A Good Word Towards Doing a Good Work

In my life I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in people.  Unfortunately, I have seen myself in each of these categories, by choices and actions in my life.  As a Christian, I have learned and matured in my life and spiritual walk to see the impact and influence that comes from how we live and how we treat those around us.

In these last several months there have been very public moments of disregard for civility and compassion for others to the point that there is a clear neglect and contempt for the safety and lives of others.  What is going on around the world so far as crime, violence, and injustice can at times cause a heavy cloud of cynicism, disappointment, and sadness to hang over the hopes that things can and will get better with concerns to how people treat one another.

That being said, I have come to see the value and truth in what I have learned as a Christian from the Bible (God's holy word).  There are two verses in particular that ring in my mind and heart as I think about how I am called to live in a world that is so broken among people who need light in their lives rather than a constant bombardment of darkness through the sin that permeates so much of what goes on in this world around us.  

The first verse is one I learned as a child that is commonly referred to as “The Golden Rule" which says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…” or as it can be read another way,  “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you...”.  Stuart Weber makes a statement that in many ways is sad, but true; he writes, “For those who know the Bible, this verse has the tendency to go the way of John 3:16, often quoted but seldom applied" The immediate connection of this scripture with the preceding verses in Matthew 7 can seen in this light, that since God, as our heavenly Father, is a giver of good things to us, we should imitate Him in showing kindness to others. It is from this statement that Jesus goes beyond passive restraint to active benevolence. The life of a follower of Jesus Christ is not simply a matter of abstinence from sin; it is as well a matter of doing good to those around us, even when they don’t do good to us, because they are not our model and motivation; Jesus is.

The second verse is found in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth.  In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul writes, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory”.   Now the context of this verse is speaking to the things we do that may be allowable, but aren’t helpful or beneficial.  In other words, just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should.

While Paul was writing mainly about the subject of food offered to idols, the way he stated the principle, “…or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory”, was speaking to a broader application for the Christian.  While we, as Christians, can’t force people to live a certain way, what we can do is to live in such a way that God is glorified and from that God uses it to influence those around us for good; for their good.

Should we live to make a difference in this world, ABSOLUTELY and resolutely! Should we live to be an agent of positive change in our area of influence, WITHOUT QUESTION and without apology!  Should we live to glorify God and to do good to those around us?  If you love Jesus there is only one answer and that answer is YES and YES!

Again, I have come to see the value and truth in what I have learned as a Christian from the word of God as to how I live my life from both a personal and public perspective, because I have learned in my life and have matured in my spiritual walk to see the impact and influence that comes from how we live and how we treat those around us.

Despite the disregard for civility and compassion that seems to be in ample supply in this world, I choose not to allow cynicism and disappointment to overshadow the hope that I have in Christ and the belief that I have that the church can make a difference by how we treat those around us.  

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you and whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.

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Christmas and the birth of Christ is an amazing and miraculous series of events with one of the most remarkable facts connected to Christmas coming some two years after Jesus birth. It is that despite the efforts of the king (Herod) to kill Jesus, He survived (1 Matt.2:16-20). And in that, there is the incredible impact of Jesus’ life and ministry, which culminates in His death, and Resurrection that the Church celebrates at Easter. In looking at His life, the Prophet Isaiah spoke prophetically of the coming Messiah who would be Jesus as he wrote in Isaiah 53, “He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground”.

This “dry ground” that Isaiah was speaking of was the day and age in which Jesus was born. It was a time in Israel when social, political, and even religious corruption was rampant. It was a time when people made much of so many things, but made little of their relationship to God and worship of Him. It was a time when people were living lives that were full of sin, but void of God. Yet, in the midst of this “dry ground” Jesus was born in such an obstinate day and a stubborn land, but still He grew up in such an incredible and impressive way, as we read in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people”.

