Fri 8.5 - Like Jesus, Like Jesus

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.17-25; Philippians 2.5-8

As we close out this passage in Colossians, we’ve noted that God addresses a variety of real-life relationships. Let’s now make sure that we are reading about those relationships in the correct context.

Remember if you would the thought of 3.17 for a moment. Basically put, we are to make sure that our very WORDS and DEEDS are done IN THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ, correct? So then, what is the connection between that verse and the list of relationships that follows in the next verses?

I think we can argue that 3.18-22 are simply examples of how 3.17 should look in our lives. For example, if we are living our life in the name of Jesus Christ then:

As wives, we will SUBMIT.
As husbands, we will LOVE.
As children, we will be OBEDIENT.
As parents, we will be HUMBLE.
As SERVANTS, we will OBEY.

Now, you may be looking at this list and think to yourself, those are not exactly the first qualities that I think of when I think of Jesus. While majesty, holiness, power, and preeminence are the things that we typically associate with Him, do not lose sight of the time he spent here on earth and what that it took for GOD to become a MAN.

I find a lot of similarities between the teaching of Col 3.17 and of Phil 2.5. Read them together and see if you can sense the heart of the author as you read. They both seem to be calling us to a selflessness and a pursuit of Jesus’ life in ours don’t they? As our WORDS and DEEDS are taken captive to Christ and our MIND becomes His, then it seems that we would begin to live that life of seeking things above and setting our affection on things above.

Check out the similarities in the description of the mind of Christ is Phil 2.5-8

He SUBMITTED to the will of God, “but made himself of no reputation”
He was made a SERVANT, “and took upon himself the form of a servant“
He LOVED us enough to be, “made in the likeness of man“
He was HUMBLED, “being found in fashion as a man, he bumbled himself”
He was OBEDIENT, “and became obedient unto death, even death of the cross“

Do you see some similarities? I can’t help but think that God has a desire that we stop living this life ourselves and allow the life of Christ to invade and rule as we continue our days. May your life be lived IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, and may THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH ALSO WAS IN CHRIST JESUS, as you go today! Amen.

Thurs 8.4 - Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.17- 4.6 

In today’s reading, what you’ll see is how Paul closes out the PRACTICAL LIVING section of Colossians.

As I hope you remember from the previous devotions this week, our last thought for the Directions series is that our WORDS and DEEDS be done IN THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to read carefully through what God describes next. He (more or less) gives us a glimpse into the everyday relationships most of us have, and gives us an example of living IN THE NAME of Jesus in each one. Notice all the relationships he talks about… Wives, Husbands, Children, Fathers, Employers, & Employees.

Although it’s not completely clear, He covers all the bases, Family & Friends. Now, I Know what you’re thinking…Friends? There’s nothing in here about Friends Aaron. Well, although he doesn’t spell that out completely, where (as an adult) do you think most of your friends are going to be from? Work? If you have many friends at work, they will be watching how you interact with your boss, putting that “Christianity” of yours to the test. Old friends? Maybe they were long-time friends. Well, surely they’ll come over to your house for dinner and see how you interact with your family. How your children behave, and how you treat them as a “Christian” parent. Maybe your friends would come from church (and I hope so!). Well, your church friends are definitely going to see how you and your spouse interact with each other and parent your children.

Again, I know it’s indirect and not exactly what you would think God was saying in these verses, but I just want you to remember how much our lives bleed over from one area into another. As you are at school, as you are at church, as you are at home, as you are out with friends, whatever! And no matter where we are and when we are, God says do ALL in the name of Jesus.

With those thoughts in mind, re-read Colossians 4.5. WOW! What a vital truth! Time really does fly. I can guarantee you, when we stand before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat (Judgement) we will never say, “I wish I had done less” or “I wish there was less time for me to serve you.” But, even the most faithful believer will find himself saying, “I wish I had more time, I wish I had done more to serve you, I wish I had more to give.”

Remember guys, time really does fly. Every minute you live, you are another minute closer to standing before Christ in Judgement. How are you using your time here (seeking and setting your affection on things above) that will amount to something there??? May we all redeem our time in the way that will most benefit Christ! Amen.

Fri 4.5 – What’s the point?

Today’s Readings: Col 3.5-7; 2 Chr 33.1-2, Eph4.17-20, 5.3-10

Have you ever seen something weird, and thought to yourself, “What’s the point?” Like this picture for example. Can’t you just imagine a year down the road, when the group from the picture is sitting down to dinner, reminiscing about that vacation they took. So they break out the pictures, and can’t seem to remember who was who in this one…what’s the point in a picture like this? It can’t really be too important, or serve too great a purpose?

Now, with that kind of thinking in mind, check out our passage from Colossians today.

Remember, we’re talking about mortifying our bodies. We have seen how we must KILL the desires of our natural selves and pursue the SPIRITUAL desires of Christ in us.

In Colossians 3.6, God talks about those people who do not mortify themselves, those people who live according to their own lusts. What name does He give to them? He calls them “children of disobedience”. Since we, who are saved, are his children, we should be ANYTHING but those who disobey Him. As a matter of fact, behaving in the manner in which Christ did is supposed to be true of every believer (I John 2.6). God explains that this disobedience caused His wrath to come on them. Wow. I guess God does care about our obedience to scripture!

Notice His next words in verse 7. The reason we shouldn’t live our lives being controlled by the members of our bodies, is because freedom from that bondage is part of salvation. God says they WALKED, past tense – as in they do not do it any more. There is a change that occurs at salvation. Things are supposed to be different now. When once we lived our lives seeking to fulfill every lust of our flesh for food, acceptance, sex, success, etc., we now live our lives seeking THINGS ABOVE. God said those who turned away from Him and went back to allowing the natural desires of their bodies to control them were the CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE! They didn’t mortify their members, but instead gave into them and allowed those members to be their God!

Look at God’s commentary about the Kingdom under Manasseh’s reign. What was it that made them wicked before God? They acted like the HEATHEN whom God had destroyed in order to put them in the promised land to begin with. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the same was said of us concerning our lives here today!?! What if God could look out and say, “Nick was evil before me because he lived his life according to the lustful desires of his body that I freed him from when I saved him. Because Nick returned to the bondage I freed him from, he is a child of disobedience.” Man, that would be hard to hear.

You’ll see a couple passages from Ephesians above. I recommend we conclude our time with God today by reading through those passages and asking His Spirit to show us areas that we may need to mortify in our lives to keep His commentary on our lives from being like the one from 2 Chron. Amen!