OUR FATHER TO WHOM WE GIVE THANKS THROUGH THE LORD JESUS

Continuing with the last portion of Colosians chapter 3 (verses 12 - 25), the Apostle Paul outlines the expected conduct of those who are elected of God and live by His Spirit. In this pasasage, Paul contrasts the list of boorish inclinations of the old man (that he had listed in the beginning of chapter 3), with the list of attributes of a  loving community.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Paul calls on the brothers and sisters in Christ to establish a bond of perfection among themselves which is their love for one another and He counsels them to gratefully remain richly indwelled by the word of Christ by submitting to wisdom, teachings, and admonitions that are delivered by psalms, hymns and spiritual songs sung with grace in their hearts. Paul also advises that whatever they do, they do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ all the while giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus. 

The Apostle Paul then pivots to the expected conduct of believers within housholds where wives and husbands and children and servants are given counsel on living before God as they live and work together..

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US THE GIFT OF HIS SON TO FREE US FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH

In the book of Colossians chapter 2 verses 11 - 23, the Apostle Paul explains the new paradigm of the kingdom of God where the strictures of the law that governed and judged Israel were only shadows of the law of love that govern those who are part of the family of faith.

Whereas the law instructed us of our sinfull nture, once we were dead with Christ and risen with Him, we are no longer in need of an instructer of our sinfulness but rather in need of a living and active connection with the head of the body who is the risen Christ who triumphed over the entire hierachy of the kingdom of darkness. 

Because our old worldly nature was nailed to the cross and we are risen with Christ and not of this world, we are no longer in need of the laws and traditions that govern men according to the principles and requirements of this world.

Rather, having been translated to the kingdom of our Lord, we are in need of the life of Christ from which we are nourished and rightly guided in the ways of the Spirit.

The trappings and advantages gained in the world through hypocrisy, vanity and idol worship are no longer applicable to those who live in Christ and have held fast to Him.

Having gained freedom from imposition of the law, it is pointless to adhere to its strictures and it certainly has no power to keep us from the indulgences of the flesh.

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON JESUS IS NOW INDWELT BY ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD

In the book of Colossians chapter 2 verses 1 - 10, Paul wanted the Colossions to know that he continued to endure great conflicts on their behalf and on the behalf of the Laodiceans and many other and as such, they should be united in love and always reaching towards the riches that come from being fully assured of the knowledge of the God where all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in both the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul assured the Collosians that even though he was not physically with them, he was with them in spirit and was thus privy to their good order and steadfastness.

1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

The apostle urges the Collosians to get rooted in the fundamentals of the faith such that intrusions of false philosophies and traditions of men would not catch them off-guard and divert them from the salvation that is only in Christ who is the ultimate truth and authority over all principalities and powers.

Amen

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OUR FATHER WHO WAS PLEASED TO HAVE  ALL THINGS IN EXISTENCE DWELL IN HIS SON

We continue with Paulˋs letter to the Colossians in verses 19 - 29 where Paul expounds on the subject of the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ over all things in creation.

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

The Father deliberately designed all things to fall under the perview of His Son and a primary part  of that design was that reconciliation was only possible through the blood He shed on the cross. Any who are brought into the family of God can only be redeemed by the one saviour Jesus Christ to be presented to the Father holy an beyond reproach.

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

The Apostle Paul proclaimed that he rejoiced in the suffering in his body that were laid upon in His labour for the body of Christ as was given to him as a calling.

Paul describes this spiritual work as a mystery hidden from the ages and generations but has been now been revealed to the saints for through them, God willed to show the riches of of the glory of Christ to the gentiles and this glorius mystery is that Christ is given to be in all those who believed and are those eligible for the hope of glory where ultimately, every man may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus and it is towards this end that Paul incessantly worked as God worked through him mightily.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER TO WHOM WE GIVE THANKS

We revisit the apostle Paulˋs letter to the Colossians to gain further understanding of the book and glean insights into the state of the believers in Colossae and into the status of the the risen Christ and ascended Christ.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father [a]and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

In his opening remarks, Paul establishes the progression of the believers in Colossae in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their growth in love and fruitfulness. Paul then mentions that they have continued to pray for the Colossians so that they may continue to to be filled with the  knowledge of the will of God in wisdom and spiritual understanding so that their continued walk in the Lord would be in alignment with purposes of God and the objectives of His kingdom.

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

The apostle then reveals the exalted position of the Lord Jesus in whom they had believed.  The Father, having delivered us who believed  from  the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, elevated the Lord Jesus to the pinnacle of preeminence over all creation (both visible and invisble) which was created through Him and by Him (Jesus) placing Him over all thrones and dominions and principalities and powers.

Such is the firstborn of creation who was from before all things and by whom all things in creation hold together and in this position, is preeminent over all things in all existence.

Amen

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