{"id":26861,"date":"2023-06-23T22:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T05:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/colossians-1_15-23-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-06-06T14:37:41","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T21:37:41","slug":"colossians-1_24-2_5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/colossians-1_24-2_5\/","title":{"rendered":"Glorious Hope Lives in You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colossians 1:24-2:5\u00a0 \u00a0 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

There are so many good truths and practical lessons for us in today’s passage,\u00a0Colossians\u00a01:24-2:5.\u00a0 Just one of these lessons could be enough for me to chew on today, but God’s Word here is like a bountiful buffet. Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a01:24\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n24<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a024: \u00a0What is Paul saying here?\u00a0 Is he saying that what Jesus Christ endured on the cross was not enough to pay for our sins?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 The afflictions Christ endured on earth, especially dying on the cross, was sufficient to pay for our sins and to reconcile us to God.\u00a0 But here Paul is saying that he has more suffering to endure as he follows God’s calling on his life.\u00a0 And for whose sake is Paul suffering?\u00a0 Christ’s body, the church. \u00a0 From this we can learn two important lessons:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0When you follow Jesus, there will be incredible blessing, but there will also be suffering.<\/strong>\u00a0 That’s why Jesus says, “If anyone would follow after me, he must deny himself, carry his\u00a0cross\u00a0<\/em>and follow Me.” (Luke\u00a09:23) \u00a0As a follower of Jesus, don’t expect that your life should always be heaven on earth.\u00a0 You are called to suffer for Jesus too.\u00a0 As Paul would say to another church dear to his heart, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians\u00a01:29).\u00a0 \u00a0In fact, if you never go through suffering as a Christian, you might need to question whether you really are one!<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Just as Jesus and later Paul both gave their lives for the sake of the church, we are called to suffer for the sake of the church as well.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0That doesn’t necessarily mean that all of us will be executed for our faith like Jesus and Paul were.\u00a0 But it does mean we are called to make costly sacrifices so that God’s church may benefit. \u00a0What suffering have you endured for the sake of your church, Christ’s body?\u00a0 What costly sacrifice is God inviting you to make for your church in this season?\u00a0 Do you sacrifice yourself for the sake of your church, or do you sacrifice your church for the sake of yourself?\u00a0 God’s church is built on the loving, selfless and costly sacrifices of God’s people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a01:25\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n25\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 25: Paul saw himself as a servant to the church, commissioned by God to present God’s word in all its fullness to the church.\u00a0 From this we can learn two great lessons:<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0God has commissioned you and me to be servants of His church\u00a0<\/strong>too, using whatever gifts, talents, time and energy God has given us to serve His people. \u00a0Do you see yourself as a servant of your church or just an attendee of your church?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Are you all about service or “serve us”?\u00a0 Like Jesus and Paul, when it comes to our church, may we take on the attitude of a servant.\u00a0 As we say at THRIVE, “I” is for involved and it means we’re here to serve God with our talents.<\/p>\n

2. For all of us who are called to preach the Word of God,\u00a0present the Word of God in\u00a0<\/strong>its fullness<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 The Word of God is the most powerful, relevant, life-changing message on earth.\u00a0 Don’t do the Word of God injustice by presenting it in a boring, irrelevant or superficial way.\u00a0 That includes parents, teachers, preachers, team leaders, small group leaders and\u00a0every Christian<\/em>\u00a0since we are all called to share the Word of God with others.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a01:26-27 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n26\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.\u00a0<\/em>
\n27\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 26-27: \u00a0In Old Testament times, prophets, priests and kings would receive revelation about the word of God as recorded in the Old Testament.\u00a0 But the full word of God was still a mystery, “kept hidden for ages and generations” (v26) until God’s chosen timing. \u00a0It wasn’t until Christ appeared that God disclosed to His people (“the saints”) the much bigger picture of His word in its fullness<\/strong>, revealed through Jesus Himself and through His apostles.<\/p>\n

