NT: “For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit with you was not without result. On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and were treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition. For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive. Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives  — God is our witness  —  and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others. Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children. We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

Undoubtedly, after Paul and his team were forced out of Thessalonica, the unbelieving Jews tried to disparage and discredit his name. They probably said things like, “Paul simply came here to make a name for himself… He didn’t speak the truth… He was trying to deceive you into giving him money, etc., etc.” In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, Paul took the time to set the record straight. For one thing, the words that he spoke were not empty hot air. The truth of his words were demonstrated to them in great power, and they bore impactful fruit in the lives of all who heard them and responded in faith. Paul didn’t come to seek his own glory… he didn’t come to manipulate people through flattering speech… he didn’t come to tickle the people’s ears with words that they wanted to hear. The reason Paul came to Thessalonica was because he had been entrusted by God with the powerful, salvational and transformational message of the gospel. He came to make Christ’s name great and to please the Lord God. Nothing he said was in error – everything he spoke was the truth. Nothing he said was spoken from an impure motive – everything he said was spoken out of a sincere love and care for the people. Nothing he said was deceptive – everything he said was consistently inline with the word of God, even when he was faced with great opposition. His charge from God was to communicate and demonstrate the unadulterated gospel, and that is exactly what he did.

Dr. David Shibley is the founder and global representative for Global Advance. Through the ministry of Global Advance, Dr. Shibley has been involved with bringing on-sight training, resources and encouragement to over 700,000 Christian leaders in over 98 nations – all the while proclaiming the gospel and challenging the leaders to do the same. Recently, Dr. Shibley wrote a book entitled “Entrusted: Anchoring Your Life in the Gospel.” In his book, Dr. Shibley laments the fact that many have lost touch with the unadulterated gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and calls the church to return to the pure and powerful message that Christ has entrusted us to communicate and demonstrate throughout the world. Many, for one reason or another, have lost the sense of calling, commitment and consecration that Paul had when he ministered in Thessalonica. Many are more concerned with preserving their position and maintaining their standard of living instead of faithfully proclaiming the gospel of Christ. Instead of speaking the truth in love, they say what the world wants to hear. Instead of seeking to make Christ’s name great in the earth, they compromise Christ’s message in a way that elevates them. Instead of calling people to repent and believe, they flatter people and deceive.  God has entrusted us with His gospel, the gospel that is the power of God for salvation to anyone who believes – provided we share it accurately and completely. Will we rise to the call and find ourselves approved of God, or will we seek instead to obtain the approval of men?

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your gospel and how it has liberated and transformed me. I also thank you for the great honor that you have given me by entrusting me with Your message. Lord, I want to be found to be a faithful, committed, and consecrated communicator and demonstrator of Your gospel – that Your name may be great, and that You may be glorified through my live. Grace me as I walk in obedience to your call by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead  — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:1-10‬ ‭CSB)

The story of the founding of the church in Thessalonica can be found in Acts 17:1-9. After being arrested, beaten and run out of Philippi, Paul and Silas (Silvanus) traveled to the city of Thessalonica. There, as was their practice, they went to the local Jewish synagogue and began preaching the gospel of Jesus. Some of the Jews, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and prominent women, responded to the gospel in faith. The rest of the Jews in the city became jealous of Paul’s success, so they formed a mob, started a riot, and forced Paul and his team out of the city. After being forced out of Thessalonica, Paul and Silas went to nearby Berea. When the Thessalonian Jews learned that Paul was preaching in Berea, they caused a stir and forced Paul and Silas out of Berea as well. After Berea, Paul ended up for a short time in Athens. While in Athens, Paul grew concerned for the fledgling congregation that he had to hastily leave behind in Thessalonica – so he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing. Timothy met back up with Paul while he was in Corinth. To Paul’s relief and joy, Timothy reported that the Thessalonians were doing well. After receiving the good report, Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Thessalonica.

