A Daily Devotional – Colossians – Personal Meditation (7)

A Daily Devotional – Colossians – Personal Meditation

Comment: On Friday, we looked at what I termed “cancerous blights” on churches throughout the New Testament dispensation. I suppose if the church were a physical being, we could say this literally but since the church is not human in that sense the term is a metaphor. We seldom think of church philosophies or legalistic church disciplines as SIN, we assign other words to the root cause and this does not correct the problem. Philosophies replace Truth with lies to reject, or redefine Truth; this is sin, (Colossians 2:8) do not be cheated from life in Christ by empty (sinful) words. Also, legalistic doctrines bring people back to their sin by focusing on performance of the flesh. We know from scripture that our flesh (spiritually speaking – Romans 7:13-25) cannot be improved on. This work becomes a ‘debt of sin’ which no one could afford to pay. Christ through His death and resurrection has justified (Colossians 2:14) the faith of all who believe. In both of these sinful practices we find human reasoning seeking to redirect truth, or improve on what God has already accomplished through the Death and Resurrection of His Son; the Christ/Messiah.

Devotional: Colossians 3::12-17 – Another sin recorded here is Colossians is to willingly fail to understand the character of the New Man we are in Christ. We are no longer representatives of our previous character; we have elected by faith to be reborn in the image and likeness of Christ. As elected Children of God we are to put on characteristics that are approved of God. We are as His Children holy and beloved by Him, thus we are to put on the character of Christ. This is a sanctifying step of faith, one that far too many of us resist, resulting in sin.

We are to be tender-hearted, to show mercy, to practice kindness, humility, meekness and patience (longsuffering). For most children of God this is not a simple task since our previous character of ‘no faith in God’ resists the character of the new man who ‘has faith in God’. In the flesh, we do not like bearing the burdens of someone else since the burdens we have tend to get in the way. We also dislike forgiveness, unless it is directed at us. The solution sounds to simple, but it is SIMPLE! Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh. 

As does the apostle Paul exhorts in Galatians 5:16 – “I say then; Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the thus of the flesh.” Without faith; it is impossible to please God and when I do not love my brothers and sisters in Christ I am not pleasing God. Love is first bond of being perfected in Christ. This perfect love comes only by walking by faith and letting the peace of God rule in our heart. We were called in this union with Christ by His Love, read 1 John 4:7-19.