Colossians 2:16-23 Three Warnings From Paul To Us

"Paul gave three warnings for us to heed if we are to enjoy our fullness in Jesus Christ."

Let No One Judge You:  "Human nature thrives in religious duties ... Somehow adhering to the religious routine inflates the ego and makes a person content in his self-righteousness.  The basis for our freedom is the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The person who judges a believer because that believer is not living under Jewish laws is really judging Jesus Christ, saying that Christ did not finish the work of salvation on the cross ... Legalism is bondage!  It is a popular thing because you can measure your spiritual life -- and even brag about it!"

Let No Man Declare You Unworthy Of Your Reward:  "A Christian who fails to obey God's directions does not lose his salvation.  But he does lose the approval of the Lord and the rewards He has promised to those who are faithful ... There is, then, the danger that our lives today will rob us of reward and glory tomorrow ... The false teachers in Colosse had visions and made contact with angels.  In bypassing the Word of God and the Spirit of God, they were opening themselves to all kinds of demonic activity -- because Satan knows how to give counterfeit experiences to people ... Trying to reach God the Father through anyone or anything other than His Son, Jesus Christ, is idolatry ... True worship always humbles a person.  The mind is awed by the greatness of God; the heart is filled with love for God; and the will is submitted to the purpose God has for the life."

Let No One Enslave You:  "Next Paul attacked and condemned asceticism -- rigorous self-denial and even self-mortification in order to become more spiritual ... The ascetic hopes to sanctify the soul by his discipline of the body.  Fleshly discipline has no sanctifying value."

"The power of Christ in the life of the believer does more than merely restrain the desires of the flesh, it puts new desires within him.  Nature determines appetite.  The Christian has the very nature of God within, and this means he has godly ambitions and desires.  He does not need law on the outside to control his appetites because he has life on the inside!"

Father, thank You for changing me and giving me new desires.  Help me never to depend on my own strength, but solely on Yours to help me discipline myself to honor only You in all that I do.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 2:4-15 Encouragement When We're Under Attack

Paul offered encouragement for the Christians at Colosse under attack from their enemies:

Keep Making Spiritual Progress:  "In the Christian life, we never stand still:  we either go forward or gradually slip backward ... The Christian who is not making spiritual progress is an open target for the enemy to attack and destroy ... It is the Word of God that builds and strengthens the Christian ... Today, Christians who study the Word become established in the faith.  Satan has a difficult time deceiving the Bible-taught believer.

Watch Out For Spiritual Perils:  "Beware lest any man carry you off as a captive ... The false teachers didn't go out and win the lost, any more than cultists do today.  They kidnapped converts from churches... The Christian who dabbles in mysticism and the occult is only asking for trouble ... The false teachers in Colosse did not ask the believers to forsake Christ.  They asked them to make Christ a part of the new system.  But this would only remove Him from His rightful place of preeminence."

Draw On Your Spiritual Provisions:  "The false teaching that threatened the Colossian church was made up of several elements:  Eastern mysticism, astrology, philosophy, and Jewish legalism.  It is the latter element that Paul dealt with in this section of his letter.  Apparently, the false teachers insisted that their converts submit to circumcision and obey the Old Testament law ... Paul made it clear that the Christian is not subject in any way to the Old Testament legal system, nor can it do him any good spiritually.  Jesus Christ alone is sufficient for our every spiritual need, for all of God's fullness is in Him...  When Jesus Christ died and rose again, He won a complete and final victory over sin.  He not only died for our sins, but He died unto sin.  What the law could not do, Jesus Christ accomplished for us ... We identified with the Head, Jesus Christ.  Whatever happened to Christ also happened to us.  When He died, we died with Him.  When He was buried, we were buried.  When He rose again, we arose with Him -- and we left the grave clothes of the old life behind."

Thank You, Father, for empowering us through Your Son to be able to see these attacks coming and to be able to draw on Your power to sustain us through them.

--

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 1:21-2:3 Paul Tells Them About His Three Ministries

"The Colossians received a letter from a man they'd never met, who was a prisoner, accused of being a troublemaker.  Paul now wrote to explain his ministries."

