Raised with Christ - Aug 29, 2010

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Sermon:

Some people at Corinth told the Christians there that there was no such thing as life after death. These people insisted that it was impossible for a dead person to be resurrected. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian congregation he argued the opposite. In part of his argument Paul wrote,

“…If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32b NIV).

In other words, Paul was saying, if there really is no life after this one, than Christianity has little to offer. Instead, we aught to build our life around having a good time while we still can. You could argue, logically, that if there is no life to come, personal pleasure should be the highest guiding principle in our lives.

In that same letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul wrote,

“19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (1 Corinthians 15:19-21 NIV).

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In the part of Colossians that we’re going to examine today, Paul talks about what Christ’s resurrection means for Christian now. It means that God the Father has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice in our place. It means that our sins truly are forgiven, released, erased. But that’s only part of the pie. That’s just the beginning.

We read from Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV). Paul write to his fellow Christians in Colosse…

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

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Paul is talking to believers. Followers of Christ who were living in the city of Colosse. He explains that through faith they have been connected to Christ. Their lives are now entwined with Christ’s life.

Earlier in his letter, Paul told them you have been…

“...buried with [Christ] in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…” (Colossians 2:12-13a NIV).

If my life is now linked with the life of God the Son, that alters the whole course of my life. Who I am. It changes how I look at the world around me. It impacts how I make my decisions. How I live my life.

It’s no longer the logical, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow I die”. For tomorrow I don’t die. Not if my life is wrapped up in the Son of God. If my soul rests securely in Christ at the very throne of my Creator, then that’s where my thoughts should also rest. That’s where my emotions should be born. That’s the place where I should make my plans and my decisions. All my steps in life should be taken with this in view. If I have been raised through faith, with Christ, to Spiritual life.

If my life is joined to God’s life through His Son, then I’ve also got to ask the question: Now what? How do I live my life from this point forward? How does God want me to live? My life is no longer mine alone (I guess it never really was), and one day Christ will appear, and because I’m wrapped up in Him, I’ll appear in glory WITH Him! So how should I live today?

Paul answers this question. In verse 5 he continues…

Colossians 3:5-11 (NIV)

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

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The English of verse five says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature”. In the Greek Paul is a little more picturesque. It’s more like, “Lop off the earthly limbs” the “arms of sin” that pull you into trouble. Limbs like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. Paul says, chop ‘em off. They are no longer part of you, they’re just trying to hang on like ugly warts or infected tumors. They have no place in your life anymore! After all, it’s because of deeds like these that God will one day judge the world!

In saying this, Paul acknowledges that things like these are part of our lives. Like cancerous growths they’re there, wanting to grow larger. Wanting to take control of us. But Christians, they’re part of the OLD us.

In verse 9 Paul says,

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self…” (Colossians 3:9-10a NIV).

Paul describes the inner sinful part of us as being the “Old Self” or the “Old Man”. And the word that he uses for “old” means just what it means in the English, “old”. Not mature and strong, but aged and weak. Frail and dying. There is no future in these limbs of self-gratification. Like limbs frozen or burned beyond rescue we must simply amputate them from our lives.

The world around us thinks differently. And the world shares it’s view through movies and television, radio, books, through the internet and every other means of communication. The world says these limbs are good limbs. Free sexuality is the doorway to the deepest realms of physical enjoyment. Living your own way, whether anyone else thinks it’s impure or not shows everyone else that you are strong and won’t be told what to do and not do.

God says, I want you to be MY PERSON. I bought you with my Son’s blood. Your past is forgiven and forgotten. Let the old ways be gone. Put on the new.
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The apostle John was once given a vision representing heaven. He wrote describes this vision in the twenty-first chapter of Revelation. There it says…

“1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”… (Revelation 21:1-5a NIV).

God is going to re-make the universe. It will be like it once was, before sin brought death and disease and pain and suffering and cancer and divorce and hatred and murder - into God’s creation. It will be pure and holy. Perfect and sinless.

And this renewing isn’t going to start after the last judgment. God has started it already. He is preparing sinners for eternity NOW. First He gives us complete forgiveness, the forgiveness earned by His Son through horrible agony, through the suffering of hell in our place. Then with forgiveness made ours through faith, God begins the remodeling. He begins the remaking, renewing and reconfiguring inside our hearts. His “making everything new” begins inside. God is making us back into a people who look like HIM.

Colossians 3, verse 9 says…

“9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:9-11 NIV).

