Devotions from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth …” Colossians 1:3-6 (Read Colossians 1:1-8)

Though the Apostle Paul may never have visited the church in Colosse, when he heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and the resulting love these believers had for their fellow believers, he, together with Timothy, gave thanks to God for giving them the confident hope of eternal life in heaven through Messiah Jesus.

The good news of God’s pardon and forgiveness and the promise of everlasting life in heaven because God the Son became true man and redeemed mankind reached the ears of the Colossians through Epaphras and, perhaps, others; and faith in Jesus was kindled in their hearts.

As the good news of God’s gracious gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven for Jesus’ sake was used to generate faith in the hearts of the believers at Colosse nearly 2,000 years ago, so this same message generates faith in human hearts today. The same Gospel, that word of truth, tells us of the certain hope laid up for us in heaven, not because of anything we have done or can do, but because God’s own dear Son, Jesus Christ, came into this world and suffered and died for the sins of all and rose again in victory. God’s Word tells us that His gift to us for Jesus’ sake is life everlasting in the mansions of heaven.

Such a gracious gift of God – the forgiveness of all our sins because of His own Son’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead and the assurance that we have a place in His eternal, heavenly kingdom – will also move us to selfless love for other believers and fellow heirs of eternal life in heaven, but this love is the result of God’s loving gift of salvation to us, not the cause of it.

What a comfort to know that, though we have sinned and come short of the holy demands of God’s good law, Jesus fulfilled it for us and took our sins upon Himself, paying the just penalty upon the cross that we might have forgiveness and life everlasting! And this hope which we have is not an uncertain hope, but simply a waiting for of the things assured to us by the promises of God. God has offered and promised to us a place in heaven through faith in His Son. That place has been made certain to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus. We await that day in confidence and assurance that heaven is ours for Jesus’ sake.

When we face the end of our lives here in this world, we need not doubt and wonder if we will make it into heaven – heaven is guaranteed to us because Jesus shed His blood for us and paid in full for all our sins. If our salvation depended upon us or anything we did, we could have no certainty and no hope; but because it depends upon Jesus and His atoning sacrifice for us, we have every assurance and hope of everlasting life in the mansions of our heavenly Father’s house!

Paul wrote this letter, while himself a prisoner, because there were those who were seeking to rob these believers of the assurance and hope they had in Jesus by placing other demands upon them – suggesting such things as the worshipping of angels, eating of certain foods or observing certain days. Today, too, there are many false teachers who would suggest and say that, to be true Christians, people must exercise certain gifts, eat certain foods or observe certain days. The apostle’s message, the true gospel, is that we are complete in Jesus – our salvation and everlasting life is certain in Him – there is nothing we need add to His redemptive work!

Dear Father in heaven, thank You for graciously bringing to us the word of truth, the saving gospel of forgiveness of sins and life everlasting for the sake of Your Son, Christ Jesus. By Your Spirit, move us to believe and take heart and be assured that, for Jesus’ sake, our sins are forgiven and, for Jesus’ sake, we have life everlasting with You in heaven. Amen.

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins....” Colossians 1:9-14

Though the ancient city of Colosse no longer exists – the old east-west road was moved, causing the once-important city to wane – by the grace of God the believers who once lived there are now reigning with Christ Jesus in His glorious heavenly kingdom. Paul, probably while he was a prisoner in Rome, along with Timothy, when they heard of the faith and love of these believers in the Roman province of Asia (in modern-day Turkey), prayed for them that they might continue in the true faith and grow in their knowledge of God.

Paul wrote to them in his letter: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness...”

Paul and Timothy continually lifted up their fellow believers in Colosse, requesting that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will together with all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that they would use this knowledge of God rightly and live a life pleasing to Him, doing God’s will rather than following the whims of false teachers who held up another way of faith and life. Paul and Timothy prayed that the believers there would continue to grow in the knowledge of God and be strengthened by Him so that they would endure in the true faith and rejoice in Him and what He had done for their salvation.

Paul and Timothy prayed for these believers that they too would give thanks to God the Father for graciously making them acceptable and fit to be partakers of the eternal inheritance of the saints in light – the blessings of heaven which God graciously gives to all who trust in Christ Jesus. It was God the Father who had delivered them from the rule and power of darkness – the kingdom of the devil – and translated them into the eternal kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. And, it was in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world, that they had been redeemed, forgiven of all their sins and made acceptable in God’s eyes.

What Paul writes applies to all of us who believe today. How important it is for believers – for you and for me – to learn and be filled with the knowledge of God through the study of His Word! And it is not enough to just learn facts about God. We need to know Him and His ways and so be strengthened in our faith in Him and rejoice in the salvation He has provided us in His Son. Then, as a fruit of our faith in Him, we will also seek to please Him by walking in His ways.

And, in all this, we have every reason to give thanks to God the Father; for it is He who has made us acceptable for His kingdom by sending His only-begotten Son to die for us and redeem us with His holy and precious blood shed upon the cross! It is in Jesus that we have pardon and forgiveness. It is in Jesus that we have life everlasting and a place in God’s eternal kingdom. God rescued us from the rule and dominion of darkness by sending His Son to redeem us. He translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son by bringing us to know and trust in Jesus for our salvation.

Again, the point of it all is that our salvation is complete in Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us, paid for the sins of the whole world and rose again in victory on the third day. God the Father, through the death of His Son, made us fit and acceptable in His sight; and He, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, brought us to faith in Jesus and thus rescued us from the doomed kingdom and rule of the devil and translated us – transferring and carrying us – into the eternal kingdom of His only begotten Son!

We thank You, dear Father in heaven, for graciously sending Your only-begotten Son to redeem us and for mercifully bringing us into His eternal kingdom. Grant that we might grow in our knowledge of You and walk worthy of Your gracious calling. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

[Jesus Christ] “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:15-18

Who is Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul answers that question in unmistakable terms. Jesus is “The image of the invisible God.” In other words, if you desire to know God, know Jesus, for He is God Himself in human flesh.

