Milo

NOVEMBER 15

Reading 319

THE LORD WILL COME 1 Thessalonians 4–5

“The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16).Christ’s coming is both comfort and challenge.

Background

Eschatology in the Thessalonian letters.

It is clear from reading these letters that during the few short weeks or months Paul was with the Thessalonians, he gave them a rather detailed picture of the end times. These letters speak of Christ’s return for His saints, the appearance of the Antichrist, final judgment, and other aspects of the end time. Yet the exact sequence of events, and how elements of the whole eschatological picture fit together, is a matter of debate by earnest Christians. Perhaps the most important thing to remember as we read these letters is that, as Christ’s “first coming” encompassed a period of more than 30 years, His “second coming” also embraces a period of years. Much of the confusion about the end times comes from assuming that the “Second Coming” is a single event, rather than a series of world-shaking events spread over a period of years. This does not necessarily help in determining how the events mentioned in the Thessalonian letters relate to each other or other Old and New Testament passages. Even so, we can accept each as describing some aspect of future history. What seemed most important to Paul was not to provide a chart, but to provide a challenge. Paul called on the Thessalonians and on us to see what God intends to do, and then to apply that vision of the future to guide current choices and adjust present attitudes. It is the application of prophecy that we need to focus on as we read these letters devotionally.

Overview

Pleasing God calls for holiness (4:1–9) and brotherly love (vv. 10–12). Christ’s own will be raised at His imminent return (v. 13–5:3). Till then we are to live expectant, self-controlled lives, encouraging one another (vv. 4–11). Paul closed with various specific instructions (vv. 12–28).