Just as sinful self-gratification is not God’s image, neither is self-promotion by judging others. All the groups that humans divide each other into mean nothing in Christ. There is no class structure for the redeemed. Paul mentions some of the groups that the Colossians might have divided people into: Greek and Jews. Circumcised or uncircumcised. Barbarians (basically foreigners), Scythians (really uncivilized foreigners), slaves and free people.

Today we have different ways of dividing people up to judge them in our minds, but it all amounts to the same thing. Before God we’re sinners. In Christ, we’re declared saints. Through Paul God says, erase the lines you’ve drawn around fellow Christians. Through faith in Christ all stand on the same, high ground - of forgiveness.
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So, here’s what I’d have you take away from this message today: 1) Through Christ, your sins have been paid for. You stand forgiven. 2) Through faith you have been raised from spiritual death to life, being joined to the sinless Son of God for eternity.

3) If this is true, that you have been raised with Christ, then focus on Him. In Him your life is found.

If this is true, that you have been raised with Christ, 4) then lop off those old limbs of sinful living as the Holy Spirit directs.

Wake up every morning at peace, knowing your future is secure in Christ. With a thankful heart ask Him, “Lord, make me look more like you today.”

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Above the Law - Aug 22, 2010

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Sermon:

A man named Lord Acton once remarked, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A brief stroll through history confirms this axiom to be true. People who attain power and authority often consider themselves above the law. They aren’t, but they think it all the same.

But what if you really were above the law? You.

What if you didn’t have to look down at the speedometer when you saw a police car in your rearview? What if all of your taxes were paid in advance and you could toss that letter from the IRS? What if everyone treated you like their closest friend? Forgiving your misspoken words. Forgetting your broken promises. What if your Creator loved you more than anyone else, and agreed to pay off your eternal debt of sin, free of charge?

Wouldn’t that be liberating? You’d be above the law. Never afraid of punishment. Totally free.

Writing to followers of Christ who lived in Galatia, the apostle Paul penned this intriguing statement:

“…if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:18 NIV).

Paul elaborates on this idea in the first verses of our sermon reading for today. We continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossian Christians at Colossians 2, verse 13.

“13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15 NIV).

Here’s how God’s forgiveness works. Jesus was God’s Son, born of a woman into the human race. He never sinned, and therefore didn’t need to be forgiven. Didn’t need to be restored to a good relationship with God the Father. But, on the cross, Jesus was punished for EVERY human sin that had ever, or would ever, be done. Like it says in Second Corinthians...

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV).

If all the just punishment for our sins has already been suffered by Jesus, there is no more punishment left to be dished out. And if there is no more punishment for sin, we have been raised above the law.

The law was like a huge boulder hanging fearfully above our heads. It looked down on us and terrified us because we knew that our sins deserved punishment. But when that rock fell, it fell on Jesus and we were set free. In Romans 8, verses 1-2 it says…

“1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2 NIV).

Or as Paul put it in our reading from Colossians,

“…He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13b-14 NIV).

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What this means is that if Christ really died on the cross for you and me, and if God the Father really raised Him from the dead as proof that His sacrifice was enough, and was accepted - then we are free. We are above the law, and Satan and death no longer have any footing against us. No accusation can be made, for the sentence has already been served.

Some people are very uncomfortable with this idea. Some view religion as merely a machine that tries to make better people. They say, if you tell everyone that all their sins are freely forgiven, then they won’t have any reason to behave themselves. They’ll just run around with a license to sin.

Paul was well aware of this flawed response to the Gospel. Turn to Romans 6, verse 1. After explaining that though faith in Jesus we have full forgiveness, Paul says…

“1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:1-4 NIV).

The apostle Peter was also aware that free forgiveness could be abused. He knew that our inner sinful nature would seek to use Christ’s love as a license to sin. In his first letter Peter wrote this to his fellow Christians…

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16 NIV).

Turn to Galatians 5, verse 13. There Paul writes…

“13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV).

The forgiveness that we have through Christ’s cross is free. It is complete. But it is freedom FROM sin and sin’s punishment, not freedom to sin. A repentant heart will not use God’s love and forgiveness as an excuse to live in sin. Instead, a repentant heart rejoices in the all-forgiving love of Christ, and seeks to mold itself to God’s will.

It’s a bit like being a diplomat in a foreign country. Representatives of the United States are given “diplomatic immunity”. They are not subject to the laws of the foreign country that they are in. Their diplomatic immunity is not intended as a license to break laws. It is meant to enable them to relax and concentrate on serving their country to the best of their ability.
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Once Paul has established that the Colossians now stand above the law in Christ, he continues. Colossians 2, verse 16…

“16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow” (Colossians 2:17-18 NIV).

