Paul powerfully contrasts “alienation” with “reconciliation” to illustrate the effects of the transformative work Christ accomplished through His body on the cross. Paul calls us to a sense of gratitude in knowing that the old state of alienation has passed away and the new state of restoration and grace has come. Everything about how Paul speaks of this contrast between “alienation” and “reconciliation” calls us to pay attention: His movement through time, from past estrangement to a current reconciled relational status, and even to our future hope of standing in the great judgment of all things—fully reconciled—are included in these words. He may have even created a new word to express this newly reconciled state, a word that possibly avoided any theological baggage from the surrounding pagan culture; a “clean slate” of a word Paul himself might have first filled with meaning and unpacked for the Colossians. Αποκαταλλασσω (apokatallasso). This jumbled together word, used only among Christians in the Greek speaking ancient world, has connotations of living a life according to the transforming work of Christ.

The source of all things restored came to us through a body. All these hopes and promises of the gospel come through the mysterious work of reconciliation that took place within and through Christ’s body, a body that lived and moved among the very people created in His image. Mysteriously this very body was broken for the sake of our restoration. Within His body, more than just guilt was removed. Within His body more than just a relationship was restored. Everything was reoriented through Christ from that moment onward that was broken! Everything that was broken about our lives before He came into them has been atoned for. Everything that causes alienation presently for us has its answer in Jesus’ body broken for you and for me right now. And one day, as we stand together in His presence, we will stand not as aliens but in a reconciled state, and with the same hope that came to us when we first heard the gospel and believed. Paul reminds the Colossians, and us as well, that we now stand before God as new creations, as masterpieces of grace and love, because we are reconciled to Christ in and through His body, broken for us on the cross in death.

Everything has been reconciled to Himself. It is a completed and present fact, a hope already dancing in our lives and burning in our hearts. Let us look to the past and remember how separate we once were from the knowledge of God’s love, and how grateful we are now that the distance of our former darkened flailing is reconciled in Him. Let us look at the struggles we face today as truly the hope filled struggles of God’s reconciled people; a people happy, joyous, and free through Christ’s broken body; a body broken to bring our hearts back to His. And let us look to the future without fear, trusting that this earth-shaking work of God—on the cross and in our lives—will one day stand us face to face in His presence, fully transformed and fully alive before Him.

A weekly study in Colossians has me walking over familiar ground with new eyes. This time through, rather than trying to explicate each word or phrase, I’m pulling back, for a bigger picture.

In last week’s portion–1:15-20–we keyed in on the idea of origins, and what it means to be from and connected to a particular family. Read like that, Paul’s poem/hymn really sings. Its emphasis on Jesus’ activity as creator and sustainer means, for instance, that one’s particular lineage need not have the final say. Rather, connection with God puts one in touch with God’s original intent and commitment to restoration so that the Creator’s early design can once more be seen, enjoyed, appreciated.

Read like that, I walk out of this text with new appreciation for roots and wings. The words and phrases of this hymn invite unpacking and reward close study, but sometimes examining trees misses the wonder of the forest. So, pulling back, I hear Paul extolling the God who includes, welcomes, grounds. Once again I am encountering the One who is full of grace and quick to affirm.

Jerry Hawthorne, a friend and mentor, wrote a commentary on Colossians that I’m using in this study. One of his observations about Paul’s message in this book–in fact, one of the themes Jerry loved to trumpet–is conveyed on the commentary’s dedication page. There, after mentioning family and friends, he starts the book with a clarion call: “Remember: God is for you!” Indeed.

__

The image above is part of a larger collection in the devotional art journal, Awake My Soul. More info on that here.

“…your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…received from God…You are not your own; you were bought at a price…Therefore honor God with your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Dear Overcomers: 

A well known author had the opportunity to visit The White House for a meeting with the President. While there, he learned what everyone else learns who has the privilege of going to America’s Executive Mansion. THEY SERIOUSLY AND THOROUGHLY CHECK YOU OUT BEFORE THEY LET YOU IN! There’s a background check. There are armed Marines at the door checking you out. You go through a metal detector to make sure you’re not carrying anything possibly destructive with you. I’ve come to understand that you don’t just decide to drop by the White House, walk right in and make yourself at home! No, they’re very careful about who and what gets into the White House. Why? BECAUSE OF WHO LIVES THERE!

One of the most startling revelations in the Bible is that you and I have a place like that to guard! Actually, if you belong to Jesus Christ, YOU ARE THAT PLACE! Because the God of the universe has taken up RESIDENCE IN YOUR BODY! Listen to our text “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.“

With that as a background, let’s look at an unsettling picture that’s portrayed in John 2, beginning with verse 14. Now if all you know about Jesus is the One who cuddles children, touches the untouchable and heals the hopeless, you need to complete your picture! That’s very real, but there’s a lot more to Him! Jesus is all of those. But He’s also the Jesus of this story. The Bible says: “In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and He drove them all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and He overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, ‘Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a market!’” What was it that enraged Jesus so? PEOPLE WHO DID THINGS WITH HIS FATHER’S HOUSE/TEMPLE THAT THEY’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO! There’s a five-word caption that would perfectly describe Jesus’ feelings: “Don’t Mess With My Father’s Temple!” Today, the Father’s Temple isn’t a building. It’s all those who’ve given their lives to Jesus! It’s you and me! And to say the least, Jesus doesn’t like it when you do things WITH His Father’s Temple or TO His Father’s Temple that should never be done!

But maybe you’ve been getting careless with what you do with the temple where a Holy God lives. You’ve been doing things with your body that damage it. Maybe things that dirty it. Get this in your spirit: YOU TAKE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD INTO EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH AND TO THAT BODY OF YOURS – WHICH ISN’T YOURS IN THE FIRST PLACE! Understand that when you had your little extra marital affairs, YOU TOOK GOD WITH YOU ON YOUR LITTLE ESCAPADE! When you sat in front of your porno for hours, YOU TOOK GOD WITH YOU TO READ THE MATERIAL OR WATCH IT! AND WITH GOD CALLING YOU THE ‘APPLE OF HIS EYE’, DO YOU REALLY THINK IT’S APPROPRIATE TO IN RETURN MAKE HIM THE EYE OF PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES?! When you had your little “it’s only one glass”, YOU TOOK GOD WITH YOU INTO YOUR DRUNKEN STUPOR! When you told your lie, gossiped, spread your malicious words and hatred, YOU TOOK GOD WITH YOU!

Think carefully now: Have you been doing things that degrade His temple or devalue it in some way? Have you been using His temple to gratify yourself, to do things that He died to keep you from doing? Be Warned: When you trash, abuse, degrade, devalue His Temple, He takes strong corrective action! Remember the Bible said, “He made a whip out of cords, and He drove them all from the temple…” Be very careful about what gets into that body of yours; what you touch, what you watch, what you listen to. Why? BECAUSE OF WHO LIVES THERE!

If you know Jesus, you could wear every day the shirt that I saw on a young woman not long ago. It simply said, “Property of God.”

Keep that in my mind the next time you’re tempted to bring uninvited guests into God’s house!

“Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 AMP)

““Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:7-8 MSG)

“ Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4 AMP)

“That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].” (Ephesians 5:27 AMP)

“So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16 MSG).

“[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5 AMP).

“If anyone does hurt to God’s temple or corrupts it with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you the believing church and its individual believers] are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17 AMP)

“[For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness [to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness]; [He did it] not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago].” (2 Timothy 1:9 AMP)

“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.” (Matthew 7:6 MSG).

“You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.” (Colossians 1:21-23 MSG)

“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” (Romans 12:1-2 AMP)

“You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].” (Ephesians 2:20-21 AMP)

“Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:11-13 MSG)

Feel Free to Join Us On Sisterhood School of Inspiration at: www.sisterhoodschoolofinspiration.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Food For Thought Friday: ‘I Have A Dream, Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’

Colossians 1:21-23 ESV –

[21] And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, [23] if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

The Alienated and the Reconciled

Here there are two types of people represented in the Colossians: the old, and the new. In verse 21 Paul says that the Colossians were once “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” they had since been reconciled with GOD through Christ.  This is important to consider. There is no middle-ground alternative. One is either with GOD or alienated from him, in the latter case the devil is at work in him (see also Ephesians 2:1-2).

The alienated: What makes one alienated from GOD?

I think that an important phrase to consider from verse 21 when answering this question is ” hostile in mind.” Compare this with Romans 8:7.

Romans 8:7 ESV – [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

The mind set on ungodly things brings hostility between GOD and man. This hostile mind leads to evil, for the hostile mind is unable to submit to GOD’s law.

The reconciled: What is the reconciliatory force between GOD and man? Who initiates this force?