Understanding the Text

“How to live in order to please God” 1 Thes. 4:1. The verb rendered “please” here had a broad meaning in the New Testament era. It spoke of action which not only won approval, but which constituted active and actual service. We are God’s servants as well as His sons. We are to dedicate our lives to serving Him. Paul said that the Thessalonians knew how to live to please/serve God. But he went on to remind them anyway. If we are not constantly reminded of what we know, we are all too prone to forget. So let Paul’s words of exhortation remind us too of the persons we are called to be, and the service we are called to render. “It is God’s will that you should be holy” 1 Thes. 4:3–8. Paul specifically mentioned avoiding sexual immorality. But Paul’s broader concern was for controlling all “passionate lust.” Paul used this phrase not just of sexual appetite but of overpowering desire of any kind. A passion for power, a passion for money, a passion for food, a passion for approval and popularity can have just as destructive an impact on holiness as sexual passion. We are not to be mastered by our desires, but are to let God master us. We must keep a tight reign on any desires whose grip might keep us from serving Him and others. “You yourselves have been taught by God to love each other” 1 Thes. 4:9–10. One of the most powerful motivations for that service which pleases God is Christian love. Note that such love is reciprocal: Christians love “each other.” There is something deadly about an unrequited sacrificial love. The daughter who gives up marriage to care for her invalid mother may do so out of love. But if the mother remains critical, bitter, and demanding, even the purest love is likely to sour. The husband who keeps on loving his unfaithful wife may be admirable. But in time that home is sure to shatter from her sheer selfishness. Any love which is constantly rejected must ultimately fail. This is one reason why God created His church to be family. God gave us brothers and sisters in Christ so we can experience as well as extend love. In the mutuality possible in the body of Christ, our ability to love can grow, and we can find the resources we need to enable us to love others who do not love in return. If you are in a situation where your love is met only with bitterness or rejection, seek Christian friends who will support and love you. Even in the best of situations we need an intimate relationship with other believers where we can give and receive love. If you’re looking for a church, don’t look first at programs and activities. Look to see if the people of the church truly love each other. “Make it your ambition” 1 Thes. 4:11–12. We’re used to parents being ambitious for their children. Usually what Mom and Dad are ambitious for is that the kids get ahead—a bigger job, a higher salary, more status. And often we nod approval when young people show “drive and ambition.” Again what we mean is that they work hard, find a good job, and are on their way “up in the world.” Paul had a different slant on ambition. In essence, Paul said make it your ambition to be as ordinary as possible. Lead a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work hard, earning your own living with your own hands. Be a good, but rather ordinary, citizen. I rather like Paul’s emphasis. Ordinary folks, living good, honest, hardworking, ordinary lives, have a habit of winning the respect of those who know them. For God’s people, winning respect is a much higher goal than getting to the top! “About those who fall asleep” 1 Thes. 4:13–18. One of the most powerful of Paul’s eschatological statements emerged from a very practical concern. Some of the Christians in Thessalonica had died. Friends and family were terribly upset. Would these folks miss out on Jesus’ return? In compelling language, Paul reassured them. When Jesus appears, believers who are “asleep” will be raised from the dead, and then, together with still-living saints, all Christians will soar together into the clouds to meet Jesus, and be with Him forever. Paul then applied this dramatic vision simply: “Encourage one another with these words.” When a loved one dies, we can look ahead, catch a glimpse of Jesus’ triumphant appearance, and rejoice. “About times and dates” 1 Thes. 5:1–3. The early church expected Jesus to return at any moment. They didn’t know when. They just knew that, at a moment the world did not expect Him, Jesus would appear to execute final judgment. What Paul was talking about is the doctrine of “imminence.” All that this means is that Jesus could return at any moment. There are no conditions to be met that would hinder Him from coming today, tonight, or tomorrow. We know that Halley’s comet won’t return until the late 21st century. But Christians through the ages have been aware that Jesus could return at any moment. Wouldn’t it be grand if Jesus should come November 16th? Or even today? (See DEVOTIONAL.) “Hold them in highest regard” 1 Thes. 5:12–13. I suffer from a terrible disease. The Sunday service snoozies. It goes back to my days in seminary, when I worked from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. seven nights a week and carried a full 19 semester-hour-load of classes. Every day at chapel I’d find a seat near the wall, lean my head against it, and sleep. Now, even when I preach, it’s hard to keep awake as the service proceeds. And when others preach—well, it’s been nearly impossible. Till we came to our present church and the excellent preaching of our pastor, Richard Schmidt, a warm and delightful brother. I suddenly realized that my wife’s elbow hadn’t been buried in my ribs for several months, and that I was actually staying awake most Sundays! I called Richard and told him how much I appreciated his sermons. They were even worth staying awake to hear! He laughed and said “thanks.” And added, he wished the other retired preachers in the congregation had the same attitude. It seems they persistently gave him a hard time. If God has used your minister to speak to you, to bless you, to encourage or strengthen you, why not give him or her a call? Such folk need more than our respect. They need our encouragement. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” 1 Thes. 5:19. Older versions say, “Don’t quench the Spirit.” The meaning isn’t mysterious at all. Have you ever had a youngster come to you, full of enthusiasm over an idea or project? And watched his or her face fall when you said no? Well, the Holy Spirit is enthusiastically committed to ideas and projects by which you can serve God and experience great blessing. And every time you say no to His prompting, it’s like throwing a bucket of cold water. The Spirit won’t force you or me to follow His promptings. We can quench His ministry to us by a simple no. But when we do, it is to our great loss.

DEVOTIONAL

Sons of Light(1 Thes. 5:1–11)

I remember very well playing down in the basement as my mother washed clothes. I was 4 or 5, so it was well over 50 years ago that I dressed up as Pecos Pete, and rode down the steps to rescue her from rustlers. That was pretend. But I also remember very well my mother telling me she expected Jesus to return in her lifetime. That wasn’t pretend. That was very real to my mom. She was wrong. She died in a car accident in the 1960s. But awareness that Jesus’ return was just around the corner was a cornerstone of my mother’s life. What Mom told me as a child is still very real to me. My wife and I often speak of it, and expect Jesus to return before either of us joins Him through death. We don’t know when He will come. The “times and the seasons” are a mystery. But the reality of Jesus’ return looms large in our thoughts. Paul pictured those who live with that awareness as “sons of the light and sons of the day.” We’re not in the dark about the future—or about how to live our lives here and now. Jesus is coming! And so we exercise self-control, and keep our values in harmony with His. Jesus is coming! And so set faith and love as a guard over our hearts. Jesus is coming! And so our perspective is shaped by the certain hope of His appearance, not to judge us, but to rescue us from the wrath about to fall on our lost world. Jesus is coming! And so we encourage each other, and build each other up, placing a higher premium on persons than on things. As God does. My mother wasn’t wrong to expect Jesus. We’re not wrong either. And as long as His coming is real to us, our choices, and our lives, are sure to be transformed.