The Gospel of John (1:1, 14, 18) states of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth ... No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”

Jesus is the firstborn of all creation – not in the sense of being created, but in that all was created by Him and for Him, and He is the inheritor of all. “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”

Again, the Gospel of John says (1:3, 4): “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Jesus is before all things, for in the beginning He was. He is the great “I AM,” Jehovah God in the flesh (cf. Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).

Jesus is the head of the body, the church, for He loved the church and gave Himself for it – suffering and dying for the sins of the word – that He might present it to Himself, “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Colossians 1:22; cf. Ephesians 5:25ff.).

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead because he died for the sins of all and rose again from the dead on the third day. He is firstborn because all who trust in him for forgiveness and life will also be raised up with glorified bodies on the last day to live and reign with him forever in His eternal kingdom.

Paul’s point to the Colossian believers and to us? Jesus is indeed God Himself in human flesh, being miraculously conceived and born of the virgin Mary, and we are complete in Him. He is our creator and He has accomplished our salvation by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. As He rose from the dead on the third day, so He will raise up on the last day all who trust in Him and grant them life everlasting in His heavenly kingdom.

Christ Jesus is our life and hope! We need look nowhere else!

O dearest Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, thank You for creating us and giving us life; and thank You for redeeming us with Your holy and precious blood shed for us on the cross that we might be given forgiveness, new life and a place with you in Your eternal kingdom. Keep us steadfast in You. Amen.

“For it pleased the Father that in Him [Jesus Christ] should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” Colossians 1:19-23

It was the plan of God the Father to send His only-begotten Son into the world, a true man, to make peace between God and man by shedding His holy and precious blood upon the cross for the sins of the whole world. And that is what Jesus has done through His death and resurrection. He took the sins of all mankind upon Himself and paid in full the just punishment, reconciling the word of sinners to God. His resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice for sin.

The people of Colosse, as well as you and me, were at one time separated from God and alienated from Him in our minds because of wicked works. Instead of loving God and gladly and willingly seeking His perfect will, we were all in rebellion against Him and went our own way, desiring and doing what we deemed to be pleasing and best for us at the moment.

But even while we were yet in rebellion against our God and Maker, He gave His Son to redeem us, pay for our sins and accomplish our reconciliation (cf. Romans 5:6-11). The Colossians and you and me were reconciled “in the body of His flesh through death.”

And why did Jesus die for our sins, and the sins of the world? Why did He accomplish our reconciliation and the reconciliation of all mankind? That He might present us “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.” Jesus died on the cross and paid the just punishment for your sins and my sins – indeed, for the sins of the whole word – that He might present us to Himself without sin and above reproach in His sight! Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and mine that He might forgive us and present us to the Father without sin and guilt.

And how does this forgiveness and reconciliation become our own? How do we appropriate it for ourselves? How can we be presented holy and righteous and unblameable in His sight? Through faith in Jesus! This pardon and forgiveness, this reconciliation accomplished by Christ Jesus, becomes our own simply by believing the Word of God which tells us we are reconciled and forgiven through Jesus’ blood shed for us on the cross! That is how the believers in Colosse became saints in God’s eyes, and that is how you and I can be presented holy and righteous before our heavenly Father.

It is as Paul says, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” The Holy Spirit worked faith in their hearts and He continues to call us to faith in Jesus yet today. It is “faith of the operation of God” (Colossians 2:12).

Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, reconciled the whole world of sinners to the Father by His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. He reconciled the Colossians, and He reconciled you and me, by paying in full upon the cross. In Jesus, my sins and your sins are paid for and forgiven. In Jesus, we can be presented before God the Father holy and without blame. Simply trust in Jesus – He has done it all and we are complete in Him! Believe what God tells you in His Word. By the working of God’s Spirit, trust that in Jesus, no matter how great your sins have been, you have forgiveness and life in God’s eternal kingdom. Trust that in Jesus you are “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” Why, because you are for Jesus’ sake!

O Jesus precious Savior, thank You for going to the cross and shedding Your holy and precious blood to redeem me and make me acceptable and righteous in Your sight. Grant me faith to trust in You for pardon and forgiveness, and preserve me in that faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

“Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church …” Colossians 1:24 (Read 1:24-29)

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Jesus said, “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:34-38).

Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter to the believers in Colosse. He was in bonds for preaching forgiveness of sins and life eternal in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus. Paul didn’t hold back from setting forth the truth in order to preserve his own life or to avoid trouble from those who opposed the Word of God. Believers could and still can rejoice in the Apostle Paul’s sufferings because he was suffering for his faithfulness to Messiah Jesus.

Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

As Jesus said, and as His apostle, Paul, said, those who preach the truth of God’s Word, pointing out sin as sin and proclaiming the redemption accomplished by Christ Jesus as the only source of forgiveness and life everlasting, will be hated and persecuted in this world. People will hate them and persecute them because they don’t want their own sins exposed for what they are – wickedness in God’s eyes. And people will persecute them because they do not believe and trust in Jesus as God the Son and the Messiah and Savior of the world.

Jesus suffered and died upon the cross, paying in full for the sins of the whole world, and He rose again from the dead on the third day. Those who trust in Jesus for forgiveness and life and follow after Him also will suffer in this world. Because the world hated Christ Jesus, it will also hate those who follow Him and proclaim His Word.

For not shrinking back but being faithful to Jesus, Paul suffered and helped fill up that which was lacking in the suffering of the church – the true believers in Christ Jesus. For Paul’s faithfulness to Jesus and His unashamed preaching of the gospel of forgiveness and life in the crucified and risen Christ we too rejoice.

