JANUARY 27 | On the Team

SCRIPTURE READING: Colossians 3:1–25
KEY VERSE: Colossians 3:3–4

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

In Living Free in Christ, Neil Anderson writes:

While I was pastor, my son, Karl, had established quite a reputation as a soccer player … When I accepted an invitation to teach at Talbot School of Theology, it necessitated a move that was very unsettling for Karl. He had to leave behind a team, friends, awards, and recognition.
However, his reputation preceded him to our new location. There, I was called by a soccer club inquiring whether Karl would care to be a part of their team. After the first practice, the coach expressed to me his delight at having Karl as a player, saying what a vital member of the team he was going to be.
Karl practiced with reckless abandonment and afterward approached me with a long look on his face and a profound sense of insecurity that was baffling to me. Finally, he broke the silence: “Well, am I on this team?”
I replied, “Karl, you were already on the team before we came. The coach had already made the necessary provisions, the roster had already been filled out, and your name was on it” …
Dear Christian, you, too, are already on the team. Your name is on the roster: it’s called the Lamb’s Book of Life. “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3–4).

Dear heavenly Father, I am so glad that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and that my life is hidden with Christ in You. I’m on Your team!

Stanley, C. F. (2000). Into His presence (p. 28). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

JANUARY 10 | SATISFYING YOUR HEART

SCRIPTURE READING: COLOSSIANS 3:12–17
KEY VERSE: COLOSSIANS 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Wasn’t life simpler when you could plunk down a quarter and get a steamy cup of java? Now, to buy coffee, you must make a hundred different decisions. Would you like a latte, cappuccino, expresso, macchiato, or frappucino? Flavored with mocha, caramel, vanilla, amaretto, or hazelnut? Would you like it caffeinated or decaf? Tall or grande? The options are endless and create a sense of satisfying whatever your heart desires. It is natural for situations to go from simplicity to chaos when the heart is involved.
However, Scripture has an indictment for the heart, as Jeremiah 17:9 instructs: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
Sometimes the reason circumstances become more complicated is because the simplest answers are challenging to the heart. Even though you really do know what to do, the decision would take a great deal of courage and commitment. As you wait to find a solution that caters to the whims of your heart, answers become increasingly difficult to find.
The only answer is for God to direct you. As Colossians 3:15 teaches, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Is it Christ who rules your heart and directs your path? His is the greatest satisfaction your heart will ever know.

Lord, my heart wanders as it wills. I give it to You, so that You may guide it around the pitfalls of its own longings.

Stanley, C. F. (2006). Pathways to his presence (p. 11). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

December 31 | The Preeminence of Christ

“[Christ] is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first–born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him.”

Colossians 1:18–19

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Christ has preeminence in everything.

The apostle Paul presents four great truths in Colossians 1:18 about Christ’s relation to the church. The first is that Christ is the head of the church. This concept looks at the church as a living organism, inseparably tied together by the living Christ. He controls every part of it and gives it life and direction (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12–20).

Christ is also the source of the church. The Greek word translated “beginning” (arche) is used here in the twofold sense of source and primacy. The church has its origins in Jesus. God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). As head of the Body, Jesus holds the chief position or highest rank in the church. As the beginning, He is its originator.

Another truth is that Christ is the first–born from the dead. Of all those who have been raised from the dead or ever will be, Christ is the highest in rank. Furthermore, it is Christ who will cause the resurrection of others (John 5:28–29; 6:40).

Finally, Christ is the preeminent One. As a result of His death and resurrection, Jesus has come to have first place in everything. Paul states that truth to drive home as forcefully as he can that Jesus is not merely another emanation from God.

Paul then summarizes his argument by saying that all the fullness of deity dwells in Christ alone (Col. 1:19). It is not spread out in small doses to a group of spirits, as the false teachers were saying. Rather, in Christ, and Him alone, believers are “complete” (2:10).

What should be your response to the glorious truths about Christ in Colossians 1:15–19? Be encouraged to meditate on the glory of Christ as revealed in this passage. Doing so will help you be transformed into Christ’s image and will prepare you to behold His glory in Heaven.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank the Lord for each of the four truths discussed above.

For Further Study: According to John 1:16, what have you received?¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

December 28 | The Inheritance of Christ

“[Christ] is … the first–born of all creation.”

Colossians 1:15

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Christ is the preeminent inheritor over all creation.

Puritan minister Thomas Manton once said, “Heresies revolve as fashions, and in the course of a few years antiquated errors revive again, and that by their means who did not so much as know them by name.” He was right: false doctrines keep repeating themselves through the ages, only to reappear under different names. From the Arians of the early church to the Jehovah’s Witnesses of our own day, cultists have sought to deny our Lord’s deity. One of the favorite verses of such cultists is Colossians 1:15, which refers to Christ as the “first–born.” They argue that it speaks of Christ as a created being and hence He could not be the eternal God. Such an interpretation completely misunderstands the sense of prototokos (“first–born”) and ignores the context.