There is good reason to believe that Paul was only able to remain in Thessalonica for about a month before he was forced to flee under the cover of night. Imagine the joy Paul had when he heard that, not only was the church in Thessalonica alive, they were thriving and sharing their faith throughout the region. Paul specifically commended their faith, hope and love. They were obeying the word of God in faith while being motivated by love… and were enduring through hardships and persecutions by the hope that inspired them. When Paul was among them, he didn’t just proclaim empty words – he demonstrated the truth of those words through power by the Holy Spirit. Paul was thrilled to hear that the church of the Thessalonians was following his example. Despite severe persecution, they were welcoming the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and demonstrating the power of the gospel wherever they went. As Paul was an example of Spirit-filled faith, hope and love to them, they had now become an example of Spirit-filled faith, hope and love to the entire regions of Macedonia and Achaia.

It is amazing what an amazing catalyst persecution, combined with steadfast faith in Christ is. Here in the United States, where there is relatively very little persecution against followers of Christ, it can take years – even decades – for a church to be established and become influential in a city, much less a region. Paul was only in Thessalonica for a few weeks before he had to prematurely leave amidst severe persecution. Yet, this months-old fledgling church had become more influential for the kingdom of God than many churches in the states become in a lifetime. It shouldn’t take years to develop steadfast and faithful disciples of Christ. What did Paul do in his short time in Thessalonica… what did the Thessalonians continue doing after his departure that we are missing here in the states? Could it be authoritative declaration followed by Holy Spirit-empowered demonstration? Could it be sincere and steadfast faith, deeply motivating love, and unwavering hope through the work of the Holy Spirit? Could it be that they truly and completely turned from worshipping idols to worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ? Let us allow Paul and the Thessalonians to become and example for us all – and by imitating them, may we awaken to the powerful and impactful life God has called all of His church to walk in.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that in You I find all that I need to endure in faith… and not just endure, but to thrive and have a lasting impact on all around me. Help me to be strong in faith, full of love and inspired by hope as I fully follow You… that through Your work in and through me, I can be an impactful and life-giving example to others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here… Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills. For I testify about him that he works hard for you, for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:7-9, 12-13‬ ‭CSB)

If there ever was a faithful friend to Paul, Tychicus would definitely be one. Tychicus was an Asiatic Christian who accompanied Paul on part of his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem. Apparently, after Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and eventually sent to Rome to stand trial, Tychicus rejoined Paul while he was under house arrest and ministered to him there. While under house arrest, Paul sent Tychicus with the letter to the Ephesians and with the letter to the Colossians. Here, Paul referred to Tychicus as a dearly loved brother. That meant that Tychicus was very close to Paul, and was both highly esteemed and worthy of love. Paul said that Tychicus was a faithful minister. When things got tough for Paul, instead of running away from the challenges, Tychicus ran to the challenges and served Paul’s needs. No wonder Paul chose Tychicus to deliver Paul’s epistles – he knew that Tychicus was a man who could be trusted and would not run away from the challenges he would face as he fulfilled the task. Finally, Paul said that Tychicus was a fellow servant in the Lord. Paul and Tychicus were committed to the same purposes. They were co-bondservants serving the same Master. So while Paul was detained, he sent his faithful friend Tychicus to serve and encourage the church in his place.

Paul was a faithful friend to Onesimus. The name Onesimus means “useful,” which is interesting considering that Onesimus was a slave. Tradition holds that Onesimus was a runaway slave belonging to Philemon, who was likely a member or the Colossian church. After escaping slavery in Colossae, Onesimus fled to Rome, where he apparently encountered Paul, heard the gospel, and came to faith in Christ. When Tychicus left for Colossae, Paul sent Onesimus back with Tychicus to be reconciled with Philemon. In the letter, Paul commended this former runaway slave, who was once considered unprofitable, as a faithful and dearly loved brother in Christ.

Epaphras was a faithful friend to the Colossian believers. Epaphras brought the gospel to Colossae, led the Colossians to faith in Christ and founded the Colossian church. Apparently, once false teachings began to infiltrate the church, Epaphras traveled all the way to Rome to seek Paul’s help and counsel. While saying with Paul in Rome, Epaphras continued to consistently and steadfastly go to war for the Colossians in prayer and labor for them in the spirit. Epaphras was committed to their well being and their maturity in the faith, and faithfully went to any length to minister to their needs.