Personal Application

Look for Jesus, and brighten the eastern horizon of your life.

Quotable

“I have felt like working three times as hard since I came to understand that my Lord is coming again.”—D.L. Moody

1 Thessalonians

NOVEMBER 14

Reading 318

EFFECTIVE MINISTRY 1 Thessalonians 1–3

“We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thes. 2:7–8).The way we relate to others authenticates the Gospel’s message of love.

Overview

Paul praised God for the Thessalonians’ steadfastness (1:1–3) and evidences of their true conversion (vv. 4–10). He reminded them of his very personal ministry there (2:1–12) and encouraged them in their suffering (vv. 13–16). He spoke of the love which moved him to send Timothy to visit them (v. 17–3:7) and his own joy at Timothy’s good report (vv. 8–13).

Understanding the Text

“Work produced by faith” 1 Thes. 1:1–3. The Thessalonians were remarkable as a truly committed church. They not only received the Gospel—they acted on it! What is so surprising is that Acts 17 seems to suggest Paul’s missionary team was in this city of 200,000 only a few weeks or at most a couple of months before riots and rumors forced them to flee to Berea. Even so they left behind the nucleus of a strong, vital church, which remained faithful despite persecution. What a challenge to us, who may have known the Gospel much longer, but may display less evidence of its grip on our lives. What was the Thessalonians’ secret? They had faith that produced work, love that prompted labor, and hope that inspired endurance (v. 3). No one who truly lays hold of the Gospel’s message of faith, love, and hope can remain the same. “You welcomed the message” 1 Thes. 1:4–6. Verses 4–10 describe a total response to the Gospel message: a response that preachers everywhere yearn to see in their congregations, and we yearn to see in those we love. The very first element in that response is, “You welcomed the message.” God’s people in Thessalonica did not hesitate, or hold back, or cluck critically. They were excited and enthusiastic when they heard the Word of God. Some years ago Joe Bayly wrote a classic little book called The Gospel Blimp. It told of some enthusiastic Christians who decided to bombard their town with tracts, and figured that a blimp would be great. They could drift over backyards and drop tracts on everyone! It’s hard to imagine that folks would really “welcome” Gospel bombs detonating in their yards. Certainly Paul had a better way. He shared the Gospel personally “with deep conviction” and relied on the power of the Holy Spirit, not the Gospel Blimp. And Paul “lived among” the people he tried to reach, so that they knew him and his way of life. If you and I want others to welcome the Gospel, Paul’s approach is essential. “The Lord’s message rang out from you” 1 Thes. 1:7–9a. The old saying is still true. Shepherds don’t have lambs. Sheep do. It certainly was true in Thessalonica. Paul was forced to leave the city after riots were stirred up by Jewish opponents. But the church kept on growing, spiritually and numerically. Awhile ago I was talking with a Chinese friend just back from mainland China, who was telling me about the quiet revival going on there. In the ’70s when religion was proscribed, the church was forced underground, and leaders were stifled or imprisoned. Yet now, just 15 years later, Christmas church services are swamped as millions openly profess their faith in Christ, and many more millions take part in a dynamic house-church movement. The shepherds were taken away by the state. But it didn’t matter. It is sheep who have lambs, not shepherds, and the ranks of Chinese Christians continue to swell. Wherever average Christians are willing to become imitators of the Lord, to serve as models for others, and to sound forth the Word, the Gospel will continue to thrive. “You turned to God from idols” 1 Thes. 1:9b-10. The sequence here can never be reversed. Some try to reform a person before or without conversion. Some say, “I’d like to come to church, but I have this habit. As soon as I break it, then.” What’s wrong is that we don’t turn from idols to God. We turn to God from idols. We have to turn to God first, because only God’s power will enable us to break the chains that bind us. So don’t think, “As soon as I get my life straightened around, I’ll come to God.” Come to God, and let Him straighten your life around for you. “You know that we never” 1 Thes. 2:1–6. Paul had two gifts to offer the Thessalonians. These are the same two gifts that you and I have to offer others. The Gospel and ourselves. Both the gifts can and often will be