Even though so many within the visible church today would hold back to avoid sharing in the reproach of Christ, when followers of Jesus do hold fast to their Head and unashamedly proclaim His Word of life, we can also rejoice, even in their sufferings for Christ Jesus; for all who follow Jesus and are unashamed to speak His Word will suffer persecution in this world, and great is their reward in heaven!

Dearest Jesus, our blessed Savior and Redeemer, embolden us to speak Your Word faithfully as we should and not hold back, calling upon people everywhere to repent of their sinful ways and trust in You for forgiveness and life. And, if we must suffer persecution – even if that be prison or death – let us rejoice that we were privileged to suffer for Your name’s sake. Amen.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him ...” Colossians 2:6 (read Colossians 2:1-10)

The Apostle Paul warns his hearers, both at Colosse and around the world today, to beware “lest any man should beguile you with enticing words” (v. 4). Much is preached and proclaimed in the name of Christianity which is nothing of the sort. The messages may be enticing, but the result – even if the spokespersons are well meaning – is to deceive and take people away from saving faith in Jesus Christ!

The believers at Colosse had heard the Gospel message from Epaphras. He had proclaimed to them that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God and Creator of all things, had reconciled them to God the Father by suffering and dying upon the cross for their sins and rising again on the third day. In Jesus they had “redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (1:14). Through faith in Jesus, God the Father had “delivered” them “from the power of darkness” and “translated” them “into the kingdom of His dear Son” (1:13). For the sake of Jesus’ shed blood, they were “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in [God’s] sight” (1:19-22). And as a result, they had a certain hope of the everlasting blessings of heaven (1:5).

Therefore, Paul lovingly wrote to the believers in Colosse, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (2:6-7). They had all they needed in Jesus their Savior – nothing more was required of them to be saved.

Paul warned them: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (vv. 8-10).

The apostle did not want them to be stripped of their faith and assurance in Jesus by human doctrines dealing with what foods they should eat, on what days they should worship and regarding spiritual knowledge and angelic intermediaries (cf. 2:16-18). They were complete in Jesus; for He fulfilled all of the righteous demands of God’s holy law in their stead, and He suffered and died and paid in full for all their sins and rose again on the third day. In Jesus they had forgiveness for all sins and the certainty of life everlasting! In Jesus, we too have forgiveness for all our sins and the certainty of a place in God’s eternal kingdom!

The Old Testament ordinances dealing with the Sabbath Day, holy days and foods were only a shadow of things to come to point us to Christ (2:17). Now that Christ has come and accomplished our salvation, it would be foolish to return to a mandatory observance of mere shadows and give up the blessings won for us by our Savior!

Rather, we should continue in the faith in Messiah Jesus, as taught to us in the Holy Scriptures. We should continue in the hope and assurance that He has redeemed us from all sin by the shedding of His holy and precious blood for us upon the cross. We have all we need in Jesus – we are complete in Him!

O dearest Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all the holy demands of the law for me, and thank You for paying the just penalty for my sins that I might have forgiveness and life everlasting with You in heaven. Graciously keep me in the true faith and let no false doctrine rob me of Your blessings. Amen.

“Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” Colossians 2:11-14

Why would anyone want to insist that it is necessary for a Christian to be circumcised and follow all the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament to be saved when believers are complete in Jesus and are blessed with all that they need through their baptism into Messiah Jesus?

Old Testament circumcision (Genesis 17) was a cutting away of the flesh, performed by human hands, which indicated that one had entered into God’s covenant with man in which God promised to send a Messiah and Savior of the descendants of Abraham to redeem fallen mankind. It signified that a man could not stand before God in the power of his own flesh, but through the promised Seed of Abraham – Jesus Christ.

Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19; cf. Acts 2:38-39) has replaced and superseded circumcision as the sign and means of becoming a part of God’s covenant with man. But baptism is so much more.

Circumcision was performed by human hands. Baptism, though administered by the hand of a minister or believer, is a work of the Triune God and administered in His name.

Baptism is called “the circumcision of Christ,” because the one who is baptized into Christ is joined to Christ in His death and in His resurrection.

The sins and fallen nature of man – his sinful inclination, the flesh – is buried with Christ in baptism; for Christ Jesus, on the cross, paid in full for the sins of the entire world. He died our death for us and took the just condemnation of God’s law in our place. He blotted out “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” Though God’s holy law condemned us all, Jesus suffered our punishment.

Not only is the Christian joined with Christ in His death through baptism, having all his sins paid for in full and washed away; he is also joined to Christ in His resurrection, so that as God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day, after He had made atonement for the sins of all, so also He through the “operation of” the Holy Spirit raises up to faith and new life those joined to Christ.

As Paul writes, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

In his letter to Titus, Paul writes by inspiration of God’s Spirit: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Thus, we see that through Baptism God washes away sins and grants His life-giving Spirit, who creates and strengthens faith in Christ Jesus. Through baptism, God offers and gives to us all the blessings which Jesus won for us upon the cross and makes them our own. In and through baptism, God offers and gives forgiveness of sins and life eternal in His Son, Jesus Christ!

Baptism is so much more than an outward profession of faith in Jesus. Rather, it is the means through which God graciously works to make all of the blessings won for us by Jesus our own!

Therefore, if one has been baptized into Christ and has God’s forgiveness, His life-giving Spirit and the certainty of life everlasting for Jesus’ sake, why would he want to go back to Old Testament circumcision and the old covenant which pointed ahead to Christ and the salvation he has provided for all? In Baptism, Christians are joined to Jesus and are complete in Him!

Thank You, gracious Father, for working through our baptism to wash away our sins for Jesus’ sake and to raise us up to new life in fellowship with You through the gracious working of the Holy Spirit. Keep us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ...” Colossians 2:16-17

The Apostle Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, makes his point. Believers in Christ are not to let anyone judge them in regard to their food or drink, in regard to observing certain holy days or religious festivals, or in regard to observing the sabbath day. Why? Because believers in Jesus Christ are complete in Him. They are no longer subject to Old Testament laws which served only to point to the coming Messiah and the salvation He would provide for all mankind by His holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross, because the promised Messiah and Savior has come.