God gave a lot of laws to the Jews to govern the way they worshiped him. This is what Paul is talking about when he mentions religious festivals, New Moon celebrations and Sabbath days. The festivals were held once a year like our Christmas and Easter. The New Moon celebrations were religious services held at the first of every month – at the “New Moon”. The Sabbaths, of course, were weekly services like the way we hold church on Sunday.

These worship times all had certain rules and regulations connected with them. Details about what animals were to be offered, who was to do it, how it was to be carried out.

Paul says that what happened at these gatherings was meant to foreshadow what the Savior would do when he finally came.

For example, in the Old Testament some foods were considered ceremonially unclean, others clean. After Christ came, God declared all foods clean as a way of illustrating that through Christ all people are declared clean.

In the Old Testament animal sacrifices were offered to God when people sinned. These foreshadowed how Christ would sacrifice Himself, once, on the cross, to take away the sins of the world.

In the Old Testament the Sabbath day was a day of rest and worship. The Jewish people were forbidden to do regular work on that day. It was their time to worship God. Through Jesus sinners are given ETERNAL REST and peace with God.

The Old Testament laws were shadows of the reality that is found in Jesus. They were previews of the blockbuster to come.
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But here’s what happened. Sometimes the purpose of rules and regulations gets lost. A regulation begins to be followed just because that’s what has always been done. Then the regulation takes on a purpose that was never intended.

The Jews began to see the worship laws that God had given them as things that were done in order to earn God’s love and forgiveness. When Jesus finally came, they found it hard to let go of the things they’d grown up doing. They found it hard to trust solely in the salvation that came through God’s Son. They were convinced that salvation must have something to do with their observing the Old Testament worship laws. Even Peter found it hard to let the old ways go. Turn to Acts 10, verse 9.

“9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:9-15 NIV).

On another occasion, Peter fell back into old ways. He was in Antioch where the church was made up of both Jewish born Christians and Gentile born Christians. Paul writes…

“11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
15“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:11-21 NIV).

When he wrote to the Colossians Christians, Paul didn’t want them to be intimidated into resurrecting all the old Jewish traditions. He knew that these things might seem very religious. The young Christians at Colossae might have thought they could become more mature Christians if they started following these traditions. But that was the farthest thing from the truth.

Adopting an intricate system of manmade laws only distracts from Christ’s forgiveness. And if you begin to think that obeying these traditions is what makes you a acceptable to God, then you’ve been severed from Christ.

In his letter to the Galatian Christians, Paul wrote…

“2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope” (Galatians 5:2-5 NIV).

Faith in Christ connects us to Him. He alone is the reason we stand above the law, forgiven. He alone is the way to grow stronger in the faith. Ritual and tradition can have value, but not in connection with our salvation. Christ alone is our salvation.
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Let’s read our final section from Colossians 2, verse 20.

“20Since 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: 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Colossians 2:20-23 NIV).

My daughters have a series of books called “Sweet Pickle” books. Inside this one (“Xerus Won’t Allow It”) it says, “In the world of Sweet Pickles, each animal gets into a pickle because of an all to human personality trait. This book is about X-rating Xerus, who thinks that telling people what is not allowed will solve all problems.”

In the book, whenever a problem arises, Xerus makes a sign that bans whatever type of activity he sees as causing the problem. First he clears up a problem outside the town bank by putting up a sign that says, “No Parking, No Stopping, No Standing, No Talking”. An argument in the park leads him to put up a sign that says, “No ball playing in picnic area, No eating on ball field, No sleeping, No yelling.” Eventually it gets ridiculous when two animals bump into each other at the door of a shop. Neither will step aside for the other, so Xerus solves the problem by putting up a sign that says, “Absolutely No going in the out. Positively No going out the in. No in or out allowed.

The human response to problems is often to make more laws. Problem is, laws don’t really solve problems. Laws can’t erase what has already been done. Laws can be broken in the future. You see, laws have no power to reform the heart, which is the source of our sins.

The monk who castrates himself to avoid sexual sin can’t cut away his lustful thoughts. Taking a vow of poverty won’t necessarily decrease the sin of greed. In fact, it may increase the sin of worry, trading one sin for another. Becoming a pacifist does not banish all feelings of hatred and anger.

