Monthly Archives: December 2024

SEQUENCE AND CONSEQUENCE

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 2:6-7 NLT
[6] “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. [7] Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

There is a sequence and there are consequences to our faith in Jesus as Lord.

Let’s first examine the sequence.

Paul declared that faith in Jesus comes by hearing the gospel.

Romans 10:17 NLT
[17]”So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

When a person hears the gospel message and responds by believing the message and receiving Christ Jesus as Lord, a supernatural transformation takes place in him (or her). He is made alive to God and is transferred from Satan’s domain to the kingdom of God. He has begun a new life in union with Jesus, trusting Him and learning to obey His Word. Three words sum up this transformation… faith, Lord, and roots. Faith in Jesus as Lord, as supreme authority, replaces self as the energy of the new life, putting down strong roots into the love of God.

“Now”, says Paul, “that’s how you began. That’s how you must continue.” This is the essence of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The simplest and most profound way to become a strong and secure believer is to follow Jesus as Lord and to trust in His infallible love regardless of circumstances.

As we began this new life, so we must repeat the steps, over and over. Day after day, through every test and trial, in good and bad times, we must never give up or let go of the truth that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love in Christ. We nurture and nourish our fellowship with Him by protecting our union with Jesus through trust and obedience.

When we faithfully follow this simple pattern, there are consequences that help us hold steady and persevere regardless of the hardships that are part of life in a fallen world.

When we trust Jesus through difficult times, like muscles that grow strong through strenuous exercise, so our faith becomes secure in the love of God. How do we know that we are trusting in God’s goodness, no matter what? We complain less and give thanks to the Lord more. As trust grows, so does our expressions of gratitude to the Lord. We begin to see His goodness to us in things that once appeared to be disaster. We recognise His purpose…to use our troubles as discipline because He is forming Christ in us.

God will never give up on His purpose to conform us to the image of His Son. This was the goal of Paul’s life, the prize he was determined to win, no matter the cost.

Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
[12] “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

He bent all his energies towards winning the prize himself and teaching and urging his fellow believers to strive for the same goal.

Colossians 1:26-29 NLT
[26] “This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. [27] For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. [28] So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. [29] That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”

How can we also, despite the many deviations from this simple truth in the church today, join Paul on

in his race for the prize? If we follow the sequence and apply the consequences, we can be sure of a testimony as confident as Paul’s.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

MORE THAN PRAYER – 2

Prayer, ,

Colossians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. [2] I want them to be encouraged and knit together by STRONG TIES OF LOVE. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

There are two themes in Paul’s prayers for the churches he did not found, at Colosse, Laodicea, and other believers who, he said, “…have not met me personally.”

These two themes recur throughout the New Testament – union with Christ and love for one another. These two simple requirements lay the foundation for our lives as children of God and citizens of His kingdom.

1 John 2:3-6 NLT
[3] “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. [4] If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. [5] But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. [6] Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

Two laws replace the complicated legal system of the Old Covenant.

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23]”And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

Every other detail of our lives as believers in Jesus falls under these two simple directives. As I have written many times over, Jesus has called us into union with Himself, to live under His authority and to love His family. What could be more simple than that?

Loving God’s children is the counterpart of loving Jesus. Only by showing genuine love for the wellbeing of God’s children can we demonstrate the genuineness of our love for Him.

John majored on this principle in his first letter. How can we say we love God if we don’t demonstrate our love for Him by the way we treat each other in His family?

Loving one another in practical ways is the evidence of our love for Jesus.

1 John 2:7, 10 NLT
[7] “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before…
[10] Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.”

How can we show our love for a fellow believer? By many practical ways of meeting their needs at our own expense.

1 John 3:11, 14, 16-18 NLT
[11]”This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another…
[14] If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead…
[16] We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? [18] Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

The Bible shows us ways in which we can express our love for Jesus by loving His people.

  1. By many practical ways of meeting needs. Food and clothing, shelter and care, are all part of the way we can express our love.
  2. By living in peace and harmony with one another, forgiving and restoring broken relationships, preserving unity by humble submission to one another.
  3. By bearing one another’s burdens, by encouragement, support, and prayer.
  4. By building one another up in our mutual faith in Christ.
  5. By using our spiritual gifts to serve one another.

It is not possible for us to participate in one another’s lives in all these ways but, as we are gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve one another, we are a mosaic of loving service to our church family. Doing life together in a community of faith is a powerful witness to outsiders of the power of the gospel. Jesus said that it is our love for one another and the unity that binds us together that bears witness that the Father sent Him.

How much better, then, when opportunity arises, to spend time taking care of the needs of fellow believers than using time, effort, and money preparing programmes and planning conferences and seminars which are, in the end, mostly forgotten!

Life in this generation is fast and furious. Loving each other is a way to slow down, and take time to minister life to the body of Christ that is meaningful and productive.

