October 13, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers and Colossians? Here’s today’s reading:
Colossians 2 (NIV)
1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal 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,……Continue Reading
The pain and humiliation of the cross was intended to not just remove the threat of Jesus but to show the people His weakness and frailty, to try to disporve His powers and abilities that the people had seen, many with their own eyes. They used such a horrific death to try to speak their truth and convince the people that Jesus did not have the power to save even Himself let alone anyone else. This made His victory over death so much more spectacular, so much more powerful. Pastor always says God will be glorified through you or in spite of you and this was a time when He used such a horrible act in such a glorious way! He used it to give all a spectacular victory over sin and death, to know His amazing power is available to us to endure anything we will face when we believe that this gruesome death happened for us, paying a debt we could never pay, and saving us from that same fate we would find when we are left to our own ways.
Colossians 2
Collosians 2
Well said Kelly.
Paul was warning the believers in Colossae to beware of false teachers that were trying to use philosophy, vain deceit, and the tradition of men to lead them astray from what they learned about Christ and how to be saved. vs 4,8. He was encouraging them to remember what they had learned. Col. 2;6,7 {As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.} This was important verses to me when I became a believer in Christ. When we study the word of God; He will teach us the truth. If we know the truth and understand the word of God; we will know a lie when we hear it. Like a bank teller. They study the real money and know a fake when they see it. Paul also confirms here that a person gets spiritual circumcision by faith in Christ and not by the flesh. In verse 12; Paul speaks of that we are buried with Him in baptism by faith and risen with Christ. This is a spiritual baptism for water baptism cannot save anyone. Scripture is clear about this. Water baptism is only a symbol of what we have done in Christ by believing. It is also following Christ; for He gave us this example when He was baptized by John the Baptist. It is an act of obedience after we have come to Christ. But in this passage it is a spiritual baptism. Mark 1:8 {I indeed have baptized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.} How foolish we are as a human race to think that we can earn our own salvation! God is a Holy God and demands perfection. God bless you all.
8 ¶ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
”And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.“
Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV
Colossians 2
As I read chapters like this, I continue to be amazed and thankful for all that Jesus has done for us. He not only provides a way for our old lives to be forgiven, but also provides power to overcome it. We are not only dead to the sinful ways of our past, that they no longer have power over us (unless we yield ourselves to them), but He provides a new nature, a new life in us that is His life to help us pursue righteousness. And then as Paul mentions at the end of the chapter, we also have power over the evil forces that would otherwise dominate us. Let us hold to the truth found in the grace of God that provides power within rather than simply following external rules that are secondary to humility, gentleness and mercy. May we hold fast to the truth of Christ and the word and not be drawn away by the deception that is in the world today. So many arguments that come against us, but as Dennis said, by being in the word, we can recognize the counterfeit. Although I may not be Paul, I too have a passion to do what I can to lead people in the truth and remind them of all that Jesus is and provides for us.
Since the moment we first believed, our past, present and future sin was paid in full by Jesus. His victory was made known as he hung on the cross. By so doing, he disposed of all the power of the evil one to destroy our souls. God made something so horrible into something so wonderful and he will be forever praised for this amazing act of love.