Since the mind that is apart from GOD sets itself on things of this world and can not submit to GOD’s law, GOD must grace us with a changed mind, one that turns to seek him, one that is set on godly things, and in that grace we are able to come to him through Christ and be reconciled.

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV – [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Colossians 1:22 ESV – [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

GOD changes our minds and hearts so that we are able to come to him in obedience, through faith, and accept his gift of reconciliation. I find it important to point out that the work of a changed mind and of salvation through faith is GOD’s doing, and not ours by works, in order to explain the words of Colossians 1:23.

Proof of Reconciliation

Colossians 1:22-23 ESV – [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, [23] if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard…

Verse 23 is not pointing out the means by which one is saved, but evidence of one’s salvation.  Verse 22 is the means in which verse 23a comes to fruition. Which is to say that because Christ has reconciled us to him through faith, we will remain steadfast in him. Verse 23 is a confirmation of verse 22! I say this because:

1. Verse 22 says that we are reconciled and made blameless through the work of Christ. (Not our work)

2. The aforementioned Ephesians 2:8-9

3. This idea is echoed in Titus 1:15-16 which says:

Titus 1:15-16 ESV – [15] To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. [16] They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

In 1 John 2:19 the apostle John speaks about those who began in the faith but did not show themselves to be faithful:

1 John 2:19-20 ESV – [19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. [20] But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

 So to review, Colossians 1:21-23 teaches us:

1. Those with their minds set on the world are alienated from GOD

2. God changes our minds to be set on seeking him by his grace, so that we can accept the reconciliation set forth by Christ in the redemptive work of his death and resurrection.

3. Our obedience and our steadfast abiding in the hope of the gospel, is proof of our salvation. It is not the means, but rather the result of GOD work in us. And it is GOD that gives us the ability to do this, because on our own we have minds hostile toward him that are incapable of obedience.

I would like to make clear that I am not proposing that we have no choice in the matter of our salvation, but rather, I am saying that the scriptures point out to us that GOD is the initiator in the relationship. GOD calls us to come to him in repentance and faith, as well as to be obedient to him. Fortunately he also supplies us with the means to do this by his wonderful grace, as we were unable to do so because of our hostile minds. This is a gift that he offers to all, for the scriptures say:

2 Peter 3:9 ESV – [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Let Us Grow In Purpose

We must set our mind on and give attention to guarding our hearts, being honest in what we say and steadfast (diligent) in our walk with and for Christ.

Proverbs 4:22-27  NKJV     “My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes;

Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth,

And put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”

A. We must purpose to guard our hearts.

We are what we think in our hearts. Everything that we see, hear and read takes root in our hearts.

Matthew 15:17-19 NKJV     “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

Our actions are determined by what we allow to settle in our hearts, therefore we must be careful about what we allow into them.

Psalm 101:3-4  NKJV     “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not cling to me.

A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will not know wickedness.”

B. We must purpose to be honest in what we say.

When we are truthful in what we say we are worthy of trust.

Ephesians 4:25  NKJV     “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.”

We have been instructed by God to be honest – to speak the truth. A lying tongue is one of the things that God abhors.

Proverbs 6:17  NKJV     “These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.”

C. We must purpose to be steadfast (diligent) in our walk with and for Christ.

We must be firm, consistent, and determined to follow Christ no matter what comes our way.

Hebrews 12:13  NKJV     “and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”

1 Corinthians 15:58  NKJK     “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Colossians 1:21-23  NKJV     “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I Paul, became a minister.”

     Let Us Grow In Consistency

     Consistency is continuing to do right, even when it is difficult. It is also keeping the same principles, agreement or harmony.

Romans 11:22  NKJV    “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

      We are to continue in the ways of God and not to turn back to our old sinful way of life.

Colossians 1:21-23  NKJV    “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul became a minister.”

      We must be in harmony with God – we are to be in agreement with Him and have the same principles. We must do right even when it is difficult or seems impossible.

“Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson.” (p43)

It’s great to be with you for another study in Colossians. This week, we studied Colossians 1:21-2:3. But before we get into that, the topic of other religions came up in our study as it often does. So, I have created a handout that briefly describes some of the major world religions and denominations. Click here for that page.

Here are some thoughts from these scriptures and from our study of The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be – Warren W. Wiersbe;Paperback

The main theme of Col. 1:21 – 2:3 is relationship. Relationship with God and with other believers. Regarding our relationship with God, Paul points out that we were all once separated from God and that we created that separation ourselves by allowing evil thoughts to creep in and by further allowing them turn into evil actions. But Paul shares the good news with us that reconciliation is ours for the asking through faith and by firmly standing on that faith. This section ends by Paul’s example of sacrifice and service, pointing out that he has suffered for them and for the Gospel of Christ.

Some of the themes found in this section include:
Separation from God v21
Reconciliation with God v22
Continuing Faith v23
Suffering for others and for the Gospel v24, 2:1
Responsibility of serving by proclaiming v25
Secret message revealed that “Christ lives in you.” v26-27, 2:3
The “riches and glory of Christ are for … Gentiles too” (All-inclusive availability) v27
Prayer for unity among believers, confidence and understanding (2:2)

Notes on Colossians 1:21-2:3

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.

-Distance creates separation and enmity from God. God longs for relationship with His children. It is we who create distance when we allow our wandering thoughts to consume us with evil desires and actions.

22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

-God took the first step in the covenant relationship with Abram and his descendants. Then took an even greater and final step toward making us one with Him by giving His only Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins.

Even though we were worthy of death, by God’s grace and the Blood of Jesus, we are made “holy and blameless” and are able to “stand before Him without a single fault.”

“Christ died for us. But wherefore? That we should still live in sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live henceforth not to ourselves, but to Him. “ Matthew Henry’s commentary

23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

-It is easy to allow discouragement and disbelief to creep in. We live in an imperfect world, full of sin, destruction and death thanks to the fall in Eden. Paul recognizes this and calls out to those who are wavering in their faith telling them to hold on and “continue to believe.”

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.

-When we face struggles in life and ministry, are we grateful in the knowledge that we are participants “in the sufferings of Christ? Or, do we feel that life and others are treating us unfairly? Do we think we deserve better treatment or greater honor?

Perhaps we are angry or bitter because we have caused the suffering we endure because of bad life choices. Or maybe the situation we are in is such just because we are part of an imperfect and sinful world.

There is a foundation which must be laid before we can attain the “glad” attitude expressed by Paul here is having our heads and hearts in the right place. It is up to us to examine our own hearts and determine whether or not we are causing separation between ourselves and God by holding on to destructive thoughts and practices.

What are we doing to draw closer to God? Do we worship God no matter the circumstance? Do we spend time in God’s Word so we may hear His voice speak to our hearts and situations?

Do we pray and lay our burdens down at His feet?

25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.

-Our responsibility is not only to receive Paul’s message, but to live it and spread it to others. The Words of God are not meant solely for consumption. They “are alive and powerful” (Heb.4:12) and meant to bring change. They are also meant to be shared.

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.

-The Jews had no concept that the very presence of God could, or would live within them. In the past, the presence of God was expressed in the cloud and the pillar of fire that led them out of Egypt. Moses saw a part as he passed by, but His full image was not seen until Jesus Christ was born. Now the secret, God’s fullness and His glory are revealed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 2

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.

-Why would someone agonize over another?
Do we care about the spiritual state of others enough to “agonize” over them?
What would be the benefit of letting others know how much you have “agonized” for them?

I admit that I allowed myself to become apathetic to the spiritual state of others. One reason was that I sank into selfish and self-centered thinking and behaviors. It’s curious how tempting and exciting destruction can be. Even after spiritual and emotional recovery, guilt kept me silent and self-centered. But that time is over. The “acuser of the brethren” no longer holds power here. It is past time to have a wider world view and reach out with care, empathy and ministry to the world around me. As my eyes turn more to him, my heart turns more to others and my hands find the ability to work in various aspects of ministry to reach out.

The more we are like Jesus, the more we will agonize for the lost.

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.

-What else keeps us in fellowship with one another but love?
Love for each other is what keeps us from church hopping when our feelings get hurt, or when we don’t feel like we are “getting fed” from the pastor’s messages.

3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (NLT)

-There is no other source to look for “special knowledge.” There is no greater joy than knowing Him. I have run from my Savior and have tried so many different things to bring peace and comfort. The greatest treasures are “wisdom and knowledge.” With these two in hand, one may accomplish anything. Think about the opposites; foolishness and ignorance. Both lead to dangerous and destructive behavior and poverty, while wisdom and knowledge lead to both spiritual and financial prosperity. The sources of the latter may be found in and through Christ Jesus. When we run from Him, we run toward foolishness and ignorance. As we draw nearer to Him, the better attributes become a part of us.