Laws and rules doesn’t reform the heart. And even if it could, they can’t erase the past. Only Christ cleanses and reforms. Only Christ removes us from under the threat of God’s punishment for sin, and opens the way for a new way of living. A way that begins with forgiveness and freedom and peace with God.

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for making us your children through faith in all your Son has done for us. Thank you for opening the way to forgiveness and peace through Your Son’s cross. We tend to judge others unfairly Lord, help us not to do this. We tend to see laws and regulations and harsh words as the solutions to so many of our problems. Erase this instinct from our hearts. Center our minds in Christ, where we are above the law. Center our minds in Christ, where we cannot feel unworthy when others judge us. Center our minds in Christ, and keep us from the shackles of legalism that the world would put back on us.

Amen.

Christ is Quite Enough - Aug 15, 2010

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Sermon:

For the past three Sundays we’ve been studying the book of Colossians. The “book” of Colossians is actually a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to a small group of Christians living in the town of Colosse.

Paul didn’t know these Christians. It hadn’t been him who had brought the message of Christ to Colosse. But Paul wrote to them all the same because he was overjoyed that the Christ’s message had been received in Colosse.

So far, we’ve examined what Paul wrote in chapter one.

Basically, Paul said, “Hello. I hear that you too have been declared holy, sinless, through faith in what Jesus did for us. I am so thankful, and I pray for your faith to grow in so many ways. Christ Jesus is above all created things because he created them all, and still holds them together. And through faith we have been connected to His greatness! We have been forgiven and completed by Christ coming into our lives.”
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The core of Paul’s letter to the Colossians is what we call the “Gospel” or the “Good News”. Basically, the Gospel says that humans are sinful, and therefore separated from the sinless God. But, God sent His Son to suffer for our sins and bring us back into a father-son relationship with Him.

Paul was captivated by the Gospel message. It was his greatest love. In another one of his letters, Paul wrote:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV).

If Christ is the door to peace with God, what could be more important? What could be more precious? Nothing, Paul thought. Christ was life. Christ was freedom, and peace and strength in a world full of limitation, strife and weakness.

Throughout his letter to the Colossians Paul repeatedly comes back to the Gospel, comes back to Christ, like a man coming home from work – to rest.
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When I read my Bible, I like to make notes in the margin. One thing I do is mark the spots where the Gospel is expressed. Wherever I find a reference to the fact that through Christ our sins have been erased, I mark it with a symbol called the “Chi Rho”. That’s Greek shorthand for “Christ”. It looks like a capital “P” with an “X” over it.

Let me show you how much Paul “comes home” to the Good News in Colossians chapter one. Open your Bibles to that chapter.

My first “Chi Rho” is on verse 2. Paul says,

“To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:” (Colossians 1:2 NIV).

They were “holy”, “sinless” through their trust in Christ.

Now go to verse 5.

“the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel” (Colossians 1:5 NIV).

The Colossians would one day join God in heaven because of what Christ had done for them.

Next I’ve got three marks by verses 12-14.

“12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14 NIV).

Skip to verses 19-20.

“19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20 NIV).

Paul personalizes the Gospel for the Colossians in verse 21-23.

“21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel…” (Colossians 1:21-23a NIV).

Verse 26 gets another mark when Paul calls the Colossians “Saints” there. The word saint means “Holy ones”. Again, through faith in Christ God no longer sees their sins, all He sees is a people covered in His Son’s sinless perfection.
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Last Sunday we talked about how Christ completes us. He makes us whole, covering over our sins and taking their place as the ruler of our hearts.

In our reading for today, Paul is still camping out on that concept – that in Christ we are made complete. But now, in chapter two, Paul changes his tone a bit. Now he’s warning the Colossian Christians not to let anything undermine that idea.

The philosophies of mankind and the teachings of false religions subtly try to contradict the idea that Christ is all we need. They tell us that Christ is nice and all, but His message is old fashioned, or incomplete in some way.

The world says, “We’ve got wisdom in our universities that can’t be found in the Bible.”

Paul says, “In Christ resides ALL wisdom and knowledge. He is after all, the Creator of all things and still holds them together.”

False religions say, “Jesus is good, but you’ve got to add your own goodness to the equation to get God’s forgiveness.”

Paul says, “In Christ is the fullness of the deity in bodily form. There is nothing left for you to add.”

As we read through Colossians 2:1-15, watch for each time Christ is mentioned. And watch for where Paul AGAIN “comes home” to rest in the Good News of sins forgiven through Christ.
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Colossians 2:1-15 (NIV)

1I 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. 2My 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, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For 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.
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
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In some of his letters Paul is very specific about correcting a false teaching. Here in Colossians he’s more general. “Watch out!” he says, “The world will tell you it’s wiser than God.” And this warning still fits our experience today.