It was in this time of growth that Jesus matured into a man seasoned to His surroundings and began His public ministry as not only the Messiah, but as “Immanuel”—God with us. This ministry of Jesus was one to model the love of God and to reach out to all men with the purpose of providing them with His Hope, His love, His Joy, and HIS PEACE as we read in Isaiah 53:5, “…[the] punishment for our peace was on Him”. Jesus came so that He might cast the seed of the gospel onto the dry ground of our hearts in order that the Holy Spirit of God would spiritually water our souls that we might know God and the work of Jesus’ peace in a personal and profound way.

Isaiah writes in Isaiah 53 that the Messiah to come would be a man who was not impressive to look upon or held any sense of worldly majesty. Instead he would be despised by man, not desired and so instead of rejoicing in Him, the world rejected Him. This man was Jesus and He came to give to us His Hope, His love, His Joy, and HIS PEACE.

Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.

Isaiah 53:4–5 (HCSB)

This is the message of Christmas: no circumstance, no matter how hopeless, is beyond the reach of the One who takes root in the most desolate and driest places imaginable in order to to give you HIS PEACE. If peace is what you are looking for—true peace, look no further than than Jesus Christ and receive the gift of His salvation today and know Him and His peace today. today.
 

And if you are in Christ, then may the work of Jesus’ peace be evident in your life and in your labor and may God bless that and see fit that Jesus’ work of peace is spread throughout the land.

As we approach Christmas may I leave you with these words in Luke 2:11-14, "Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”  Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:  Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people HE favors!"

 

“Merry Christmas”

NOT YOUR AVERAGE PICNIC

Oftentimes when we read the biblical account found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6 known as the “Feeding of the 5,000”[1], we far too often focus on the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude.  There is no doubt that what Jesus did with the five loaves of bread and two small fish was a true and amazing feat, but we oftentimes overlook the point that none of this would have happened if it were not for the attitude and subsequent actions of Jesus as He stepped out of the boat on that day to be greeted by the multitudes.

In this story, which is recorded in all four gospels, we see the true heart of Jesus.  Even though He was looking for a place that was remote for Him to get away for solitude and rest, Mark records that as Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the shore and saw a huge crowd He remained there with them instead of setting back out into the water to look for another place of solitude.  WHY?   In two of the four accounts we read the statement that gets to the heart of Jesus.  It is that: HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM!  In the other two accounts they record that Jesus welcomed (ἀποδέχομαι—a willingness to receive) the crowds (Luke 9:10) and the other records that Jesus with a question began to prepare His disciples for the large crowd when He saw them coming (John 6:5-6).  Instead of running away, Jesus welcomed the opportunity to minister to the people as He prepared to meet their needs with compassion.

There was for Jesus, in this moment, a deep stirring of emotion for the large crowd of people.  Even in the midst of Jesus’ grief for His cousin (John the Baptist) and a need for solitude and rest, He was moved by these who had followed after Him. And as Jesus and the large crowd met one another, He was moved deep within to meet them at their point of need as Mark writes with “COMPASSION”.  Look again at Mark 6:34: “So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd”.

For the people who made up the crowd that day they had needs and they came to Jesus with those needs.  When you look at the life of Jesus you see that He lived a life of genuine kindness, benevolent graciousness, and the steadfast care of a true shepherd.  He exemplified God’s standard of compassion for others in both word and deed as Jesus not only preached compassion; He practiced compassion.

  The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible says this of compassion, “In scriptural usage compassion is always both a feeling and the appropriate action based on that feeling.”[2]
When we look at this definition and the moment at hand there on the hillside with Jesus, His disciples, and the thousands who were with them, we see three things that were evident in the life of Christ that were not contained to this moment in time as these things were not only evident there, but throughout His ministry.  These qualities are ones that we should desire for our lives as well as followers of Christ:

1.    EXHIBIT COMPASSION
When you look at the life and ministry of Jesus, you see a heart that was filled with compassion to meet the people where they were in life and to meet needs of those around Him, both physical and spiritual.

For the follower of Christ, we are called to have the compassion of Christ and to serve others because of the compassion that has been shown to us by God through His one and only Son Jesus.
In this world there are millions, tens of millions who live without any show of compassion upon their lives.  May we who claim Christ live as Christ and exhibit compassion to those around us and meet them in their place of need for the glory of the Father.