MORE THAN PRAYER

Prayer, ,

Colossians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. [2] I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Paul used the Greek word “agon” to explain his desire for these Colossian believers.

(Strong’s g73

Ribust : ἀγών

  • Transliteration: agón
  • Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
  • Phonetic Spelling: ag-one’
  • Definition: an (athletic) contest; hence, a struggle (in the soul).
  • Origin: From ago; properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety.
  • Usage: conflict, contention, fight, race.
  • Translated as (count): conflict (2), fight (2), a struggle (1), race (1)….)

Familiar as he was with the Greek culture of games, Paul saw his role in the lives of these new believers as one who was in a race, contending for the prize of spiritual maturity for these believers.

The English words, “agony” and “agonise” come from this Greek word. In its derivation, there is a sense of profound emotion, energy, and labour. Paul was not just talking about this matter to the Lord. He was agonising in prayer for these believers, using up his spiritual energy so that Christ in them would be so powerfully at work that they would become mature in their faith and behaviour, reflecting the Christ who was in them.

Paul had no time for armchair believers…passengers who jumped on the bandwagon for the ride. He wasn’t satisfied with church-going, Bible-believing, tithing, praying, “witnessing” Christans. He was only interested in radically transformed, emerging replicas of Jesus, living as citizens of heaven in a fallen world.

He did not fully know the content of Epaphras’ preaching and teaching that had brought them to faith in Jesus. He used this opportunity to fill in all the details of their understanding so that their faith would be grounded in the whole truth.

Paul knew how important it was for these ex-pagans to have a solid foundation of truth on which to build their new lives. They had the Old Covenant from their ex-Jewish brothers in the church as preparation, but they needed the New Covenant interpretation as the rock on which to stand.

They lived in dangerous times. They were surrounded by hostile neighbours who were on the lookout for victims to accuse. Both Jews and Greeks were unsympathetic towards them. Without the confidence in God’s love and protection provided in the gospel, without the assurance of God’s supernatural power at work in them, without the confidence of their union with Jesus, they would not be able to stand their ground against persecution.

Many of their fellow believers were perishing at the hands of violent and cruel persecutors. What hope had they unless their faith in Christ steadied them and reassured them of His presence regardless of their fate?

So, Paul’s prayers were agonising over these beloved people, that they would stand and grow in the midst of adversity. Lip service would not survive. Only robust confidence in the Christ who lived in them would see them through to victory and full salvation.

What about us? In the most part, Satan’s tactics to destroy the church are far more subtle and dangerous than blatant opposition. He could only kill them once but he could undermine their faith in Jesus in many ways and many times.

For many decades, he has tried to obliterate the church through communism. His tactic not only failed, but it also contributed to the growth of a thriving church. For example, the church in China, driven underground by the Communist revolution, has emerged strong and vigourous, shaming the church in the West by its maturity compared with insipid and compromising Western Christianity.

Satan’s tactic, especially in the West, is to distract the church with irrelevant issues, and compromising beliefs and practices. The church has become cluttered with old and new traditions, interpretations, beliefs, and doctrines, cultural additions, you name it, until the simplicity of our life in Christ is no longer recognisable.

As long as we are preoccupied with programmes, conferences and seminars, workshops and training, functions and…and…and…we think we are are “doing the Lord’s work!” Really!

Paul made a sobering statement to the Corithinan church.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NLT
[10] “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. [12] Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13] But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. [14] If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. [15] But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”

Unless we, as the global church of the Lord Jesus, are building on the foundation of Jesus as Lord, using the precious building material of truth, and staying loyal to the simplicity of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, we are in danger of losing the superstructure of our work, and our rewards, ending up with nothing but our own skin.

Paul agonised over those who had come to faith in Jesus, whoever and wherever they were. His goal? Only Christ in them! What of us? Are we content with compromise and mediocrity in our labour, or will we join him in agonising for those that come under our care?

Galatians 4:19 NLT
[19] “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.”

CHRIST IN YOU

Christian Life, ,

Colossians 1:27-29 NIV
[27] “To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [28] He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. [29] To this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

Paul’s letter to the Colossians, a church that came into being, not through Paul, but through the ministry of another believer, Epaphras, is an explanation of the supremacy of Jesus, above and beyond every other contender. He is not part of but active in creation, sustaining the universe by the mighty power of His Word. He is sovereign and supreme in the church. He is present and at work in every believer.

There is now no difference between Jew and Gentile. Through His reconciling work on the cross, Jesus has obliterated the past with its history of hostility between Jew and Gentile and created a new nation out of the two.

Galatians 3:27-29 NIV
[26] “So in Christ Jesus, all are children of God through faith,
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Since God revealed His plan to Paul and called him to spearhead this mission, Paul gave himself to fulfilling his calling with every ounce of energy and strength God supplied.

His adversaries were many. Both natural Gentiles and Jews hated him for his faithful commitment to his task. He was buffeted and bruised from every side.