Although prototokos can mean first–born chronologically (Luke 2:7), it refers primarily to position or rank. In both Greek and Jewish culture, the first–born was the son who had the right of inheritance. He was not necessarily the first one born. Although Esau was born first chronologically, it was Jacob who was the first–born and received the inheritance. Jesus is the One with the right to the inheritance of all creation (cf. Heb. 1:2).

The context of Colossians 1:15 also refutes the idea that “first–born” describes Jesus as a created being. If Paul were here teaching that Christ is a created being, he would be agreeing with the central point of the Colossian false teachers. That would run counter to his purpose in writing Colossians, which was to refute them. Moreover, Paul had just finished describing Christ as the perfect and complete image of God (v. 15). In the following verses he refers to Christ as the Creator of all things (v. 16) and the One who “is before all things” (v. 17). Far from being an emanation descending from God, Christ is the preeminent inheritor over all creation. He existed before the creation and is exalted in rank above it.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Use Psalm 93 as the basis of your prayer to worship Christ, who is preeminent in rank over all creation.

For Further Study: Read Revelation 4:8–11. According to verse 11, what is Christ worthy to receive? Why?¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

December 26 | Defending the Faith

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first–born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first–born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him.”

Colossians 1:15–19

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A believer should defend the faith.

Despite the diligent labors of Epaphras, the Colossian church was in jeopardy. A serious heresy had arisen, and Epaphras was so concerned that he traveled to Rome to visit Paul in prison. The Colossian church had not yet been infected by that heresy, and Paul warns them against its dangers.

The heretics, denying the humanity of Christ, viewed Him as one of many lesser, descending spirit beings that emanated from God. They taught a form of philosophic dualism, postulating that spirit was good and matter was evil. Hence, a good emanation like Christ could never take on a body composed of evil matter. The idea that God Himself could become man was absurd to them. Thus, the false teachers also denied His deity.

Christ was also not adequate for salvation, according to the heretics. Salvation required a superior, mystical, secret knowledge, beyond that of the gospel of Christ. It also involved worshiping the good emanations (angels) and keeping Jewish ceremonial laws.

By far the most serious aspect of the Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. Before getting to the other issues, Paul makes an emphatic defense of that crucial doctrine. In Colossians 1:15–19 Paul reveals our Lord’s true identity by viewing Him in relation to God, the universe, and the church.

Perhaps you’ve met people who deny Christ’s deity, but you weren’t sure what to say to them. In the next few days, let Paul be your guide in showing you how to confront cultists in a biblical manner. By following his example, you’ll be able to defend our precious faith.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Ask the Lord to teach you from His Word how to refute false teaching.

For Further Study: In verse 3 of Jude, what exhortation does Jude give to believers?¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

Supernatural Patience | Alistair Begg Daily Devotional

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Patience is a great virtue. It is also a great challenge!

As the apostle Paul wrapped up his first letter to the Thessalonians, he did so with a staccato burst of priceless principles. Each one is like a gem in a necklace, a wise truth to wear around our necks as we chart our way through life (Proverbs 3:3). Standing out among these principles is the command to be patient.

In the Greek, Paul uses the word makrothumeo, a word that literally means “long-hearted” and that the Scriptures usually use to describe the character of God (for example, Romans 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:16; James 5:10). Patience is not quick-tempered with those who fail. Paul tells us to have this divine type of patience as we deal with the idle, the fainthearted, and the weak. Encountering each provides us with an opportunity to live out godly patience.

How do we gain this kind of patience? It does not come naturally! So we need, first, to look at God. We have a God who is “gracious, slow to anger [makrothumeo] and abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). He looks upon our rebellious hearts and yet forgives us. He looks upon our repeated failures and yet does not give up on us. He looks upon our doubts and anxieties and yet is gentle with us. We are called to mirror this patience. And so we need, second, to ask God for help. This supernatural patience is something that only God, by His Spirit, can produce within our lives. Paul, for example, prayed that the Colossians would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). Every one of us needs someone to pray that prayer on our behalf, as well as to pray it for ourselves. Every one of us ought to be doing the same for others, because it’s a prayer God is eager to answer. When God’s power is unleashed in our lives, we can endure when we feel like quitting, and so we can extend patience when we feel like flat-out losing it.

