Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the theme above from Col 1.3 and following. Indeed, this letter is addressed to a congregation that Paul had never visited (Col 2:1-3). Colossi seems to have received the gospel by means of Epaphras, a servant of God to whom a remarkable testimony is given here. According to his habit, the apostle first raises all the possible good in the believers to whom he writes. Let us be inspired by his example. Faith, hope and love were the triple and complete fruit borne by the Gospel to Colossi. But what nourishes faith, sustains hope, warms love, is the knowledge of God (v. 10). So, the apostle asks in his prayer that the Colossians be filled with it. Their march – and ours – had to obey a double motive. Vis-à-vis those around us: to show ourselves worthy of the One to whom we declare ourselves to belong. And especially vis-à-vis the Lord, if we love Him: seek to please Him in all respects. Glory exerts a powerful attraction on us. But why is all the strength of the Lord required? Not for such a spectacular fight, not even here to proclaim the gospel. Simply to give us perseverance and patience – with joy. Victories that we have the opportunity to win every day!
True Christianity is not a religion, a set of truths to which one adheres. It is someone’s experimental knowledge. Christianity is Christ known and lived. We have been put in contact with an incomparable person: the Son of the Father’s love. He has given us a lot in the light, a place in the kingdom, redemption, remission of sins, peace, which Christ made by his own blood. But what makes such a work great is the greatness of the One who accomplished it. And the apostle lists as with one breath the glories of this Beloved: what He is, what He has become, what He has done with us. He asserts his dual primacy: over the created universe and over the Assembly, his dual title of Firstborn of all creation (i.e. Universal Heir) and Firstborn of the dead. Through Him life came out of nothingness in creation. And she also came out of the tomb in redemption. He is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth. He is the Reconciler of all things on earth and in heaven. He is finally the Dominator who must hold the first place in all things. In heaven, on earth and in our hearts.
Paul was also a servant of the gospel of the congregation. At the cost of much suffering, he worked and fought for her. Toil, suffering and war are the meanings that the word service takes for him(Nb 4:1-3). He announced the mysteries, hidden from the wise and intelligent, but revealed to the youngest believer (Ep 3:1-13). On this occasion, let us notice the similarities between the epistle to the Colossians and that to the Ephesians. But while in the latter the Christian is seen sitting in the heavenly places in Christ (Ep 2:4-7), the epistle to the Colossians considers him to be on earth, having Christ in him: the hope of glory. What a thought! He “in whom all the fullness has been pleased to dwell, dwells Himself now in the hearts of his own. It is understood that before mentioning the “seductive discourses” and daydreams of the human spirit, the apostle begins by presenting the excellent Christian realities as if to contrast them. Yes really, we have in Christ, “all the riches of the full certainty of intelligence” and “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. What else would we seek outside of Him?
And the apostle summarizes in one word what these riches granted to the nations are, also showing in this way their difference from what the Jews have to expect; he says, “That is, Christ in (or among) you the hope of glory.” The Jews were waiting for a Messiah who would be manifested among them in glory on earth, the Gentiles having only a subordinate share to the blessing he would bring. While “the mystery” consisted of this in relation to the nations, Christ dwelling in them and in their midst, in an invisible way, and thus being not the glory itself, but “the hope of glory.” This was a brand new thing, which the writings of the Old Testament do not speak of at all. This was the mystery now revealed. Christ in us, dwelling there, what an immense grace! May we make it happen! And as we grasp and taste it, the assured hope of glory will also become more alive. Let us also notice how everything in this epistle is intended to draw us closer to the person of the Lord. His greatness as the Son of God’s love, his divinity manifested in creation, his place as Head of the new creation, the fullness of The Deity dwelling in him, the Reconciler of all things and sinners with God, and the One who is in us, and in our midst, “the hope of glory.” What more do we need? This closed the door to all the subtle reveries of the philosophers, to the legalism of the Judaizing doctors, who could not give anything that equaled “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” Everything that touches the glory of Christ diminishes hope for us. May this Christ dwell in our hearts by faith (Eph 3. 17), that is, it is given to us to realize, by faith, this great truth, so that our hearts may be filled with joy, knowing and tasting our union with him.