“The soul prospers when we have clear knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. When we not only believe with the heart, but are ready, when called, to make confession with the mouth. Knowledge and faith make a soul rich. “ Matthew Henry’s Commentary

As we greater understand the implications of Christ dwelling within us, we will not only be encouraged but encourage others and be better servants. We will be leaders, rather than consumers. We are the life givers! We are the sacrifice poured out for others!

Some final questions from the book and for your week ahead.

“How do you build your own trustworthiness among other believers and nonbelievers?p”52

“Are there areas in your life that would cause others to question your trustworthiness? If so, what are those areas, and how can you go about addressing them?” p52

“Think of one or two things you have learned that you’d like to focus on in the coming week.”p53

“Do you need to cultivate gratitude for the fact that you have been reconciled to God through Christ?

Do you need to value the “mystery” of Christ more deeply or make wisdom a priority over information?

(Pray) …inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve previously noted. be honest about your desires and fears.”p54

As a reminder, my book, Are You Ready To Serve? is available at Amazon.com for free through Thursday 10/11/12.

Cover art by Brad Singleton

Either click on the cover above or here to see the offer.
*You don’t need a Kindle, Nook, or iPad to read an eBook. You can download a Kindle app for your computer on Amazon.com. Click here for that.

I also have a free PDF version available for those who sign up for my weekly newsletters here

My website: iSing4God.com.
Latest song release:: Come, Holy Spirit
My ministry Facebook page is here
And I’m on Twitter @DonTerry_

Blessings to you all,
Don

For more Crystal Park Baptist Church Questions and Answers browse to http://crystalparkbaptistchurch.wordpress.com/about-us/questions-and-answers/

    Lord, Let Us Grow In…

James 1:22-25  NKJV     “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

Romans 2:13  NKJV     “for not the hears of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers  of the law will be justified”

          We are not to study the Word of God just for the sake of acquiring more knowledge. We are to “grow up” and be doers of the Word not just hearers. Growing (mature) in our faith is not an option. God does not want us to stay “babies” forever.

1 Peter 2:1-3  NKJV    “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

          Every aspect of our lives should experience growth.

1. Assurance

Our assurance in God must grow. Assurance is to make sure or certain, security, certainty, or confidence. When we are confident we will have a firm belief (trust) and faith. No matter what happens to us or comes our way, we can place our confidence in God.

2 Timothy 1:12  NKJV     “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

     We can be confident of God’s promises. God will do what He has promised He will. There should never be any question in our minds concerning what God has promised.

Hebrews 10:22-23 NKJV    “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

     We can be confident of heaven. When a Christian takes their last breath they can be assured that they will be in the presence of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8  NKJV     “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

     We can be confident that Jesus will work in us and in our lives. We can be confident that God will finish what He has started in us and in our family. God will never leave anything half done. He is a God of completion.

Philippians 1:6  NKJV     “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”

         We can be confident that God hears us. When we pray according to God’s will He will always hear us. Not only will He hear us, but He will answer us.

1 John 5:14-15  NKJV     “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

2. Authority

Our authority must grow. We have been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. We are to act in the authority of Jesus Christ. Authority is the right to control, command, influence, or make decisions. It is also the power to enforce obedience or jurisdiction.

Matthew 16:19  NKJV     “And I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

3. Availability

Our availability to God must grow. Availability is being ready and willing to do (to accomplish) a task or to help others. When we are available to God we can be used by God for whatever He desires and wherever He desires.

Colossians 3:23  NKJV     “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”

Isaiah 6:8  NKJV     “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying ‘Whom shall I send,

And who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’ ”

4. Humility

We must grow in humility. Humility is seeing ourselves as God see us and knowing our weaknesses. It is also understanding and appreciating the true worth of others. Humility will cause us to see others through the eyes of God.  When we are humble we are not proud. We are modest and respectful.

Psalm 147:6  NKJV    “The Lord lifts up the humble;

He casts the wicked down to the ground.”

Proverbs 16:19  NKJV    “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

Than to divide the spoils with the proud.”

James 4:7-10  NKJV    “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

5. Commitment

A commitment is making a promise and carrying it out faithfully. It is also placing yourself under the control of someone or something else. We must grow in our commitment to God and to what He has called us to. When we make a commitment we are actually making a pledge (promise). When we make a commitment (pledge) to God we must keep it.

Psalm 37:5  NKJV    “Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass”

          We are also to commit ourselves to God. We are to place our entire life under His control. As Christians we should “roll” our every care and concern onto Him.

6. Compassion

Compassion is feeling for another’s sorrow or hardship that leads to help. We must grow in our compassion. God expects for us to grow in His compassion for others.

Micah 6:8  NKJV    “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?”

Zechariah 7:9-10  NKJV     “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice,

Show mercy and compassion

Everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,

The alien or the poor.

Let none of you plan evil in his heart

Against his brother.’ ”

     A loving concern and a commitment to help should be our guide. We are to show kindness and do our best to help everyone, even those who have brought the trouble (problem) on themselves. In our eyes  (in the flesh) they seem to not deserve help but we must always look at every situation through the eyes of God. God is a very compassionate God.  We must choose to be compassionate. We must make a conscious decision to put on mercy and kindness.

Colossians 3:12  NKJV     “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering”

     When you have true compassion for someone it will lead you to help them, not just to feel sorrow for them. There is a difference between sympathy and compassion. Compassion will lead you to “bear their burden”.

Galatians 6:2  NKJV    “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

7. Confidence

Confidence is a firm (strong) belief or trust (faith) and boldness. We must grow in our trust (faith) and boldness.

Philippians 4:13  NKJV “I can do all things through Christ who strengths me.”

     The only way a Christian can endure the criticism or hardships that they may face is to be confident in the Word of God and Jesus Christ. We must be unshakable in our faith and entrust every aspect of our lives to God. When we do we can be confident that He will take care of us.

2 Timothy 1:12  NKJV     “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

8. Consistency

Consistency is continuing to do right, even when it is difficult. It is also keeping the same principles, agreement or harmony.

Romans 11:22  NKJV    “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

      We are to continue in the ways of God and not to turn back to our old sinful way of life.

Colossians 1:21-23  NKJV    “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul became a minister.”

      We must be in harmony with God – we are to be in agreement with Him and have the same principles. We must do right even when it is difficult or seems impossible.

9. Generosity

Generosity is giving of myself and what I have with a willing and joyful heart. God promises blessings to those who are generous. Wealth is given so that it can be shared. We are not to be greedy or selfish with what God gives us.

Proverbs 11:25  NKJV    “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8  NKJV    “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

      Giving is like planting seeds. The more you give (sow) they greater your harvest (blessings). God will see to it that the person who is generous will not go without. They will always have what they need. When people observe the needs of others and act upon what they see, they will be blessed.

Proverbs 22:9  NKJV    “He who has a generous eye will be blessed,

For he gives of his bread to the poor.”

10. Holiness

Holy is specially belonging to or devoted to God; set apart for God’s service; coming from God; set apart for religious use or observance; sacred; declared sacred by religious use and authority; like a saint; spiritually perfect, very good; pure in heart; devout; worthy of reverence.

1 Peter 1:16  NKJV    “because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ ”

      We are to be dedicated to God and separated from sin – we are to live holy lives. Our lives should reflect Jesus in everything we do and say. Our bodies are to be used to serve God. Each one of us are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice unto God.

Romans 12:1  NKJV    “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

11. Integrity

Integrity is honesty or sincerity; uprightness; wholeness; completeness; perfect condition; soundness.

Titus 2:6-8  NKJV   “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

      Our actions and our words must both line up with the Word of God. We are to be honest, sincere and upright. There are always people watching our lives even when we don’t realize it. They learn more from what we do (or don’t do) than what we say.

Psalm 25:21  NKJV    “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You.”

12. Loyalty

Loyal is being true and faithful to love, to a promise, to a duty, or other obligation. It is also being faithful to those in authority over you. Ruth is a good example of loyalty.

Ruth 1:16-17  NKJV    “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.’ ”

      Ruth was determined to remain loyal to Naomi no matter what. God blessed Ruth for her loyalty. Ruth found favor in the sight of man because of her love and sense of duty toward Naomi. Later, God provided a new husband (Boaz) for Ruth.

Ruth 2:10-12  NKJV    “So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God OF Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.’’

      Another example of loyalty was Elisha. He would not abandon Elijah. Elisha made a promise that he would not leave Elijah’s side. Elisha was determined to keep his promise no matter what might happen.