Sharing The Gospel:  "His was a ministry of reconciliation, revealing to them their past alienation ... estranged from God ... their present reconciliation ... where God took the initiative to bring them to Himself through the cross ... and their future glorification ... at our Lord's return ... Paul was saying, 'If you are truly saved, and built on the solid foundation, Jesus Christ, then you will continue in the faith and nothing will move you."

Suffering for the Gentiles:  "The false teachers made much of the fact that Paul was a prisoner of Rome ... Instead of being ashamed of his suffering, Paul rejoiced in it.  Paul rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer shame for His name ... and he was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles ... He was also suffering for the sake of Christ's body, the church.  Paul did not ask as do some believers, 'What will I get out of it?'   Instead he asked, 'How much will God let me put into it?' ... The Head of the church in heaven feels the sufferings that His people endure."

Striving for the Saints:  "Now we meet Paul the prayer warrior, striving in prayer for the individual saints that they might mature in the faith.  He not only preached, but he also warned ... It is necessary to warn God's people against the lies of the enemy ... We must also teach them the positive truths of the Word of God ... the basic truths of the Christian life.  He wanted them complete and mature in Christ.  This would be evidenced in their lives by encouragement, endearment, enrichment, and enlightenment.  The mature believer has assurance in his heart that he is a child of God.  The spiritual knowledge that he has in Christ constantly enlightens him and directs him daily ... Paul interceded for them, laboring to the point of exhaustion, agonizing in prayer ... Paul exerted his spiritual muscles the way a Greek runner would exert himself in the Olympic games."

What a way to pray!  "The Spirit gives us divine energy for prayer, in spite of the way we feel."

Father, help my ministry to be like Paul's.  Lead me to share the gospel more, to rejoice as I suffer for You, and to teach the saints.  Keep me stoked as a prayer warrior, laboring and agonizing in prayer as Paul did!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 1:15-21 Knocking The Props Out From Under The False Teachers

"The false teachers in Colosse would not deny the importance of Christ.  They would simply dethrone Him, giving Him prominence but not preeminence ... Paul used four unanswerable arguments to prove the preeminence of Christ:

Christ is the Savior:  "And His four saving actions are delivering us, translating us (moving us into His kingdom of light), redeeming us, and forgiving us ... Christ has not only set us free and and transferred us to a new kingdom, but He has canceled every debt so that we cannot be enslaved again.  Satan cannot find anything in the files that will indict us."

Christ is the Creator:  "He existed before creation, He created all things, all things exist for Him, and He holds all things together ... ONLY GOD exists before all creation and only God can make creation cohere.  To make Jesus Christ less than God is to dethrone Him."

Christ is the Head of the Church:  "When a person trusts Christ, he is immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into this body.  Each Christian is a member of this spiritual body and Jesus Christ is the Head (source, origin, leader, and ruler).  As the Head of the church, Jesus Christ supplies it with life through His Spirit."

Christ is the Beloved of the Father:  "Paul declared that all fullness DWELT in Jesus Christ -- the sum total of all the divine power and attributes ... The word dwell means much more than merely to reside ... the form means to be at home permanently ... The Father would not permanently give His fullness to some created being.  The fact that it pleased the Father to have His fullness in Christ is proof that Jesus Christ is God."

"Contrary to what the gnostics taught, Jesus Christ was a true human being with a real body.  He was God in human flesh.  When He died on the cross, He met the just demands of the law because He paid the penalty for man's sins.  Reconciliation was completed on the cross."

Father, thank You for showing Paul Your truths that allowed him to refute the false teachers.  Help me to remember than as I talk with others.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 1:9-14 -- Only Getting Started With These Verses Today!

"Paul knew of the false teaching that was threatening the church, so he centered his praying on that problem.  In his prayer, Paul made three requests:

"He prayed for Spiritual Intelligence:  God wants us to know His will and understand it ... As we study His Word and pray, we discover new and exciting truths about God's will for His people ... He wants us to be controlled by His Spirit ... He gives us through the Spirit the wisdom and insight that we need."