The word “therefore” is there for a reason. It gives the basis for the apostle’s assertion, referring back to what was already written in the epistle. God the Father has made us meet and fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light through the sacrifice of His Son. He delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have redemption though His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Christ Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and the creator of all things. In Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells, and He made peace through the blood of His cross and reconciled all mankind to God by His atoning sacrifice in our stead.

Believers in Christ, even though they were at one time alienated from God and enemies in their minds by wicked works, are reconciled to God by the death of His Son, Messiah Jesus, that He might present them holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. And how? Not by being circumcised, obeying dietary regulations or observing certain days, but by faith in the Son – by continuing in the faith, grounded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel.

Believers in Christ are joined to Him in baptism, have their sins washed away, and are regenerated and given new life by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, who also raised Christ from the dead on the third day.

Since believers in Christ Jesus already have forgiveness of sins, life and eternal salvation for the sake of His holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross, why would they want to go back to mere shadows meant to point them to Jesus? Why would they listen to anyone telling them that to be saved and pleasing to God they must eat only certain foods, observe certain feasts and festivals and do no work on the Sabbath?

Jesus has already fulfilled all righteousness for us, and He has paid in full for all our sins. We rest from our labors when we place our trust in Him and the salvation He has won for us (cf. Hebrews 4).

In the early church, when certain men said it was necessary for salvation to be circumcised and keep the laws of Moses, the apostles and believers in Jerusalem laid no such burden upon the churches, but simply asked them to refrain from “pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” because of the large numbers of Jews in every region (cf. Acts 15).

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ ...” You have all you need in Jesus; He won your salvation for you and gives you forgiveness and life through faith in His name! Simply hold fast to Jesus!

Dearest Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all righteousness in my place and paying in full the penalty for my sins. Graciously keep me trusting in You unto life everlasting. Amen.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

In our baptism, we have been joined to Christ in His death and in His resurrection. Our sins and our old sinful nature was crucified, punished and put to death in Christ Jesus, upon His cross; and as Christ was raised from the dead by the working of God’s Spirit, so we have been raised to new life – brought to faith in Christ – by the operation, or working, of God the Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:10-15).

We are no longer dead in our sins and the uncircumcision of our flesh; we have been made alive to God through God-wrought faith in Christ, and all our sins have been forgiven and washed away in Jesus’ shed blood (cf. Colossians 2:13-14). In Jesus, our salvation is complete. In Jesus, we have all we need – God’s forgiveness and the promise of life everlasting!

Therefore, since we as believers have been raised up with Christ Jesus, He is our life.

As the Apostle John writes, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

By our natural birth, we all shared in the nature and sin of our first father, Adam, who disobeyed God’s commandment and brought sin and death upon us all. By our rebirth, the result and working of God’s Spirit in us through the “washing of regeneration,” “the washing of water by the word” (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:26; cf. Colossians 2:11-12), we are joined to Messiah Jesus. His death on the cross for the sins of the world was our death and the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Being raised up from the dead, His life is our life and the guarantee that we too shall be raised up unto life everlasting with Him in heaven.

Therefore, since our “life is hid with Christ in God,” and since we look forward to His return and being changed into His image and likeness, why would we want to set our love and affection on the things of this world – things which will pass away with the using, and things which will be burned up with unquenchable fire at Jesus’ return?

Not only does this apply to man-made doctrines and rules about the foods we may eat, the days we must observe or ways in which we ought live to prosper in this world (cf. Colossians 2:20-23), it has application to the very focus of our lives. Are we focusing all our energy and all our resources upon this life – on such things as our homes, cars, clothing, recreational activities, etc. – or are we focused on Christ, who is our very life and our only hope?

Paul’s point to us is this: If we have been joined to Christ in His death and resurrection – if we are indeed risen and alive in Christ – the focus of our lives will not be here in this world or on man-made teachings and rules to better life in this world; our focus will be on Christ and the things for which He is ordering all to achieve – the salvation of lost souls and the building up of His church, that we all might be saved and reign with Him in everlasting glory!

And so, while so many are focusing their attention on the betterment of life in this world – whether it be through the foods we eat, our lifestyles or teachings about love and charitable deeds – the true focus of Christians is on Christ and reaching out to lost and condemned sinners with the saving gospel of forgiveness and life in Jesus. You see, Christians know that this world is hopelessly under the sway of sin and will soon be judged and pass away. Christians know and believe that the only way to have life is Jesus.

One might also say it this way: Rather than using Christ and religion in an attempt to better one’s life and the lives of others in this world; the Christian uses his life and the goods entrusted to him in this world to save lives for the world to come. Does that include works of kindness and charity to help people in this world? Most certainly! But, the focus is always on the chief work of Christ – the salvation of souls for His eternal kingdom, a kingdom which is not doomed to pass away as will this world!

Dearest Jesus, my Savior from sin and death and my life and eternal salvation, graciously keep my eyes on You and on those things You seek. Let the focus of my life be on You and the glories of heaven which await Your return, and grant that I seek what You seek, the salvation of lost souls, that they too might partake of the everlasting joys of Your kingdom. Amen.

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:5-11

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth … seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” Since Christians are joined to Christ Jesus in His death and resurrection – their sins and sinful nature being crucified with Christ, and having been raised up with Christ by the mighty working of God’s Spirit to new life in fellowship with the LORD God – they are to put to death (mortify) their sinful nature with all its desires and put on the new man which is created by the Holy Spirit and seeks to be like Christ.