2 Kings 2:2-6  NKJV    “Then Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you! So they went down to Bethel. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent!’ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave You! So they came to Jericho. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today. So he answered, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent!’ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you! So the two of them went on.”

      Elisha received a double potion of the anointing that was upon Elijah as a direct result of his loyalty to Elijah. Elisha was at Elijah’s side when God took Elijah to heaven.

2 Kings 2:9-11  NKJV    “And so it was when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?’ Elisha said, ‘Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’ So he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing, Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.’ Then it  happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

13. Maturity

Mature is full development; ripeness; a being completed or ready. A person that is mature shows the characteristics of such.

Hebrews 5:12-14  NKJV    “For by this you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

      The above passage refers to maturing. It does not say that the people lack information, however it does say that they lack experience in practicing the information they do have. Because they do not practice what they know they must start over. They are like a baby that never grows up. Maturity is an ongoing process and it only comes from practice.

James 1:22  NKJV    “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

      When a person obeys the Word and not just hears the Word they will mature in righteousness. They will be able to handle the “meat” of the Word and not just the “milk”. A person that is mature (that is continuing to mature daily) will be able to discern good from evil.

14. Obedience

Obedience is doing what I am asked to do immediately, and willingly; following instructions.

Romans 13:1-2  NKJV    “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

     God expects us to obey Him and those that He places in authority over us. He ordained that there should be governing authorities over everyone. Every person (the saved and the unsaved) is to be subject to various authorities. Even evil authorities are allowed to be in their positions by God for a specific purpose. Every person in authority will give an account for their actions and how they handled the authority that God gave them.

Hebrews 13:17  NKJV     “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.”

     We must be people of integrity and be obedient even when no one is looking. God sees us in all that we do or don’t do. He knows if we are truly submitting to authority or not – God knows the very intent of our hearts.

Ephesians 6:5-8 NKJV     “Bondservents, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservents of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”

      Obedience is the key to blessings. God blesses those who obey.

Jeremiah 11:4  NKJV    “…Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God”

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV    “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

           If we do many good things for God but fail to obey Him it will get us no where. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22-23  NKJV     “So Samuel said; ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

He also has rejected you from being king.’ ”

          Obedience is a prerequisite for true worship to God. Disobedience is like idolatry because you put your will before God’s will. God expects us to obey Him in all that we do.

Acts 5:29  NKJV    “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’ ”

           When an authority commands what God has forbidden, or forbids what God has commanded, a Christian must obey God, the author of all authority.

15. Prayer

Prayer is communicating with God. There are many types of prayer and many different ways to pray. One way is not any better than another – the important thing is that you communicate with God. Talking with God, intercession and worship all have there place in a Christian’s prayer life and it is very hard to separate each one. They all go hand in hand.

Communication is an exchange of thoughts and ideas. It is impossible to have a personal and intimate relationship with God unless you have regular communication with Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:17  NKJV    “pray without ceasing”

Romans 12:12  NKJV    “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer”

16. Purity

     Purity is being clean inside and seeking to keep myself away from wrongdoing. Purity of heart brings blessings.

Matthew 5:8 NKJV    “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

      Christians are to be an example of purity. An example is a person or thing to be imitated; model; pattern. We are to be a pattern or model of purity for the world to see and imitate. Not only are we to be an example to the world, we must be an example of purity to other Christians. Each of us must take heed to the ministry that God has called us to and be an example of Christ like purity. We must set ourselves away from all wrongdoing (words and actions).

1 Timothy 4:12 NKJV    “Let no one despise you your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

      We should desire and practice purity. Purity must be developed early in our Christian walk if we are to be an effective witness for Christ. We are not to allow the world to spoil our purity or to set the standards for our purity. God has never changed His mind about purity – it is very important to Him.

James 1:27  NKJV    “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

      God does not desire for us to be contaminated with the things (and people) of the world.

Titus 1:15-16  NKJV    “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

      As Christians we are to keep ourselves pure. When we have disobedience to or open disrespect for God’s laws it is blasphemy. Our actions and words should bring glory to God, build up His kingdom and strengthen the body of Christ. When we (individually or as a church) fall into impurity (ungodliness, wrongdoing or sin) the Word of God is maligned. It is wrong (evil) and it causes injury to the kingdom of God and the body of Christ.

1 Timothy 5:22    “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keeping yourself pure.”

      False teachers are impure. The above verse warns the body of Christ not to act in haste to restore a leader who has fallen into impurity. We are to correct in love and to restore them to fellowship as soon as possible. However, restoration to leadership should not be made without time and biblical evaluation. The leadership of the church is very important, therefore it is the body of Christ’s responsibility to carefully evaluate anyone and everyone being considered for leadership.

1 John 3:3  NKJV    “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

      Jesus is morally pure. If we desire to be like Him we too must strive to be pure also.

17. Purpose

We must set our mind on and give attention to guarding our hearts, being honest in what we say and steadfast (diligent) in our walk with and for Christ.

Proverbs 4:22-27  NKJV

“My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your eyes;

Keep them in the midst of your heart;

For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their flesh.

Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.

Put away from you a deceitful mouth,

And put perverse lips far from you.

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you.

Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established.

Do not turn to the right or the left;

Remove your foot from evil.”

A)  We must purpose to guard our hearts.

We are what we think in our hearts. Everything that we see, hear and read takes root in our hearts.

Matthew 15:17-19 NKJV     “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

     Our actions are determined by what we allow to settle in our hearts, therefore we must be careful about what we allow into them.

Psalm 101:3-4  NKJV    “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not cling to me.

A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will not know wickedness.”

B.  We must purpose to be honest in what we say.

When we are truthful in what we say we are worthy of trust.

Ephesians 4:25  NKJV    “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.”

     We have been instructed by God to be honest – to speak the truth. A lying tongue is one of the things that God abhors.

Proverbs 6:17  NKJV    “These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.”

C)  We must purpose to be steadfast (diligent) in our walk with and for Christ.

We must be firm, consistent, and determined to follow Christ no matter what comes our way.

Hebrews 12:13  NKJV    “and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” 

1 Corinthians 15:58  NKJK    “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Colossians 1:21-23  NKJV     “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I Paul, became a minister.”

18. Reliability

We must grow in our reliability. As a Christian we must be trustworthy and dependable.

1 Corinthians 4:2  NKJV     “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

      People that are trustworthy can be depended on and trusted. You can place your confidence in them because they are honest, faithful, and reliable. They will do what they say they will. People will judge our reliability based on past experiences.

Matthew 5:37  NKJV     “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

19. Repentance

There are people that profess with their mouth that they are saved, but their actions do not up with what they are saying. It is essential that we bear fruits of repentance if we desire to make heaven our home. Repentance is a daily  not a one time experience. When we truly repent and are saved we will see sin the way that God does. We will have a change of heart and direction. Repentance is a turning from sin to God; changing my mind concerning sin, God, and myself.

Luke 3:8-9  NKJV     “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

     If we do not bear good fruit (fruit of repentance) we will eventually be cast into eternal darkness (the lake of fire) and away from the presence of God. It is not God’s desire that any perish but that all come to repentance.

John 3:16-18  NKJV     “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever  believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

2 Peter 3:9  NKJV     “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count  slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

      God desire that all people would turn to Him for forgiveness, however each of us was born with a free will and it’s up to each of us to decided for ourselves if we will receive forgiveness or not. One day those who refuse God’s offer of salvation will be judged. Those who accept God’s offer of salvation will be rewarded.

20. Restoration

We serve a God of restoration. Restoration is a restoring or establishing again. It is a bringing back to a former condition.

Joel 2:25-27  NKJV    “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

The consuming locust,

And the chewing locust,

My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied; And praise the name of the Lord your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel; I am the Lord your God

And there is no other.

My people shall never be put to shame.”

       Restoration follows true repentance. God can restore people to usefulness in spite of their past disobediences, however this does not mean that the consequences of the sin are removed.

When we sin and then ask God to forgive us He will forgive us the penalty of our sin, but we will still reap the  consequences of the sin in our life. Our sin does not just effect us, it effects others.

We are called to restore the saved and the unsaved to a right relationship with God. We are to be a restorer.

Galatians 6:1  NKJV    “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

     During the time of Jesus the “older brother” had many responsibilities. One of which was to restore a sibling into a right relationship with their parent. In the parable of the prodigal son the older brother did not fulfill his responsibilities. Not before his brother left home and not after his brother came back home.

21. Revelation

Revelation is making know something that has been hidden. We can gain revelation many different ways. Spiritual revelation is God’s disclosure of Himself and His will to us. God reveals Himself and His truths to us through creation, Jesus (His Son), the Holy Spirit, the Bible (the written Word of God), and prophecy.

