LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES – Colossians

MAN MADE RELIGION

Read Colossians 2          

            Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.  Colossians 2:4-5 NKJV

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            This newly formed church worshiped in a city with a mixed culture of pagan religion and strict Judaism. The Jews insisted on keeping the traditions of the law while pagan philosophers called for extreme neglect of the body through self imposed religion and worship of angels. 

            Paul warns the Colossian church, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” (2:8-10)

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            Lord, I praise You that we are complete in You. I pray that as I have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so (I will) walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as (I) have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. (2:6-7) Thank You Lord, for the free gift of Your salvation.

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            And you, being dead in your trespasses…He has made alive together with Him…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Colossians 2:13-14 NKJV

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

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LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES – Colossians
Read Colossians 1

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;” Colossians 1:3-4 NKJV

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     The apostle Paul is writing to the Colossian church expressing his thankfulness for the love they are showing to other believers. This church, Paul declares, “is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” (1:6) 

     Now he urges them to go on to even greater spiritual growth in the things of Christ: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding... (1:9)

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     There is nothing more exciting than to watch the enthusiasm of new believers and their desire to grow in love and acts of service. They must also grow in the knowledge of God’s Word so that they will understand His will for their lives.   

      Lord, I pray that my love for you and other Christians will not grow cold. I accept Paul’s prayer as my own; that I would “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” (1:10-11)

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 Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Colossians 1:27b-28 NKJV

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES – Philippians

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THE GOAL OF LIFE

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In this portion of the letter, Paul speaks of the credentials he had as a Pharisee before he was converted. He was a zealous persecutor of Christians in the name of Judaism. His self righteousness and diligence about keeping the law made him proud. But when Paul discovered who Jesus was, his self righteousness became his shame.

Now he describes himself as “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (3:9)

The goal is now to become more and more like Jesus. He writes, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (3:13-14)

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Lord, I praise you that You accept me through the righteousness of Your Son. Like Paul, I need to forget what is behind and press forward for the goal of pleasing You today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.

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“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:7-8 NIV

Read Philippians 3

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 NIV