The universities of the world teach our youth that the Bible is religion, but science is reality. Even some people who claim to follow Christ say that the Bible is perfect when it comes to spiritual ideas and teaching, but flawed when it comes to things like history, geology and science. As if the Creator of the universe gets it all right when it comes to spiritual knowledge, but when it comes to visible things, mankind has to educate Him.

For example, the Bible mentions an ancient tribe called the “Hittites”. For a long time secular historians believed that these people never really existed because they hadn’t found any shards of pottery bearing their name.

But then archeologists unearthed the enormous capital city of Hattussa in modern day Turkey.

There are all sorts of examples of Biblical figures and cultures that modern thinkers have dismissed as mere fantasy because they were only evidenced in the Bible. But as researchers have dug deeper, the Biblical record has been repeated verified as correct.

Modern man always thinks he knows better. He presents his “wisdom” as unassailable fact in every age. Whether its bleeding people to cure them, or insisting the world is flat, or telling everyone that he can describe the origin of the universe through logical extrapolation.

Right now you can go to your favorite book store and get a copy of “A Short History of Time” by Stephen Hawking, or “The Universe in a Nutshell” by the same. No doubt it’s interesting reading. Probably full of plausible explanations concerning the universe we live in. But, in a hundred years or so these ideas will seem outdated and unfashionable. Fine sounding arguments to be sure, but arguments from a former age when man was not yet as educated as he is now.

And really, doesn’t the red flag of warning go up in your mind when a person who’s lived only a few decades wants to tell you how everything works?

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
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Paul doesn’t keep all of his warnings general in this section from Colossians. He mentions circumcision. Look again at verse 9.

“9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:9-12 NIV).

In Old Testament times circumcision was a mark that indicated that a person was a follower of the God of the Bible. But at the time that Paul wrote this letter it had become something different. Some people claiming to be Christians claimed that you had to be circumcised in addition to trusting in Christ in order to be forgiven.

Again, mankind thinks he knows better than God. Only this time it’s the man in the pulpit saying we’ve got to ADD to Christ’s value in order to enter heaven.

Paul responds by simply pointing to Baptism. He says, You want indication that you’re part of God’s family? Look at what Baptism does. By faith in Christ, you’ve been connected to Christ. By baptism you’ve died with Him on the cross and been buried in the tomb. By faith you’ve been raised to spiritual life. God has done this FOR you. There’s nothing YOU need to add. No ceremony of payment. No sacrifice. No ritual.

Paul comes home to Christ once again verse 13. He personalizes the Gospel for the Colossian Christians who would receive this message:

“13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15 NIV).

When we stand before God on judgment day, we’ll be judged on the basis of whether we stand with His gracious and all sacrificing Son or not. It’s not going to depend on whether we’ve gone through some physical ritual. In fact, circumcision in the Old Testament only had meaning if a person’s heart was marked as God’s by simple trust.
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Once again, Paul comes back home to Christ. We were dead in sin, Christ made us alive. We were guilty, Christ made us forgiven. The Laws of God all said, “sinner”, but Christ made us saints by nailing the record of our sins, all of them, to the cross.

Don’t let anyone tell you that Christ isn’t enough. He is. In Him is all wisdom and knowledge.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t enough. In Christ you are. You have been given fullness in Christ.

Prayer: Father in heaven, with thankful hearts we look to you. Fill our minds with your thoughts. Open our Bibles and our minds. Open our hearts in confession, and cleanse them by your Son’s all cleansing blood. Teach us true wisdom. Teach us vibrant faith. Fill all our empty places, and make us your children in every way.

Amen.

Mankind is Made Whole By Christ - Aug 8, 2010

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Sermon:

My grandfather on my Mother’s side was named Leland Grams. He was the pastor of our sister congregation in Faulkton, SD, for many years. He had a strong dedication to Gospel of Christ, a strong personality, and a good sense of humor.

Grandpa Grams liked to tease people. When someone was putting a puzzle together on the dining room table of the Faulkton parsonage, he would casually walk by and snag one of the pieces. Hours later when the search was on for that ONE LAST MISSING PIECE, Leland would waltz in with a sly smile on his face, and complete the puzzle.

