Colossians 1:1-18
Monday, 02 October 2023
“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy…” -Colossians 1:11 [NLT]
The book of Colossians gives us great insight into the Godhead who is sovereign over all. His invisible attributes are listed out here by Apostle Paul for the benefit of all- those who desire to abide in Him alone. The 1st chapter consists of apostolic greetings, prayer, and the emphasis of the supremacy of Christ and His reconciling work on the cross, along with the mystery of indwelling Christ-who is the ‘Hope of Glory.’ The ground of our hope is Christ in the Word, but the evidence of our hope is Christ in the heart working mightily by His Holy Spirit. [Summarized Bible-K. L. Brooks]
How does this mystery work in us?
1. Attracts us by His redeeming Love through the cross of Calvary
2. Purges us by circumcision of our hearts through the work of cross in us
3. Filling and flowing of His Spirit through us.
God displays His love by the redeeming sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. This attracts the lost humanity to the kingdom of His Son. ‘For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son…’ (Col 1:13 NLT). Once we willfully surrender to His lordship, the redemptive work starts to happen in our lives. As we understand about our own spiritual bankruptcy we will cling to the only source of hope that is Christ Jesus. We start feeding on the Bread of life from heaven-Christ Jesus.
“…anyone who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” (John 6:57 NLT). As we ”eat” this Word of God- we grow in our faith life. “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Rom 10:17 NLT)
Faith is our unconditional trust and attachment to the giver of life-Jesus. This river of life needs to flow through our mortal existence upon this earth so that God can use it to perfect us and also use it to display His testimony to the lost world.
Today the lost world has only one hope: that is Christ in us- the Hope of Glory. If we abide in Him as our only source of life then this superior form of life will flow through us into this dry world full of lifelessness and godlessness. This needs our full surrender.
God needs a channel that is free of all the blocks and debris of our self-life. This is the Purging done by Holy Spirit in our life which depends upon each person’s surrender to Him. As He purges us, we may pass through times of difficulty. It is a painful process to our old selfish nature. But God intends the best for us! (Read-Romans 8:28)
We are the channels of blessings from God in this world. Every area of our life needs change in order to make this happen. So God destroys the old life completely and brings out the new gloriously. This change can happen only by a death to our Old Man and replacing it with the New Man in Christ! This separation (death) is what is called as the circumcision of our flesh. “When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.” (Colossians 2:11 NLT).
Thought for the day: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. .. [Galatians 2:20 NLT]