Paul announced this Christ, as he presented him in all of the above. This Christ, whether he preached to the unconverted or taught the saints, was the divine and heavenly object of his speeches. His callings, exhortations, and teachings were according to the wisdom of God that the Holy Spirit had made known to him (1 Cor2. 6-10). He addressed every man, Jew or Gentile, wherever he was, according to the ministry of the gospel entrusted to him and which extended to every creation under heaven. But it was not only so that every man would be saved. Nowadays, we too often stop at this first step. However important and indispensable it may be, there is a second step to be taken, and the apostle indicates it: “That we may present every perfect man in Christ.”
The following verses have been compiled for your purposeand grouped together for your better understanding.
The good news has reached you:
- Faithfulness to God, Examples
Nb 14:24 And because my servant Caleb has been animated by another spirit, and has fully followed my path, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his descendants will possess him. 1 Kings 19.18 But I will leave in Israel seven thousand men, all those who have not bowed their knees before Baal, and whose mouths have not kissed him. 1 Cor 4:17 For this I have sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord; he will remind you of my ways in Christ, how I teach everywhere in all the churches. Col 1:7
according to the instructions you have received from Epaphras, our beloved companion of service, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Col 4:9 I send him with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is of yours. They will inform you of everything that is happening here. Rev 17:4 This woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a cup of gold, filled with abominations and impurities of her prostitution.
- Eternal hope
Help the believer at the hour of death Pr 14:32 The wicked is overthrown by his wickedness, but the righteous find refuge even in his death.
Assure immortality Acts 24:15 and having in God this hope, as they themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unjust.
-A heavenly treasure Col 1:5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, and which the word of truth, the word of the Gospel has previously made known to you.
Anticipates the coming of Christ 2:13 while awaiting blessed hope, and the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,
-The sure anchor of the soul Hb 6.18-19 so that, by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may find a powerful encouragement, we whose only refuge was to grasp the hope that was proposed to us. 19 This hope, we possess it as an anchor of the soul, sure and solid; it penetratesbeyond the veil,
-Based on the resurrection of Christ 1 P 1.3 Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, regenerated us, for a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- Prayer for the Church
John 17:20 It is not only for them that I pray, but also for those who will believe in me by their word; Rom 1:9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is a witness to me that I constantly mention you; Eph 1:16 I never cease to give thanks for you, mentioning you in my prayers; Phil 1:4 never ceasing, in all my prayers for all of you; Col 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we never cease to pray for you;1 Th 1:2 We continually give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,
- Beloved Son
Mt 3:17 And behold, a voice made these words heard from heaven: This is my beloved Son, in whom I have placed all my affection. Eph 1.6 in praise of the glory of his grace which he has bestowed upon us in his beloved. Col 1:13 who delivered us from the power of darkness and carried us into the kingdom of the Son of His love; Hb 5:5 Nor did Christ claim the glory of becoming a high priest, but he took it from the one who said to him: You are my Son, I have begotten you today! 2 P 1.17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when the magnificent glory made him hear a voice that said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I have placed all my affection.
From all the above, we note that theeffect of the apostle’s preaching, according to the wisdom and power of the Spirit of God, was ultimately to “present” every perfect man in Christ, that is, arrived at the state of man made, in that spiritual state where Christ is known according to the revelation that is given of him, and where, being thus known by the believer, he is transformed in his image and reflects it in his life by the power of the word of God and the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3. 18; Ph 3. 8-16).C was the purpose of Paul’s efforts; he worked there, he fought for it, because inner obstacles in souls, external on the part of adversaries, had to be overcome. But Paul did not act with his own energy, nor was he an apostle according to his will or that of men. Everything came to him from God, and he wanted nothing but Him. Christ operated in him and through him with power; it was with this strength that he fought and worked. So, the blessed results of his ministry were evident. May the servants of God walk in the footsteps of the holy apostle! By what means was this fight carried out? It was happening in the soul, with regard to the great subjects entrusted to the apostle, the needs of the saints and the salvation of sinners, and before God, in prayer. In summary, we have two glories and primacy of Christ, in the old creation, and in the new; two reconciliations corresponding to these two glories, that of all things in heaven and on earth, and that of persons; two ministries of the apostle, that of the Gospel and that in the Church. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterhole to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “walking in Christ.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord of Hosts.