Christians in this world have two natures, called in the Bible the old man (inherited from sinful Adam) and the new man (created in them by the regenerating work of God’s Holy Spirit). In the beginning, man’s nature was single and united in love for God, trust in Him and the desire to honor and glorify His holy name, for the first man and woman were created in the image of God and knew Him and His will and desired to live for Him (Genesis 1:26-27). When Adam and Eve fell into sin, that nature was lost, for they doubted God’s Word, were afraid of God and even tried to hide themselves from His presence (Genesis 3). A reading of the pages of the Bible which follow the fall reveals the sinfulness and depravity of mankind.

Those who have been raised up from spiritual death and darkness to faith in Messiah Jesus – whether it was the Messiah yet to come in Old Testament times; or as it is now, the Christ who has come and accomplished mankind’s redemption – have a new nature which loves the LORD God, trusts in Him for salvation and all things and desires to live for Him and serve Him. But, as long as Christians are yet in this world, they have as well their old sinful nature, inherited from Adam.

Thus, the Christian life is a life of struggle, not only with the world without, but with the sinful nature within. The Christian, thankful for the shed blood of Jesus and the blessings of forgiveness and life eternal He has won for them, love God and want to live for Him in accord with His Word. Yet, there remains within them a nature which loves self, doubts the Word of God and would rather go its own way and seek its own glory and pleasure.

St. Paul writes of this internal struggle to the believers in Rome: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do … For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members …” (Romans 7:18-19, 22-23).

This is why Christians rejoice in the fact of God’s continuing forgiveness for sins and shortcomings. They continually acknowledge their sins and trust that God is merciful to them and forgives them for the sake of Jesus and His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world. Christians do not deny or cover up their sinfulness, but walk in the light, trusting that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth [them] from all sin.” They agree with God and confess their sins, trusting that He is faithful and just to forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation – the atoning sacrifice – for the sins of all people (cf. 1 John 1:5 – 2:2).

It is also why believers look forward to the day of Christ’s return, for then the image of Christ will be perfectly restored in them – they will no longer be subject to sin and their old sinful nature. As the Bible says, “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself … We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2).

And so, while believers in Christ await His glorious return and the redemption of their bodies (cf. Romans 8:23), they put to death the old man and all that is contrary to God’s Word and put on the new man which gladly and willingly seeks to live as God commands. They agree with God’s Word that such things as fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication and lying are wrong; and they acknowledge their sins and failures, trusting in Christ’s shed blood for forgiveness, and then seek God’s help and strength to live for Him in accord with His Word.

The battle is not easy, for the old sinful nature and inclination is strong and is encouraged and incited by the devil and the sinful world in which Christians live. No matter how hard people try, they cannot drive out the darkness of sin from their lives. But Christians, by the grace of God, turn to Christ Jesus, the Light of the world. He cleanses them of all sin with His own holy and precious blood, and He strengthens and keeps them in the true and right way unto life everlasting!

O Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the sake of Your blood shed for me upon the cross, forgive me for my utter sinfulness and for my many shortcomings and transgressions in regard to Your holy commandments. Fill me with Your Spirit, give me the desire to walk in Your ways, and keep me in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:12-13

As the elect and chosen of God, holy and dearly loved children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:26-27) and for the sake of His innocent sufferings and death in our stead, we are called upon to put on the image and likeness of Christ Jesus. Having been baptized into Christ, all our sins and our sinful nature being crucified on Christ’s cross and being raised up to new life by the operation of the Holy Ghost (Colossians 2:10-15), we daily – through repentance and faith – put off the old sinful nature and put on the new (Colossians 3:5ff.). And so we are called upon to be like Jesus in our dealings with others, and especially with our fellow believers.

We are to put on “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

From our innermost being – from the heart – we are to be merciful and kind toward others. Why? because we know of God’s mercy and kindness toward us. Even when we were spiritually dead in our sins and living in rebellion against God, He showed mercy to us and sent his only-begotten Son to die in our stead and redeem us (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Even though we continually sin and come short in our lives, He shows us mercy and washes away our sins in Jesus’ blood (1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

When we remember how Jesus humbled Himself, not appearing in all His divine glory and power but living humbly as a man and even permitting His enemies to crucify Him that He might redeem all of fallen mankind, certainly we have every reason to live humbly and not usurp ourselves or our position over others. As Jesus lived in this world as a servant to meet our needs and win our eternal salvation, so we ought think and live as servants in this world to meet the needs of others and bring to them the message of God’s redeeming love.

Longsuffering and forbearing with one another means that we are to be patient with others and put up with their failings and shortcomings – we suffer much and long and are yet patient. And, indeed, when we consider the patience, longsuffering and forbearance of God toward us, we again have every reason to show the same longsuffering and forbearance toward others. Again and again each of us fails to live as God intends – we go our own way, think we know better or just neglect to listen – and yet God doesn’t cast us off or condemn us. He continues to deal with us in mercy and patience.

And, instead of holding another’s sins and misdeeds against him, we are called upon to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. And, indeed, if we consider the great debt of sin which Christ has forgiven us – even going to the cross and shedding His holy and precious blood to pay our just penalty – what is the small debt of sin against us by others? Jesus shed His blood to redeem all and win the pardon and forgiveness of all; how can we not forgive as He has forgiven?

We must remember that it is our old sinful and fallen nature – our nature which was condemned and punished on Christ’s cross – which would have us be unmerciful, impatient, unkind, proud, haughty, quick to condemn and unforgiving. The new nature, created in us by the Holy Spirit when we were baptized into Christ Jesus, seeks to be like Christ: with “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any.”

Once again, we see our own sinfulness and failures to live as God’s redeemed children and we turn to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the shed blood of Jesus, who died for the sins of all and rose again in victory. In Jesus, we find mercy and forgiveness. His blood cleanses us from all our sins (1 John 1:7). And, in Jesus, we find help and strength to amend our sinful ways and to live each day for Him as God’s elect and chosen children.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for living according to my old evil and sinful nature. Wash away my sins in Your holy and precious blood and give me a heart like Yours, full of mercy, kindness, patience and forgiveness toward others. Amen.