2.    LIVE BY CONVICTION
Jesus’ ministry was not one that was swayed by public opinion nor state sanctioned persuasion.  Jesus walked by faith and lived by that same faith to fulfill the work before Him and to do the will of the Father, who sent Him.

How incredible it is that Jesus was never swayed from His call and mission.  He had many opportunities to shirk His responsibility and even justification to drop the cause like a hot potato, but that was not who Jesus was.  He was faithful to the Father to the end; all the way to the cross.  And He is still remaining faithful [to the Church] as He intercedes on behalf of everyone who follows Him in faith.

In a world that seems to be spinning out of control and what once used to be wrong, but is now seen as right in the eyes of society, may we as the Church live by our convictions that are to be taken from the word of God even when we feel tired, pressured, overwhelmed, and at times depressed. 

3.    IGNORE COMPLACENCY
Instead of living for Himself and treating everyone around Him like a lackey, Jesus dug His heels in, dirtied His hands, and fervently worked as a servant of the LORD for those He met throughout His ministry, just like He did for the 5,000 on the hillside that day. 
Jesus never lived in a way that showed “He had arrived”, but rather He continued to work tirelessly all the way to the cross, even until last breath, so that the needs of those around Him might be met; the greatest of those needs being forgiveness and salvation.

May we never think that we’ve done enough or feel justified to sit on our laurels as a follower of Christ.  Because the truth is, there is always work to be done, needs to be met, and the compassion of Christ to be exhibited.

                                            Show Compassion…

 
 

[1] Most bible scholars estimate that the number of people was more like 15-20,000 since only the men would have been counted, which would leave out the additional number of women and children.

[2] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 504.

And the King will answer them...

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left.  ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’  ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ ⁴⁰ “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Matthew 25:31–40 (HCSB)

 

When you read this text you see that Jesus is teaching about the future, but He is also teaching how the present affects the future.  When you look at the life of a Christian, there should be a difference in them because of their relationship with Jesus Christ.  All Christians are called to live a life that has been transformed by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.  This is a work that not only transforms the heart of a Christian, but their life as well.  So as a person is transformed by the grace and mercy of God, there will always be marks of distinction that give proof to the miraculous and eternal transformation that has taken place.

 

Jesus, in vv35-36, speaks to His disciples about six areas of need that ultimately would be met by a group of his followers.

 

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 

 

In reading these verses Jesus shares with His disciples the reality that there are real needs in this world and they are, to some degree, the responsibility of the Church, which is comprised of a collective body of individual Christians.  In the three texts below there are things we must be aware of when it comes to how a Christian is to live in the world with respect to those in need.

 

1.  Christians have been given a new command, John 13:34–35 (HCSB)

³⁴ “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

2. Works should accompany a Christian’s faith, James 2:14–17 (HCSB)

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

 

3. Love for a Christian is a verb, 1 John 3:16–18 (HCSB)

¹⁶ This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? ¹⁸ Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

The truth is that the LORD God has blessed all of His children with more than we deserve and all Christians need to be careful with what God has given to us, how we use what we have, and why we do what we do with the things that God has given to us as we are managers, stewards, caretakers of the many blessings of God.

 

As well, a Christian does not work for their salvation, rather a Christian works because of their salvation.  All the while, Christians do what they do for other Christians (fellow brothers and sisters in Christ) while never forgetting that it doesn’t stop there.  Not only does a Christian help other Christians, they help their neighbors who may not know Christ in a redemptive and saving way.  Why?  simple, it’s biblical.

 

Jesus in the text tells His disciples of six needs, but there is another need, it is the need to be loved with a complete and holy love, the love of God.

