Author: Scott Lane

Re:Verse passage –Colossians 4:7-18 (day five)

“Tychicus… is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” “Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”

What does the work of the Holy Spirit look like in your life?  What are signs of transformation that the Gospel has caused? In this week’s Re:Verse passage, we have at least two different indicators that point to the evidence and work of the Holy Spirit. One is faithfulness.  The other is change.  Tychicus was a faithful friend, supporter, and encourager to Paul and other believers. His trustworthiness and consistency in the faith were a testimony to his life changing encounter with God’s grace and strength.  Onesimus, on the other hand, was rebellious, hard hearted, and useless. But an encounter with the living Christ changed him. He became different- useful, faithful, and dear. What a remarkable turnaround!  Pause today and ask the Lord to change those qualities that are not Christlike. Also ask Him to build a consistent, faithful, and enduring will and walk in your life.  Both will be a testimony of God’s love, His grace, and His power!!

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 4:2-6 (day five) “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”

Paul’s personal prayer request is challenging and convicting.  Here is a man that has preached, witnessed, and given his testimony countless times. Yet, he is not content. His desire is to make sure that he continues to talk about Jesus and the gospel clearly and continually. Paul is teaching that speaking our faith must be an intentional priority. If he needs to remind himself and ask for prayer, then don’t we need the same reminder and mission? It is easy for us to go through our days conversing with those around us and never give mention of our faith or testimony. Would others know we are believers by the way we talked?  Would people know how to find Christ for themselves from the way we speak about Him and the scriptures?  Would they want to place their faith and trust in Christ because of our words?

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

One of the questions I would frequently ask teenagers as we talked about the scriptures and Christian faith was, “If I asked those closest to you to describe your faith, what would they say?”  Paul often points to our closest relationships (especially marriage and families) as a litmus for genuine and practical evidence of Christian faith.  So, to ask the question again in this context, “How would your family members describe your faith in Christ?”  Our faith must permeate all our relationships leaving especially those closest to us with no doubt about the presence and power of the Lord. Our faith not only shapes the way we initiate love and care in our relationships, it also is reflected to the way we respond to that same kind of love and care.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 3:10-17 (day five)  “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”‭‭ Colossians‬ ‭3:10‬
What is the result of “putting on the new self” (verse 10)? It’s certainly to learn and understand who Jesus is.  But, there is more.  The goal is also for each believer to become more of the person he/she was created to be. Humans were created in the image of God.  When sin entered the world thru Adam and Eve, mankind no longer could be completely who God had created them to be- sin tainted and marred the image. But through the life and work of Jesus, we can see that image again, and be transformed into Christ likeness- the untainted and original image.  One of the many promises of the gospel is that when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we can become more like Him, and thus become more of the person we were created by God to be.  We can be authentic “ Jesus image-bearers”.

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 3:1-9 (day five)   We added Cliff (who is a delightful yellow lab) to our family about 16 months ago. When he came to us as a 10 week old puppy, he needed to be trained and equipped (discipled) to live with us and in our house. What I discovered about Cliff was when his focus and attention was on me as his master, he was more easily trained. In other words, he learned quicker. He remembered better. He listened more keenly. He was more eager to please me. He would become the obedient dog that I desired him to be. His progress and abilities to be trained were always related to the consistency and intensity of his attention to me, regardless of distractions and disruptions. Still true today.

I think we have that in common. Our attention and focus on “the master” determines our capacity to obey and please Him. “Keep seeking the things above”. “Set your mind on things above”.  Still true today. Does God have your constant and faithful attention/determination?  Do you keep seeking the things above?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 2:16-23 (day five) They have lost connection with the head,from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

The first danger Paul addresses in this section of his letter, is legalism. Deep within the human heart is the temptation to quantify spirituality.  Why is there such a lure for keeping rules and regulations?  The feeling and desire to be successful is strong the human heart. When that feeling for personal success overshadows most everything else, that is pride.   And the results of legalism are mentioned in verse 19. A disconnection from Jesus. No relationship, no friendship, no communication. Also, no growth. No progress. No discipleship. Legalism comes with a strong warning and a great cost 

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 2:8-15 (day five) “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,” Colossians‬ ‭2:13‬

Paul paints an unflattering picture as to the spiritual condition of the believers in Colossae before they came to faith in Christ. He describes them as dead. Pretty dramatic and drastic.  Not lost. Not seeking. Not investigating. Dead. What are the expectations and opportunities of a dead person?  Nothing. No hope. No possibilities. No potential. Just “deadness”. It’s very accurate. It’s very humbling. It’s very helpless. Yet when life becomes a possibility, we don’t do anything. We are dead, remember?  It is God who does the work and provides the  power and possibility of life. Through Jesus.  Praise God, that HE MADE YOU ALIVE.  “So that no one may boast”.

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

“having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Colossians‬ ‭2:7‬ ‭

Paul practiced what he preached. He lived a life of thankfulness and gratitude. Look at all his letters. Thankfulness and gratitude were always on his mind and heart. Paul reminds the Colossians that thankfulness and gratitude contribute to a maturing faith. Paul describes the consequences of not being thankful in Romans 1:21 “Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.”

Who are you thankful for today?  What are you thankful for today?  Why are you thankful? Will you express that to God and others?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:24-29 (day five) “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”  Paul’s goal for his ministry is that every believer would be complete (mature) in Christ. So for Paul’s part, this will require proclaiming Christ, admonishing and teaching believers.  What about the believers’ part?  To become mature in the faith, believers must be willing to do their part. If there is effective admonishing, there must be believers who are humble and moldable. If there is effective teaching, there must be believers who are eager and willing to learn.  Praise God for pastors and leaders who do their part (proclaim, admonish, teach)!  Will we be faithful to do our part, so that we may be complete and mature in Christ?

Re:Verse passage – Colossians 1:20-23 (day five) “For it was the Father’s good pleasure through Him to reconcile all things to Himself”.  Last week’s Re:Verse text ended in mid sentence.  Wanted to make sure we had the right motive for God’s work of reconciliation- God’s pleasure. The work of redemption is one-sided. God does all the work. He sacrifices.  He makes the way. He invites. He calls. He takes the initiative. And in and through all His work and activity, He is “pleased”.  Salvation is God’s JOYFUL work and activity.  That’s a terrific invitation to a lost soul. The opportunity for salvation comes to us with joy and gladness.   Remember, God has seen creation as it could and should be. All of it. And the work of reconciliation of all things brings Him great joy and pleasure because it also brings Him glory.