“And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:14

A mark of the new nature created in the heart of believers by the Holy Spirit is “charity” – not just as we think of the word today, but in its older meaning: selfless love – the kind of love that God showed toward us in giving His only-begotten Son to die for us and redeem us.

The Greek word translated as “charity” in the King James Version and “love” in most modern translations is “agape” (agape). The Bible speaks of such love when it says: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

This is the kind of love spoken of in what is often called the “love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13.

Paul calls this love the bond of perfectness (or completeness) because it is such love which God requires in the hearts of all, and it is such selfless love which moves people to obey God’s commandments.

Paul wrote to the believers in Rome: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

When asked what was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus responded: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Why is it that love for God and love for our neighbor are the greatest of the commandments and the fulfilling of the law? Simply put, love is the motivation of the heart – which God requires in us – which moves people to obey all of God’s commandments. If one loves God with all his heart, mind and soul, he will not have other gods or serve them. Nor will he neglect to set aside time to consider God’s ways and worship Him. He will gladly and willingly read and study God’s Word, listen to it and heed its message.

If one loves his neighbor – other people in this world – as he loves himself, he will not dishonor or disobey parents and authorities. He will not hurt or kill, adulterate God’s design for marriage, steal, lie, slander or covet.

The problem is that, since the fall into sin, people do not love the LORD God with all their heart, mind and soul. Nor do they love others as much as they love themselves. Thus, our lives and the lives of all people in this world are full of selfishness, rebellion against God, disregard for parents and authorities, abusive and selfish relationships, evil thoughts, murders, deceptions and thefts.

That is why God sent His only-begotten Son into the world to fulfill the law for us and to bear our punishment by suffering and dying upon the cross!

Make no mistake. The command to put on selfless love is not the gospel of salvation; it is the law of God. We cannot hope to achieve God’s favor and be saved by putting on love; we put on love because God first loved us and sent His Son to die for us and win for us forgiveness and life everlasting. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Because God loved us and sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to die for us, and because He graciously brought us to faith in Jesus, washing away our sins in our baptism and raising us up to new life in Christ Jesus by the mighty working of His Holy Spirit, we seek to live for Him – indeed, to be like Him – and to love others as we have been loved by Him. Thus, as we continually acknowledge our sinfulness and failures to love as God demands, as we put off our sinful and unloving nature which was punished upon Christ’s cross, we also put on the new and loving nature which has been created in us by God’s Spirit – a nature which loves God and others with His kind of love, a love which moves us to live in accord with God’s holy and perfect will revealed to us in His commandments.

As You have loved us, O Lord, and given Yourself for us to redeem us and make us Your Own, create in our hearts faith which receives Your merciful love and forgiveness; and move us to put on Your love so that we love You in return, and also love our fellowman and live our lives in accord with Your good and perfect will. Amen.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Numerous Old Testament priests and prophets cried out, “Peace, peace,” when there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Today, too, ministers and preachers say all is well when it isn’t.

You see, there can be no peace between God and man without atonement for sin, and there will be no peace between God and men without repentance on man’s part. And, so, the preachers and prophets who seek to assuage troubled but impenitent consciences with words of peace may give a little comfort to consciences, but not peace; for there is no peace apart from godly sorrow over sin and faith in the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, the innocent sufferings and death upon the cross of God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

While the world goes about seeking peace and comfort of heart in all the wrong places, the believer in Messiah Jesus knows true peace; for Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the whole world and brought about peace between God and man – the peace of atonement made and sins forgiven for the sake of Jesus’ holy and precious blood shed upon the cross.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:13-18: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both [Jew and Gentile] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and He came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

That is why, when Jesus was born, the angels glorified God saying, not “on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests,” but “on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Jesus paid for the sins of all and won God’s favor and peace for all mankind.

The Bible tells us, in 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

God is reconciled toward man; for Jesus, God’s only-begotten Son, paid in full the just punishment for the sins of all when He suffered and died upon the cross. His resurrection is proof (cf. Romans 4:25). God pleads with us to be reconciled toward Him by acknowledging our utter sinfulness and accepting His pardon and forgiveness for the sake of the sacrifice of His Son in our stead.

Jesus shed His blood to make peace and has appeased God’s just wrath against sinful man. When we, by the gracious working of God’s Spirit through the Word of God, see and acknowledge our sinfulness and failures to keep His commandments and place our faith and trust in the perfect life and innocent sufferings and death of Messiah Jesus in our stead, then we know peace – peace between God and man – and fellowship with God our Father.

This peace (shalom / eirene) is a perfect peace, for Jesus has paid for all our sins and they have been removed from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). Nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). “If we confess [homologomen – to say the same thing as God about] our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

This is the peace of God which is to rule and govern our hearts. This is the peace to which we and all believers in Christ’s body – the church – have been called. This is the peace for which we have every reason to be thankful.

We were enemies of God, rebelling against Him and His commandments and going our own way. There was NO PEACE! But Jesus paid in full for all our sins – for the sins of the whole world – reconciling God’s heart toward us and all sinful mankind. In His grace and mercy, He reaches out to us, offering to us pardon and peace. When, by the gracious working of God’s Spirit through the Word, we are brought to see our own sinfulness and also to see and trust in His forgiveness and peace for the sake of His Son, Messiah Jesus, then we KNOW PEACE!

