Wednesday – March 2, 2016
Hump day is here, so here comes God’s Word for today. God is so good, God is so great! Looks like a whole caravan of Arabian (one hump) camels and they are proclaiming the Glory of God. I will now return to our study of Colossians picking up again with Colossians 2:2.
Colossians 2:1-2 (KJV)
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
The Apostle Paul is engaged in Spiritual Warfare for these saints and faithful brethren at Colossae and Laodicea “That their hearts might be comforted”. As we discussed yesterday this use of the word heart is a Greek word transliterated ‘kardia’ referring to the decision making part of their mind. Paul among other things wants their heart to be comforted. The word translated ‘comforted’ more accurately would be translated as some form of calling as in being called to one’s side, in this case called or encouraged to be knit together in love with other believers. So Paul is praying for them to hear and choose the call of the Holy Spirit to be knit together in love. He points out to them some of the benefits of choosing to be knit together by love which we will discuss as well.
To be knit together means to not only be joined together physically as a community, a Church, but to be bound together in thoughts, with the same teachings. This coming together in the same thoughts, the thoughts, and the ideas of God is facilitated by and centers on love. This is Bible love, agape. I have spent quite a lot of time on this concept of Bible love in the past which is not the warm and fuzzy love of the world. The love of the world is more ‘me’ centered whereas Bible love is more ‘others’ and God centered. Many times what is described as love even among Christians is really other characteristics of the person or fruits of the spirit. Sometimes you may hear a phrase like “Oh, you can just feel the love radiating from them.” Generally they are talking about one of the more observable fruits of the born again spirit such as peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, or temperance.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
God is love and so are we in Him. Love is the fuel of faith and we cannot please God without faith and whatever is not of faith is sin therefore we can readily see that love is indispensable to the Christian walk, life. Let us look at a use of the word love, agape, in the ministry of Jesus. This is taken from the account commonly referred to as the Rich Young Ruler.
Mark 10:21 (KJV)
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
In this account the gospel writer Mark tells us that Jesus looked at the rich young ruler and “loved him”. Immediately in the same verse Jesus tells him the Truth about himself and about us in some variation. Remember this man wanted to know the path to “inherit eternal life”.
Mark 10:17 (KJV)
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Love, Jesus, the Word, told him how to inherit eternal life. However he was ruled by his emotions and left grieved.
Mark 10:22 (KJV)
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Grieving has to do with a sense of loss, a personal loss, it is self-centered. He had come to Jesus to gain eternal life and when told how to do that, he perceived it as loss, as costing too much. When we were in the world how many of us viewed salvation as costing too much? We viewed it as giving up this and that and we did not want to at the time. Funny how the ‘want too’ changes with salvation.
Bible love, agape or agapao, is an obedience to the Word, it is acceptance of and acting on the Blood Covenant, its obligations and promises, and Bible love is selfless (not selfish). Another way of looking at Godly love is the act of placing value on a person. Jesus placed enough value on the rich young ruler to tell him the Truth. Just days following this Jesus would place a value on that rich young ruler and all of us that is beyond cost, His very only blood. This young man held onto the ideas of the world and as far as we know did not receive, value, the ideas of God.
1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV)
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Jesus was obedient to the Word of God, He was selfless, and He destroyed the works of the devil when He consummated the Blood Covenant at Calvary.
By Pastor David R. Wood