Faithfulness is a big deal to God. It is something that God brings up over and over throughout His word. God looks for faithful men and women who will be faithful to Him, faithful to their word, and faithful to one another. Tychicus, Onesimus, Paul and Epaphras were all faithful followers of Christ and faithful friends – and their faithfulness brought glory to God and did much to extend God’s kingdom on earth. How faithful are we? If Paul knew us, would he commend us the way he commended these brothers in the Lord?

Prayer: Lord, You never cease in Your faithfulness to Your word and Your faithfulness to me. Just as You are faithful, You have called me to be faithful. I thank You, that because of Your faithfulness, I can be faithful. As I commit myself to You in faith, grace me to be faithful to You, faithful to Your word, faithful to my words, and faithful to those You have placed around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged. Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism. Masters, deal with your slaves justly and fairly, since you know that you too have a Master in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving… Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” (‭‭Colossians‬ 3:18-‭4:2, 5-6‬ ‭CSB)

Often times with people, there is the way that you behave as an individual, out in the public sphere – then there is the way that you behave in the context of your family, when the world is not watching. Families have the ability to bring out the best in us, or the worst in us. Oftentimes, within families there can be a lot of resentment and pain, cyclical sin patterns, reminders of the past, etc. It is one thing to do well spiritually as an individual, away from your family – but another thing to do well spiritually when you get around your family. When we come to faith in Christ Jesus and are given the grace to “put on Christ” and walk in holiness, that grace covers our familial relationships as well. The same Jesus who is Lord of our lives individually should still be Lord as we interact with our families. In Christ, family can and should work… and work well – to the point that it brings life to others and glory to God. In this passage of Colossians, Paul moved from “putting on Christ” as individuals to “putting on Christ” as a family unit.

Here Paul mentioned different roles and relationships within the family: Husband and wife, parent and child, and master and servant.  A note about slavery: slavery is not a system created and condoned by God. Slavery was a system created and sustained by a corrupt world system. Slavery was never part of God’s desire for any person… God has always promoted and provided freedom. That doesn’t deny the fact that slavery existed and was leveraged by people of faith throughout the Bible. However, as God’s redemptive plan for mankind has been progressively revealed through the ages, humanity’s conviction against slavery has grown. Slavery in the context that Paul mentioned here, was not the slavery of the old South in America. These slaves, though they were not free, were considered a valued part of the family. There was even a provision in the law for slaves that loved their master so much, they could choose to remain with their master. Also… submission is not an evil word. Submission is actually a very good, beneficial and beautiful thing when done properly.

Now with that said – in a family where Christ is Lord, there is order, peace and life. In God’s structure, the head of a home is the husband/father – not because the husband/father is better or more important, but because that is the role God has given him. In that role, the husband/father is the covering for family. Next is the wife/mother, who is the heart of the home. As an illustration, think of a house: the husband/father is the roof and the wife/mother is the walls. They both need each other. The roof protects the walls and the walls support the roof. When a wife submits to the role that her husband has been given by the Lord, she is supporting him. When a husband loves his wife with the sacrificial agape love of Christ and is not bitter towards her, he covers her and protects her. In that context of a supporting wife and a loving husband, a strong, peaceful, loving and life-giving home is formed. Children are to submit to and obey their parents in everything… and the parents (especially fathers) need to not be overbearing and highly critical in their directions and expectations. Household servants should obey and respect their masters as they would respect and obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Masters need to be just (behaving rightly) and fair (treating equitably) with their servants, just as the Lord Jesus has been just and fair with them.