Ephesians 1:15-18  NKJV    “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”

      Every person alive needs to grow in their revelation of God and His perfect will for their lives. Many times we settle for God’s permissive will  instead of God’s perfect will.

A)  Creation

All of creation (heavens and earth) reveals God’s majesty, power and glory. Each part of God’s creation shows His careful and skillful craftsmanship.

Psalm 19:1-6  NKJV    “The heaven declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech or language

Where there voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

      Creation shows that God made everything. Nature itself points to God as the Creator. All of God’s works (creation) testify to attributes (eternal power and Godhead). God’s divine nature can be clearly seen in His awesome works (creation).

Romans 1:20  NKJV “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly  seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”

      Creation itself is evidence (proof) that there is a God. No one will be able to stand before God and say that they never heard about Him because nature itself reveals that He is and that He is the creator of everything. There are people throughout the world that instead of turning to God, the Creator of all things, and worshipping Him, they worship the things that He created. They worship the creation not the Creator.

B)  Jesus

God reveals Himself through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. It is through seeing Jesus (God the Son) that we see God (God the Father). Jesus came to this earth to declare (make know / explain) God and His plan of salvation for all mankind.

John 1:18  NKJV     “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

Hebrews 1:1-2  NKJV    “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds”

         Jesus is the revelation of God – He came to reveal God to us. If we know Jesus we know God.

John 14:7-11  NKJV    “ ‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus answered to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’ ”

C ) The Holy Spirit

God reveals Himself to us through the Holy Spirit (God the Spirit / the Spirit of God / Holy Ghost). The Holy Spirit will teach us about God and His ways. The Holy Spirit will be our guide, teacher, comforter, leader.

John 16:13 NKJV    “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

      The Holy Spirit is the only one that can draw a person to God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts us and draws us to a place of repentance. He reveals the truth about ourselves to us as well as God’s feelings and desires toward us.

D) The Bible

God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, the written Word of God. God’s Word is truth – it never changes. Throughout time man’s opinions, attitudes, morals and standards have changed, however God’s never have. What was sin when He gave His Word is still sin today.

John 17:17  NKJV    “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

2 Timothy 3:15-16  NKJV    “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for 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”

E)  Prophecy

God uses prophecy to bring revelation of Himself and of His desires to man. Prophecy is the spoken or written word from God to console or correct, or to foretell (predict).

1 Thessalonians 5:20  NKJV    “Do not despise prophecies.”

      We are instructed in God’s Word not to look down on or feel contempt for prophesies. Nor are we to scorn (despise or reject) prophesies.

1 Thessalonians 5:20  New Living Translation    “Do not scoff at prophesies.”

      We are to embrace revelations of God and His desires for us given to us through prophesies. We must never make fun of them or mock them.

22. Reverence

Reverence is a feeling of great love and respect for God and His Word.

Psalm 89:7  NKJV    “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,

And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.”

       God is a holy God and the only way to approach Him is in the fear of the Lord (reverence, respect).

Proverbs 9:10  NKJV    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Hebrews 12:28  NKJV    “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

23. Self-Denial

Self-denial is sacrificing one’s own desires and interest or going without things one wants.

Luke 9:23  NKJV    “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’ ”

         If a person desires to follow after Jesus Christ they must sacrifice their own desires and interests for His desires and His interests.

24. Sensitivity

Sensitivity is being quick to feel other’s hurts, notice their needs, or appreciate their worth. When we are sensitive we will receive impressions easily. We will be more aware of those around us. In order to do what God expects of us we must be sensitive to the needs ( burdens) of others.

Galatians 6:2  NKJV    “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

25. Servanthood

A servant is someone who is devoted to a service (work for God or for another person). They willingly offer their time and energy to help someone else. God desire for each Christian to do good works. The works do not save us, however they are a “fruit” in the life of a believer.

Galatians 6:9-10  NKJV    “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

26. Submission

Submission is yielding to the power, control, or authority of another. It is also obedience and humbleness.

Ephesians 5:20-21  NKJV    “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

      God has ordained that there should be people in authority that govern over different areas in our lives. Every person (the believer and the nonbeliever) is subject to some type of authority. Obeying those that God has placed over us (leaders) is a type of submission to God. Leaders will give an account for how they carried out their duties as a leader.

1 Peter 2:13-14  NKJV    “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”

Hebrews 13:17  NKJV    “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

27. Teachability

Each of us must be able to be taught – we must be teachable. We never grow too old to learn. Learning is a life long experience. If we get to the point where we think that we don’t need to learn anymore we become unteachable and there is something wrong with us.

Psalm 25:4-5   NKJV    “Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.”

      We could learn something new about God every moment of our life and we still would not know everything about Him and His ways.

28. Tenderness

Tenderness is being kind, affectionate and loving. A person who is tender will be considerate of others. When our hearts are tender toward God we will be sensitive to Him and to His heart and His desires.

2 Kings 22:19  NKJV    “ ‘…because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,’ says the Lord.”

      When we are tender toward God (and others) He can accomplish much through us. If we want to stand in the gap for others we must grow in tenderness.

29. Trust

Trust is a firm belief in the honesty, truthfulness, justice, or power of a person or thing. We must grow in our trust in God and in His Word.

Psalm 125:1  NKJV    “Those who trust in the Lord

Are like Mount Zion,

Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”

      When we place our trust in God we will not be shaken or moved by anything. The world around us may seem to be falling apart, but we can rest assured that it will not harm us. God is our protection and our strength. He is our refuge and our fortress.  As Christians we must grow and develop a firm belief in God’s honesty, truthfulness, justice, and power. We must also grow in our trust in God’s Word.

30. Truth

Truth is that which is true, exact, honest, sincere or loyal. When we are truthful we will tell things as they really are. Our words will conform to truth.

Proverbs 12:17  NKJV    ‘He who speaks truth declares righteousness,

But a false witness, deceit.”

      Truth matters to God. He desires for each of us to speak truth. In the sight of God when we speak truth we are doing right, behaving justly, showing virtue, and acting in a proper (just, right) manner. When we do not speak the truth we are filled with deceit (dishonesty) and we are a liar.

31. Unity

Unity is being united, oneness (agreement), singleness, or harmony.

1 Corinthians 1:10  NKJV    “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

      True unity in the body of Christ (the church) is not a facade (outward appearance), but a genuine (without pretense) harmony that recognizes we are one body in Christ, and that Jesus Christ Himself is the head.

Psalm 133:1-3  NKJV     “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard,

The beard of Aaron,

Running down on the edge of his garments.

It is like the dew of Hermon,

Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing- Life forevermore.”

      God desire for there to be true unity in His body, not hypocrisy. God takes pleasure in the body of Christ being united. When there is unity in the body there will be an anointing of the Holy Spirit. God will also bless the people and the church, both in this life and the one to come.

Dear Father,

Help me to set my mind on and give attention to guarding my heart, being honest in what I say, and steadfast  and diligent in my walk with and for Christ. Let me give attention to Your Word and what You say. Do not let Your Words depart from my eyes. Keep them in the midst of my heart. Keep my heart with all diligence. Don’t let me have a deceitful mouth or perverse lips. Let my eyes look straight ahead, and unto You. Let all my ways be established. Do not allow me to turn to the right or the left.  Remove my feet from evil and from evil ways and men. I purpose to guard my heart. Help me to be careful about what I allow into my heart and what I allow to settle in my heart. Let me set nothing wicked before my eyes. A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness. I purpose to be honest in what I say. I want to be worthy of trust.

Let all lying and deception be put away from me and help me to speak truth to everyone. I purpose to be steadfast and diligent in my walk with and for Christ. I am determined to follow Christ no matter what comes my way. Help me to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labor is not in vain in the Lord. Thank You that You have reconciled me and will present me holy, and blameless, and above reproach. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not move away from the hope of the gospel.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul became a minister.”

Dear Father,

Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to continue to do right, even when it is difficult. Help me to keep the same principles as You and to stay in harmony with You. Don’t let me get ahead of You or lag behind. Cause me to be consistent in my walk with You and in the things that I am called to do.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

Wow!  Our reconciliation to God was not a result of good works done on our own.  It was a result of a brutal death, in fact, an excruciating death!  Such a death made a way for us to stand before the Father holy, blameless, and beyond reproach, whereas we could never attain such a standing based on our own merit.

The exhortation in this verse is for us to continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast.

Lord help us… We are vile, sinful creatures.

Amen, He has in fact helped us!  Immanuel!!!  God with us!  Enough said.