There’s something sad about a puzzle with one blank spot. One hole where something should be. Puzzles are meant to be put together - they’re meant to be complete.
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The idea of completion, or wholeness, runs throughout our reading today. Just as a puzzle is not complete without that last piece, Mankind is not complete without God. Mankind is Made Whole by Christ.

Colossians 1:24-29 (NIV)

24Now 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. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To 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.
28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
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Paul first speaks of completion by saying 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.

Paul is not saying that what Christ suffered on the cross was insufficient. Just a few verses earlier (Colossians 1:14) Paul declared that in Christ Jesus we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Paul says that the Colossian Christians have been qualified to share in the inheritance that comes from God, heaven, because of Christ (Colossians 1:12). He calls the Colossian Christians “saints”, which means “holy ones” because of what Jesus suffered in their place. In no way is Paul saying that Christ’s sacrifice was “not enough” to pay the price for our redemption.

When Paul says that he is completing what Christ didn’t suffer, he’s talking about the suffering and struggle that come along with battling Christ’s message into the world. And that was a battle for Paul.

Paul had Pharisees following him and inciting riots as he preached from town to town. At one point there was a group of people who took an oath not to eat until Paul was dead. But instead of being discouraged by the beating that his opposition dished out, Paul rejoiced. He viewed his own suffering as a great honor given him by Christ. Christ had suffered on the cross to redeem the church, now Paul would suffer on the mission road to deliver that message of redemption.

Christ has honored us with part of His work too. Not the work of the cross through which our sins stand forgiven, but the work of carrying that message with us as we live. The work of distributing peace and forgiveness to people who are missing that part of life’s puzzle.
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Paul talks about his own life’s work by saying I have become the church’s servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

Paul’s message completed the mystery of salvation. That mystery had been hanging unanswered for thousands of years. Ever since mankind stepped willingly away from friendship with God. How was God going to keep His promise to save them? How could God bring sinners who hated him back to Him? In Christ that question is answered.

God would take all that separated mankind from Him, all their evil ideas and words and thoughts and deeds, and lay the guilt of them on His Son. Then the Son of God would absorb all the just punishment that sinful mankind deserved. And with that sentence suffered, mankind would be set free. Forgiven. Reconciled to God.
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The message of the Gospel is like the answer to a multilayered riddle. Riddles are confusing and frustrating without the key. But when the answer comes, you see how it all makes sense.

For example, here’s confusing riddle:

I build up castles.
I tear down mountains.
I make some men blind,
I help others to see.
What am I?

Sand. Sand is used to built castles. It’s erosive effects tear down mountains. A sandstorm can easily blind a person for good, but if sand is melted down to make glass it can actually help people see.

Or how about this one:

Greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?

The answer is: Nothing.

A riddle is confusing, but when the missing piece is supplied, you can see how it all fits together.

The soul of mankind has been asking deep questions for ages. Riddle me this…

Why do we suffer pain if God is really good?

What comes after this life?

What came before?

Why am I me? Why am I here?

What is my future?

The Gospel of Christ gives answer to these questions. It fills them up. Supplies the missing piece. Pulls them together and makes sense of them. Completes them.
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Paul says 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.

Through the Gospel, God comes to mankind to complete him. Not just to answer his questions, but to complete HIM. Sin left a hole in man, one that can only be filled by God. When faith in Christ comes to a heart, that hole is filled.

People try to fill their empty place with things, with other people, with meaningful experiences, with work, with play, with all sorts of things. But it doesn’t work. Whatever we put in that empty place in our lives may fill us up for a moment, but soon we feel the emptiness again. Something is missing. Something is not right.

It’s a bit like a little child with an electronic toy. The child knows that to get this thing to work mom and dad put something right there where it says plus and minus. So they stick something there that fits. But it has no power. No lights. No sounds. It’s not the right thing.

A remote control car doesn’t run without the right battery, and the human soul isn’t complete without God.
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Paul says, We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Without Christ, we are dead in sin. But through Christ, we are made alive. Our sin is removed and replaced with faith in the Savior. That makes us ready for living with God. Then God begins to complete us in another way. He dresses us in a new US. A new person that is 100% us, but better. More like Him.

Paul explains it like a change of clothes. First Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross covers our sin with a perfectly white, holy, sinless robe (Galatians 3:26-27). Then the Holy Spirit adds the accessories. Maybe a belt of humility. Sandals of compassion. A bag of patience. A hat of peace (Colossians 3:12-17).

We ARE perfect now in Christ, fully forgiven. We are being made perfect in Christ, completed to look like Him.