"He prayed for Practical Obedience:  In the Christian life, knowledge and obedience go together.... I cannot work FOR God unless I am walking WITH Him, but I cannot walk with Him if I am ignorant of His will ... As we spend time with God, we get to understand Him and His will for our lives, and as we go out to obey Him, we learn more."

"He prayed for Moral Excellence:  Wisdom and conduct should always be related to moral character.  One of the great problems in our evangelical world today is the emphasis on spiritual knowledge and Christian service without connecting these important matters to personal character.  For example, some teachers and preachers claim to have God's wisdom -- yet they lack love and kindness and the other basic qualities that make Christian life beautiful and distinctive."

"The grace of our Christian lives is but a result of God's power at work in our lives.  Spiritual growth and maturity can come only as we yield to God's power and permit Him to work in us."

Father, I want You to have Your hands on the reins of my life.  Guide and direct me.  Use the Christian character You've been developing in my lifetime to help me become more like Christ.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Colossians 1:1-8 Wow! A LOT Of Commentary For Eight Verses!

Yesterday, I checked my commentary to make sure I'd have time to read whatever it had on the first chapter, only to find it had 8 pages of deep stuff for the first 8 verses!  And by the time I'd read, highlighted, and absorbed what was there, I'd still not had time to journal what God was showing me!  So today I finish spending two quiet times on eight verses!

"Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colosse because a crisis had occurred that was about to destroy the ministry of the church."  Father, I'm amazed at how You've sovereignly directed me to another book about another church having problems.  Help us to learn from each of them so that our church can once again be a beacon of ministry for You!

"Some new doctrines were being taught in Colosse and were invading the church and creating problems.  So Paul wrote this letter to the Colosians in order to refute these heretical teachings and establish the truth of the the gospel ... It was a combination of Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of gnosticism.  The gnostics were the people who were in the know when it came to the deep things of God [not!]  They were the spiritual aristocracy in the church."

"In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question and completely defeated all satanic forces.  He put an end to the legal demands of the law.  In fact, Jesus Christ alone in the Preeminent One.  All that the believer needs is Jesus! ... When we make Jesus Christ and the Christian revelation only part of a total religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him the preeminence."

"Paul traced the stages in the spiritual experience of the Colossian believers:

They Heard The Gospel:  "It centers in a Person -- Jesus Christ.  It is the Word of truth.  It is the message of God's grace.  It is for the whole world."

They Believed In Jesus Christ:  "We are not saved by faith in faith ... the modern attitude is, 'If you believe, you are safe."  But the obvious question is, 'Believe in what?'  Their answer:  'Just believe!'  Nor are we saved by faith in a set of doctrines.  Saving faith involves the mind, the emotions, and the will.  With the mind we understand the truth of the gospel, and with the heart we feel conviction and the need to be saved.  But it is only when we exercise the will and commit ourselves to Christ that the process is complete ... Faith is commitment to Jesus Christ."

They Were Discipled:  "New Christians must be discipled.  In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to teach converts the Word as well...  The New Testament does not teach the kind of individual Christianity that is so prevalent today -- people who ignore the local church and who find all their spiritual food in books, radio, TV, or recordings ... But we who disciple other believers must be careful not to get in the way.  We are not to make disciples for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ."

They Became Faithful in Christ:  "Faith comes through the hearing of God's Word ... We learn to walk by faith and work by faith ... Love is another evidence of true salvation, for the unsaved person is wrapped up mainly in himself... Hope is also a characteristic of the believer.  Unsaved people are without hope because they are without God ... As we come to know God better, we trust Him more and we love him more.  Love and faith encourage each other."

Father, please revel to us where in this process things have gone awry.  Put us back on track and in Your will.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 12:11-13:14 Three Motivations To Change

Paul needed to motivate the church to get things right before his third visit with them.  My commentary said he used three approaches:

He Shamed Them:  "It is a good thing when people can be ashamed of their bad actions or attitudes.  It is evidence of a hard heart and a calloused conscience when a guilty person no longer feels shame."  He shamed them for their lack of commendation, lack of appreciation, and lack of consecration.  "Paul made it clear that his desire was to solve problems and strengthen the church.  Sins in the church must be raced honestly and dealt with courageously.  To sweep them under the rug is to make matters worse.  Sin in the church is like cancer in the human body; it must be cut out."

