SOULJournal

Colossians 4

SCRIPTURE
Colossians 4:² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

OBSERVATION
Paul continues his discussion of how the child of God lives.  He talks about his relationships with God's family, biological family, with work relationships.  Now he says that not only must our relationships be Christ-like but so must our speech.  The people around us are watching how we live AND SPEAK as they evaluate Christianity and we are called to live and speak in such a way that reflects our new found status as children of God.

UNDERSTANDING
Jesus tells us that our speech reflects the kind of person we are.  In Matt 12:34 he says that the mouth reflects what is really in our heart.  Our speech, as James tells us, is one of the most difficult things to control and gives us an indicator of what is going on inside. 

The Bible tells us that the speech of the unredeemed is filled with things such as boasting, gossip, evil plots, hatred, curses, lying and deceit...to name a few.  In contrast the speech of those who are now children of God should be characterized by things such as prayer, praise to God, blessing of enemies, confession of faith, building each other up, wisdom and kindness.

Paul asks the Colossians to have the speech of the redeemed: praying, giving thanks (vs 2).  Clear proclamation of the gospel (vs 3).  Full of grace, wise in your response to people (especially unbelievers) building others up instead of cutting them down (vs 4).

LIFE APPLICATION
Lord let people know that I am a child of God because of my words.  Let praise, prayer, encouragement and thankfulness be ever present on my lips.  Thank you for loving me and saving me.  Thank you that in You I find everything I need for life and living (even if the circumstances say otherwise).  Thank you that I can be called Your child.

Colossians 3

SCRIPTURE
Colossians 3:¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

OBSERVATION
How does that translate into daily living?  It seems that in Paul's explanation of what that looks like a vast majority of that has to do with how we interact with others.

UNDERSTANDING
Much of what it means to live as children of God, whose hearts and minds are set on things above, shows itself in our relationships with people.  Paul says that children of God treat others with compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience while being humble not arrogant.  Forgiving one another just as God forgave us.  Being peacemakers, teaching and admonishing one another.  Wives submitting to husbands, husbands loving wives, children obeying parents, workers being respectful to their bosses by putting in a proper day's work.

LIFE APPLICATION
Question...
Am I living as a child of God who has been saved by grace and adopted into His family?  Or do I continue to walk in the old ways? 
Is my heart and mind set on things above? 
Am I willing to abandon the old ways of unforgiveness and anger, impatience and arrogance. 
Do my relationships with others reflect a redeemed heart and will others testify of that lifestyle in me?

In my life Lord be glorified as I set my heart and mind on you.

Colossians 2

SCRIPTURE
 ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

OBSERVATION
Having received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior Paul tells his audience that they are not done but just getting started.  Believing the good news and receiving the Giver of life they are now to live in Him.  He goes on to say what living in Him means…be deeply rooted in Christ, being built up in Him and strengthened in the faith that they were taught.  The believer's life must also be characterized by thankfulness. 

UNDERSTANDING
Live in Him:  To take the Good News in faith that it is true.  We are now children of God, adopted into His family through His Son Jesus.  This new found status requires a change in the way we live - no longer are we living according to our old way of life and it's rules, we now live by the standard of those who are God's children. 

Rooted and built up in Him:  The best way I know how to be rooted in God is by taking time to read, study and ruminate on His Word and then allowing the revelation in there to transform our lives.  We are built up as we read, study, and put into practice God's Word.

Overflowing with Thankfulness:  The life of a child of God should be characterized by thankfulness.  Thankful because of the amazing gift of grace we have received.  We were saved from death to life and not this life, complete with its hardships is a journey of joy because we are now children of God.  

LIFE APPLICATION
Lord help my life to be characterized by thankfulness - in this life we may have hard times but I rejoice because you have overcome the world.  You have given me life and love completely undeserved.  Thank you so much.  May people see a difference in me because I live thankfulness.  And Father thank you for your Word that gives me roots so that I can be built up and transformed into your image and likeness.  May I use that gift prudently.

 

Colossians 4

Gary Parker

• Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

 

Paul gives us the key that unlocks the potential to live out the Great Commission here in Colossians.

 First, he points out that our ability to know and discern the Spirit’s voice is through devoting ourselves to prayer. Through prayer (talking to God) we learn to recognize God’s voice when he speaks.

 Next, Paul exhorts us to be watchful and ready to obey when He speaks. I realize that I will never see the divine appointments and opportunities to share Christ’s love and story if I continue to walk with my eyes cast downward, my focus on myself and my nose to the grindstone. If I will look up at the world, the people and the circumstances around me with the invitation and the expectation that the Holy Spirit is going to use me to share His love with lost and hurting people, then I believe that I will be quite surprised at exactly how many chances I have missed in the past.