misunderstood. But you and I as persons are the most vulnerable to criticism. What a grand way to attack the Gospel. Ignore its message of God’s love, and suggest that the messenger is greedy, or deceitful, or is trying to trick people. It really does hurt the Gospel when something like this proves to be true, as in several celebrated televangelists’ cases. But think what a great opportunity you and I have to adorn the Gospel by being honest and loving! Paul said, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.” The really significant words here are “you know.” Paul developed a close enough relationship with the Thessalonians, even in the brief time he knew them, that he was sure they knew his inmost motives and self. By living openly and honestly with others we guard not only our own reputation but the integrity of the Gospel as well. “Like a mother caring for her little children” 1 Thes. 2:7–9. When Paul tried to describe the relationship he developed with others as he shared the Gospel, only family images would do. It would have seemed funny to strangers, to hear Paul, described in early documents as a wizened little man whose large nose almost met his chin, speak of himself as a “mother caring for her little children [infants].” But it wouldn’t seem funny to the Thessalonians, for they would have felt just that quality of tender, protective love, flowing from the great apostle. Love isn’t a matter of how we look, or how much money we have, or how much education. Love is simply the overflow of a deep concern for the welfare of others. If you have that love, nothing else matters. If you do not, nothing else counts. “We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children” 1 Thes. 2:10–12. Paul continued to use family imagery. Again, nothing else quite conveys the kind of relationship that fits the Gospel (see DEVOTIONAL). This time the key words are “each of you.” My sons, Paul and Tim, had the same parents, grew up in the same house, went to the same schools—but are very different from each other. Each needed to be treated as an individual. That’s what is so impressive about Paul’s reminder here that, like a father with adolescent children, he dealt with “each” of the Thessalonians as an individual. Those who needed encouraging, he encouraged. Those who needed comfort, he comforted. Those who needed urging—what we might call a good kick in the pants—Paul urged. His goal was the same in every case: to help them “live lives worthy of God.” But how he worked with others toward that goal took individual differences into account. If we’re to minister effectively to others—even members of our own families, we must come to know them as individuals and respond to each according to his or her characteristics and needs. Loving doesn’t just mean letting others know us and our motives. It means getting to know others, individually, and well. “The Word of God, which is at work in you” 1 Thes. 2:13–16. Frank was a young convert in our Brooklyn congregation. The jolly, heavy-set 20-year-old paid a high price for his faith. His mom and dad, traditional ’50s Catholics, saw his conversion as apostasy. They tried to bribe him with a set of drums he’d longed for. Finally they threw him out of the house. Frank suffered intensely, but he kept faith with what he thought was right. And all of us young people in our church hurt for him. Paul knew the ambivalence that must come when someone becomes a believer and suffers persecution as a result. But Paul reminded himself and the Thessalonians that you “became imitators of God’s churches in Judea.” There’s a long tradition of suffering linked with Christian commitment. Things don’t automatically get better. They may get worse! When those we love suffer for their faith, we can hurt with them. But we must remember that suffering is nothing new. What is new is the fact that God’s Word is at work in us. And in this we can rejoice. “Our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory” 1 Thes. 2:17–3:13. When the very elements that make up this universe dissolve in fervent heat, only human beings will remain. Paul had chosen to love people, rather than things. When Christ comes again, Paul’s hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing will be present with him, preserved for all eternity. Paul was forced to leave these very precious people when the rioting began in Thessalonica. No wonder he sent Timothy to visit them as soon as he could (3:1–5), and was filled with joy when he brought back a good report (vv. 6–13). Let’s make others the focus of our concern, and the touchstone of our values, so that they become our joy.

