Category Archives: Colossians

Ephesians 4:16

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From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

In verse 15, Paul writes that we are to grow up into Christ who is the head of the body.

Verse 16 begins with, “From whom.” Jesus Christ is the head of the body. From Him all the other parts are joined and held together. How did those parts come together? When a person comes to know Christ, the Holy Spirit places that person into the body of Christ where He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:18).

The body is joined and held together by every supporting ligament as each part does its share. This causes the growth of the body as it is built up in love.

Now, this is all very easy to read and to say. But my question is, “How does this work out in practice? Is this what is taking place in your church body?” I think each of us should ask ourselves the question of how to do our part. We cannot force others to do what they don’t know to do or want to do. But is there a way for us to expedite or to encourage the activities that foster this kind of growth?

First, each person needs to see themselves as an actual part of the body. They need to understand and accept the fact that they have been given specific gifts to use within the body for the growth of the body. That means they need to know what their gift(s) are.

In addition, people need to function using their gifts. There must be a willingness to function in this way, and there needs to be the opportunity provided by the routines of the church body to use their gifts. If those opportunities don’t exist naturally, then individuals need to find ways to exercise their gifts with others in the body at times and in places that are outside the corporate gathering.

I think these are crucial things to think about and pursue for every one of us.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:06 AM March 9, 2021.

Moment by Moment

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Suddenly yesterday I found myself singing the old hymn, Moment by Moment. To me, the very first line is an essential truth that we Christians need to grasp. I began to grasp this as a young man, but as the years have passed, I have realized how central this is to living the Christian life and finding victory over sin, and having joy in understanding what in fact took place when we were converted.

The first line of the song says, “Dying with Jesus by death reckoned mine.” I’ll expand on this as we go along, but what it is saying is that once I’m in Christ, His death is my death, and by extension, His resurrection is my resurrection.

Some scriptural examples:
Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

These truths have been central and core beliefs for me. When Christ died, I died with Him. I died to the old life; I died to sin. Since I was also raised with Christ, I have been resurrected to a new life. These things are true for all believers, but it doesn’t always feel like it and we don’t act like it. But the key is the word “reckon” which is used in the song I started with. It means to count it to be true. It doesn’t mean “pretend” it’s true. It is true, but we need to reckon it true in our life. Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I cannot stress enough how important this is. Satan reminds us that the wages of sin is death. Our answer should be, “I already had my death when Jesus died.” There is no further punishment for sin. It is finished!

I would strongly recommend a thorough and careful reading of Romans 6:1-14. Read it often and meditate on it deeply. Understanding this one truth can transform your life!

Goal: To Know the Unknowable

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In Paul’s letter to the Colossian Christians, he writes this concerning his desire for them: “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Colossians 2:2-3.

When I stopped to meditate on this passage I got to thinking what an amazing goal this is. I’m especially focusing on the phrase “and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding….” Paul’s desire for his people is that reach and discover all the riches of full understanding. How does this take place? I think it takes place on two fronts. The first is in the heart of the person and their desire to grow in their understanding and the second is in the instruction they receive in their local church.

When God saves a person He gives him or her the desire and motivation to grow. God’s seed is in him (1 John 3:9), and he has the Holy Spirit indwelling him. These changes that take place when a soul is regenerated are essentially the giving of spiritual life when there was none before and this life has the natural desire for spiritual food, just like a human infant has a desire for food (1 Peter 2:2). So it is appropriate for Paul to have this as a prayer request and vision for his people.

Second, it’s important for the individual Christian to be regularly attending a local gathering of believers where the Word of God is taught in all its fullness and power. Each one of us needs to have the Word of God opened and exposed to our understanding so that we begin to see the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33). The depth of God’s wisdom cannot be plumbed, nevertheless, Paul frequently prays that people would see the bounds of what is boundless and understand what is beyond understanding (see Ephesians 3:18 for example).

So for this desire and prayer of Paul to be realized, each of us must eagerly approach the Word with all of the spiritual discipline we can bring to bear and pastors must expound and explain the Scriptures in such a way that the people begin to fathom the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.