*****************

Psalm 2:11

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

This is an interesting verse.  I expected to read a command to serve the Lord with joy and to rejoice in thanksgiving or something along those lines.  But… how do we obey this command??

*****************

I do not study the word as much as I need to.  I say “need” because “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4).  That is such a common verse, yet it is paramount to the life of a believer.  God’s Word sanctifies (Jn. 17:17).  And boy (!) do we need sanctification.  I know I do anyway…

The battle of the flesh had been going so great this past week!  I had been steadfast (as the above verse in Colossians talks about) in my pursuit of holiness, but today I failed to obey Proverbs 16:17a.

“The highway of the upright avoids evil…”

I thank God for the strength and self-control that He gave me to turn away from evil before it led to anything physical.  But Jesus teaches that sinning in the mind is just as bad as physically sinning (Mt. 5:21-28).

Thank the Lord for His mercy.  Nevertheless, I cannot be a passive Christian.  I need to be active in my pursuit of holiness.  I need to be firmly established and steadfast.  I need to saturate my mind with God’s Word, meditating on it always!  I need to be a Bible-glutton! ha!

This week is the last week of classes.  The following week is the Finals Week.  It is my intention to glorify God by finishing strong.  Please pray for me regarding all that I’ve written in this blog, and add anything else in there that you desire.

In closing, here is a short video that I would love for you to watch:

As we sang the closing song at the end of the first service, I found myself thinking, “I gave the problem, but I offered no solutions.” Granted, we did talk about the role of faith and the active work of God in keeping us holy, blameless, and grounded, but to beat dads over the head with a rebuke and offer no concrete solutions seemed, at the very least, incomplete. With those thoughts and some feedback from my wife, I moved on to the second service and strived to keep the force of the application, but to be a little more encouraging and to offer some practical solutions.

If you, like me, feel called to be a father who grounds his children in the hope of the gospel but aren’t sure where to start, here are some ideas for both fathers and mothers. I don’t claim to be an authority on the subject, nor do I want to communicate legalism (i.e. you and your children should never watch television or listen to non-Christian music, the only book you are allowed to enjoy is the Bible, etc.), but I just want us to be proactive. If we don’t ground the next generation, they will drift. Taking Paul’s warning in Colossians 1:23 seriously means we will do something; here are my thoughts:

1. Read God’s Word together as a family

   Maybe at the dinner table, maybe in the morning, maybe before bed – whatever works for your family’s schedule, but everyone should be present. Yes, easier said than done, but worth the effort. And this isn’t an in-depth Bible study – just read!
   

2. Pray together

   At meals, before bed, before leaving for work, before going on any car trip. Make it a routine to praise God and seek his help and guidance. Pray for your kids, pray for others, pray for the church.
   

3. Listen to gospel-centered music

   Some of this is surely preference, but I love Passion and Sovereign Grace. I’ve heard great stuff about Seeds as well – that’s more kid-focused.
   

4. Memorize Scripture

   (Simply imagine me looking guilty – I don’t do this like I should!)
   

5. Read God-centered books to your kids

   I’ll take suggestions!
   

6. Be the driving force behind your family’s church attendance

   Make it your goal, barring extreme circumstances, to never send your family to church while you stay at home – consider the message it sends
   

7. Follow up on their Sunday School lesson

   Ask them what they learned. Look at their take-home paper, and take some of the suggestions for parents if they are offered on the paper.
   

8. Have them serve others with you

   In the church, outside of the church, and in every area of life. Show them how being a Christian is something that takes over every aspect of life.
   

9. Monitor what they watch and listen to and how much media they take in

   We are to ground our kids in the truth, and also keep them from being drawn away from the truth. What is shaking the foundation of God’s truth in your child’s life? What contrary messages are they hearing? What are you doing to correct false messages or guard them from them? Surely there is a tension between sheltering them and allowing them too much freedom… still learning!
   

10. Model

    Surely this is the key, and probably the backdrop to everything listed above. If I let my children see how the hope of the gospel has changed me, how it influences everything I do, how I am striving to be grounded in it, then they will see its value and hold to it. What do our kids see us doing? Are we in God’s Word? Are we devoted to prayer? What’s on the radio and in the stereo? What do our kids find us watching on TV? What books are on our shelves? How do we respond to the stresses of life? What is our attitude towards church? Do we love others as a result of our love for God, or is it just legalism.
    

These are far from earth-shattering suggestions, and doing them without modeling a heart transformed by such practices will have the opposite effect. Kids will sniff out our hypocrisy. But are we as parents doing these things and others? Are we being transformed by the gospel? If not, how can we be sure our children are being grounded in the truth and not drawn away?

So, what are your ideas? These are from the perspective of a father of a toddler and an infant – the list is far from exhaustive or creative!

In my last post on reconciliation, I addressed the nature of saving reconciliation–that we are declared to be righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ. In this post I want to look at a second essential element of our reconciliation to Christ–that through faith in Christ, we are restored to the purpose for which we were created.

We were created by God and for God. And through Christ’s reconciling death we are restored to proper fellowship with God(1 Peter 3:18). We can now begin to live for his glory rather than our own. We are freed from slavery to sin to live new lives in Christ, no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. There is no greater gift that God can give us than himself.

This reconciliation brings glory to God but it also brings joy to believers. When we place our hope in Christ for salvation, we are freed from slavery to that which keeps us from God-we are freed from slavery to sin. Thus in His reconciling death, Christ has born our greatest burden and we are now free to rejoice in Him, to enjoy Him, to love Him, to worship Him. We are free to live out the purpose for which we are created!

But we are not yet perfectly free. We know this because we still struggle with sin. We know this because we know that we will wake up tomorrow and go to work and we will still be tempted to speak unkindly of our coworkers, and we will still be tempted to think lustful thoughts, and we will still be tempted to treasure our television sets above the risen Christ.

We also know that we aren’t perfectly free because Paul warns us in v. 23 that we must endure.

He says we will be presented holy and blameless and above reproach before God if we “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that we have heard.”

This is a warning. Paul is in no way saying that your salvation is dependent upon your ability to remain faithful. We know that we have no ability to be faithful to God in and of ourselves. Colossians 2:13 tells us that “we were dead in our trespasses and the uncircumcision of our flesh.” Thus we are dead, we have no life in and of ourselves and our salvation only comes when God acts to make alive our dead hearts.

I think instead of understanding Colossians 1:23 as a requirement for our salvation, we should see it as a warning by which we will persevere.

Let me explain.

In order to drive safely through a mountain road, you must be careful to observe all the signs along the way. If you neglect to heed the warnings about icy roads or warnings to slow down on a curve, you could potentially slide off the road and crash. The signs themselves do not save you. A sign that says icy road does not save you, it merely warns you of how you ought to live in order to make it home safely.

Thus Paul’s warning is divinely ordained of God. And it tells us that we will be saved “if we continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel,” This ought to be seen as a warning that true believers will heed. This warning does not save us. But those who make it home safely will heed them. In other words if you are a believer you will heed Paul’s warning not to depart from the faith of the gospel. But you ought also take heed to these warnings, these warnings will not save you, but if you heed them you will make it safely home. If however, you depart from the hope of the gospel and place your hope in anything else you can have no hope that you will make it safely home. It is God who sovereignly guides us home, but it also God who sovereignly provides the warnings by which we will make it safely home.

In my last post on Reconciliation, I looked at the negative side of reconciliation. The need for reconciliation implies that there is something wrong in the world. Colossians 1:21 tells us that apart from Christ, all men are “alienated” and “hostile in mind, doing evil deeds.” So the reconciliation set forth in Colossians 1:22-23 must answer how our state of being separated from God may be healed and Paul does just that.

In my last post, I asked the question, “how much of a sinner are ya?” I asked the question because I think that most people will admit that they are not perfect and would even admit, to some degree, to being a sinner. However, I think most people fail to realize just how sinful we are when seen through the eyes of the holy God who created us for His glory. So I set forth two tests to see whether you are a sinner and just how much of a sinner you are. The first was death–if you can conquer death (the curse of sin in Gen 2:17), then maybe you are not a sinner. To give you a statistic–1 out of every 1 person dies! That statistic, however, is not altogether accurate as there is one who has passed this test–Jesus Christ. The second test was a test to see how much of sinner you are. The test I proposed was this: spend one week doing nothing but praising God, living wholly and completely for the God’s maximum glory through Christ.

If you are thinking that these tests are impossible, you are absolutely right. We cannot gain right standing with God, nor do we want to (Rom 3:11), so the result is alienation–separation from the God for whom and through whom we exist! We are “hostile in mind” toward God, we are his enemies and we cannot restore ourselves to God.