All that we lack, Christ provides. And Paul says that this even includes the energy to do whatever work God has for us to do.

Each of us has a different role to play in the kingdom of Christ, but each one of those jobs brings glory to God. And each one of our jobs has this in it’s description – helping to make others whole by the message of Christ’s love.
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My grandfather Leland Grams left this world many years ago. It was both a sad, and a happy time. If you’ve had loved one died in Christ, you know what I’m talking about.

Grandpa Leland knew that it was coming. And when he realized that it was, he said something that has stuck with me. I don’t remember his exact words, but he said, “If only I had done more. If only I had reached more people for Him.”

He was fully confident in his own salvation in Christ. He said what he did because he simply wished he had made more people whole by bringing them Christ.

A person who is WHOLE, can leave this world with confidence. In Christ we stand fully forgiven. In Christ we are complete.

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for making us complete in your Son, Jesus. Thank you for patiently loving us through our sinning, patiently turning our hearts back to you. Give us peace, and confidence in all that we do because we know that when it comes to salvation and forgiveness, we are whole. Give us strength and wisdom to put on the good character traits that your Holy Spirit offers us. Fulfill us with your fullness.

Amen.

The Supremacy of Christ - Aug 1, 2010

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Sermon:

Let me tell you about Christ. He’s the pinnacle. He’s the top. He’s #1. He’s Chief. He’s the boss. He’s the Big Kahuna. He’s the President. He’s the Emperor. He’s first-place. He comes first in everything. He’s not A winner, he’s THE winner.

This is what Paul tells the Colossians in the second half of chapter one. In the first 14 verses Paul greeted the Colossians. Rejoiced in the growth of the Gospel through the world and in the hearts of the Christians living in Colossae. He then told them of His prayer that they might grow in knowledge of God’s will, in power to live that will, in strength and in thankfulness.

And to help them grow in faith and in knowledge of God, Paul begins to teach. Turn to Colossians 1, verse 15

“15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant” (Colossians 1:15-23 NIV).

He is the image of the invisible God. I like how Paul starts out here. With an oxymoron. Christ is the picture of the invisible God. Of course we know that Paul isn’t talking about physical features, like hair color and complexion. Paul means that when you begin to know Jesus, you begin to know God.

Think this is a great phrase to start with. It’s heavy. Philosophical. Deep. And the things that Paul is going to talk about next are just as deep.

Christ is the firstborn over all creation. Some have understood this to mean that A) Christ is one of the many things God created, and B) He was created first. This ISN’T what Paul is saying. When you dig into what “firstborn” meant in ancient times, Paul’s meaning becomes clearer.

The firstborn son was considered the greatest showing of his father’s strength and vigor. Turn to Genesis 49, verse 3. Here an elderly Jacob is blessing his sons before his death. He speaks to each one of them in turn. First he addresses Reuben.

“3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power” (Genesis 49:3 NIV).

Not only was the firstborn considered the greatest showing of his father’s strength, the firstborn son was also given a double inheritance. If there were three sons, that meant that the firstborn would get half the estate, and the other two sons only a quarter each.

If the father died unexpectedly, the firstborn son was the one who became the head of the household.
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When Paul says Christ is the firstborn of all creation, he means Christ is above all things in prestige, status and authority. Paul further explains in verse 16.

For by him all things were created…

In the Greek, the “For” at the beginning of verse 16 is an explaining word. It means, what I just said I’m going to explain in some way. Paul says, Christ is the firstborn over all creation, he’s go the highest status you can have, and here’s a reason I can say that, He created it all.

What this all means is that ultimately, everyone who has power of any kind, authority of any kind, talent of any kind, wisdom of any kind - they have Christ to thank for those gifts. And they were given those gifts that they might serve Him with them. We and all our neighbors are accountable to God for how we use anything.

Paul keeps the heavy coming. Verse 17.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I love how Paul tosses in this little statement, oh yeah, “and in him all things hold together”. Think about the magnitude of that statement. Paul is saying that Christ is the glue that holds reality together. Christ is the weave in the fabric of existence. Without Him the universe would fall apart.

I saw a book title at the store a few days ago, it was called “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God, but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist”. That the issue here isn’t it. It’s not just about knowing the truth, it’s about believing it. It’s about incorporating what we believe into our lives.

Trusting fully that Christ really is the glue that holds our universe together, makes other passages we know easier to believe. Passages like Romans 8:28.

“28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

It’s no wonder Paul can make this promise. If Christ is holding the whole of the created world together, both the visible and the invisible parts, than he can certainly weave those things to catch and lift up his people, no matter what situation they stumble over.

