflect on the person of Jesus Christ. Who is He? Was He just a man who lived in Palestine 2000 years ago? A great teacher? A prophet? An enlightened guru? Or someone else? Paul paints this portrait of Jesus…

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is the very manifestation of God in the flesh, able to be seen and touched.

Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. Jehovah’s Witnesses make a point of this phrase to say that Jesus was the first creature created. Of course, they miss the following verses which say Jesus created all things so He Himself could not have been created. Instead, the Jewish mindset would clearly understand that as “firstborn” Jesus has pre-eminence over all things. In Psalm 89:17, God says of the Messiah, “I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” God gave Jesus the title of “firstborn” as a title of honor and superiority. All things in creation are the inheritance and dominion of the Pre-Eminent Son of God.

Jesus is the creator of all things. All creatures, all powers, all angelic beings, all things were created by Jesus and for His glory. Whoa. The One who walked the roads of Palestine was the very creator of the earth on which He walked, the people in which He interacted with, and the cross on which He hung. Let that blow your mind for awhile.

Jesus is the sustainer of all things. All things are held together by Him. The atomic force that holds the atom together is only a small representation of His power. In Him, we live and move and have our very being.

Jesus is the head of the church. No man heads the church. Every pastor, bishop, preacher, priest, or elder ministers under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and we are the under-shepherds. Thus there is no room for pride, domination, superiority, or selfish agendas in the church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the conqueror of death. No person on earth can stop death…no matter how much earthly power, influence, or wealth he/she has. This in itself should keep us humble and sober. Only Jesus has power over death. If you can find another Savior who has physically conquered death, then follow them. I will stick with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the reconciler of mankind to God. Though Jesus has all power and supremacy, He did not come to earth to exert His power or force submission. He came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He did not come to condemn but to save. He came to reconcile each person back to God through His sacrificial death on the cross. He took our sin and our death in order to give us His righteousness and His life. HALLELUJAH! AMEN!

And I love how Paul ends this passage…This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. This is not just a nice story for a particular people in a particular culture. This is the story of redemption for all mankind of all ages of all cultures. This is the story of history, the story in which all of us are a part. And the good news has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. Commentators disagree on how to interpret this. Most believe that Paul is either exaggerating to some extent or saying that the gospel has reached every representative person in the known world at that time. I take it at face value. Yes, we are to take the gospel to every nation and every person but we must also remember that the Holy Spirit has already gone before us. We do not share the gospel with anyone who does not already have a sense of God’s existence (Romans 1:18-21), a sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:14-16), a sense of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:5-11), and a light pointing to their need for a Savior (John 1:9). God has never left Himself without a witness (Acts 14:16-17). And we have the awesome privilege of partnering with God as His ambassadors and His ministers of reconciliation in His great redemptive story (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).

Lord, thank You for Jesus Christ. Thank You for reconciliation and forgiveness. Thank You for the privilege of being a representative of Your grace. May I shine Your light and share Your love with someone today.

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Colossians 1:9-14

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Steve Foster

9For 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. 10And 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, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I love Paul’s prayers. He doesn’t pray the typical generic “bless them, be with them, give them good health” kind of prayers. His prayers touch on the weightier matters of faith…and teach us a lot about what matters.

His first prayer request for the Colossians…Lord, fill them with the knowledge of Your will so that they will have wisdom and understanding in knowing how to live. Quite a request. Something I long for myself. I need a sense of God’s will. I want to be in step with His plan. I want to know how to use my gifts for His glory, how to navigate the tricky waters between mercy and enabling someone’s sin, generosity and wise stewardship, serving and stretching myself thin, being a citizen of heaven and a politically aware and active American on earth. Lord, fill me with Your wisdom!

Paul prays for this filling of wisdom and understanding so that the Colossians will live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way. The goal is to bring pleasure to God, to make my life an offering to Him. It is interesting to look at the elements of my life that please the Lord. Check out this list…

1. Bearing fruit in every good work. Doing good to others. Shining the light of Jesus Christ so that others will have reason to glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

2. Growing in the knowledge of God. Not just cognitive, facts-based head knowledge…though we do have to know about God in order to know Him…but an experiential, intimate, increasing love of God.

3. Being strengthened with all power so that we can endure and persevere through life’s struggles. Life is a marathon and God wants us to keep running the race faithfully even through the bumps and potholes of life. That is why we need a fresh infusion of His strength each day.

4. Giving thanks to God for His salvation and blessings. Gratitude. Joy. Praise. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). In Christ, I always have a reason to give thanks…if I choose to focus on Him. A grumbling, complaining Christian is simply out of God’s will and looking at the wrong things.

Lord, may my life please You and bear fruit for Your kingdom.

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Colossians 1:1-8

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Steve Foster

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Today begins our reading of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. This was another letter written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome. From what we know, Paul had never visited the small town of Colossae. The church there was started by Epaphras, who may have been a convert of Paul’s. Paul wrote the letter to combat false teaching that had already begun to infiltrate the Colossian church.

…We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…

Paul had never been to Colossae. He had never met the believers there. But he was thankful to God that he heard about two main things in the lives of the Colossian believers–faith in Christ Jesus and love for all the saints.

