Paul says he prays for the Colossians, that they would be people who live their lives to please God in every way, that they would “live a life worthy of the Lord.” Such a person will be bearing fruit for God, and growing in the knowledge of him (1:10).
Now Paul says those seek to live their lives this way should find themselves “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…”(1:11).
Those who have walked in the way of Jesus for any length of time come to understand soon that they can’t do it on their own. Without Christ, I have very little endurance or patience. Sometimes even with Christ I don’t have those things. But someone who lives close to Christ, whose heart is set on pleasing God (and not self), will have patience and endurance in increasing measure.
The key to having patience and endurance (or any other fruit of the spirit) is “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.” Think about that for a sec—you and I are people who belong to God, who are adopted as his sons and daughters because of what Christ has done for us, who have the Spirit of God dwelling inside of us. The God of glorious might, through His Holy Spirit inside of us, strengthens us with ALL power.
The Christian life is NOT easy. If you call yourself a Christian and your life is easy, something’s wrong. (For more on that, read Crazy Love by Francis Chan). BUT, by the power of God strengthening us, we can face this life and thus it will seem much easier than life without Him. Do you want to live your life in honor of Him for all He’s done for you? Do it in HIS strength, not your own.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Life Worthy of God, pt 3
God desires that our knowledge of him would lead to great things in our lives. A person who wants to please God with his life will be one who is "bearing fruit in every good work."
There is a close link here with John 15, where Jesus talks about the Vine and the Branches. There, as in Colossians 1, we see a link between knowing Christ deeply and bearing fruit for him. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine" (v 4).
The real kicker is verse 2: "he cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." I don't think this verse implies that we can lose our salvation, but it does imply that we can become useless to God, and if we are useless to God, we ought to wonder about our salvation in the first place. A fruitless Christian is like salt that has lost its saltiness (Matthew 5:13-16).
Rather, Paul and Jesus both urge us to bear fruit in every good work. This requires us to think not only of ourselves, but of others as we go about our lives. Even more, we should think about others within the context of God's kingdom, of their relationship to Jesus. It's great to spread love across the earth, to think of others, but even those who are not followers of Jesus can do that. Our desire in all our "good works" should be to point to Jesus.
If you serve or volunteer in church, all that you do for your church is about bearing fruit. At Grace, you're fruitful for God if you've helped someone take their next step toward Christ. If you invite a friend,co-worker, neighbor, and they come for the first time, they've taken a step. You've become fruitful to God.
Now it's your turn to do a little research: the concept of pruning in John 15:2 is very important and rich with meaning. Try looking it up through Google or your favorite online Bible study resource! Give us links in the comments below!
There is a close link here with John 15, where Jesus talks about the Vine and the Branches. There, as in Colossians 1, we see a link between knowing Christ deeply and bearing fruit for him. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine" (v 4).
The real kicker is verse 2: "he cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." I don't think this verse implies that we can lose our salvation, but it does imply that we can become useless to God, and if we are useless to God, we ought to wonder about our salvation in the first place. A fruitless Christian is like salt that has lost its saltiness (Matthew 5:13-16).
Rather, Paul and Jesus both urge us to bear fruit in every good work. This requires us to think not only of ourselves, but of others as we go about our lives. Even more, we should think about others within the context of God's kingdom, of their relationship to Jesus. It's great to spread love across the earth, to think of others, but even those who are not followers of Jesus can do that. Our desire in all our "good works" should be to point to Jesus.
If you serve or volunteer in church, all that you do for your church is about bearing fruit. At Grace, you're fruitful for God if you've helped someone take their next step toward Christ. If you invite a friend,co-worker, neighbor, and they come for the first time, they've taken a step. You've become fruitful to God.
Now it's your turn to do a little research: the concept of pruning in John 15:2 is very important and rich with meaning. Try looking it up through Google or your favorite online Bible study resource! Give us links in the comments below!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Life Worthy of God, pt 2.
Paul says a person living a life worth of God will be "growing in the knowledge of God." A person who wants to please God will HUNGER for more knowledge of Him. He or she will be eager to read and study his word, books, sermons, whether alone or with others. There are many ways people grow. How do you grow?
The Bible makes clear (James 1:22) that gaining knowledge is basically pointless unless you ACT on it. If you take a course or study about how to be financially responsible the way God would want you to, what good is it if you don't take steps with your finances based on the study?
God wants you to know Him. He does not hide Himself from us. He's revealed himself through his Word, through Jesus, and through creation. It's important to note here that knowledge is more than just knowledge about God. It's personal, relational. He desires that you would know him deeply and intimately, and that your knowledge would lead to great things in your life.
The Bible makes clear (James 1:22) that gaining knowledge is basically pointless unless you ACT on it. If you take a course or study about how to be financially responsible the way God would want you to, what good is it if you don't take steps with your finances based on the study?
God wants you to know Him. He does not hide Himself from us. He's revealed himself through his Word, through Jesus, and through creation. It's important to note here that knowledge is more than just knowledge about God. It's personal, relational. He desires that you would know him deeply and intimately, and that your knowledge would lead to great things in your life.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Life Worthy of God
This morning I was reading in Colossians 1, and I came across verse 10, and those following it, where I think we gain some really important truth. We all hunger for significance, and for those who belong to Christ, our goal and aim in life should be, as Paul states, "that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way." Paul outlines four things that will get us far down the path in doing exactly this:
1) Growing in the knowledge of God
2) Bearing fruit in every good work
3) Being strengthened with his power and might so we will have patience and endurance
4) Joyfully giving thanks to the Father for His incredible gift to us--that he qualified us to be a part of his kingdom of light.