He Warned Them:  "Prepare Yourselves" and "Examine Yourselves".  "No doubt many of the problems in the church at Corinth were caused by people who professed to be saved, but who had never repented and trusted Jesus Christ.  Our churches are filled with such people today."

He Encouraged Them:  "...by his personal prayers on their behalf, and by the Word of God ... Paul had to tear down the wrong thinking in the minds of the Corinthians before he could build up the truth in their hearts and minds.  The negative attitude of the Corinthians made it necessary for Paul to destroy, but his great desire was to build ... Our God is the God of love and peace.  Can the outside world tell that from the way we live and way we conduct the business of the church?"

Father, please help our church to understand what You showed Paul and to work toward unity as well.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Three Experiences God Gave Paul

Wow!  "Paul shared with his readers three experiences from God:

     Glory:  God Honored Him -- "God honored Paul by taking him to heaven and then sending him back to earth again ... Paul affirmed here the reality of heaven and the ability of God to take people there ... Man cannot get to God's heaven without God's help.  The interesting thing is that Paul kept quiet about this experience for 14 years! ... God honored Paul by granting him visions and revelations, and by taking him to heaven:  but He honored him further by permitting him to hear unspeakable words while he was in heaven ... during those 14 years, he had told this experience to no one ... No matter where he was -- in prison, in the deep, in dangerous travels -- he knew that God was with him and that all was well ... You and I have a marvelous encouragement in the fact that we are today seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).  We have a position of authority and victory far above all (Eph. 2:21-22).  We share God's glory now (John 17:22), and one day we shall enter into heaven and behold the glory of Christ (John 17:24)... How could Paul have such a great experience and still remain humble?  Because of the second experience that God brought to His life."

     Goodness:  God Humbled Him -- "The Lord knows how to balance our lives.  If we have only blessings, we may become proud; so He permits us to have burdens as well ... Suffering is a tool God uses for building godly character ... Paul's thorn in the flesh was given to him to keep him from sinning ... We know that God controls evil and can use it even for His own glory.  Satan cannot work against a believer without the permission of God.  Everything that the enemy did to Job and Paul was permitted by the will of God."

     Grace:  God Helped Him -- "God had another message for him, a message of grace ... God gave Paul a message that stayed with him ... sufficient grace and strengthening grace ... Paul learned that his thorn in the flesh was a gift from God.  There was only one thing for Paul to do:  accept the gift from God and allow God to accomplish His purposes ... When Paul accepted his affliction as the gift of God, this made it possible for God's grace to go to work in his life ... God did not give Paul any explanation; instead He gave him a promise -- My grace is sufficient for you.  We do not live on explanations; we live on promises ... Promises generate faith, and faith strengthens hope."

Father, thank You for Your blessings, and thank You for Your grace when I am afflicted.  Help me to see my sufferings as a gift from You to keep me humble.  Thank You for Your promises.  Without them, I would have no hope.

--

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 11 -- Three Evidences of Paul's Fatherly Love For Them

"Paul compared himself to a spiritual father caring for his family ... they were his beloved children, and he wanted the very best for them.  Paul gave them three evidences of his fatherly love for them," my commentary said.

His Jealousy Over The Church

"A father is jealous over his children and seeks to protect them from anything that will harm them... Paul saw the local church as a bride, engaged to be married to Jesus Christ.  That marriage will not take place until Jesus Christ has come for His bride.  Meanwhile, the church must keep herself pure as she prepares to meet her Beloved ... The peril is unfaithfulness to her fiance ... A divided heart leads to a defiled life and a destroyed relationship."

His Generosity To The Church

"A loving parent provides for the needs of the family, and Paul sacrificed that he might minister to the church at Corinth... It had cost the Corinthians nothing to benefit from the apostolic ministry of this great man of God ... A loving father does not lay he burdens on his children.  Instead, he sacrifices so that the children might have what they need."