This part of his life, suffering and testing, was part of his calling. Every move brought another wave of hatred against him. Jail at times was almost his second home!

So bad had persecution become that Paul pleaded with the Lord to take it away, but God said no. He provided enough grace to overcome Paul’s misery and give him joy in suffering, remembering that his identity with his Master was to reason for his suffering.

So, Paul gave himself to his task with vigour, knowing that God was working in and through him to accomplish His great purpose.

What was Paul’s geatest mission? In seven (English) words, he states his purpose. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He bent all his energies towards achieving this goal. All his travelling, all his preaching, all his teaching, all his writing, yes, even all his suffering wa focused in this one goal, that Jesus Christ would reside in and change the lives of everyone who believed in Him, through His Spirit.

In partnership with the Holy Spirit, going where He led, preaching and teaching what He revealed, and guiding believers towards obedience to the truth, Paul laboured faithfully with joy.

As his life drew to an end, Paul had the confidence to pass the baton on to young Timothy …

2 Timothy 4:1-2, 5-8 NIV
[1] “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: [2] Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction….
[5] But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

…And to testify…

[6] “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Paul could do no more than begin the work of presenting God’s message to the Gentiles. Others down the centuries would take the baton on. The tragedy is that many have taken the baton and turned into something that no longer resembles the original charge. Many leaders in the church have become “lord” in place of Jesus.

Only those who have faithfully passed on the message of God’s grace in Christ to all nations will share in the rewards of a commission faithfully discharged.

God has entrusted to the church a body of truth, which He instructed His people to guard, to live by, and to pass on to the next generation intact and unchanged. Any additions or subtractions will bring judgment in those who made them.

The church may not carry this responsibility with the same consequences Paul experienced, but the mission is the same. To every nation, we have the charge, to preach Jesus as Lord and to bring them to faith and obedience to the gospel so that Christ Himself will be formed in them.

GOD’S MYSTERY REVEALED

Bible Study, ,

Colossians 1:25-27 NLT
[25] “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. [26] This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. [27] For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

This is a bold and outrageous claim, Paul, you are making! Paul was claiming to know what God’s secret was, hidden from the beginning of time. He declared that God had chosen him to reveal this secret to the church.

How could Paul make a statement like this unless he was absolutely convinced it was true? He would be putting himself in grave danger of God’s judgment. After all, he knew the Scriptures.

Jeremiah 23:21, 34-36 NLT
[21] “I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying.
[34] “If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord,’ I will punish that person along with his entire family. [35] You should keep asking each other, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’ [36] But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

What was Paul saying?

God had a plan which He kept secret hidden until Jesus came. Despite Israel’s hatred of the Gentiles, God’s secret was to include the Gentiles in His plan of salvation.

Prophecies in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah’s prophecies, hinted at this plan.

Isaiah 45:22 NLT
[22] “Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.”

Isaiah 49:6 NLT
[6] He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah 66:23 NLT
[23] “All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month.”

The more Paul delved into Isaiah’s prophecies, the more convinced he became that God’s plan was much bigger than just Israel’ salvation. Why was the Holy Spirit revealing these truths to him? Only when Jesus came and fulfilled all these prophesies did the whole plan become clear and begin to make sense. Since God was showing him this truth, it was up to him to reveal it to the church.

As this glorious truth dawned on him, Paul became convinced that this revelation was for him to pass on. His call to take the gospel to the Gentiles fitted into God’s great “mystery”, a secret God kept hidden until the right time to reveal it to the world. Through him, God was now making this truth known.

Is it any wonder, then, that the Jews hated both Jesus and Paul! Jesus’ compassion spilled over into the lives of Gentiles. Paul shared in the sufferings of Jesus because he identified with Jesus’ mission. The Jews could not tolerate the idea that God was opening His grace to all people. Paul had to be exterminated.

Acts of the Apostles 22:21-22 NLT
[21] “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’” [22] The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”

Now, Paul’s words begin to make sense.

Colossians 1:24-25 NLT
[24] I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. [25] God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.”

Paul was suffering specifically for this reason, that he was preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. As he testified to his call and mission, the religious leaders in Jerusalem listened until he told them…

Acts of the Apostles 22:21-22 NLT
[21] “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’” [22] The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”

So, this is the deal. The Colossian believers were included in God’s plan of salvation for the whole world. Paul reassured them that this was God’s plan from the beginning. They were not an “add-on” to God’s plan. They were an integral part of the church.

God’s mystery was the profound truth that Jew and Gentile together would have a share in Christ’s glory.

Colossians 1:27 NLT
[27] “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

This promise implies that everyone who believes in Jesus will share His nature, to become like Him in eternity because He lives in us now.

1 John 3:2 NLT
[2] “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

No, Paul was not overstepping the boundaries of his calling. He was right in line with God’s revelation. Jew and Gentile together, reconciled and made one new nation, shared in everything God had provided in His great salvation plan.