Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15-23

We somehow left Christ out of His church, and all the substitutes are severely lacking.

Each year around Christmas time there is a clamor to keep “Christ in Christmas.” We hear voices of people that are distressed that the term “holiday” is replacing “Christmas.” We want Christ to remain the reason for the season. But as the contemporary church, we have begun to leave Christ out of the church, our worship, and life. We have focused on our likes, tastes, and wishes in our worship times. We have seen Jesus as a personal maharishi for our inner peace. Sermons have, at times, degenerated into bullet point lists to show how to get out of life what we want. It is possible on any given Sunday in almost any given city to hear a sermon on almost any subject. Sermons on politics (left and right), marriage and family, inner healing and addiction, and even the life of the pastor. But we seem to have drifted away from the core of our faith. 

As we read Colossians 1:15-23, we see this passage touches four themes regarding Christ; it is outlined as follows: The eternal nature of Christ. Christ as the head of the church and the first of the resurrection order. The Father’s dwelling in Him, the cross, and reconciliation. And finally, the implication and application of our reconciliation to Christ.

Were a disciple to choose only one passage to study his whole life long, and he chose this passage, he would not exhaust its implications, meanings, and wonders. (How much less can the few lines of this essay do this passage justice?) But this passage needs to be about more than an academic study. An academic understanding is only half the story. In this passage there is the invitation to look, reflect, and marvel at the Son, the incarnation, the redemption, and our lives with Him. There is a terrible human propensity to go to extremes. Like a drunken man who falls off a horse only to remount and fall off the other side, we have trouble with equilibrium and balance. In our faith we have sometimes treated Christ as a distant, august, and powerful King, one who is so exalted as to be unapproachable. Currently, and perhaps as a reaction, we treat Jesus as “one of the boys.” He is our hangout buddy, wingman, or homey. Like the good kid from our childhood neighborhood, he is just like us, only a little better and a good influence for us. Each view has something to offer, but each is inadequate.

By reading, thinking, and studying (in a word, meditating) on this passage, we can develop a fuller picture of Christ. A picture that is balanced and will inevitably draw us to worship Him. If you want to know what God is like, you see it in Jesus. He entered into the created order but had priority over that order. This is true because He made all creation. Everything created was created by Him and for Him. Not only that, but the order of all things continues by Him. To set the broken things right, there is the church, of which He is the head and prototype of the resurrection, so that things can come back to their created purpose. Eternal God became a man with flesh with all that involves, and He died on the cross as a blood sacrifice that turned away punishment. And in so doing, He sets everything right.

This Jesus is closer than a distant king and more marvelous than a homeboy from our neighborhood. When we gather as the church and we forget to focus on this stupendous reality, we suffer a loss. If we live our lives on our terms, hoping “guru” Jesus will give us an advantage, we have only this life as a reward. When we die to our agenda and wishes and live in Christ, we return to our intended purpose. Instead of saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” perhaps we ought to say, “Keep Christ in the church and in our lives.”

“Lord, help me to keep Christ at the core of all I am and do. AMEN”

Colossians 1:8-14

Colossians 1:8-14

While still new to Christianity, the Colossians were impressive with their faith, love for community, and fruit bearing. But even with all of this, Paul prays for still more for them. He asked God to grant them to be filled with three things. First, knowledge of God’s will; this is deep and real knowledge rather than a superficial kind of knowing about. Paul wants them to have a profound knowing of what God is all about. Second, he asked that they be filled with all spiritual wisdom; this is really about the “how to” of accomplishing the will of God. Third, he asked for understanding, to have the perception of what is happening in the dynamic or fluidity of life. Life is not a constant. Like whitewater rafting, each new moment requires new insight. Rather than dull academic research, the Christian life is a lively awareness of what God wants done, how it needs to be done, and a sensitivity or understanding of the Holy Spirit in the process of doing it. We call this a Spirit-led or filled life. The Spirit-led life is neither the ecstatic experience in the worship gathering nor the foggy-eyed mystic in a desert cave hearing voices. It is knowing the will of God in life, how it applies, and partnering with the Holy Spirit as it comes about. 