His Anxiety For The Church

"His burden for the church was internal and constant ... We never know the love of our parents until we have become parents ... Being a parent has its fears as well as its joys ... The Corinthians thought that Paul's meekness was weakness, when it was really strength.  And they thought the Judaizers' arrogance was power.  How ignorant the saints can sometimes be ...Paul endured sufferings because of his love for Christ and the church.  His greatest burden was not around him but within Him -- the care of all the churches ... Whatever happened to his children touched his own heart, and he could not abandon them."

Father, stoke up my love for the church You've placed me in.  Help me to be jealous over it, generous toward it, and anxious for it.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 10 -- Three Important Areas Of Ministry To Understand

My commentary said, "Paul's first step in enforcing his ministry was to correct the misunderstandings that existed in the minds of the people with reference to his work.  They did not understand three important areas of ministry."  They are:

How to wage Spiritual warfare

"Paul wanted his converts to trust the Lord, and not the servant; so he deliberately played down his own authority and ability ... He did not depend on the human but on the divine, the spiritual weapons provided by the Lord.  His warfare was not according to the flesh, because he was not fighting against flesh and blood.  You cannot fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons."

How to use Spiritual authority

"The example we must follow is that of Jesus Christ, who came as a servant and ministered to others ... No matter what course Paul took, they were bound to condemn him.  This is what always happens when church members are not spiritually minded, but evaluate ministry from a worldly viewpoint ... How a Christian uses authority is an evidence of his spiritual maturity and character ... It takes more power to wait than to strike ... Mature leaders suffer while they wait to act, while immature leaders act impetuously and make others suffer."

How to measure Spiritual ministry

"Paul suggests three questions we may ask ourselves as we seek to measure our ministries by the will of God.

     Am I where God wants me to be?

     Is God glorified by my ministry?

     Can the Lord commend my work?

There is a present testing of the work we do.  God permits difficulties to come to local churches in order that the work might be tested and approved."

"The important thing is that we are where God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do so that He is glorified.  Motive is as much a part of God's measurement of our work as is growth.  If we are seeking to glorify and please God alone, and if we are not afraid of His evaluation of our hearts and lives, then we need not fear the estimates of men and their criticisms."

Thank You, Father.  Help me to seek Your answers to these questions about my ministry.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 9 -- Grace Giving, Part 2

"Having explained grace giving to them, Paul then tried to motivate them to get involved in the special offering; he did this by sharing five encouragements," my commentary said.

     1) Your giving will provoke others:  "A zealous Christian can be the means of stirring up a church and motivating people to pray, work, witness, and give ... yet remember that one of the basic principles of giving is to give secretly to the Lord (Matt. 6:1-4).

     2) Your giving will bless you:  "The good measure He gives back to us is not always money or material goods, but it is always worth far more than we gave.  Giving is not something we do, but something we are ... In grace giving, our motive is not to get something, but receiving God's blessings is one of the fringe benefits."

(Follow these principles:  "the principle of increase:  we reap in measure as we sow; the principle of intent:  we reap as we sow with right motives; the principle of immediacy: we reap even while we are sowing.")

     3) Your giving will meet needs:  "When a Christian starts to think of excuses for not giving, he automatically moves out of the sphere of grace giving ... Grace never looks for a reason; it only looks for an opportunity."

     4) Your giving will glorify God:  "It might be good for our churches to take inventory to see if anybody is giving thanks to God for our obedience and generosity ... There must be a balance of sharing the gospel and meeting practical needs ... It is difficult to preach the gospel to a hungry man."

     5) Your giving will unite God's people:  "It is sad when our giving becomes a substitute for our living ... When a Christian practices grace giving, his money is not a substitute for either his concern or his service.  He first gives himself to the Lord and then he gives what he has.  His gift is a symbol of the surrender of his heart."

Father, thank You for Your great blessings in giving back to me as I practice grace giving.  Remind me often that I can never outgive You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 8 -- Wisdom From God About Grace Giving

The Corinthians were not doing their part in giving to Paul's offering to help the needy Jewish believers in Jerusalem, my commentary said.  "They had made promises, but they had failed to keep them ... an entire year had been wasted.  What was the cause of this serious delay?  The low spiritual levels of the church.  When a church is not spiritual, it is not generous."