How do we do all of that? Through consistent prayer, alertness to unrighteous attitudes and behaviors, wise actions, and gracious speech as we individually put on Christ by faith and are led and graced by the Holy Spirit. Our life in Christ doesn’t end when we open the door to our home and close it behind us. We need to remain clothed in Christ every waking moment of our day and not let our guard down in the private confines of our home. If we make Christ the Lord of our families, just as we have made Him Lord of our lives, just like us individually, our family will become a source of life and blessing that will glorify God and establish and extend His kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You not only provide grace for me to walk in life and holiness, but You provide grace for my family to be a place of life and grace. Just as you grace me throughout the day to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, grace my family to be a place where the word, the flesh and the devil does not have its way – but where You are Lord of all. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me  — that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9:23-24‬ ‭CSB)

When God originally called Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and set him apart to be the father of God’s chosen people, God promised to bless him and the nation that would come from him – but the blessing was not to be an end to itself, nor was the blessing to be exclusive. God’s intention was that through blessing His people, all the peoples of the world would be blessed – that His people would not only share their blessings with others, but more importantly, that they would share the source of their blessing with others… so that the other peoples of the world would come to God and receive the same blessing.

Fast forward to Jeremiah’s day. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had completely lost sight of the reason they were blessed in the first place. They had completely lost touch with the source of their blessed status and were frolicking in the blessing that resulted from the faithfulness of their forefathers. Their confidence was in their national identity and their prosperity instead of in the God who had given them their identity and prosperity for a divine purpose. Therefore God sent this message to the people of Judah and Jerusalem through His prophet Jeremiah: “Wisdom, strength, and wealth are nothing to boast in or place your confidence on, for wisdom, strength, and wealth are passing and can be taken away in a moment. What you should be boasting in… what you should be placing your confidence on is that you understand, experientially know and are familiar with Me. And in understanding Me and knowing Me, you should represent Me (My love and mercy, My justice and righteousness) in the world.

NT: “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:12-17‬ ‭CSB)

Abraham was not just the father of the Jewish people, he was more significantly the father of faith. He said “Amen” to God’s word by faith and because of that, Abraham was declared righteous. The true chosen people of God are those who become His by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, we are saved from our sins, declared righteous, given a new heavenly nature, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, given the ability to overcome the word, the flesh and the devil, and graced with everything we need to live a holy and righteous life on earth so that we may live in holiness forever with God. As wonderful as that is, that is not an end to itself. As God’s chosen people, we have been blessed to be a blessing to all the peoples of the world and to represent the Lord Jesus Christ (His character, His power, and His Lordship) throughout the earth. Paul wrote quite a list of the things that we should “put on” as people of God – but all of that can be summarized by saying, “Put on Christ, and do and say everything in the name of (as representatives of and ambassadors for) the Lord. Why? So that any and all may come to understand and know and come to faith in Jesus Christ… that they may become people of God and share in all the rich blessings that we have received.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for all the blessings that I have in You. Help me to remember that You haven’t just blessed me for blessings sake – and that I shouldn’t place my confidence in my blessings. My blessings come because I know You, and my blessings keep coming as I walk in Your commission to share my blessing with the rest of the world. I commit to do and say everything in Your name by the grace that You give me through faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:1-11‬ ‭NKJV)

In our walk of faith in Christ, when we talk about denying the flesh, we aren’t talking about punishing the flesh and beating it into subjection. Denying the flesh involves putting off our carnal and sinful natures, and putting on the new nature that we have in Christ. The phrase “put off” is translated from the Greek word ‘apekdyomai’, which means to wholly strip off and separate yourself from something. The phrase “put on” is translated from the Greek word ‘endyo’, which means to clothe yourself and completely sink into something.

When we place our faith in the completed work of Christ, our sinful selves are, at that moment, nailed to the cross with Christ and we are given new life and a new heavenly nature in Christ. That is why Paul wrote in Romans 6:11 to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The unclean, immoral, evil, covetous, idolatrous people that we were are dead and buried. We need to leave those people in the grave and not try to dig them up and bring them back to life.

