colossians 2 is centered on the sufficiency of Christ and how it is Him and Him alone that brings us to the Father.
paul explains in verse 1 that he is suffering for those in colosse and in the neighboring city of laodicea and also to those he has not met before. some scholars believe this means paul had never actually been to colosse, but truthfully, i dont think it matters. what i think should be taken from this verse is that paul, as well as many Christians today are sacrificing and suffering for the greater good - that is, the betterment of His kingdom.
verse 2 explains that paul's purpose is so that the people of colosse 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." im not going to lie, it took me a long time to finally get a grasp on the "mystery" and "kingdom" talk that you always hear in Chrstian dialogue, and truthfully...i still have trouble comprehending it sometimes!
i understand the mystery of God best when explained like this: mystery = the revelation through Jesus that God's future world of glory will be built, not only out of the Jewish nation, but from all people and mankind. so if one uses the substitution method that they learned in algebra I and replaces the word mystery with the above sentence they will see that paul's purpose is... to encourage and unite so that the colossians may know the revelation through Jesus that God's future world of glory will be built, not only out of the Jewish nation, but from all people. i dont know about you, but i find it pretty remarkable that paul was willing to go through what he did in order to help me know that i am part of God's plan.
within the rest of the chapter paul addresses two types of people: philosophers and legalists. he writes in verse 8 to make sure that "no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy..." philosophers spend their lives trying to understand the world and the answers to life's questions. im sure we all know people like this. heck, im even guilty of this. being a religion major at a liberal arts school has made me examine things to its core rather than trusting in the Word of God. paul warns the colossians that philosophers like these "depend on human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." philosophers push the truth of Christ into the background and find Him insufficient for the answers when Jesus in reality is THE Truth. these type people are unable to see this Truth and therefore feel the need to dig for other answers when the answer straight in front of them.
the second type of person paul writes about are the legalists. these people are probably the ones that most of us come into contact with (at least i know i do, and similarly to philosophy, i also find myself slipping into this legalistic mindset.) legalists aren't necessarily bothered by things that they cant understand, but rather they want to know what they can do to make them a better Christian and make God love them more. paul writes in verses 20-21 "since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: do not handle! do not taste! do not touch!" legalists believe that Christ's death on the cross was not enough to pay for their salvation and that their good deeds will gain them more love from God. friends, let me tell you now that this is false. false false false. let me direct you to a verse outside of colossians. it is written in ephesians 2:8 "for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." i believe this clearly states that our deeds, no matter how great they might seem to us, cannot and will not save us - it is by God's grace we are saved. this may sound radical to some people, but i did not pull it out of my rear it. it is written for all to see within God's Word. paul warns the colossians about these legalists because they are discrediting what Jesus did on the cross and putting Him in the background while they keep laws and good deeds as the centrality of their faith.
im going to backtrack a bit and end with verse 5. it states "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." this is such an encouraging verse to me. its wonderful to know that there are other believers out there who are excited to see how the Lord is working in my life and my faith. on the flip side it's also a reminder to me of how great it is to see other believers chasing after the Lord, whether it be my best friends, my boyfriend, my mentors, or a random stranger in the church pew in front of me - we are all running toward the same thing, the great and ultimate prize: Jesus Christ. by reading this verse i am also reminded that the Lord will never leave me nor forsake me. He may be absent in the body, but He is with me in spirit ever so guiding my path and holding my hand.
whew! if that's not something to chew on...i dont know what will stimulate that brain of yours.
take joy my King in what your hear
let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Christ in me, the hope of glory - colossians 1
i am (for the most part) your typical american. i like hamburgers and freedom french fries. i like baseball and watch the super bowl. i know nothing about world politics and i (unfortunately) also make new years resolutions. even my resolutions have been pretty american. stop eating sweets. lose ten pounds. facebook less. well this go-round my resolution is different.
i want to spend more sweet time with the Lord.
thanks to one of my bestest friends, who is probably the only one reading this, i began reading the book of colossians today. i did a study on this a few years back, but as i've always been taught...you never graduate from the Gospel.
before i begin with what i learned from my quiet time today i want to make it known that i do not believe myself to be an expert on Scripture or claim to know all the answers. i am a servant of the Lord striving to please Him. if anything i say does not resonate well with you(if there even is a you), please do not hesitate to speak with me about it. i am a religion major and therefore love religious discourse :)
a little history
the book of colossians was written to the church of colosse in about 60AD. colosse was a
pretty major city in asia-minor (now modern day turkey) because it was situated on a trade
route leading to ephesus. colosse did not stay a popular city since other cities began thriving
close by but it remained important to Christianity.
the theme of colossians is the preeminence and supremacy of Christ. paul then takes these points and compares them with the emptiness of human philosophy and worldly things. he begins his letter with thanksgiving over colosse which can also be seen in many of his other letters (romans, ephesians philippians, etc.)
paul's prayer over colosse begins in verse nine. he writes "since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you." i believe this can be an example to Christians everywhere. similarly to how Jesus prayed for his disciples and all believers in john 17, paul also prays for other believers and does so without ceasing. paul followed Jesus' example and although he is writing in chains from prison, he is praying for others, not himself. we too should follow the example of Jesus and of paul and consistently pray for other believers.
paul prays for us in order that we may live a life worthy to the Lord (v 10-12)
-bearing good fruit
-growing in knowledge
-being strengthened in all power in order to be patient in every circumstance
-joyfully giving thanks to God
the next section of his letter addresses the supremacy of Christ, listing 15 (yes i counted) attributes of Christ. some of my favorites were:
-He is before all things (v 17)
-in Him you have been given fullness and brought to perfection (v 19)
-through Him all things are reconciled (v 20)
chapter one ends with a beautiful statement:
"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."