DEVOTIONAL

Home, Sweet Home(1 Thes. 2:1–12)

I suppose I had many reasons for taking the bus home from college so many weekends. I did bring back bags of dirty laundry, like most college guys. But the real reason was that nothing felt quite like home. Nothing was quite as comfortable as Mom baking bread in the tiny kitchen, or Dad smoking his pipe on the front porch. Nothing felt quite so “right” as watching Dad wash the dishes while Mom dried, or sprawling in an easy chair while Mom read aloud stories and articles from the Saturday Evening Post. Home was warm, comfortable, a place where I was welcomed and loved even if I was a college man now, and out on my own. Home had a climate all its own. Paul understood this as well as anyone. He knew that home is the one really effective climate for evangelism and for spiritual growth. So Paul not only brought others the Gospel in word, he created a sense of family by the way he loved every member of the Thessalonian church. What people need today, perhaps even more than in other times, is that climate of warmth, intimacy, and caring that marks a loving home. The church that provides this climate will be sure to grow. And its members will become mature.

Personal Application

Build your church as birds build nests—one tiny twig of love at a time.

Quotable

WE EXIST TO PROVIDE LOVE AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER . . . through sharing each other’s needs, burdens, and joys through serving each other in a sacrificial way through learning how to love and be loved. God in His grace, has given us to each other. An integral part of our life as His body is caring for and supporting each other.—From the Mission Statement, Crossroads Community Church

1 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION

The young church at Thessalonica suffered immediate persecution, and Paul was driven from the city (Acts 17:1–9). This early letter, written about A.D. 50, was intended to encourage and further instruct very new believers. This and a second letter pick up themes found in all Paul’s letters, such as the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, salvation based on Jesus’ death, personal purity, love, and especially emphasizes teaching about Jesus’ second coming. Paul clearly felt it was important to ground new converts in basic Christian doctrines.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Introduction	1 Thes. 1
II.	A Relationship Described	1 Thes. 2–3
III.	Exhortation and Conclusion	1 Thes. 4–5

NOVEMBER 13

Reading 317

CHRIST IN THE LIFE Colossians 3–4

“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12).It’s easy to recognize Christ in another person’s life—and even easier to recognize Him in your own.

Background

Review and preview.

Paul began his letter by affirming the superiority of Christ. He then showed that our union with Christ is the key to a vital Christian experience. Because we are “in Christ,” His power can flow through us. We were saved by faith in Christ, and we must live by faith in Him. Alone. Now Paul went on to describe Christ in the Christian’s life. How do we recognize His presence? Paul earlier rejected the notion that spiritual reality is found or displayed by following religious rules or self-discipline’s “harsh treatment of the body.” Now he showed that spiritual reality is experienced and expressed in rejection of evil and a transformed character. We recognize Christ in the Christian’s life by the love and mutual submission expressed in every relationship. What a thrilling book Colossians is. And what wonderful assurance it provides. Christ is supreme. We are in Christ. And Christ now lives out His own holy and dynamic life through us.

Overview

Christ makes us new persons, who reject evil (3:1–11), live holy, loving lives (vv. 12–17), and express our faith in relationships rather than by keeping rules (v. 18–4:1). Paul concluded with several instructions (vv. 2–6) and lengthy greetings (vv. 7–18).

Understanding the Text

“You have been raised with Christ” Col. 3:1–4.