Paul’s not done talking about Christ yet. Verse 18.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Paul had used that word “firstborn earlier”. He said Christ is the “Firstborn over all creation”. Now he says Christ is also the “Firstborn from among the dead”. Obviously, Paul is referring in some way to Jesus’ resurrection. Born from the dead is an eloquent euphemism for “resurrected”. But we might how was Christ’s resurrection the first? There were others who had been raised from the dead. Some in the old testament, some by Jesus during His ministry. Again, we need to remember that “Firstborn” means more than numerically first. It means the greatest. The highest in status or rank.

When others were raised from the dead, they still had needs. You remember the little girl that Jesus raised from the dead? Jairus’ daughter? Right after raising her from the dead he told her parents to give her something to eat (Mark 5:43).

She had needs, and she would one day die again. The same is true of Lazarus. We have no indication from God’s Word that he was somehow swooped up to heaven sometime after Jesus raised him from the dead. Lazarus had to go through that same door of death again. I’m guessing it was less scary the second time. But before that, Lazarus would have to endure all the same sicknesses and problems that he had before.

But Jesus’ resurrection was different. When He was raised to life on the third day, His body was changed. After His glorious resurrection on Easter morning He passed through walls, appeared wherever He wished - He was “glorified”.

Not only was Christ was numerically the first to be resurrected to this glorified state, He is also the greatest of any who will follow in resurrection. For it is HIS sacrificial death that makes their resurrections to glory possible.

Paul throws in another one of those explaining words. Look at verse 19. He says…

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

We want to slow down right here. We want to make sure we consider this carefully. Paul is making perhaps the most extravagant claim that has ever been made. He is saying that God was pleased to put “all of his total quantity” in Christ, the God-Man.

Think of the Baby Jesus. Think of the traveling preacher from Nazareth. Think of the crucified. It was because Christ was God in full, that His blood paid our debt in full. We have peace through God’s blood, shed on the cross.
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Okay, were’ to that turning point I was talking about. Paul has just gone off about Christ and how Christ is in everyway possible – number one. Now Paul says what all this deep philosophical stuff means for the people in Colossae. Verse 21-23.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

There a great poem I want to read to you. Maybe you’ve read it before. It’s printed on the back of the bulletin.

It’s called “INVENTION” by Shel Silverstein.

I’ve done it, I’ve done it!
Guess what I’ve done!
Invented a light that plugs into the sun.
The sun is bright enough,
The bulb is strong enough,
But, oh, there’s only one thing wrong…
The cord ain’t long enough.

I especially like the illustration that goes with this poem. There’s a light bulb and an extension cord and a little girl holding up the plug as if she’s reaching for the sun.

I like this poem because of the outrageous idea. The “reaching for the stars” concept. That you’d actually be able to plug your own little light bulb in to that great big fireball in the sky. It’s good stuff.

Human religions have been trying to do exactly this for ages. I know how to plug into God! I do really. Oh, shoot, I can’t quite reach Him. The cord is too short.

But then one day, Plop. Down from the sky came a cord. An honest to goodness line to God. A real connection to all that is Him. It came through Christ’s physical death on the cross.

And oh, the amazing things that happen when we get plugged into that cord.

Paul says,

…now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith…

Holy. Without blemish. Unable to accuse. That’s what our Christ-connection to God makes happen. Through Christ we are considered sinless. Any ugly action that marked our past is now gone. It is impossible for any to accuse those in Christ.

Turn to Hebrews 12, verse 22. There it says…

“…you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven…” (Hebrews 12:22-23).

The “church of the firstborn”. You might think that’s talking about Christ - you know “Christ’s church” - but it’s not. In the Greek the word “firstborn” isn’t singular, it’s plural. It means the church MADE UP OF ALL THE FIRSTBORN ONES.

In other words, through Christ, we become “Firstborn”. We receive His prestige, His status, His authority. We are declared holy, without blemish, un-accusable.

It’s like plugging into the sun. Except, Christ is a lot bigger.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, in proverbs you tell us that true wisdom starts with a fear of you. With an awe and respect for you. Renew that awe Father. Help us see in your Son, your greatness. Let this wisdom bleed into all the different parts of our lives. Let us not live like Christian atheists, only acknowledging you with our mouths, and not with who we are. You’ve forgiven us through your Son. Help us to move away from our old ways. Help our lives to match the rank we’ve received through Christ. Reborn. Firstborn.

Amen.