 Paul then gives us good counsel on how to act toward those with questions or comments. Not with defensiveness or arrogance, but with grace, compassion and patience (2 Tim 4:2).

 Finally, Paul makes an assumption that as we use words as appetizing as salt and live a life that demonstrates God’s love, people will come to us in order to ask us questions regarding our faith.

This, then, is nothing less than the blueprint to fulfill the Great Commission.

• Am I partnering with the Holy Spirit in prayer for discernment?
• Am I seizing opportunities to walk across the room to tell my story? God’s story?
• Are my words and attitudes attractive?
• Is anyone asking me about my faith? Am I prepared to answer?

 

Colossians 3

THE PG Interpretation

"Now that you are God-followers pursue the things of God, be alert to what HE is doing and join with Him.  As a God-follower you left the old life behind so get rid of all the old life ways. 
Things like sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like doing it.  Don't let feelings be the decision maker.  No more lying or discrimination either.

But here is how you need to behave...
allow God to clothe you with compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline. 
Be even-tempered,
content with second place,
quick to forgive an offense. 
Let love be evident in everything you do.

Be thankful,
be obedient to God's Word,
worship God in singing and prayer but also in the everyday moments of your lives.

Wives understand and support your husbands by submitting to them.
Husbands love your wives and don't take advantage of them.
Children do what your parents tell you to do.
Parents don't crush your child's spirit.
Workers do your best work for your bosses not your minimum - being a Christian doesn't cover up bad and shoddy work."

Okay so I used some of The Message wording but imagine what would happen if God-followers were faithful to this list - the world would see a major difference in us and we would be great witnesses of Christ.  Being a Great Commission person would happen without you having to learn a bunch of formulas and we would be reaping a great harvest. 

Let us do whatever it takes to reap the harvest - let our lives reflect that we are God-followers. 

Colossians 2

Kyle Souther

• Colossians 2:6 through Colossians 2:7 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Christ needs to be our guiding compass... Period. As soon as we let anything else begin to warp our way of thinking it will lead us in a direction we should not go. I think that I don't take the time often enough to re-evaluate my priorities and keep my "head in the game".  Without being purposeful about staying rooted in Christ, I find myself distracted and making to many decisions on my own.

 

As we all know when we start to let that happen it can only lead to bad things all around. Put god first...

Colossians 1

• Colossians 1:1,23 (TMNT) 1I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God’s master plan...There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

I think that too often we have the view that the Bible is a book of exceptions - exceptional people doing exceptional things for God - but the truth is it is about ordinary, everyday people who chose to let God work through them.  Paul was one such person.  He was a person like you and me but what he latched on to is something you and I need to latch on to - he understood and acted on the knowledge that God had called him to an assignment.   He was part of God's master plan and his part was to be a messenger of The Message to the non-jews. 

What is your part? 
Who are you to be a messenger to? 
Do you understand and act on the knowledge that you are called by God and commissioned with a special assignment? 

It is time for us to all act on that.

• Colossians 1:10 through Colossians 1:12 (TMNT) We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

COLOSSIANS

by Eugene Petersen

Hardly anyone who hears the full story of Jesus and learns the true facts of his life and teaching, crucifixion and resurrection, walks away with a shrug of the shoulders, dismissing him as unimportant. People ignorant of the story or misinformed about it, of course, regularly dismiss him. But with few exceptions, the others know instinctively that they are dealing with a most remarkable greatness.

But it is quite common for those who consider him truly important to include others who seem to be equally important in his company—Buddha, Moses, Socrates, and Muhammad for a historical start, along with some personal favorites. For these people, Jesus is important, but not central; his prestige is considerable, but he is not preeminent.

The Christians in the town of Colosse, or at least some of them, seem to have been taking this line. For them, cosmic forces of one sort or another were getting equal billing with Jesus. Paul writes to them in an attempt to restore Jesus, the Messiah, to the center of their lives.

The way he makes his argument is as significant as the argument he makes. Claims for the uniqueness of Jesus are common enough. But such claims about Jesus are frequently made with an arrogance that is completely incompatible with Jesus himself. Sometimes the claims are enforced with violence.

But Paul, although unswervingly confident in the conviction that Christ occupies the center of creation and salvation without peers, is not arrogant. And he is certainly not violent. He argues from a position of rooted humility. He writes with the energies of most considerate love. He exhibits again what Christians have come to appreciate so much in Paul—the wedding of a brilliant and uncompromising intellect with a heart that is warmly and wonderfully kind.