Living in God's Grace

 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

(Colossians 2:6–7 ESV)

We tend to believe that receiving Jesus is a one time event. We tend to think that we come to faith in Jesus at one point in life. And, after we receive him, after we come to faith in him, we seem to think that nothing else matters.

Some of us may have heard the gospel and responded to an altar call. We may have encountered the gospel and prayed the sinner’s prayer. And we remember this day, we mark this day, as the day we came to faith.

In the Lutheran tradition, we may have been baptized as a baby or a small child. And we think of this day in the same way. We consider this as the day we came to faith. We consider this day as the point in which we entered into the blessing of God.

However, after this day has come and gone, we do as we please. We live as we please. And we don’t believe that it matters in the least.

We don’t think it matters because, on that one day in the past, we came to faith. We don’t think it matters because, on that one day in the past, we received the gospel. We don’t think it matters because, on that one day in the past, we were saved.

But, in the above passage, we see that receiving Jesus is not just a one time event. We find that it’s ongoing. Paul tells us that, as we received Jesus the Lord, we’re to walk in him.

This phrase indicates that our faith is to be an everyday part of our life. It indicates that it’s a continuing state. It indicates that it’s something to which we hold each moment of every day.

Paul tells us that we’re to be rooted in Jesus. He tells us that we’re to be built up in him. He tells us that we’re to be established in the faith. And this, again, indicates something more than a one time event.

We not only come to faith in Jesus, but we’re established in that faith. We grow in that faith. And we become firm in that faith. 

Even though these events in the past are important, and although they shouldn’t be disregarded, there is something more involved. We must not only ask when we came to faith in Jesus, but if we trust in him now. We must ask not only when we first received the promise of God, but if we’re now living in that promise.

Gullible?

 “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

(Colossians 2:4–5 ESV)

If there is one weakness of the American Church today, it’s that we’re easily deceived. We’re gullible. We’re quick to accept every convincing argument that is made by those both outside of the church and within. 

We are convinced that the gospel is not true. We’re deluded into thinking that our faith is merely a system of rules, regulations, and morality. We’re led to believe that the message of Scripture is simply one of acceptance.

We’re led into these warped beliefs by the false teachers who surround us. We’re led to do so by the false teachers we’ve allowed to infiltrate the church. We’re quick to trust those with the nicest smile, with the best stories, and with the greatest speaking skills.

This was the very concern that Paul possessed for the Colossian Church. This was the concern he had for the Laodiceans and others who had not seen him face to face. He had been struggling for them, that they might be encouraged and built up in the faith. He agonized over them, desiring that they would come to a full assurance of faith. And, as we see above, he did so that they might not be deluded.

This word, deluded, can also mean deceived. So, he did not want them to be easily led astray by those who came to them with persuasive language. He did not want them to be easily led astray by those who spoke with enticing words.

Like the Colossians, and like the Laodiceans, this is the reason that we need to be encouraged and built up in the faith. This is the reason we need to come to the full assurance of faith. It prevents us from being captivated by fine sounding arguments.

This makes it clear that our faith, as well as that of the church as a whole, is a valid concern. In fact, it’s the greatest concern. It’s the greatest concern because it determines not only our life here in this world. It determines our eternal destiny.

The Unseen Brother

 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

(‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

We are naturally concerned for the welfare of those who are close to us. We are concerned for the welfare of those who are near and dear to our heart. We want the best for them. And we don’t want to see anything bad happen to them.

When it comes to our fellow believers in Christ, we’re concerned for their welfare here in this world. But, more than that, we’re concerned for their spiritual welfare. We want to see them grow in faith, escape from temptation, and overcome the struggles and doubts they may face.

While we know there are believers all around the world, and while we hate to hear of the persecution they sometimes face, we’re not as concerned for their welfare. The thought of them rarely crosses our mind. And, for this reason, our prayers for them are infrequent at best.

In the above passage, we see Paul’s concern not for the churches with which he was acquainted. We see his concern not for those among whom he’d ministered. We see his concern for those who had not seen him in person.

Paul says that he is struggling for the believers in the Colossian Church, for those at Laodicea, and for others who had not seen him face to face. The Word “struggle” means that he was in agony because of them. It means that he was worried about their welfare.

He desires that they might be encouraged. He longed to see them being knit together in love. And he desired that they would come to the full assurance provided by the gospel.

Personally, I spend a great deal of time in prayer for my family. I also do so for the members of my congregation. However, that being said, I confess a lack of concern for my brothers and sisters who are unseen and unknown to me. I certainly don’t want anything bad to happen to them. But I certainly haven’t struggled for them.

As we’re called to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation, as we’re called to make disciples of all nations, and as we’re called to bear witness of Christ’s death and resurrection to the entire world, I pray that God would make this true of me. I pray that I would share his concern for each and every one of his people. I pray that he would cause me to agonize over them. And I pray that he would cause me to continually long for their growth in faith.

Gladly Suffering

 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

(Colossians 1:24-29 ESV)

We are not fond of suffering. In fact, we avoid it at all costs. We like to remain at ease. We like to enjoy a peaceful life.

For this reason, we do all that we can to avoid it. We do so even if it means compromising our faith. We do so even if it means ignoring the needs of those who surround us.

We’re not generally willing to endure suffering for the sake of others. We’re not willing to endure hardship that someone else might be blessed. If helping someone, if blessing someone, is going to bring discomfort upon us in any way, we typically refuse.

Being perfectly honest about it, it’s not even suffering that we refuse. We shy away from any discomfort whatsoever. If it means giving up some of our recreation to help another, if it means doing something that we don’t typically enjoy, if it means sacrificing some of our expendable income, or if it simply means work for us, we tend to decline.

However, looking at the above passage, we see that the apostle Paul endured suffering for the sake of the Colossians. And he did so not for them only. He did so for the sake of the Gentiles.  He did so for the sake of the lost.

This is what we see in the above passage. He states clearly that he suffered for the sake of the Colossians. He states clearly that he suffered on behalf of the church.

And not that our suffering can ever compare to that of Christ, he does draw a parallel between his own suffering for the church and that of Jesus. He says that he is filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body. He says that he completes the things lacking of the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body.

As Jesus suffered for his church, so too did Paul. As Jesus laid down his life for the church, so too did Paul. He endured them because of the stewardship of God that had been entrusted to him. He did so that the Word of God might be made fully known. He did so that the gospel might be known among the Gentiles.

And not only did he suffer. He rejoiced in his sufferings. It brought him joy to do so.

As believers in Jesus, this ought to be our attitude as well. We should not only be willing to suffer for our fellow believers. We should not only be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. We should rejoice in it.

We should do so because of the stewardship of God that's been entrusted to us. We should do so that the gospel might be fully known. We should do so that we might make disciples of all nations.

My hope and prayer is that this will be true of me and also of you. I pray that, as the body of Christ, we would be more than happy to suffer for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And I pray that we’d be more than happy to suffer for the sake of the lost.