Though our sinful selves are dead, our carnal body (at least for now) is still alive. Our carnal body (flesh) still has a bent toward sinful, selfish and lustful behavior. However, Christ has given us His Holy Spirit to fill us and have dominion over the flesh. Our flesh desires the things of this earth, while the Holy Spirit within us desires the things from above – the purposes and priorities of the kingdom of God. In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul described the works of the flesh, which are one in the same with the things of the flesh that Paul listed here. In that chapter, Paul also listed the fruit of being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. The new man that Paul said to put on is a result of being filled by and led by the Holy Spirit. Denying the flesh is all about stripping ourselves completely and separating ourselves from the influence of our natural bent towards sin and selfishness, while at the same time putting on our new heavenly nature by becoming completely immersed in and filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ. When we choose to keep our minds on heavenly things… when we avail ourselves of the fullness of the Holy Spirit… when we open the channels of God’s life-giving grace into our lives through faith in Christ, we are continually made new in the image of God until all earthly bents – even the bent toward racism – is completely rinsed from our lives.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You have made a way for me be rid of my sinful and carnal nature by being filled with and renewed moment by moment, day by day by the filling of Your Holy Spirit. Just as Paul encouraged me to do, I choose to put off the old me and put on the new me that is created in the image of Christ, that I may walk in all of my heavenly purposes to the glory of God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it… Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:13-15, 18-19‬ ‭NKJV)

The false teachers in Colossae were apparently not only teaching a blending of Greek philosophy and mysticism, but also extreme Jewish legalism in the form of asceticism. Asceticism is defined as a severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence. The belief behind asceticism is the more you debase, humiliate and deny yourself, the higher you will go spiritually. In the Christian faith, there is a denial of the flesh, but it is not the same thing as asceticism. However, many people – like the Colossian believers of old – confuse the two and end up subjecting themselves to something that our Lord and Christ never required.

At the heart of asceticism is pride. It is a pride that masquerades as humility – but is definitely pride, once all of the exterior façade has been stripped away. Pride is all about self-effort: “I can do this myself.” Even though asceticism appears to be all about humility, it is performing acts of denial and humiliation to attain spirituality through your own efforts, which ultimately is pride. That is why Paul referred to it as “false humility.”

True humility comes from the realization that I cannot do this myself. Denying the flesh, in the Christian sense, is about not allowing your flesh to rule your life, drive your decisions, and convince you that you can do things through your own efforts. Denying the flesh is about giving the Spirit the place of leadership in your life as you submit fully to the Lord by faith. The flagellation and abuse of the flesh that extreme legalism and asceticism demands is not necessary in Christ. All of the burdensome requirements that were against us… all of the punishments that we deserved for our carnal and sinful behavior were taken out of the way when Christ was nailed to the cross. Christ fulfilled all of the requirements, bore all of our beatings, and paid the debt that we owed with His life. Any leverage that the devil had in our lives was wiped away. As Christ hung on the cross, publicly humiliated for our sakes, He was in actuality publicly stripping the devil of all his powers and making him and his demonic minions a public spectacle.

Christ did everything that was required for us to have a full and abundant life free from the torment and ravages of sin. When we place our faith in Christ, we are made alive in Him and forgiven of all our trespasses – never to face punishment for our sins as we remain in Him. What a rich reward we have as we truly humble ourselves and place our faith fully on Christ. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise and cheat you of any of the riches and fullness that Christ so lovingly and sacrificially won for you.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law and you bore all of the punishment that was due to me for my sin. I celebrate the fact that in You I am free and do not have to be subjected to punishment any longer. Therefore, I choose to walk in true humility before You, deny my flesh in the way that You call me to, and welcome the fullness of Your resurrection life in me as I am filled and led by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ. So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:3-7‬ ‭CSB)

One of Paul’s great passions, and the reason behind his writing of this epistle, was that people who came to faith in Christ would remain and continue in Christ. It is very common for someone to come to faith in Christ, but then be led away from faith in Christ through aberrant or deceitful teachings. For some reason, people have a hard time settling in one place and allowing themselves to get rooted and built up – especially in church communities and matters of faith where your sensitivities may get challenged. We tend to think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence instead of allowing ourselves to bloom where we are planted. When our preferences are challenged by the truth, our ears will often search for teachings or philosophies that will allow us to remain in our comforts instead of growing toward maturity.