The good news of the gospel, however, is that Christ has conquered our two greatest enemies through his death and resurrection! Christ passes these two tests on our behalf!

Unless you have given absolutely everything to God, you are still in sin and are alienated and hostile to God, doing evil deeds. The good news, however is that there is a man who perfectly gave everything to the Father. The good news for you and I is that though we were alienated and hostile in mind, Christ has reconciled us in his body of flesh by his death. Christ gave everything to God-he died on the cross bearing our sin, so that we might be redeemed.

He was obedient, Philippians 2:8 tells us, “to the point of death, even death on a cross.” We have done nothing to deserve God’s redemption. When Paul tells us in verse 22, that Christ has reconciled us in his body of flesh by his death, he is telling us that Christ took on real human flesh and died a real human death. Christ was just like you and I in every way only without sin (Heb 4:15). Christ perfectly obeyed the Father, he lived the life you and I simply cannot live-a life wholly and completely devoted to God. I asked you earlier if you thought you could go a week without sinning-Jesus went his whole life without sinning. And I asked you earlier if you thought you could live every second completely sold out for the glory of God if thought you could do it. Jesus did. He lived every millisecond for the glory of God-something we could never do! But the good news is that both his life and his death can be applied to your account. The good news is the mystery hidden from the ages–Christ in you the hope of glory (Col 1:27). He died for you meaning that if you believe in him, He has faced the death you should have faced. He lived the life you should have lived. He is your substitute, suffering for sin and facing the wrath of God in our place. But if Christ has wrought this regenerating work in you, the Christ is not only your substitute, but he now lives in you.

Paul has a huge view of God and his view of God is rooted deeply in the God-man Jesus Christ who created everything for His own glory and whose death and resurrection has conquered the enemy that you and are helpless to conquer. Christ has conquered sin and death.

And this reconciliation that we have through Christ’s bodily death has a purpose. Look at verse 22, “he has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” So all who have trusted in the gospel are now reconciled through the death of Christ in order that they might be holy and blameless before God. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that “without holiness no one may see God.” Thus in order to be truly reconciled to God, our sinful estate must be changed. We cannot remain in our hostile mind doing evil deeds and expect to go to heaven, God must intervene and change our estate if we are to stand blameless before God and be accepted into his presence on judgment day.

Thus in Christ’s reconciliation on the cross, he not only takes on our sin upon himself and pays its penalty but he also imputes or credits to us his very righteousness.

Thus Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God has not only placed all our sin our on Christ but God has credited the very righteousness of Christ to our account. Paul says, “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Thus we are holy and blameless before God because Christ has died in our place and Christ is righteous in our place. So we can indeed stand holy and blameless before God because Christ took our sin and God has applied his righteousness to our account such that we are declared to be righteous before God.

Thus the first element of the purpose of our redemption is that we are declared holy before God based on Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross. Such that when God looks on us, he does not see our sin but Christ’s righteousness applied to our account such that we can be holy and blameless in his sight.

In this post, I have looked at how Christ savingly reconciles sinner like you and me to himself. In my next post I will look at the cosmic implications of Christ’s reconciliation and how he restores the purpose for which we were created.

In my last post on Reconciliation, I looked at the negative side of reconciliation. The need for reconciliation implies that there is something wrong in the world. Colossians 1:21 tells us that apart from Christ, all men are “alienated” and “hostile in mind, doing evil deeds.” So the reconciliation set forth in Colossians 1:22-23 must answer how our state of being separated from God may be healed and Paul does just that.

In my last post, I asked the question, “how much of a sinner are ya?” I asked the question because I think that most people will admit that they are not perfect and would even admit, to some degree, to being a sinner. However, I think most people fail to realize just how sinful we are when seen through the eyes of the holy God who created us for His glory. So I set forth two tests to see whether you are a sinner and just how much of a sinner you are. The first was death–if you can conquer death (the curse of sin in Gen. 2:17), then maybe you are not a sinner. To give you a statistic–1 out of every 1 person dies! That statistic, however, is not altogether accurate as there is one who has passed this test–Jesus Christ. The second test was a test to see how much of sinner you are. The test I proposed was this: spend one week doing nothing but praising God, living wholly and completely for the God’s maximum glory through Christ.

If you are thinking that these tests are impossible, you are absolutely right. We cannot gain right standing with God, nor do we want to (Rom. 3:11), so the result is alienation–separation from the God for whom and through whom we exist! We are “hostile in mind” toward God, we are his enemies and we cannot restore ourselves to God.

The good news of the gospel, however, is that Christ has conquered our two greatest enemies through his death and resurrection! Christ passes these two tests on our behalf!

Unless you have given absolutely everything to God, you are still in sin and are alienated and hostile to God, doing evil deeds. The good news, however is that there is a man who perfectly gave everything to the Father. The good news for you and I is that though we were alienated and hostile in mind, Christ has reconciled us in his body of flesh by his death. Christ gave everything to God-he died on the cross bearing our sin, so that we might be redeemed.

He was obedient, Philippians 2:8 tells us, “to the point of death, even death on a cross.” We have done nothing to deserve God’s redemption. When Paul tells us in verse 22, that Christ has reconciled us in his body of flesh by his death, he is telling us that Christ took on real human flesh and died a real human death. Christ was just like you and I in every way only without sin (Heb. 4:15). Christ perfectly obeyed the Father, he lived the life you and I simply cannot live-a life wholly and completely devoted to God. I asked you earlier if you thought you could go a week without sinning-Jesus went his whole life without sinning. And I asked you earlier if you thought you could live every second completely sold out for the glory of God if thought you could do it. Jesus did. He lived every millisecond for the glory of God-something we could never do! But the good news is that both his life and his death can be applied to your account. The good news is the mystery hidden from the ages–Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). He died for you meaning that if you believe in him, He has faced the death you should have faced. He lived the life you should have lived. He is your substitute, suffering for sin and facing the wrath of God in our place. But if Christ has wrought this regenerating work in you, the Christ is not only your substitute, but he now lives in you.

Paul has a huge view of God and his view of God is rooted deeply in the God-man Jesus Christ who created everything for His own glory and whose death and resurrection has conquered the enemy that you and are helpless to conquer. Christ has conquered sin and death.

And this reconciliation that we have through Christ’s bodily death has a purpose. Look at verse 22, “he has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” So all who have trusted in the gospel are now reconciled through the death of Christ in order that they might be holy and blameless before God. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that “without holiness no one may see God.” Thus in order to be truly reconciled to God, our sinful estate must be changed. We cannot remain in our hostile mind doing evil deeds and expect to go to heaven, God must intervene and change our estate if we are to stand blameless before God and be accepted into his presence on judgment day.

Thus in Christ’s reconciliation on the cross, he not only takes on our sin upon himself and pays its penalty but he also imputes or credits to us his very righteousness.

Thus Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God has not only placed all our sin our on Christ but God has credited the very righteousness of Christ to our account. Paul says, “for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Thus we are holy and blameless before God because Christ has died in our place and Christ is righteous in our place. So we can indeed stand holy and blameless before God because Christ took our sin and God has applied his righteousness to our account such that we are declared to be righteous before God.

Thus the first element of the purpose of our redemption is that we are declared holy before God based on Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross. Such that when God looks on us, he does not see our sin but Christ’s righteousness applied to our account such that we can be holy and blameless in his sight.

In this post, I have looked at how Christ saving-ly reconciles sinners like you and me to himself. In my next post I will look at the cosmic implications of Christ’s reconciliation and how he restores the purpose for which we were created.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. – Colossians 1:21-23

This post has been a long time coming. As I took a long break from blogging I thought no one would notice if I just didn’t finish this series of posts but I think this is a series worth doing so I figured I would go ahead and finish it up!

That all the world will be reconciled to Christ (Col 1:20), implies that there is something wrong with the world. In Colossians 1:21, Paul tells us just what the problem is. Its an ancient problem. A problem that is bigger than terrorism, global warming, or world hunger. It is the same problem that every person (except for Christ) has faced and been unable to overcome in and of themselves. It is the problem of sin.

In my previous post I said that sin is big deal because God is a big deal. In other words sin is our biggest problem because the one we are sinning against created us for His glory and we have rebelled and lived for our own. We were created to love, know, enjoy, and worship God and we have instead sought to set ourselves in God’s place by loving, enjoying, and worshiping ourselves.

Thus Paul explains the results of such rebellion in Colossians 1:21, he tells us that we are “alienated” and “hostile in mind” because we have rejected the purpose for which we were created. Instead of worshiping and loving and rejoicing in the one true God, we have rejected his reign and rule and attempted to overthrow Him. We have attempted to place ourselves on God’s throne. We desperately want to be in control of our own lives. But the Bible hits us pretty hard with some powerful realities. The Bible tells us that from Adam on everyone is enslaved to sin apart from Christ and that the result of sin is death.