 

John 3:13–17 (HCSB)

¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven —the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. ¹⁶ “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

 

It is the love of God through the work of Jesus Christ that meets the greatest need of man, being loved, being forgiven, being transformed into the very image of Christ.  This is who every Christian is called to be and who every Christian should desire to be as we:

• feed the hungry
• give drink to the thirsty
• take in the stranger
• cloth the naked
• care for the sick
• visit those in prison

William Barclay, in his commentary of the Gospel of Matthew, tells the story of Martin of Tours.  He was a Roman soldier and a Christian.  One cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms.  Martin had no money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave what he had.  He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar man.  that night he had a dream.  In it he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in the midst of them; and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak.  One of the angels said to Him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak?  Who gave it to you?”  And Jesus answered softly, “my servant Martin gave it to me”.

 

For every Christian there is a moment of transformation, one moment that changes every moment after that.  That is what God can do for us through the sacrifice of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.  What a blessing and what an opportunity to live a life of transformation as we seek to care for those around us and hope for the salvation and transformation of others.

 

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me’.”

A Matter of Love

The Apostle Paul was one who spoke about the love of God because he knew it in a personal way.  He was a man who expressed no love for Jesus Christ or those who followed Him, but God…who is rich in mercy brought about a change in the Apostle’s heart on the road to Damascus as he went to round up more Christians.  On that trip God changed Paul’s disposition, his heart, and his life.

From that moment on Paul lived with love, the Love of God, because of the life of Christ.  It is a love he spoke of in his letter to the church at Galatia.

“…But the fruit of the Spirit is love.” Galatians 5:22 (HCSB)

Paul wasn’t the only or even the first to speak of this love, the love of God through the person and work of His One and Only Son, Jesus.  There may be no more famous verse in the Bible that speaks of God’s love than what came by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God through the pen of John.

“For God loved the world in this way.  He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (HCSB)

John goes on in the first of his three epistolary letters to speak even more of the love of God, but what he states is that it is not simply the love of God it is LOVE itself, in all it’s fullness and flavor these verses represent the greatest example and exposition of what love, true love, is.

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“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:10-12 (HCSB)

There are many descriptors and definitions for love in this world, but for the Christian there is one source and standard for love; it is God. We live in a world that uses love so frequently and to some degree so flippantly that it’s meaning has been softened and distorted.  When we speak of or refer to love there are different ways that it is expressed, but there is one love that is special and specific to God.  Agape, the love associated with God, is so significant that the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible states, 

“Love is the first and last word in Christian theology and ethics”

Now there are four different words used in the New Testament of the Bible for love:

1. Phileo—brotherly
2. Storge—natural love of a parent to a child
3. Eros—sexual
4. Agape—Godly love

When we look at the love of God there are three legs upon which it rests.  Randy Frazee writes in his book Believe that there are three characteristics of agape:

Unconditional—agape places no conditions, expectations, or stipulations on anyone or anything for it to be expressed

Sacrificial—agape takes great risk to step out and give to the greatest degree necessary for the welfare and care of others regardless of the return response.

Forgiving—I’m not sure who said this, but I once read that to forgive is defined as, “giving up my right to hurt you, for hurting me”.

With agape, the love of God, it must be seen and expressed as a distinct way of life, not a random act of leisure to be do when it best fits into a persons schedule or is motivated to a selfish end of personal benefit.  Agape, the love of God, is to be expressed to all people, not only to those for whom one might have a special affection or attachment. And make no mistake about it, Agape, the love of God, will most certainly test the faith of every believer.  Just look at some of the passages in the Bible where agape (love) is found.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:43–48 (HCSB)

The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it. Matthew 10:37–39 (HCSB)

“[Jesus] said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands'”  Matthew 22:37–40 (HCSB)

And in turning back to John’s epistolary letter of 1 John 4, we are again reminded of the word concerning agape following verses 10-12.  It is found in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”  1 John 4:19 (HCSB)

And as the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “Now these three remain, but the greatest of these is…Agape”.  1 Corinthians 13:13 (HCSB)


PS. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ through repentant faith through Him then you are called to love with agape because you, with all assurance, are a recipient and a possessor of it.  After all, it's only a matter of LOVE. 

