Making the Word Fully Known

Jesus Is Lord
Exalting Christ
Proclaiming Christ

Colossians 1:21-29

The Message

^21-23 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

^24-25 I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you. There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.

^26-29 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

For Reflection

Being transformed through Christ and maturing in the way of the Cross Is not an easy path.  Even as transformed, others will see your old culture centered self and demand that you stay the same as you were.  You live in the same culture but you are not bound by it.  You are a misfit in the old ways, but a perfect fit in the new ways.  In truth you confront the past and embrace the opportunity to challenge the culture-centered power to limit you.  Who you were is of no matter.  Who you are becoming is paramount.

Pray

Praise God for the opportunity to suffer in your quest to become God-centered.  Pray for the courage to reject the pressures to conform to contemporary culture.  Pray for the wisdom to follow God' intentions for your life.