Monday – March 14, 2016
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior this fine Monday. God is so good and merciful. I will now pick back up with our study of the Book of Colossians chapter two.
Colossians 2:6-7 (KJV)
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
As we delved into chapter two we found the Apostle Paul engaged in Spiritual Warfare for certain folks at Colossae and Laodicea. Each of us may be called upon by the Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to intercede for a person we know, a person or persons that we do not know, and most likely for circumstances and situations that only the Lord is privy too. All of us are called to intercede at times but for some of us it is our main calling, our assignment from the Master, for the Kingdom of God.
Paul was praying that they would heed the call of God to be knit together in love. The phrase ‘knit together’ does not necessarily denote a common physical location but a commonality of thought, understanding, words, and actions. When this was true they would have the physical and spiritual riches that comes by faith in God and knowledge of God. Remember there is no place, no option, for choosing ignorance in the Kingdom of God. As in this physical world promotion and accomplishment comes through the knowledge of how things really work so too in the spiritual world. Let me once again review what Bible love is. Bible love, agape in the Greek, is obedience to the Word of God, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, it is selflessness, and it involves understanding our obligations and functioning in The Blood Covenant. The Word of God is to be first with nothing even a close second, it is precious, beyond price, highly valued. Our access to God, to the Word of God was purchased by the precious blood of Christ. When we answer the call without reservation to walk in love, we move into the physical and spiritual riches of the Kingdom of God, but that happens only with full faith in the knowledge of that Truth. We then see that as we put this all together we have access to the highest level of knowledge concerning the mystery of the Godhead and of Christ specifically. Let’s take a look at verse two in the God’s Word Translation.
Colossians 2:2 (GW)
2 Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God.
It is said that the Old Testament is Christ concealed and the New Testament is Christ revealed. Christ is now revealed and for those who choose Him, choose the Kingdom of God we can have a knowledge of Him that changes everything for us and for those around us and we take our place in our assignment in the earth, in the world (not of the world) for the Kingdom of God.
Colossians 2:3-5 (KJV)
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
The third verse above points out that in the Godhead are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” I had pointed out previously that the word knowledge here is a lesser knowledge being more temporal and fragmentary. That is because of the word “all” which is all the knowledge of God which he possesses and accesses simultaneously at all times. We on the other hand are finite creations but can continuously expand in our knowledge and He will make available to us all that is needed at any time. Colossians 2:4 tells us that this knowledge is vital so that we are not deceived by the enemy. The Apostle Paul notes in the fifth verse that they are steadfast in their faith in Christ yet he is praying for them. Perhaps they were getting stale or had entered the very dangerous place of thinking they had arrived. We do not arrive, we are all to be pressing into Him daily and renewing ourselves continually in the Word of God.
Hebrews 2:1-3 (KJV)
1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Paul admonishes them to not be satisfied with just receiving Christ Jesus the Lord but to walk in Him.
By Pastor David R. Wood