A few weeks ago, i went to New Orleans with my wife and daughter.  You could say that we went for business and pleasure.  We were at NOBTS as i explored the possibility of furthering my education.  While we were there we were treated to some places that are special to “The Big Easy” and to those who call it home.  Well, one of those places is Sal’s Sno Balls in Metairie, a community just down the road.  Now, let me just say, if you are ever in the vicinity, don’t miss the opportunity to treat yourself to Sal’s; you can thank me for the suggestion when you take that first bite.

 

Well, the “sno ball” was worth the trip, so much so that we went one more time on our way out of town.  But this is what i wanted to share, one of the things i was able to enjoy with my sno ball as i perched myself on an old cut log for a seat was the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the moment.  That is something that i don’t often do, but should do more and i would imagine the same could be said for far too many of us.  Genesis 2 tells us that God, after He created the heavens and the earth, rested from His work of creation.  This was not that He needed rest, but rather that He had finished what He set out to do.  In this “resting” bible scholars point to the idea that God stopped or “rested” because the work was complete, holy and as God intended it to be.  Some say that the writer of Genesis when writing that God “rested” was set as an example to us that rest is a part of health and life for us as God’s creation.  In some ways, like when Jesus told John that he must baptize Him.  It’s not that Jesus needed to be baptized, but that He did it to set a pattern and standard of commitment for living.

 

So, that evening with my wife, daughter and the dozens who were there enjoying our sno balls, i enjoyed not only my sno ball, but took in enjoy some rest.  It wasn’t that i fell asleep, but i found a point where i was relaxed and resting while enjoying a moment in time, a moment in my life–truly enjoying it–finding rest in it.  And there upon that old stump seat of wood with sno ball in hand, i thanked God for my family, my life, and for a moment to enjoy some sweet and needed rest.  In that moment, i checked of from the troubles of the world and the list of things i needed to get done when i arrived back home.  Instead of filling my head with so many other things i filled my head with the joy of rest and the delight of a sno ball from Sal’s (Pina Colada if your curious–so good i ordered it on my second trip the next day)

 

Edwin R. Roberts of Princeton Seminary once sat under a pastor who concluded his announcements,“I am not going to take a vacation this summer; the devil never does!”  Roberts went home and re-read the Gospels to see what Jesus’ attitude is. He found that of His three years’ active ministry, there were mentioned 10 periods of retirement! This was in addition to the nightly rest and the sabbath rest.

 

Every day is a day that brings us to a point of needing rest because of it.  There is the need of physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, and even spiritual rest.  The concern is that too many people these days don’t take rest in any way, shape, or form, but we were created to need rest and when we get it, how refreshing, reinvigorating and restorative it is.  It can come in many forms at any time in many ways, what’s important is that we take rest regularly because we need it.

 

And what is of comfort to me in my times of greatest need for rest is to know that Jesus can and will meet that need for rest, whatever type of rest we need.

 

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28–30 (HCSB)

 

Whatever you may believe, your body will prove to you that you need rest and my hope is that you would find your rest in Christ, the One in whom there is true rest for our mind, body, and soul.  And sometimes that rest that we read of in Matthew 11 comes in the moments you least expect it, like enjoying a sno ball on a clear summer night on an old wood log.  Not only did Jesus take rest and find joy in it, He offers that same rest to us if we will only come to Him for it.

 

You may never make it to Sal’s for one of those incredible sno balls, but i pray you find your way to Jesus and enjoy the rest that He freely offers.

 

Rest in Him…

Walk In Him

Paul in his letter to the church at Colossae writes of his confidence in the faith of those there in that church and encourages them in their walk.  In 2:4 he encourages them to not be deceived by persuasive arguments and goes on to speak of an outward joy that he has in knowing how they will respond and live in their community because of their strength and faith in Christ.

It is in 2:6 that Paul places an important word that we translate in the English as “therefore” and as you may have learned, when you see therefore, you are to ask what the therefore is “there for”.

