Author: Larry Soape

Re:Verse passage –Colossians 3:18-4:1 (day four)

How do you work when nobody is watching?  Maybe you are disgruntled with your employer…or you feel like you are in a dead end job…or you believe that your co-workers have it much better…or your job does not meet up to your dreams.  A lot of factors can influence your attitude toward your work and your performance and diligence in getting the job done.

Paul wrote to the Colossians, reminding them that the object of their work was the Lord.  When no one else recognizes or appreciates the job you do, God does.  Our diligence is an act of obedience and may bear fruitful rewards in the future that we cannot possibly foresee.  Maximum effort in whatever we do is about our relationship with the Lord rather than the circumstances of our surroundings.  Will we choose to obey and honor the Lord or will we offer less than our best because we feel we have been slighted in some way?  It is your choice!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 3:10-17 (day four)

This passage has a familiar picture in Paul’s theology…a transformed life.  When we are in Christ, we are a new creation.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”  We cannot have Christ in our life and stay the same.  His Spirit cannot abide with our old sinful self.  His presence will produce Christ-likeness in us.

What do people see in your life?  Are they seeing a transformed life or are they seeing a selfish, self-centered individual?  Do they see compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience?  If we are in Christ, the life that people see will look completely different than the life without Christ.  The picture we paint to the world speaks volumes about where our life originates.  To be ‘in Christ,’ will give us a whole new perspective on relationships, attitudes, and priorities.  Where are you living?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 3:1-9 (day four)

‘Our life is hidden with Christ’…this is especially true in the eyes of the world.  The world cannot even comprehend the understanding we have in Christ.  We see everything through a different lens.  We see through the lens of the Holy Spirit.  Scripture does not make sense to the unbeliever.  Until a heart is born again in Christ, there can be no truth.

Romans 8:6-8 says, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Unless God draws a man to Himself, salvation cannot come.  We cannot debate a person into heaven and we cannot present a convincing, logical argument to accept Christ that can change a heart.  Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, man cannot know the Truth!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 2:16-23 (day four)

Legalism, mysticism, asceticism…all dangers to be alert for.  In our passage this week, Paul begins to address some of the problems that precipitated his letter to the church in Colossae.  He is issuing warnings of danger ahead…pitfalls that can sidetrack their/our relationship with Christ and take them/us down a path that can render them/us ineffective and valueless.  Paul speaks of being defrauded…deceived from what is rightfully ours in Christ.

What would Paul warn the church today of?  Where have we been deceived and sidetracked?  Would he caution us about the prosperity gospel?  Would he write to tell us not to place our hope in political parties or candidates?  Would he warn us to focus upon the Word of God and sharing the gospel message?  In today’s cultural and political climate, we can easily get deceived to champion causes that are valueless.  Guard against the perils of Satan’s deception and keep your eyes upon Christ!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 2:8-15 (day four)

Satan does not exercise a lot of creativity when it comes to temptation.  He has been using the same lies since the Garden of Eden.  He wraps them up in a different wrapper, but they are the same seductive snares.  Sadly, they continue to effectively draw us away from God’s perfect plan.

One of the well-worn enticements is to do God’s work, but in our own practical, efficient way.  Jesus faced this temptation in the wilderness.  God does not necessarily value efficiency as much as obedience.  Paul cautioned the Colossians to avoid the deception of the world and follow our example in Christ.  In our short, 8 verse passage, Paul references our relationship with Christ thirteen times.  {In Him…with Him…He (meaning Christ).} Our example to follow is clear.  Assignment:  Circle or underline these references in your Scripture, but more importantly, underline them in your life and follow the example we have in Christ!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 2:1-7 (day four)

“Attaining to all the wealth..” verse 2.  Does this passage support the prosperity gospel of today’s TV evangelists?  No…this reference has nothing to do with material gain.  Wealth relates to the invisible characteristics that are ours in Christ.  Kindness, love, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, peace, faith, humility, gentleness, patience…all of these qualities are available to us through Christ.

Romans 2:4 says, “do you think lightly of the riches…?”  We settle for so much less when we focus on material gain.  It is trading fresh, flowing water for broken, stagnant cisterns. (Jeremiah 2:3)  Paul longed for the Colossians to know all of these characteristics of Christ and for them to grow and mature in their lives.  A relationship with Christ is not complete if we just know Him.  Growing in Christ-like character is essential for life…a life that is healthy and pleasing to God.  Go back to Paul’s prayer in chapter 1…”so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.”  Are you?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:24-29 (day four)

How do you define discipleship?  Is it a set of rules or a checklist of actions to perform?  (Older Baptists remember the Broadman 8-point checklist on our offering envelopes as a child.)  For Paul, discipleship was a relationship.  His ministry was to make Christ known to all people…Gentiles as well as Jews.  To be complete in Christ is to allow Christ to live His life through you.  It is not living the Christian life…it is Jesus living through you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What do people see when they observe your life?  Do they see a devoted person living a disciplined, well-ordered life, based on Godly principles?  Or, do they see the power of Christ shining through a surrendered life?  When we accept Christ as our Savior, God places in us the means to accomplish everything He asks us to do.  The Holy Spirit empowers us and lives through us.  There is a difference!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:20-23 (day four)

Alienated and hostile in mind…engaged in evil deeds…our lives were in confusion and rebellion against God.  Our passage says that God initiated reconciliation and Jesus Christ enabled it through His obedience and death on the cross.  Through Christ’s blood, the chaos and sin of our lives was reconciled to God.  And to what end?  Verse 22 says, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.  When we walk, reconciled before God, we bring glory to Him.  Our lives proclaim the Gospel along with all the creation.

As a believer, our lives should proclaim the Gospel just as God has proclaimed.  Do our lives reveal God’s Gospel or do we present a strange gospel that will not lead anyone to Christ?  It is easy to get slightly off the rails in our lives and then as we persevere in our confusion, we get further and further away from the true Gospel.  Take stock of the focus of your life to make sure some repentance is not in order!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:15-19 (day four)

One of the false teachings being set forth to the Colossae church was that Christ was something of an angelic, created being.  Paul, in our passage, explains that Christ is incomparable…preeminent before all creation…the agent of creation for all things…before all things.  Verse 18 is something of a theme verse for this section of Scripture.  It answers the purpose for all of these characteristics of Christ…that He will have first place in everything.  Christ is fully God and able to meet our every need.

In our modern, hectic, urgent lives, it is easy to forget the fullness that dwells in Christ.  We treat Christ as a benevolent provider of our needs or a last hope, ‘go-to’ answer to the crisis times of our lives.  Strive to seek Christ first rather than your own resources and knowledge.  All the fullness of deity rests in Him…the Creator of heaven and earth.  How amazing is it that the God of all the universe, Creator of heaven and earth wants to have a relationship with us?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:9-14 (day four)

Paul offers a beautiful prayer for the Colossians in our passage this week.  He prays for their spiritual needs rather than their material or physical needs.  It is not that these other prayers are bad, the spiritual needs are just so much more important and eternal.  He prays for the Colossians that their increased wisdom and understanding will lead to obedience.  Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…please Him in all respects…bear fruit in every good work…increase in the knowledge of God…be strengthened with all power…be steadfast and patient…be thankful…is there anyone you know that you can pray this prayer for?

There is no better way to pray for someone than to use the words of Scripture to pray back to God.  God’s own words returned back to Him!  There is no better prayer than Paul’s here in Colossians to pray for someone you love.  Comprehensive and thorough…growing in the incomparable Christ!