Paul of course did not intend for this to be a comprehensive list for pleasing God, but it's a good start. We'll look further into these things over the next few entries.
1) Growing in the knowledge of God
2) Bearing fruit in every good work
3) Being strengthened with his power and might so we will have patience and endurance
4) Joyfully giving thanks to the Father for His incredible gift to us--that he qualified us to be a part of his kingdom of light.
Paul of course did not intend for this to be a comprehensive list for pleasing God, but it's a good start. We'll look further into these things over the next few entries.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Ready to Meet With Jesus?
Tomorrow morning you and I will be gathered together with other followers of The Way. Hundreds of millions of people will be gathering to worship the Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. Are you ready? Where is your heart tonight? Where are your thoughts? Do you have any grievances and struggles with others? Are you running away from dealing with those, or from giving them to God? Are you being pulled away God and your relationship to him by the movie your watching? Have you stopped to reflect on your day, your week, and go over it with Jesus?
Truth is, I've watched at least one movie and more TV today among doing all the other things I needed to do. There's nothing wrong with that, but now I find I'm not as connected to God right now as I want to be. I am aware of my own weakness, lack of discipline, distractedness. Yet now all is quiet in our home. The TV is off, I must be early to bed to rise and begin the morning of serving early with many others who will do the same.
May we think over questions like these, and admit to God our shortcomings in the answers to them, and look to Him for the filling grace and joy, so that tomorrow we can serve with hearts full, while at the same time seeing Him, hearing from Him, and being filled more.
Come, Emmanuel. Ransom the captives.
Truth is, I've watched at least one movie and more TV today among doing all the other things I needed to do. There's nothing wrong with that, but now I find I'm not as connected to God right now as I want to be. I am aware of my own weakness, lack of discipline, distractedness. Yet now all is quiet in our home. The TV is off, I must be early to bed to rise and begin the morning of serving early with many others who will do the same.
May we think over questions like these, and admit to God our shortcomings in the answers to them, and look to Him for the filling grace and joy, so that tomorrow we can serve with hearts full, while at the same time seeing Him, hearing from Him, and being filled more.
Come, Emmanuel. Ransom the captives.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Foolishness of God at Advent
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 is an amazing passage that talks about the wisdom of God looking like absolute foolishness to mankind, except to those who love God with all their hearts. As we enter into this advent season, think about the prophets. Think about Isaiah’s suffering servant passage…this is the Messiah? A man who would be broken and bruised beyond recognition?
The whole idea of God, the Word, the Supreme Being of the universe seen and unseen, coming and taking on the form of us, to have blood coursing through his veins, to have canker sores, to be in the womb of a 13 year old girl and grow and be born as a little baby in an animal barn…when you stop and consider it, isn’t it absolutely CRAZY? It doesn’t make sense! It seems so completely ridiculous, and amazing and astounding.
I’m remembering a scene from the Fellowship of the Ring, at the council in Rivendell as the story of the ring is unfolded and the plan that Gandalf and Elrond seem to have thought of about what must be done…Boromir’s response is “This is utter folly.” The idea of pinning all the hope of the world on a four foot hobbit seems completely idiotic to a man who is used to warfare. Everyone knows it—the way to win wars and beat the enemy is to have a bigger or at least better army with superior fighting strength. Israel thought the way to beat the Roman empire was for God to send a great warrior captain to lead them into battle. But the Roman empire was the smaller story, God had bigger things to save them and us from, and needed someone even more powerful than an army. And so he promised that Emmanuel would come, God with us.
The whole idea of God, the Word, the Supreme Being of the universe seen and unseen, coming and taking on the form of us, to have blood coursing through his veins, to have canker sores, to be in the womb of a 13 year old girl and grow and be born as a little baby in an animal barn…when you stop and consider it, isn’t it absolutely CRAZY? It doesn’t make sense! It seems so completely ridiculous, and amazing and astounding.
I’m remembering a scene from the Fellowship of the Ring, at the council in Rivendell as the story of the ring is unfolded and the plan that Gandalf and Elrond seem to have thought of about what must be done…Boromir’s response is “This is utter folly.” The idea of pinning all the hope of the world on a four foot hobbit seems completely idiotic to a man who is used to warfare. Everyone knows it—the way to win wars and beat the enemy is to have a bigger or at least better army with superior fighting strength. Israel thought the way to beat the Roman empire was for God to send a great warrior captain to lead them into battle. But the Roman empire was the smaller story, God had bigger things to save them and us from, and needed someone even more powerful than an army. And so he promised that Emmanuel would come, God with us.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Ahhhh!!!
I'm still here, still in the battle, and man is it ever a fight! There is so much that comes at us each day trying to turn us off to Jesus, to his presence, to the Holy Spirit inside of us, to the bigger story God is writing for us. I don't have time to write where I've been lately, but I encourage you to do what I'm trying to learn--to bring Jesus into every moment. I know I've failed countless times in the past few days, and I've hurt myself and others, those I love deeply, in the process. But we press on knowing that Jesus is our righteousness!
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