It’s easy for us to feel down. When we do, Paul has a suggestion. Look up. Look up, and see Christ seated at the right hand of God. And then realize that you are up there too for “your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” In Tarpon Springs, a little city about 10 miles from where we live, one of the major occupations is sponge diving. The sponge diver puts a helmet on his head, drops into the water, and as he gathers sponges he breathes through air lines fed by pumps in a boat far above him. Without that connection to a source of life far above him, the diver would be unable to survive. Paul is telling us that we too live this life in a dangerous and deadly environment. But we too are connected to a source of life far above us. Whenever we feel down, or get discouraged, or feel endangered, we’re to fix our minds not on what surrounds us, but on what sustains us. The very life force of Jesus flows into and through us. Because we are connected to Him, we will not only survive. We will triumph. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” Col. 3:5–11. The Christian’s greatest enemy is not outside, but inside. It is the “earthly nature” which struggles to express itself in our attitudes and actions. We need to be alert, recognize that nature for what it is, and deal with its appearance immediately. How can you recognize the earthly nature? It’s that nature that has crept out whenever you sense yourself feeling anger or malice, whenever your thoughts wander to the impure, or your imagination to what you would do if you had a million dollars. And the time to deal with it is as soon as the first thoughts and feelings drift across your consciousness. How? Paul said, “Put [it] to death” (v. 5), and he further explained with the image of “taking off” the old self and “putting on” the new. My wife likes to try on clothes. She prides herself as a teacher in looking professional, and is very conscious of how she dresses. And she’s very critical of what she tries on. What looks good on the rack may not hang just right, or be cut just right, to fit her well. This is a picture of what Paul is telling us here in Colossians. Take a good look in the mirror, and when you sense anger or impurity or evil desires in yourself, decisively reject them. Such things simply don’t fit the Christian! God has a much better looking set of clothing for us, one that fits and flatters us. And also honors Him. “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” Col. 3:12–14. How does Christ express Himself in the believer’s life? First, He clothes us in His own character, filling us with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He gives us grace to forgive as we have been forgiven, and fills us with love. Then He calls us to live out His character in our relationships with others. This is true spirituality. It is not found in rules that we follow, or in rigorous self-discipline. It is found instead in simple and pure expressions of compassion and love for others (see DEVOTIONAL). “Let the peace of Christ rule” Col. 3:15–16. In the Old Testament peace is shalom, which conveys a sense of well-being, of harmony within and without. When Christ has drained us of our selfishness and competitiveness and given us His own deep love for others, peace will rule in our hearts, and in our congregations. Then we will be able to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” and will worship together with joy. True spirituality is Christ living out His life through the individual believer, and through a united Christian community. “Whatever you do” Col. 3:17. The false teachers at Colosse had impressed everyone with their rigor and the many rules they proposed for spiritual advancement. Paul shrugged all that aside, and replaced every do and don’t with one instruction. “Whatever you do . . . do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” This is really the only rule required by those who wear the new man, and in whom Christ is being formed. “Lord, can I do this in Your name, rejoicing and thanking God for the opportunity?” If you have put off the old man, and the answer to this question is “Yes,” rules and regulations are irrelevant. “Wives, submit” Col. 3:18–4:1. If Christians don’t need rules, why did Paul go on immediately to instruct wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters? We see a similar pattern in the Old Testament. In Exodus 20 God gave Israel Ten Commandments expressed as principles: do not do this, or that, or the other. Then in chapters 21–23 a number of specific cases are discussed. This “case law” illustrates how the general principles are to be applied. In the same way Paul now illustrated how the qualities he had described, and the general principle of acting in Christ’s name, will be expressed in the most intimate personal relationships of the first-century world. Paul’s choice of illustrations brings home a telling point. Those who will really know if Christ is in our lives are those who know us best—our families, and people we work with every day. A spirituality which does not find expression in these relationships is empty indeed. “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly” Col. 4:2–6. Expressing Christ in our lives is vital to an effective witness. But it is not enough. The Gospel is a message delivered in words, and authenticated by life. Both word and life must be shared.

DEVOTIONAL

The Emperor’s New Clothes(Col. 3:6–17)

You remember the story. The fast-talking tailor convinced the emperor he was preparing a magnificent suit from cloth so special that only an honest man could see it. The emperor couldn’t see it, but he was too embarrassed to say so. His courtiers couldn’t see it, but since they didn’t dare appear dishonest, they loudly praised it at every fitting. And so when the special occasion came for which the suit was being made, the emperor proudly marched down the avenue—in his underwear. Only the snicker of a little child, the only one truly honest, brought the fraud all knew about into the open. Colossians has been something like this story. Paul had taken an honest look at the “superior” religion of false humility, ritual, and rigorous self-discipline promoted by some at Colosse, and exposed it. Folks who struggle to put on this suit find that, like the emperor, they have nothing on at all! All they have done has no spiritual value at all. But Paul did go on to describe clothing fit for an emperor—clothing you and I are to wear. It is not the cloaking of ourselves in pious appearing actions. It’s putting on the new self we have in Christ and reflecting His image. Our new clothes are not seen in the rules we keep, but the love we express. The marks of reality in the Christian life are a warm compassion, a responsive kindness, an unself-conscious humility, a gentleness and patience, that well up in our lives as we love, worship, and respond to Jesus. The mark of reality in the Christian life is Christ’s likeness, as Jesus expresses Himself through us in every relationship. Don’t worry about looking pious, or even feeling pious. That’s as useless as the emperor’s invisible suit of clothes. Love Jesus, let His love fill your life, and “whatever you do” do it thankfully, in Jesus’ name. Then you’ll find that you are clothed with a compassion and kindness fit for a child of the King of kings.

Personal Application

Let Christ show Himself to the world in your life.

Quotable

“The person who has the abundance of life Christ came to bring us can spend virtue lavishly because his resources are plentiful. He can care for people unreservedly, the people near him and all over the earth, people of his own creed, color, and nationality and those of other faiths, races, and nations, because his resources of care are attached to the limitless reservoirs of God’s care. “He can afford to be slighted, shunned, hurt, because he has enough forgiveness in his heart for any crisis that comes his way. He can squander love upon the undeserving and the unresponsive because he knows there will always be more love where the last love came from.”—Harold E. Kohn

NOVEMBER 12

Reading 316

LIFE IN CHRIST Colossians 2

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6–7).Understand life in Christ and we won’t be taken in by substitutes for true spirituality.