But before I further explain the sad state that we are in apart from Christ, let me give you two tests to see just how much of a sinner you are. Maybe you don’t think you are all that bad off, maybe you are a generally good person and have never really thought of yourself as a sinner. Well here are two tests to see if you are a sinner and just how much of a sinner you are:

1. Test #1: Try and see if you can keep from dying! The wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23) and death was the curse that resulted from Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden (Gen 2:17). So, if you think you can keep from dying, you might not be a sinner!

No matter how “in-control” of your life you think you are, you will NEVER conquer death. Have you come up with a way to overcome death? Is there anyone reading this who thinks you aren’t going to die? You and I will die someday and face the God who created us for His glory. So we are all subject to death and Genesis 3 tells us that sin is the curse of death.

2. Test #2: See if you can’t go a month, a week, even a day without sinning. This is the test to see how sinful you are.

Let me give you an example. What if you were to try to go a week, just one week, without lying. Maybe you are a pretty truthful person, maybe you could do it. But lets not stop there. Also for that whole week try not to say anything bad about someone behind their back. But let’s not stop there, for that whole week do not think any sexually impure thoughts about anyone.

But sin isn’t just breaking rules, it is rejection and neglect of God! So here is the really difficult test, for that one week spend every single second of your time praising and worshiping God. Make sure everything you do, you do for God’s maximum glory . . . think you could do it?

Whether we want to admit it or not sin rules our lives and its not just that we have rejected God’s rules, the reason our sin is such a big problem is because we have neglected God himself. Every millisecond of our lives belongs to God and we have neglected to give him our time and our worship. Instead we have lived for our own pleasure and our own glory and the disastrous result is that we are cut off from God, we are alienated from Him and we cannot manage to change that fact. As Paul tells us in Romans 6, apart from Christ we are slaves to sin. We cannot please God-we desperately need him to intervene.

Apart from Christ we are all hostile in mind toward God. This word hostile implies that we are enemies of God in our minds–Romans 5:10 uses the same word to show that apart from Christ’s saving work on the cross applied to us, we remain God’s enemies. Our minds are radically opposed to Him. We have disdain for his ways but our thoughts are no the only part of us that is clouded by sin. In fact Romans 8:7 tells us that, “the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

We are not only hostile in mind toward God, but we also continue to do evil deeds. We neglect God’s commands and live our lives the way that we want to live them. We lie, we slander others, we covet the things others possess, we give into sexual temptation. So Paul tells us that apart from Christ our minds are hostile to God and further are lives are continually marked by doing evil deeds. And most importantly we more often seek to do the things that exalt us rather than that which glorifies our creator. We live for our own glory.

I think a lot of people have a hard time with this. Sin is a very hard thing to fess up to. We tend to think we are generally pretty good people and though we may make some poor decisions now and then, we consider ourselves generally pretty good people. We don’t lie often or maliciously slander others all that often, we don’t cheat on our spouses, we generally think we are pretty decent people. At least we are better than a lot people we know.

This kind of thinking, that we are not all that sinful, falls flat in the face of Colossians 1:15-20. This idea that we are not all that sinful will not hold up against the fact that Christ is before all things and therefore deserving of all glory, all honor, all praise. He is the firstborn from the dead and if you have neglected to live in light of that reality then, friend, you are alienated from God. As Isa 59:2 tells us that “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

A small view of your own sin usually means you have a small view of God. If that is you, cry out to God, ask him to open your eyes to behold his greatness and to accurately see your dire estate. May God be so big in our minds and the weight of our sin so clear that the promise of saving reconciliation through faith in Christ might become truly sweet.

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Col. 1:21-23).

This post has been a long time coming. As I took a long break from blogging I thought no one would notice if I just didn’t finish this series of posts but I think this is a series worth doing so I figured I would go ahead and finish it up!

That all the world will be reconciled to Christ (Col. 1:20), implies that there is something wrong with the world. In Colossians 1:21, Paul tells us just what the problem is. Its an ancient problem. A problem that is bigger than terrorism, global warming, or world hunger. It is the same problem that every person (except for Christ) has faced and been unable to overcome in and of themselves. It is the problem of sin.

In my previous post I said that sin is big deal because God is a big deal. In other words sin is our biggest problem because the one we are sinning against created us for His glory and we have rebelled and lived for our own. We were created to love, know, enjoy, and worship God and we have instead sought to set ourselves in God’s place by loving, enjoying, and worshiping ourselves.

Thus Paul explains the results of such rebellion in Col. 1:21, he tells us that we are “alienated” and “hostile in mind” because we have rejected the purpose for which we were created. Instead of worshiping and loving and rejoicing in the one true God, we have rejected his reign and rule and attempted to overthrow Him. We have attempted to place ourselves on God’s throne. We desperately want to be in control of our own lives. But the Bible hits us pretty hard with some powerful realities. The Bible tells us that from Adam on everyone is enslaved to sin apart from Christ and that the result of sin is death.

But before I further explain the sad state that we are in apart from Christ, let me give you two tests to see just how much of a sinner you are. Maybe you don’t think you are all that bad off, maybe you are a generally good person and have never really thought of yourself as a sinner. Well here are two tests to see if you are a sinner and just how much of a sinner you are:

• Test #1: Try and see if you can keep from dying! The wages of sin is death (Rom. 3:23) and death was the curse that resulted from Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden (Gen. 2:17). So, if you think you can keep from dying, you might not be a sinner!

No matter how “in-control” of your life you think you are, you will NEVER conquer death. Have you come up with a way to overcome death? Is there anyone reading this who thinks you aren’t going to die? You and I will die someday and face the God who created us for His glory. So we are all subject to death and Genesis 3 tells us that sin is the curse of death.

• Test #2: See if you can’t go a month, a week, even a day without sinning. This is the test to see how sinful you are.

Let me give you an example. What if you were to try to go a week, just one week, without lying. Maybe you are a pretty truthful person, maybe you could do it. But lets not stop there. Also for that whole week try not to say anything bad about someone behind their back. But let’s not stop there, for that whole week do not think any sexually impure thoughts about anyone.

But sin isn’t just breaking rules, it is rejection and neglect of God! So here is the really difficult test, for that one week spend every single second of your time praising and worshiping God. Make sure everything you do, you do for God’s maximum glory . . . think you could do it?

Whether we want to admit it or not sin rules our lives and its not just that we have rejected God’s rules, the reason our sin is such a big problem is because we have neglected God himself. Every millisecond of our lives belongs to God and we have neglected to give him our time and our worship. Instead we have lived for our own pleasure and our own glory and the disastrous result is that we are cut off from God, we are alienated from Him and we cannot manage to change that fact. As Paul tells us in Romans 6, apart from Christ we are slaves to sin. We cannot please God-we desperately need him to intervene.

Apart from Christ we are all hostile in mind toward God. This word hostile implies that we are enemies of God in our minds. Romans 5:10 uses the same word to show that apart from Christ’s saving work on the cross applied to us, we remain God’s enemies. Our minds are radically opposed to Him. We have disdain for his ways but our thoughts are no the only part of us that is clouded by sin. In fact Romans 8:7 tells us that, “the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

We are not only hostile in mind toward God, but we also continue to do evil deeds. We neglect God’s commands and live our lives the way that we want to live them. We lie, we slander others, we covet the things others possess, we give into sexual temptation. So Paul tells us that apart from Christ our minds are hostile to God and further are lives are continually marked by doing evil deeds. And most importantly we more often seek to do the things that exalt us rather than that which glorifies our creator. We live for our own glory.

I think a lot of people have a hard time with this. Sin is a very hard thing to fess up to. We tend to think we are generally pretty good people and though we may make some poor decisions now and then, we consider ourselves generally pretty good people. We don’t lie often or maliciously slander others all that often, we don’t cheat on our spouses, we generally think we are pretty decent people. At least we are better than a lot people we know.

This kind of thinking, that we are not all that sinful, falls flat in the face of Colossians 1:15-20. This idea that we are not all that sinful will not hold up against the fact that Christ is before all things and therefore deserving of all glory, all honor, all praise. He is the firstborn from the dead and if you have neglected to live in light of that reality then, friend, you are alienated from God. As Isa. 59:2 tells us that “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

A small view of your own sin usually means you have a small view of God. If that is you, cry out to God, ask him to open your eyes to behold his greatness and to accurately see your dire estate. May God be so big in our minds and the weight of our sin so clear that the promise of saving reconciliation through faith in Christ might become truly sweet.