"Paul taught them that giving was an act of grace.  Paul listed a number of evidences that appear when our giving is motivated by grace:

     When we give in spite of circumstances.

     When we give enthusiastically.

     When we give as Jesus gave.

     When we give willingly.

     When we give by faith.

Paul even listed great qualities for those we place on finance committees, to handle the money given to the church:

     A God-given desire to serve.

     A burden for lost souls.

     A desire to honor God.

     A reputation for honesty.

     A cooperative spirit.

Paul's word to us on grace giving continues in the next chapter, my commentary says.

Father, I thank You for blessing me so that I can bless others.  Help me to remember that You look at my heart when I give, to see my willingness to give and my sacrifice, not what is in my hand.  Help me to always let YOU guide my heart in giving.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 7 -- Encouragement During Church Reconciliation

In my commentary, this short little chapter is labeled, "An Appeal For Reconciliation".  They are wonderful words as our own church goes through this process.

"The emphasis in this section is on the way God encouraged Paul after he had experienced such great trials in Asia and Troas."  That seems to fit nicely with where we all need encouraging right now.

"Paul encouraged the church:  Why is it so difficult to assure people of our love?  What more could Paul do to convince them? ... He was boasting of them to others, but they were criticizing him ... now there was an opportunity to mend the fences and restore fellowship."

"Titus encouraged Paul:  Paul was encouraged by the report that Titus gave of his reception at Corinth.  They had read Paul's painful letter and had repented of their sins and disciplined the members who had created the problem ... Their repentance was not merely a passing regret; it was a true godly sorrow for sin.  Godly sorrow brings repentance... Do Christians need to repent?  Jesus said that we do ... To repent simply means to change one's mind, and disobedient Christians need to repent, not in order to be saved, but in order to restore their close fellowship with God."

"The Corinthians encouraged Titus:  They went to great lengths to do the will of God ... One of the most difficult things to do is to rebuild a shattered relationship ... they can be repaired and strengthened only when people face problems honestly, deal with them biblically and lovingly, and seek to get right with God.  As you and I examine our own lives, we must determine to be a part of the answer and not a part of the problem.  We must show appreciation, practice separation, and encourage reconciliation if God is to use us to restore broken relationships."

Father, do this in our church.  Help me to be a part of the answer and not a part of the problem.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

2 Corinthians 6 -- The Craving To Be Appreciated

"The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated ... The Corinthian church did not really seem to appreciate Paul and the work he had done among them," my commentary said.

Not only had he been the evangelist who led them to Christ.  He'd also been an example for them by the way he lived and worked.  "Paul was not begging for praise, but he was reminding his friends in Corinth that his ministry to them had cost him dearly ... In the same way, are we showing gratitude to those who have ministered to us?"

Paul also appealed for separation.  "He felt like a father whose children were robbing him of the love that he deserved ... They had divided hearts.  The false teachers had stolen their hearts ... and now they were compromising with the world, so Paul appealed to them to separate themselves to God."

As he did this, he argued that "the Christian possesses a divine nature, and therefore he should want to associate himself only with that which pleases the Lord ... Also God commands His people to come out ... we must not associate with that which will compromise our testimony or lead us into disobedience."

Finally, Paul reminded them of the promise of God's blessing ... God blesses those who separate themselves from sin and unto the Lord."

"We have some spiritual responsibilities.  We must cleanse ourselves once and for all of anything that defiles us.  It is not enough to ask God to cleanse us; we must clean up our own lives and get rid of those things that make it easy for us to sin ... Perhaps there is ... some pet sin that feeds the old nature, ... or it may be an attitude that is sinful ...But cleansing ourselves is only half of the responsibility; we must also be perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  This is a constant process as we grow in grace and knowledge ... But it is foolish to try to perfect holiness if there is known sin in our lives."

Father, help me to separate myself from anything that seeks to draw me away from You.