Overview

It is essential to know Christ (2:1–5) and live in Him (vv. 6–7). Christianity offers union with Christ, and this brings life (vv. 8–13) and releases from the burden of Law (vv. 14–15). Disciplined submission to rituals and rules may make a person look pious but is no route to spiritual reality (vv. 16–23).

Understanding the Text

“For all who have not met me personally” Col. 2:1. The spirit of prayer breathes through all of Paul’s letters. Yet perhaps we sense his commitment to prayer most clearly here. Paul prayed not only for churches he founded, but for groups of Christians “who have not met me personally.” Actually, this habit is an easy one for us to develop! Every night on the news we hear of people in tragic situations. How easy it would be to turn to God, and ask Him to bless or comfort them. We read Christian magazines, and listen to Christian radio. Again and again we hear of believers who face great difficulties. How simple it would be to bear them up, and ask God to be with them in power. We talk to a friend on the phone, or chat over a Coke. How easy to pray briefly for that person as we hang up or walk away. Paul cultivated the habit of praying for others as he heard about them. A week of serious effort to cultivate just such a habit might very well transform our prayer lives! “Encouraged in heart and united in love” Col. 2:2. If you want to know Christ better, get to know your brothers and sisters better. Paul said this before (cf. Eph. 3:15–18). If we are to have a complete understanding of Christ, we need to deepen our relationships with others. Perhaps one reason is suggested in the phrase “encouraged in heart.” As we draw close to others, we sense God at work in their lives, and become more and more confident that He can work in us. Faith grows stronger as we see the reality of Jesus through His impact in those we love. The most important thing you can do to encourage another believer may be to share what Christ is doing in your own life. “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Col. 2:3–5. The promoters of the heresy corrupting the Colossian church claimed to have access to a “hidden” or special wisdom through a series of angels who were supposed to exist in ordered ranks between Christ and God. Paul said that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are “hidden” in Christ. Here “hidden” does not mean concealed. It means stored up. God has a warehouse full of riches—and He has given us the key! Christ. In Him, we have access to all God has and is. Many Christians are honestly hungry for deeper spiritual experiences. Some are so hungry that they will follow any seemingly pious route that others suggest. “All you need to do is pray an hour daily—preferably at 4 A.M., to show God you’re really serious.” “Meditation techniques will make all the difference.” “Just fast until God gives you a special filling of the Spirit.” “Follow this list of do’s and don’ts, and be in church three times a week.” Paul dismissed all such prescriptions as deceptive. God has stored everything we could possibly need in Christ. We will find spiritual fulfillment in Him, and in Him alone. “Continue to live in Him” Col. 2:6–10. To say that Christ is the warehouse in which all God’s treasures of wisdom and knowledge are stored sounds right. But it also sounds mystical, or obscure. How do we obtain these riches? If Christ is the key, how do we use it to open the door? Paul tells us. “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,” he said, “continue to live in Him.” How did we receive Christ? By faith. We rested the full weight of our hope on what Christ has done for us, and trusted Him completely. This, Paul tells us, is the way we unlock the treasures of the Christian life. Live in Christ just as you received Him. Rest the full weight of your hopes on what Christ will do in you, and trust Him completely. We can’t count on early morning prayer, on meditation techniques, on fasting, on keeping lists of do’s and don’ts. We can’t rely on anything we do. We must rest our full weight on Christ, and trust Him to work as we live our lives in Him. Live each day for Jesus, and because you live in Jesus, His wisdom and power will express themselves through you. “Hollow and deceptive philosophy” Col. 2:8. Paul’s approach to spirituality is deceptively simple. In contrast, the rigorous approach of the Gnostics sounded both “religious” and reasonable to the folks at Colosse. But it was hollow and deceptive for three reasons. It depended on “human tradition,” the various pagan philosophies current during that day. It depended on the “basic principles” of the world. The Greek word may mean “the ABCs,” and thus an elementary rather than an advanced understanding of the universe. But it may mean “elemental power,” and refer to demonic evil forces. Most decisively, however, it does not depend on Christ. Any system promising spiritual advancement that replaces complete dependence on Christ with anything at all is “hollow and deceptive.” “All the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” Col. 2:9–12. The safest thing you or I can do is set out to live godly lives, and rely completely on Christ to make it possible. Why is this so safe? Because all Christ is flows into us as we live for Him. This is the implication of Paul’s statement, “You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority.” The Christian life isn’t like the pump that stood on the back porch of my uncle’s cottage on Cedar Lake. I had to run down to the lake, get a can of water, prime the pump, and then pump the handle up and down endlessly until a trickle of water flowed. The Christian life is more like a fireman who connects his hose to a city hydrant, turns it on, and struggles to hold on as the water surges powerfully out! You and I are connected to Jesus, who is Himself a reservoir of endless power. Simply open yourself to God by total reliance on Jesus, and His power will flow into and through you. “In Him you were also circumcised” Col. 2:11–13. The circumcision promoted by the corrupters of the faith in Colosse physically cut away the flap which covered the end of the male penis. It was a symbol in Old Testament times of covenant relationship with God. Paul reminded his readers that the New Testament symbol of covenant relationship with God is spiritual circumcision. God, not man, cuts away and discards not a mere flap of skin, but man’s sinful, bodily nature itself! How was this done? Through our union with Christ in His death and resurrection! We who were dead in sins and the “uncircumcision of your sinful nature” have been made alive in Christ. That is how Christ’s power can flow through us. We are alive in Him now. We are united to Him. No wonder we can rely completely on Him. We are channels through which the vibrant, surging life of Christ is now ready to flow. “Canceled the written code” Col. 2:14–15. The word translated “written code” was used in ancient times of an indictment drawn up against a prisoner. Paul, clearly referring here to the Mosaic Law and its regulations, viewed the written code as a devastating charge list, signed and entered in court, proving us guilty. Yet in Christ all our sins have been forgiven, and the code that condemned us has itself been canceled. Again, Law in itself is holy, just, and good. But in terms of its impact on a sinful humanity, Law was “against us” and “stood opposed to us.” Any demand that we “do” is an instrument of condemnation. That is why our life in Christ is not weighted down by Law or demands. Understanding this, every New Testament call to obedience, and every New Testament exhortation to live a holy life, is transformed. New Testament commands are not laws, demanding that we “do.” They are promises, explaining what Christ will do in us as we respond in faith. “Having disarmed the powers and authorities” Col. 2:15. The Cross freed us from Law. And it marked Christ’s triumph over hostile spiritual forces. Like a conquering general who displays his defeated enemies to all, Christ has made a public spectacle of every enemy. What possible reason should you and I have not to rely on Christ the Victor? We live our Christian life not by self-effort, but by faith in Him.