Paul was now part of a team chosen by God to make this mystery known to the non-Jewish world, the Gentiles.\u00a0 This mystery is not a bunch of rules or a religion, but a person — Christ — and how we can have a relationship with Him: “Christ in you, the hope of glory<\/strong>“.\u00a0 In other words,\u00a0the mystery of the gospel is that Jesus Christ somehow, miraculously and mysteriously, lives in sinners like us when we believe and that in believing we experience a glorious hope<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 28-29: Paul and his missionary team were all about proclaiming\u00a0him<\/em>, that is, Jesus.\u00a0 They would do so by “admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom”. \u00a0 In its explanation of these verses, the New American Commentary gives a good definition for admonishing and teaching.\u00a0 To paraphrase,\u00a0admonishing is confronting a person with the intent of correcting their attitudes and changing their actions.\u00a0 Teaching is presenting Christian truth in an orderly way that helps people to grow. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notice that the goal of admonishing and teaching is not just for people’s information but for people’s transformation — “so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” (v28) \u00a0Whenever you teach or preach God’s Word, remember the goal: it’s not just to inform a person, but to help transform a person so that they become more like Jesus.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Only God can transform a person into the image of His Son Jesus, but He uses those who admonish and teach God’s Word for that purpose.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a01:29\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n29\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 29: \u00a0Ministry (or serving God) is about co-operating with the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 On one hand, Paul labors and struggles.\u00a0 On the other hand, it’s the Holy Spirit who provides Paul with\u00a0His\u00a0<\/em>powerful<\/em>\u00a0energy to work. \u00a0Ministry is working out what God is working in you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a02:1\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01: \u00a0Many scholars take this verse as a clue that Paul had not met the church in Colosse personally.\u00a0 Still, Paul was making an impact on people in Colosse, in Laodicea and on other people he had not met before.\u00a0 If Paul lived in our day, I believe he would have been an excellent user of social media, reaching people whom he had not met personally with tools like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube and e-mail.\u00a0 May we use the tools God has given us to effectively reach others with the love of Christ, even those we have never met before.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a02:2 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 2: \u00a0Knowing and understanding Christ is not just about having a good knowledge of the Bible.\u00a0 Even more, as Paul says, it’s about having courage (“encouraged in heart”) and being united with the brothers and sisters in your church (“united in love”).\u00a0 As important as the Bible is, don’t just chase Bible knowledge.\u00a0 Be someone who brings encouragement and unity to your church.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a02:3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>[Christ,] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 3: \u00a0Are you looking for wisdom and understanding for your situation today?\u00a0 Look to Jesus.\u00a0 Ultimately, all wisdom and knowledge worth having are hidden and found in Him.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a02:4 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 4: \u00a0Paul realized that the faith of the\u00a0Colossians\u00a0was being threatened by arguments that sounded nice but that were in fact false and lacking God’s power.\u00a0 Since all wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus, whenever you might be threatened by fine-sounding arguments, always go back to Jesus.<\/p>\n

Colossians\u00a02:5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 5: \u00a0Paul was eager to see how well the Colossian Christians ordered their lives and how firm their faith in Christ is.\u00a0 A firm faith and a well ordered life\/church go hand in hand.\u00a0 If you think you have a firm faith in Christ but your life is out of control, then it’s time to allow Christ to bring under His control certain areas of your life.\u00a0 If your life is well ordered but your faith in Christ is not firm, then it’s time to work on your faith, and also time to ask whether the way you’ve been ordering your life is the way God wants you to order it.<\/p>\n

Father, thank You for all the lessons we can learn from Your Word today.\u00a0 Thank You that we don’t live in Old Testament times when Your Word was revealed in more limited ways.\u00a0 Thank You that through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit You have made available to us the mystery and the fullness of Your Word.\u00a0 May we live and teach in that fullness.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

There are so many good truths and practical lessons for us in today’s passage,\u00a0Colossians\u00a01:24-2:5.\u00a0 Just one of these lessons could be enough for me to chew on today, but God’s Word here is like a bountiful buffet. Let’s go!
\n\u00a0
\nColossians\u00a01:24\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n24\u00a0Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On verse\u00a024: \u00a0What is Paul saying here?\u00a0 Is he saying that what Jesus Christ endured on the cross was not enough to pay for our sins?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 The afflictions Christ endured on earth, especially dying on the cross, was sufficient to pay for our sins and to reconcile us to God.\u00a0 But here Paul is saying that he has more suffering to endure as he follows God’s calling on his life.\u00a0 And for whose sake is Paul suffering?\u00a0 Christ’s body, the church. \u00a0 From this we can learn two important lessons:
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