this formula excites me and hopefully excites you, too. Christ within you is the only hope for glory. we can approach Him directly - no intermediaries necessary. He is within us, and through us His glory will go forth.
it's funny how the Lord shows Himself throughout your day. last night i was listening to tim hughes' song "everything" (i'll post the lyrics below). i was finding myself having an anxious heart and not trusting what the Lord is doing in my life. i made my facebook status a line from the song. no big deal. so today i open up my bible and begin to read colossians. and there it was in all it's beauty a line from the same song: Christ in me, Christ in me, Christ in me, the hope and glory, be my everything.
some may call it coincidence but i call it God.
everything by tim hughes
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
be my everything
i want to spend more sweet time with the Lord.
thanks to one of my bestest friends, who is probably the only one reading this, i began reading the book of colossians today. i did a study on this a few years back, but as i've always been taught...you never graduate from the Gospel.
before i begin with what i learned from my quiet time today i want to make it known that i do not believe myself to be an expert on Scripture or claim to know all the answers. i am a servant of the Lord striving to please Him. if anything i say does not resonate well with you(if there even is a you), please do not hesitate to speak with me about it. i am a religion major and therefore love religious discourse :)
a little history
the book of colossians was written to the church of colosse in about 60AD. colosse was a
pretty major city in asia-minor (now modern day turkey) because it was situated on a trade
route leading to ephesus. colosse did not stay a popular city since other cities began thriving
close by but it remained important to Christianity.
the theme of colossians is the preeminence and supremacy of Christ. paul then takes these points and compares them with the emptiness of human philosophy and worldly things. he begins his letter with thanksgiving over colosse which can also be seen in many of his other letters (romans, ephesians philippians, etc.)
paul's prayer over colosse begins in verse nine. he writes "since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you." i believe this can be an example to Christians everywhere. similarly to how Jesus prayed for his disciples and all believers in john 17, paul also prays for other believers and does so without ceasing. paul followed Jesus' example and although he is writing in chains from prison, he is praying for others, not himself. we too should follow the example of Jesus and of paul and consistently pray for other believers.
paul prays for us in order that we may live a life worthy to the Lord (v 10-12)
-bearing good fruit
-growing in knowledge
-being strengthened in all power in order to be patient in every circumstance
-joyfully giving thanks to God
the next section of his letter addresses the supremacy of Christ, listing 15 (yes i counted) attributes of Christ. some of my favorites were:
-He is before all things (v 17)
-in Him you have been given fullness and brought to perfection (v 19)
-through Him all things are reconciled (v 20)
chapter one ends with a beautiful statement:
"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."
this formula excites me and hopefully excites you, too. Christ within you is the only hope for glory. we can approach Him directly - no intermediaries necessary. He is within us, and through us His glory will go forth.
it's funny how the Lord shows Himself throughout your day. last night i was listening to tim hughes' song "everything" (i'll post the lyrics below). i was finding myself having an anxious heart and not trusting what the Lord is doing in my life. i made my facebook status a line from the song. no big deal. so today i open up my bible and begin to read colossians. and there it was in all it's beauty a line from the same song: Christ in me, Christ in me, Christ in me, the hope and glory, be my everything.
some may call it coincidence but i call it God.
everything by tim hughes
God in my living
there in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
there in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking
be my everything
there in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
there in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking
be my everything
God in my hoping
there in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
there in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
there in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
there in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing
be my everything
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything
Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
be my everything
be my everything
You are everything
Jesus, everything
You are everything
Jesus, everything
Sunday, January 23, 2011
hello blog world.
after much deliberation and a life changing trip abroad, i've decided to join the world of blogging. so let me give a few details...
-first and foremost i am a follower of Christ. i want to do all things for His glorification (including this blog). my favorite bible verse is philippians 2:3-8 which says:
"do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. each of your should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross."
it is by this verse that i try to live my life by so that i may strive to have the same attitude as Christ and in humility, try my hardest to serve others. i am not perfect nor will i ever be, but through the blood of Jesus Christ my sins are washed away.
and for some random fun facts :)
-i was born in american samoa.
-i'm obsessed with the color green.
-i'm very close with my family and have a lot more fun with them than i do with many of my friends.
-i love wearing dresses. i love buying dresses. i love looking at dresses online. i just pretty much love dresses altogether. any excuse i have to wear one i will.
-first and foremost i am a follower of Christ. i want to do all things for His glorification (including this blog). my favorite bible verse is philippians 2:3-8 which says:
"do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. each of your should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross."
it is by this verse that i try to live my life by so that i may strive to have the same attitude as Christ and in humility, try my hardest to serve others. i am not perfect nor will i ever be, but through the blood of Jesus Christ my sins are washed away.
and for some random fun facts :)
-i was born in american samoa.
-i'm obsessed with the color green.
-i'm very close with my family and have a lot more fun with them than i do with many of my friends.
-i love writing and leaving notes for people in random places.
-i am 22 years old and i still sleep with my stuffed eeyore.
-i love wearing dresses. i love buying dresses. i love looking at dresses online. i just pretty much love dresses altogether. any excuse i have to wear one i will.
-my cat frank weighs 27 pounds. we waddle when he walks and sleeps on his back with his paws straight into the air. he also snores...loudly.
-i love music of all kinds.
-i have a super obnoxious laugh.
-i want the 80's to come back into style SO badly.
-i'm a firm believer that love will conquer all.
although i know that this blog will never become nationally known or be read by more than five people, i pray that whoever comes into contact with it may know the love of God and be inspired to follow him.
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