DEVOTIONAL

Find Reality(Col. 2:16–23)

How do we find reality in our spiritual lives? Folks at Colosse had answers that still appeal to those who see a need for strict and rigorous self-discipline. Follow dietary laws (v. 16). Keep holy days (v. 16). Submit to various rituals and regulations (v. 17). Concentrate on mystical experiences (v. 18). Live an ascetic life of self-denial (vv. 21–23). Follow rules designed to make you a disciplined person. We can almost see Paul shake his head as he completed this list. These aren’t avenues to spiritual reality. They are detours away from reality in our spiritual lives. A life marked by rigorous self-discipline may “have an appearance of wisdom,” Paul said. But such “false humility” and “harsh treatment of the body” has no value at all in “restraining sensual indulgence.” Paul was saying that rules that measure spirituality by externals look holy, but tend to make a person contemptuous of others internally! And inner sins are just as much “sensual indulgence” as gluttony or sexual promiscuity. Paul wants us to experience spiritual reality. He didn’t want us to just appear holy but to be holy. And we find the secret of being holy only in Christ, not in trying to follow lists of do’s and don’ts. In fact, Christ is reality. We experience reality only as we experience Him. So let’s rest every hope in Him, and trust Christ to live out His life in us as we take daily steps of obedience to His Word.

Personal Application

Don’t rely on self-effort. Let Christ make something of you.

Quotable

“If you make a great deal of Christ, He will make a great deal of you; but if you make but little of Christ, Christ will make but little of you.”—R.A. Torrey