How will you respond to the nuisances of everyday life—while waiting in line at the drive-thru, or at the green light when the car in front of you doesn’t move? How will you respond to your brothers and sisters who are idle, or fainthearted, or weak? Let your watchword in those situations and with those people simply be patience. The people around you won’t be particularly impressed by your theological knowledge, but they’ll surely notice your impatience, which communicates that you think your time and interests are more significant than theirs. But conversely, they will notice your patience, which tells them that you are prizing the interests and well-being of others above your own (Philippians 2:3)—just as your heavenly Father does.

No doubt you will have opportunities today to show divine patience when you are tempted to display human impatience. In those moments, recognize the immensity of God’s patience to you and you will surely grow in your patience for others.

Going Deeper: Colossians 1:9–12

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.

https://www.truthforlife.org/devotionals/alistair-begg/10/20/2024/

October 14 | 1 Kings 17; Colossians 4; Ezekiel 47; Psalm 103 (Part 1)

here and there in the New Testament we are suddenly given brief glimpses of arrays of Christian people. Romans 16 provides such a snapshot, and Colossians 4:7–18 provides us with another. The men and women briefly introduced lived entire, complex, interlocked lives, of which we know almost nothing. But they are our brothers and sisters in Christ; they faced temptations, overcame challenges, discharged very different tasks, and played out their roles in diverse strata of society. The brief glimpses afforded here fire our imaginations; our fuller curiosity will be satisfied only in heaven.

A few comments may hint at some of the things that may be learned from the information Paul’s letter provides.

(1) Paul kept a team of people working with him. One of their roles was to travel back and forth between wherever Paul was and the churches for which he felt himself responsible. Combining Paul’s letters with Acts, it is often possible to plot some of their constant travels. Here, Paul sends Tychicus to the Colossians with explicit pastoral purposes (4:7–8).

(2) The “Mark” of 4:10 is almost certainly John Mark, and the author of the second Gospel. Here he is identified as a relative of Barnabas. This may account, in part, for the dispute between Barnabas and Paul as to whether Mark should be given a second chance after he withdrew from the first missionary expedition (Acts 13:5, 13; 15:37–40). Certainly by the end of Paul’s ministry, Mark had been restored in the apostle’s eyes (2 Tim. 4:11).

(3) Paul’s co-workers often included both Jews and Gentiles (4:11). It does not take much imagination to recognize the challenges and stresses, as well as the blessings and richness, that this arrangement entailed.

(4) Epaphras emerges as a formidable model. He is “always wrestling in prayer” for the Colossian believers. What he prays, above all, is that they “may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (4:12). How the church of Christ needs prayer warriors with similar focus today!

(5) The “Luke” mentioned in 4:14 is almost certainly the author of Luke and Acts, and a Gentile (since he is in the Gentile part of this list, 4:11ff.). This makes him the only Gentile writer of a New Testament document. Demas is mentioned in the same breath, but he is probably the same one who ultimately deserts the mission and the Gospel (2 Tim. 4:10). Good beginnings do not guarantee good endings.

(6) Churches in the first century did not have their own buildings. Believers regularly met in the homes of their wealthier members. Nympha of Laodicea is one of the wealthy women of a wealthy city, and the church there met in her home (4:15).¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 313). Crossway Books.

October 12 | 1 Kings 15; Colossians 2; Ezekiel 45; Psalms 99–101 (Part 1)

the setting was a Bible study led by a lady in the church where I was serving as pastor. A woman from one of the more popular cults had infiltrated this group, and the lady from our church soon discovered she was a little out of her depth. I was invited along, and soon found myself in a public confrontation with the intruder’s cult “pastor” (though he did not call himself that). One of the things he wanted to deny in strong terms was the deity of Jesus Christ. As we started looking together at biblical references which, on the face of it, say something about the deity of Christ, eventually we came to Colossians 2:9. He wanted to render the verse, rather loosely, something like “in Christ all the attributes of the Deity live in bodily form.”

I asked him which of the attributes of God Jesus does not have. He immediately saw the problem. If he said, “eternality” (which is what he believed), he would be trapped, for his own rendering would contradict him. If he said, “none” (in defiance of his own beliefs), then how can Jesus and God be as sharply distinguished as he proposed?

In any case, Colossians 2:9 is even stronger than his translation allowed: “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Observe:

(1) In this context, the Colossians are exhorted to continue to live in Christ, just as they “received Christ Jesus as Lord” (2:6)—which as usual bears an overtone of Jesus’ divine identity, since “Lord” was commonly the way one addressed God in the Greek versions of the Old Testament.

(2) Both then and now, there are people who try to ensnare you through a “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition” (2:8). In virtually every case, the aim of such deceptive philosophies is to reduce or relativize Christ, to redirect attention and allegiance away from him. Not only these verses but much of the letter to the Colossians show that, whoever these heretics are, their attack is against Christ. Paul will not budge: “all the fullness of the Deity” lives in him in bodily form—and you are complete in him, in him you enjoy all the fullness you can possibly know (2:10). To turn from him for extras is disastrous, for he alone is “the head over every power and authority” (2:10).