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him…”

Colossians 2:6 (HCSB)

Here Paul makes three statements that are directly related to the faith of the believers in Colossae and i would say that these are to be related to the church (both local and universal) today.

1.  A FAITH RECEIVED

As it was for those in Colossae, so it is for every believer today regardless of where we might live.  When we, by faith, come to Christ, we do so in “receiving” the gift of God’s grace worked out by His one and only Son on the cross.  this work is that of Jesus’ crucifixion where He shed His blood as an atoning sacrifice for all who will “receive’ Him and His work done on their behalf.  So our faith is something to be received, not earned or taken, but received as a gift; God’s gift of grace through the perfect life sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

There are also some things that we receive when we begin our walk of faith in Christ:

 

• We receive a Power

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 (HCSB)

• We receive His Presence

“…teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20 (HCSB)

• We receive His Pardon

“Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?  But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic, ‘I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.’”

Mark 2:9–11 (HCSB)

• We receive His Peace

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.”

John 14:27 (HCSB)

2. A LORD PROCLAIMED

It was C.S. Lewis the English author and professed Christian who once wrote in his famous work, “Mere Christianity”:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.  Liar, lunatic, or Lord. Those are the only options to consider when it comes to determining the truth about Christ.”

In the early church there were many difficulties and distresses.  There at Colossae we see a community with one church, not one church on every street corner.  Nor was there a variety of denominations from which to choose; there was only one body and church in Colossae, literally.  Not only was the movement small, but it was young.  Christianity was in it’s infancy.  Therefore there was no system or infrastructure set in place such as organizations and resources to draw from or to lean on on a regional, national or global level.  the life, health and growth of the Church was pretty much left in the hands of the Apostles (including Paul).  And with Paul he usually had a few who were traveling with him, but the movement of Christianity was small and greatly limited in relationship to the Church today.  In speaking of Paul, its interesting to note that he had not even been to Colossae at this point; all this church had from Paul was this letter.  The church at Colossae was, in a sense, “an island unto themselves”.  So for this body of believers to proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord, it meant something and spoke volumes then and now.

When we look at the church at Colossae and their identity, it wasn’t tied to a building program or a shingle inscribed with the names of the charter members.  It wasn’t know for a long line and heritage of dynamic preachers or groundbreaking ministry firsts.  The church at Colossae found their identity in the LORDSHIP of Christ and Christ alone.  There may be no better point to rest on than this; for all that we are and hope to be, it must be tied to this proclamation of who we say Jesus is to us and allow that statement to guard our hearts, guide our steps and grow our faithfulness. 

This brings me to a third point of Colossians 2:6.

3.  A WALK COMMITTED

As the believers in Colossae walked by faith and not by sight, they did so without so many of the things that can become a hindrance in today’s churches. How often do you see a church basing their ministry and vision on “the five principals of this” and “the seven objectives of that”?  Some pastors and churches have become so enthralled with “the next and newest thing” that the Bible has become an add-on to teaching rather than the focus and foundation of teaching.

While The Evangelical Bible as we know it today (66 books-Genesis to Revelation) was not available and wouldn’t be printed until 1456 (Guttenberg bible in Latin),  What we find is that what is of most importance to Paul and to the church at Colossae is that this church is a body called to follow the teachings of Christ and the Apostles whom He had called.  In Chapter two, Paul writes of the heresies that were in abundance there in Colossae and for that reason Paul encourages and entreats this church to set their course and direction on Jesus Christ their Lord. 

Of all the people and movements we could follow, if we are in Christ, then it is by His word and through His sacrifice that we find our way and set our course of direction and “walk in Him….”

I love that familiar song of praise and proclamation that I have sung since i was a child; “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”.  In the song there are four stanzas or verses that speak of a believer’s commitment to their faith and following after Jesus.

I have decided to follow Jesus;

Though none go with me, I still will follow;

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, No turning back.

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Luke 9:23 (HCSB)

And later in the same chapter Luke records Jesus to say,

But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62 (HCSB)

Walk in Him…