O LORD God, heavenly Father, You have graciously given to us peace through the forgiveness of all our sins for Jesus’ sake. Grant that this peace – this knowledge of Your forgiveness and acceptance – rule and govern our hearts, driving out all fear of wrath and punishment. Thank you for granting to us and all believers Your peace in Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

So important to spiritual growth – nourishing the new nature created in us by the Spirit of God when we were baptized into Christ – is the use of God’s Word. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Colosse: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

We, as believers in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ, are to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Why? The Scripture tells us the answer in the words which Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:15-17): “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

The Scriptures teach us of our salvation – of forgiveness and life – in Christ Jesus; and the Scriptures are the source of all true Christian doctrine, being useful for the study of the truth, for reproving, correcting and instructing in righteousness. Through the study of Scriptures, believers are given the knowledge they need to live for God in accord with His will.

Jesus said (John 8:31-32): “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It is through the continual study of God’s Word, the Bible, that we learn and are assured of the truth and are made free. The Scriptures teach and reveal to us God’s holy will and our utter sinfulness and shortcomings before the LORD God; but the Scriptures also reveal to us that in God’s own dear Son, Messiah Jesus, we have a Savior. He fulfilled all righteousness for us, and He paid in full for our sins and the sins of the world with His blood when He suffered and died upon the cross. In the crucified and risen Christ Jesus, we have forgiveness and life – we are made free and brought into fellowship with God our Maker.

We read and study God’s Word, letting it dwell in us richly and in all wisdom, that we may be strengthened and confirmed in our faith in Jesus and that we may teach and admonish and encourage others in their faith in Christ Jesus through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. As we read and study God’s Word, are assured of forgiveness and life in Christ and are guided by its counsel, we can share that same assurance and guidance with others.

Certainly, the importance of using and basing our psalms and hymns and spiritual songs upon the very Word of God cannot be overemphasized. What good are songs and hymns with catchy tunes if they are not based on Scripture? How can they give comfort, teach or praise if they do not reflect God’s Word?

Indeed, when we let the Word of Christ dwell in our hearts richly and meditate in the Word and consider it in our hearts, we will be moved to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Our hearts will be filled with thanksgiving and praise for the LORD God who so loved us that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for us and make us His own dear children.

O LORD God, thank You for Your Word and for making us wise unto salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. By Your Spirit, move us to continue in Your Word, to study it and learn from it, that we might continue in the true and saving faith, encourage others in that faith and give You praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Colossians 3:17

The first man and woman were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) – they were reflections of God’s righteousness and glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Their lives and all their works were for the glory of God their Maker.

The fall into sin (Genesis 3) changed all that. Instead of seeking to glorify God in all their words and deeds, people seek their own glory and praise. Words are spoken to our own aggrandizement. Deeds are done for our own honor and praise.

Jesus, God’s own Son, came into this world, living humbly among us as a true man, that He might glorify His Father in heaven and redeem fallen mankind by paying the price for our sins – by suffering and dying upon the cross for the sins of the whole world. He fulfilled all righteousness for us by His holy thoughts, words and deeds; and He went to the cross for us, paid for all our sins and rose again in victory on the third day. He has been glorified and is ascended into heaven at the right hand of God the Father and rules over all things.

Through Spirit-wrought faith in Christ Jesus, we receive the forgiveness and life Jesus won for us when He suffered and died upon the cross. We are raised from spiritual darkness and death and given new life in fellowship with God, our Maker. Thus, as children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, we seek to honor and glorify our Maker and Redeemer in all we say and do. Our words are spoken to bring glory to our Savior by reflecting His words and teaching. Our deeds are done to the praise of Christ Jesus, again, as reflections of His works and deeds.

Since we have been redeemed from eternal punishment and hell by the sacrifice of Jesus in our place, we seek to live our lives in this world to glorify Him and bring Him praise. We seek to learn more and more of Jesus by continuing in His Word that we might reflect His image and glory in this dark and dying world and that others too might come to know Him and trust in Him for forgiveness of sins and life everlasting!

And, yes, as we seek to glorify our Lord Jesus in all we say and do, we also remember and give thanks to God our Father for so loving the world that he gave His only-begotten Son to be the full payment for our sins – and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. We thank God for continuing to forgive our shortcomings and failures for the sake of the shed blood of His dear Son. We thank God for His Spirit, who brought us to faith in Jesus, raised us to life in Him and continues to keep us in the true faith until we are finally taken to be with our Savior in the mansions of heaven.

We give thanks to God the Father for the sake of Messiah Jesus, our Lord and Savior; for it is through Him that we have access to the Father and are privileged to be called His children.

We thank You, dear Father in Heaven, for so loving the world that You gave Your only-begotten Son to die for us. We thank You for bringing us to know Jesus and the forgiveness and life won for us by Him. By Your Spirit, grant that all we do and say may be for the glory of Jesus our Savior and reflect Your image and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Colossians 3:18-19

Saying wives should submit to their husbands is not popular these days, but this is what God, in His Word, commands. Neither does the world (as well as many church bodies) accept what the Bible says of women’s role in the churches – not to teach or usurp authority over the man but to learn quietly and in all submission as the law teaches (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:34-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15). Yet, this is the role created of God for women. It is, as the Bible says, “fit in the Lord,” to obey God’s Word in this matter. Wives are to submit unto their own husband “as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). It is rebellion against the Almighty to disregard His perfect will.

Even tougher, because of man’s sinful and rebellious nature, is what God commands of husbands and men. Men are to love their wives and not be bitter against them or treat them harshly. Men, this means putting your wife’s needs above your own. It means living your life and exercising the authority given you by God for the good of the helpmeet God has given you.

The Apostle Paul explains this in more detail in his letter to the Ephesians (5:25-27): “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

This means not only being willing to die for your wife, but to live for her. It means sacrificing your own desires and ambitions for the good of your wife and the children God has given you. It means living and dying in such a way that your wife and family might be presented to the Lord Jesus holy and undefiled through faith in Jesus’ precious blood, shed upon the cross for the sins of the world.