(3) Apparently at least one branch of the Colossian heretics was trying to get the believers to add to Christ a bevy of Jewish rituals. Paul does not budge: he understands that the rites and rituals mandated by the Old Testament constitute “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (2:17).¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 311). Crossway Books.

October 11 | 1 Kings 14; Colossians 1; Ezekiel 44; Psalms 97–98 (Part 1)

faith, hope, and love are together sometimes referred to as the Pauline triad. They occur in Paul’s letters in various combinations. Sometimes only two of the three show up; sometimes all three.

Probably the best known verse with the Pauline triad is 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Here no relationship is expressed among the three. Paul tells us that these three virtues—faith, hope, and love (and this last one he calls “the most excellent way” (12:31b; see the September 8 meditation) rather than a “gift”)—all “remain”: what he means, I think, is that these all remain into eternity, and therefore should be nurtured and pursued even now. But the greatest of these three, Paul insists, is love. Why this is so, Paul does not tell us. Based on what the New Testament says elsewhere, we might reasonably hold that the reason why love is the greatest is that it is an attribute of God. God does not exercise faith; he does not “hope” in the sense of looking forward to the fulfillment of something that some other brings about. But he does love: indeed, 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love; no text says he is faith or hope. So the greatest of the three is love.

Here in Colossians 1:3–6, however, the relationship among the three elements of the Pauline triad is quite different. Paul thanks God when he prays for the Colossians, he says, “because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you” (1:4–6). This NIV rendering is slightly paraphrastic, but it catches the sense very well. Note:

(1) Paul did not plant the Colossian church. But now that he has come to hear of these believers, he prays for them constantly, with thanksgiving.

(2) What Paul has heard of these Colossian believers is their faith and love, both demonstrable virtues. If you have faith in Jesus, and if you love the saints, neither virtue can be hidden. These virtues were so evident among the Colossians that reports of their faith and love circulated to Paul. Do reports of the faith and love of our churches circulate widely?

(3) Paul says this faith and love “spring from the hope” that is stored up for them (1:5). Living with eternity in view vitalizes faith and calls forth love.

(4) This hope that has grounded their faith and love has itself been grounded in the Gospel, the word of truth that was preached to them (1:5–6).¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 310). Crossway Books.

October 10 | Daily Treasures

Intro

Welcome to Daily Treasures from the Word of God. Today’s reading is Colossians. Our lesson is from Colossians 1:21–22, “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, [engaged] in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” (NASU)

Lesson

In the writings of Paul, he is usually clear in letting others know where he stands. In today’s text the apostle reminds the believers of their past and present. Let’s see three comments about the church at Colossae.

First, the Colossians were formerly alienated from God. These are very strong words. There are those who are of the opinion that all people are God’s children and will be saved. However today’s text goes completely against that perspective. The Colossians went even a step further because they were hostile in mind and engaged in evil deeds. What a testimony!

The Colossians were found to be like other human beings. They were sinners and estranged from God and His ways. Sin and its influence are seen in all societies. There are no exceptions to this rule. Which people do not see lies, greed and immorality in their midst? This is the human impasse for all. However, there is good news which is found in the life and message of Jesus Christ.

Second, the Colossians are reconciled with God. This is the greatest blessing for those who believe because it provides a hope and certainty beyond human description. Reconciliation has to do with a right relationship with God. Things have now changed.

An amazing fact is that the nations, not only Israel, are now part of God’s intimate circle. They who were not a people are now an integral part of God’s people. Christ’s suffering and death can be applied to all who believe. The benefits of eternal life are again for those who believe and not limited to an ethnic or social group. All have access to be reconciled with God. Enmity with God can be eliminated through Jesus Christ.

Last, the Colossians are saints before God. Paul writes that Christ will now present the Colossian Church as “holy, blameless and beyond reproach before God.” This is exactly the implication of the word saint.

The believing community can overcome the works of the flesh and the machinations of the kingdom of darkness. All of this is attained in what Christ did on the cross. He paid the price and suffered the pain for those who believe in Him.

In review, the Colossians were formerly alienated from God. The Colossians are reconciled with God. And the Colossians are saints before God.

Not only the Colossians but you and I can say the same exact thing. We are reconciled with God. Let’s thank God for eternal life!

End

It has been a pleasure to share with you Daily Treasures from the Word of God. Tomorrow’s Bible reading is First and Second Thessalonians. Let’s not forget the words of the psalmist, “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Until tomorrow and may God bless you in abundance as you study the Word of God.¹

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¹  Venditti, L., & Venditti, N. (2012). Daily Treasures from the Word of God. Logos Bible Software.