But lest we think this is about developing a big, overarching strategy for a great ministry or megachurch, we have to take the next phrase of the text. The Spirit-led life, or as Paul calls it, “walk,” and its purpose are described here. In our lives we “walk in a manner worthy.” This is not about church growth strategy but about individual lives that live up to His name and please Him in all respects. It is producing fruit in the good works He has for us, and it increases in knowledge. This fruitfulness and knowledge is a by-product of living to and in Him. Instead of a really great staff developing a plan for ministry that will cause the church to grow, perhaps we need to focus on living every moment led by the Spirit and teaching other believers to do the same. 

Paul turns his attention to good works and knowledge. Too often we have focused solely on the latter, that is, on knowledge. The purpose of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is ethical, not just academic: how to live (to do good works), not just knowing about life. I am amazed that we seem to think it is acceptable for a believer to attend Sunday services their whole life and never graduate and never enter the workforce. When we have good works and knowledge together, we are strengthened by God's power in two key areas. Here Paul is both in step and in stark contrast to much of contemporary Christianity. While Paul would advocate for good works and knowledge, like much of contemporary Christianity, he has a decidedly different objective. We think of work and knowledge as the pathway to growth or advancement. For Paul it is the pathway to steadfastness and patience. 

There is clearly nothing wrong with growing a great church, but these two virtues or strengths stand opposed to cowardice or despondency on the one hand and revenge on the other—temptations that are ever present in a life of discipleship and ministry. These virtues enable us to live joyfully the life that is difficult. 

The verse break between verses 11 and 12 is unfortunate. The acts and rituals of thanks to God are profoundly linked to the life of joy. There is a mixture of steadfastness, patience, joy, and thanks that gives us the ability, by the Holy Spirit, to live faithfully even in difficult circumstances. This has happened because we have deliverance from the authority of darkness and have been moved into this kingdom of his son Jesus. The powers of darkness have been broken, and we live in the light because of the forgiveness that Christ accomplished.

“Lord, help me to live a life of steadfastness, patience, joy and thankfulness” AMEN

Colossians 1:1-8

 Colossians 1:1-8

Paul begins with his typical greeting of “Grace” and “Peace.” The first is essential to the second; without grace, there is never the possibility of peace. But we should also note that the double greeting has both a Greek and Hebrew component. Even in saying, “Hello,” Paul is moving toward unity. This issue of unity will be developed later on in this letter.

Three elements that Paul refers to in this passage need to be developed in the life of every disciple. There can be no point at which we stop growing in these three areas. First, there is “Faith in Christ,” which is more than knowledge and theology. I can never have a strong faith if I live in ignorance. Nor can I assume I have it all figured out. I must avoid learning in order to reinforce my opinions and pet ideas. Rather, we learn to constantly challenge our personal convictions and make sure they are Biblical convictions. Knowledge is not the same as faith, but it is the foundation of faith. Faith is the active trust and living in the sphere of Christ. It is the challenges of obedience in the daily life—we live in Christ. 

Second is the “love of the saints.” Love is not practiced at a distance. Love for the saints requires an ongoing, involved, and intimate relationship. It is much more than membership in a church, even with weekly attendance, though for many that would be an improvement. Nor is it friendship and a common affection. Agape love is always costly. If the relationship is not based in the faith, ongoing, intimate, and in some way costly, it is not love. I should not try to find this in others, but rather, ought to find and develop it in myself. 

Third, “fruit bearing” is the final descriptive. The life of faith that is not bearing fruit is dead; that was the point of Jesus cursing the fig tree. What is the fruit that Paul refers to in verse 6? This is clearly critical! It is the fruit of both the change in the life of the believer and the expansion of the community of faith. Christianity is the ultimate invasive species. Everywhere it is supplanting and rooting out the native species of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and it is replacing these with its new life.

The church must never become or be allowed to be stupid (weak in faith), disconnected (without Agape love), and deadbeat (failing to work with the Holy Spirit in personal and kingdom growth). We must never look at Paul’s guidance as if he were speaking to another. We must hear him speaking to us.

"Lord, help me to consistently be growing in faith, love, and fruitfulness. AMEN"