Because of our fallen, sinful nature, it is difficult for wives to be submissive to their husbands and to be careful not to usurp roles and authority God has not given them. It is impossible, without the regenerating work of God’s Spirit, for men to so love their wives and families that they sacrifice themselves in living and dying for the good of their wives and children.

Instead of rebelling against God and rejecting His Word, we need agree with His Word that we have failed and come short. We need acknowledge our own sinfulness before the Lord and trust in Him to forgive and cleanse us for the sake of Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior, has paid in full the punishment for the sins of all; and He rose again from the dead. For His sake, God is merciful to you and to me and forgives our sins and gives us life eternal in fellowship with Him.

Dearest Jesus, I have sinned and come short of living in accord with Your perfect design in creation. Forgive me for the sake of Your shed blood and give me the will and the strength to conform my life to Your will. Amen.

“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

Colossians 3:20-21

It is God’s perfect will that children obey their parents in all things – the only exception being when obedience to parents would cause disobedience to God (cf. Acts 5:29). Obedience to parents, God says, is “well pleasing unto the Lord.”

This, of course, is one of the Ten Commandments of the LORD God. The Bible says: “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3).

Such honor and respect for parents and others in authority over us is sorely lacking in our day. Children, in both selfishness and rebelliousness, dishonor parents, teachers and authorities and refuse to obey. Such disobedience and rebelliousness, they need understand, is not only against their earthly parents and authorities, but against God Himself, who placed their parents and other authorities over them for their good.

Disrespect and disobedience toward parents is disrespect and disobedience toward the LORD God. Not honoring teachers and authorities placed over us is not honoring God who created us and placed us under authority.

While it is, sad to say, the way of the world and our own sinful nature not to honor parents and authorities, those regenerated by God’s Spirit will see and acknowledge their own sinfulness in this regard and turn to the LORD God for His mercy and forgiveness won for all by the innocent sufferings and death of His own obedient Son, Christ Jesus. And, as a fruit of their faith in Jesus, they will also, with the help and aid of God’s Spirit, seek to honor and obey parents and others placed in authority over them.

Of course, the command to honor and obey parents has another side to it as well. Fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath and discouragement by being overly harsh or mistreating them. This command also applies to mothers, for they are helpmeets to their husbands.

Here, too, fathers and mothers often fail. Instead of remembering that their children are both created and redeemed of the LORD God and that He desires children to be brought to Him in baptism and raised up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4; cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts. 2:38-39; Luke 18:15-17), they treat their children in selfishness and anger, punishing them when they get in the way rather than when they do wrong and sin. And, all too often, parents fail to bring their children to Christ Jesus and neglect to teach them to know the LORD and His Word.

Jesus’ warning is amply clear: “Whoso shall offend [causing to sin or fall from faith in the Lord Jesus] one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

Provoking children to anger and abusing or neglecting them and their needs, both temporal and spiritual, is also the way of this world and our old sinful nature. But such behavior on the part of parents, teachers and others in authority greatly displeases the LORD God, who gave His only-begotten Son to redeem, not only adults, but children, both young and old.

Again, parents and those in authority who have been born anew by the mighty working of God’s Spirit through the washing of water and the Word will examine themselves and their own attitudes and actions toward their children, acknowledging their sins and shortcomings and turning to their merciful heavenly Father for forgiveness and the strength to bring up their children as He would have them raised. In the shed blood of Jesus, there is forgiveness. In the working of God’s Spirit, there is help and strength to change one’s attitudes and actions.

Dear Father in heaven, mercifully forgive me for dishonoring and disobeying my parents and others in authority over me. Forgive me also for failing to love the children You have placed under my care with Your love, for failing to be patient and understanding with them, for being overly harsh with them, for failing to bring them to You and teach them Your life-giving Word, and for failing to correct them and bring them up in Your nurture and admonition. Forgive me for the sake of Jesus, Your Son, and His sufferings, death and resurrection in my stead. By Your regenerating Spirit, give me the will and strength to conform my attitude and actions to Your holy will. Amen.

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Colossians 3:22-25

Though people may joke about being slaves to their work, not many would actually count themselves as servants. Yet, this Word of God applies to employees and all who work for another; and this would take in almost every one of us at some time or another.

God would have servants and employees obey their earthly masters in all things – unless, of course such obedience would cause them to disobey God (cf. Acts 5:29). And such service should not be just when the boss is watching, but all the time. The Bible says it should be “in singleness of heart,” which means wholeheartedly and fully devoted to serving those over us. Such obedience should be rendered in respect and honor for the almighty God who has both created and redeemed us.

The Apostle Paul adds the words: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Whatever we do here in this world should be done for the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His holy and precious blood to redeem us from sin and eternal damnation and make us His own. Though we may work for other men, yet we who believe in the Lord Jesus really live for and work for Him.

And we know that, even if our earthly masters and employers do not justly reward us for our labors, Jesus will. He won for us forgiveness of sins and a place in His eternal kingdom, and He has promised to graciously reward those who trust in Him and live for Him. Earthly masters may give us little credit for our labors and even treat us unfairly for their own selfish ends, but the Lord of the whole earth who died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life will not treat us so.

On the other hand, those who do not obey and wholeheartedly serve their masters and employers, even if they are not found out and punished here, are known of the Lord and will be punished by Him.

God’s Word says: “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

God does not show partiality. His judgment is fair and true. Those who rebel against Him and disobey Him – which includes disobedience and dishonesty toward earthly employers and masters – He will punish with everlasting punishment and torment in hell. God will not let some “slide” or get away with disobedience while He punishes others.

But those who repent – acknowledging their disobedience and sinfulness and trusting in the shed blood of Jesus for forgiveness and life – God will pardon and grant life everlasting in His eternal kingdom. Those who sincerely repent will also, with the help and aid of God the Holy Ghost, seek to amend their evil ways and live in obedience to the