That was the challenge that Epaphras faced in Colossae. He had brought the gospel of faith in Christ and many had responded in faith – but false teachers had come in and were spreading titillating teachings and philosophies that sounded reasonable. Paul wanted the Colossian believers to know that the grass wasn’t greener outside of Christ – that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were found through steadfast faith in Christ. The phrase “well ordered” and the word “strength” were military references. “Well ordered” referred to military rank, where everyone is aligned properly, obeying orders and properly arranged in formation. “Strength” referred to a strong and substantive military front that could not be easily defeated. Paul said that he rejoiced in the fact that they were properly arranged and aligned in the body of Christ, and that their faith and order helped them form a strong and formidable front against the false teachers who were attempting to make inroads into the church. His encouragement to them was that they continue walking the well-ordered and strong path in the Lord, allowing themselves the opportunity to get well rooted and established in the faith, so that they may be built up to maturity in Christ.

How do we remain in the faith and continue walking in the Lord, even when the word, the flesh, and the devil are doing everything to get us out of faith and onto the wrong path. Just as the Colossians, we need to make sure that we are well ordered. We need to properly align ourselves in the body of Christ, submitting to our elders and mutually submitting to one another. We need to properly position ourselves – both in Christ and in the body of Christ – and not allow ourselves to get isolated and cut off from the flow of life and grace that comes from abiding in Christ and staying connected to His body. We need allow ourselves to get planted into a life-giving church and stay long enough that our roots are able to go deep, that we may grow up. That, combined with our faith in Christ, will establish us and strengthen our front against those who try to tempt us away.

Psalms: “My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past  — things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed. He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children so that a future generation — children yet to be born — might know. They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands. Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

A big part of continuing in the Lord is passing our faith down to the next generations. If we do not pass our faith along to our children and the generations that come after us, our faith will only last through our lifetime – and then it will come to an end. At one time, South Korea had one of the most dynamic bodies of faith in the entire world. However, in just one generation, faith in Christ has been supplanted secularism – all because one generation did not pass their faith along to the next. Christ’s commission to evangelize the world and make disciples includes our children. The mission field isn’t just the nations of the world – it is also the schools, playgrounds, backyards and dinner tables of our communities and homes.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in You. I don’t have to entertain titillating teachings and philosophies to gain wisdom and knowledge. I just have to stay rooted and continue walking in You. Help me to be well-ordered and strong in my faith, and help me to place priority in helping the next generations become well-ordered and established in You as well. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him  —  if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:18-23a‬ ‭CSB)

The Greek word for ‘reconcile’ in this passage is ‘apokatallasso.’ Apo means any kind of separation of one thing from another. Katallasso means to exchange one thing for another, reconcile variances, and return to favor. Reconciliation, therefore, has to do with restoring favor, reconciling any variances, and exchanging separation for unity. When mankind sinned, it created a vast separation between humanity and God. Creation, which had been put under the dominion of mankind, was subjected to a rudderless and futile existence. Therefore God initiated His plan to redeem humanity from sin and reconcile all things to Himself. That plan had a singular point of execution. All of God’s efforts led to that singular point, and all humanity’s hope emanated from from it. That point was the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ wasn’t just a sinless man who died on a cross and then miraculously rose from the dead – even though that in itself is pretty amazing. Jesus Christ, though in limited human form, was full of all the fullness of God. All of God’s power… all of God’s authority… all of God’s life… all of God’s love resided in the Man Christ Jesus, so that through Jesus, all things could be reconciled back to God. The once sacrificed and now resurrected Christ is the beginning of a new race and a new reality. He is the first-fruits of God’s successful plan of redemption: a man full of the life and power of God, ever-living in perfect unity with God. All who place their faith in Him will be made like Him: holy, faultless, and blameless – completely reconciled to God. Because everything pointed to Christ, and everything emanates from Christ… because He is our new beginning and our hopeful end… because He is the head and Lord of God’s new race of holy and reconciled people known as the church, we give Him first place in everything. It is by Him, through Him and because of Him that we live, breathe and have our new being before God. Therefore, in all things, we must place Him first.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You, that in You I am completely reconciled to God. No longer do I have to live separated from God. Through faith in You, the separation has been exchanged for unity. As You are in the Father, and I am in You, I am unified with God – holy, accepted, and loved. Because all of my life, all of my purpose, and all of my home comes from You, I give You first place in everything. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.