These two things–faith and love–go hand-in-hand. They are the core of the Christian life. I must trust in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I must embrace Him, rely on Him, boast in Him alone. And the evidence and outpouring of that faith in Christ is my love for all the saints. That word “all” really stands out. I can’t pick and choose. Just as in a physical family, my brothers and sisters are my brothers and sisters whether I agree with them, like them, enjoy them or not. Faith in Christ teaches me to love His people. Indeed, that really is the only way I can love them. Faith is what opens me up to the power of the Spirit and the flow of Christ’s love. As the Spirit fills me, His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control then manifest themselves in my relationships with others. If I have no love…or if I only love those whom I enjoy being around anyway…then the reality of my faith in Christ Jesus is non-existent or weak at best.

Faith in Christ…love for all the saints…springing from the hope we have in heaven…and the truth that we have in the gospel of grace. That about sums up the heart of Christianity.

Lord, strengthen my faith and give me a greater love for your people.

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Galatians 6:1-5

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Steve Foster

1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.

The practical outworking of the fruit of the Spirit is seen in these verses. How should I respond when I see someone “caught in a sin”? Admonish? Rebuke? Gossip? Murmur? Feel good about my own perceived righteousness?

Apparently the Galatian believers, in their abandonment of grace and adherence to legalism, saw the sin of others as an opportunity to feel good about themselves and criticize/attack the one who had sinned. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (5:15). Legalistic churches are scary places to be. You have to watch your back and protect your image. No one can see a crack in your Christian life. No one is allowed to be broken and vulnerable. The repercussions are too high.

Instead, a Spirit-filled, grace-oriented church acts differently. If someone is caught in a sin… The word “caught” literally means “overtaken.” It describes the person who falls into sin, who gets off track, who struggles with temptation but gives in. It is not describing the person who willfully, rebelliously, and blatantly pursues sin.

You who are spiritual should restore him gently. Who are the “spiritual”? The ones walking in the Spirit and exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23). Only those with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of the Spirit can appropriately and gently enter into the life of someone else struggling with sin. If you are struggling with a sin, overtaken by a temptation, defeated and trapped, who do you want next to you? Someone self-righteous and critical or someone with the grace and compassion of Christ?

But watch yourself… Helping someone struggling with sin can be dangerous to our own spiritual walk. To enter into their world exposes us to their temptation. For instance, helping someone struggling with pornography exposes us to the same temptation. We better be on our guard and aware of our own weaknesses. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corin. 10:12).

Carry each other’s burdens… Helping someone overcome temptation and sin is not easy. It will emotionally and physically drain you. It is entering into the ditch, picking them up, getting under their burden, and helping them carry it. Such ministry fulfills the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).

If anyone thinks he is something… Here is Paul’s stern warning against pride and self-righteousness. Deep down we tend to find a sick sense of satisfaction when we someone else sins. Why do you think the tabloids and Hollywood gossip shows are so popular? The faults and falls of others prop up our own insecure need for validation. “Hey, at least I am not as bad as they are!” Since we all fall short of God’s perfect righteousness, we prefer to compare ourselves to others rather than to the holiness of God. A critical spirit is evidence of an insecure, self-righteous heart.

Each one should test his own actions… In other words, quit comparing yourself to others! If God is working in your own heart and you are seeing progress, then praise God! Rejoice in that. Don’t rejoice because you perceive that you are more spiritual and/or less sinful than those around you.

For each one should carry his own load. We each have our own calling from the Lord. I can’t compare myself to you because God has created, designed, and gifted me differently. As Jesus said to Peter, when Peter was overly concerned about God’s plan for John, “That’s none of your business, Peter. You follow Me.” (loose paraphrase of John 21:22). Stop comparing and start caring.

Lord, give me Your eyes to see the needs and struggles of those around me. May I be Your hands and feet today.

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Galatians 5:16-18

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Steve Foster

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

There is a battle in our hearts. Our selfish, sinful nature does not die at salvation. We are to reckon it as dead (Romans 6:11) but it still breathes within us.

Within me, there is a pull toward sin. I am prone to selfishness. I resist God’s will. I struggle with my own thoughts and emotions. I feel impulses that I do not want to feel. I think thoughts I do not want to think. And I deceive myself in the process. Blaming others, God, or my environment for my problems and struggles. As Paul would say, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). Paul answers his own question. “I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (7:25)

Galatians picks up on this same theme. How do we defeat the sinful nature that rages within us? We “live by the Spirit.” Is this easy? No way. Our flesh and the Spirit that indwells us are “in conflict with each other.” So is the answer to try harder? Not really. Because of the power of sin, “you do not do what you want.” Martin Luther called this the “bondage of our wills.” We are powerless against the desires of the flesh. Trying harder, in our own strength, only leads to greater frustration, despair, or the exchange of one sin pattern for another. The answer is counter-intuitive. Instead of trying harder in the flesh, we yield more to the Spirit.

What does that mean in everyday life? It means that the key to victory over sin is growing more in love with Jesus Christ. The more I desire Him, the less I desire sin. For instance, on a human level, the best defense against sexual immorality is a healthy, growing love relationship with one’s wife. The more I desire her, the less I desire the temptations of this world. I still must be diligent and vigilant but these things are motivated out of love not duty. The greatest motivation for righteousness is always love. And in Jesus Christ, we have a love that will never change or let us down.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

So each morning, my first responsibility is to connect with my Savior. Yield to Him. Listen to Him. Ask for His strength. Find a reason to rejoice in Him. Allow myself to be loved by Him. Then as I walk through the day, I continue to meditate on His Word, commune with Him in prayer, and experience His peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life.

It is a learning process. It doesn’t happen overnight. But each day we walk in the Spirit, we establish a pattern for the next.

Lord, increase my hunger for You. Thank You for Your unending love toward me. Help me to yield to Your Spirit today.

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