Tag: devotional

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Christ In You

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for the Journey

Colossians 1:27-29 (SOAP 1:27); Ephesians 3:1-7

“The secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you, bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.”

JB Philips

Friends, whether it is a blinding light, as Paul experienced on the road to Damascus1, or a letter from the Apostle Paul himself, God will let us know what He wants us to know in the course of His perfect timing. Here in our Scripture for today’s journey, we read that God wanted to make known to them (Jews & Gentiles) the “glorious riches” that had been given to them. These riches are summed up as the hope of glory, which includes our resurrection (Romans 8:11), the guarantee of His Spirit in us (Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 1:14), who guarantees our Heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3–4), which is, even now, being kept in Heaven for us.

Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination. Gotquestions.org

Until now, the glorious riches have been a mystery to the Gentiles. Paul explains “the mystery” as being “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This explanation was meant to encourage the believers then, and it should encourage us today. For if Christ lives in us now, we can know with certainty that we will one day be with Him in Heaven ~ for the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in us and will also give life to our mortal bodies ~ and hal-le-lu-jah! ~ He will secure for us a heavenly inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade! Friends, it is a future full of glorious riches that we can’t begin to truly picture. Make no mistake, though ~ the Spirit and the promise of the hope of glory and its glorious riches are available only to those who believe. If you are reading this today but do not know Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to follow the Know These Truths link below, where you will learn all about my Jesus and how these promises can be yours today.

The hope of glory includes our resurrection: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). It includes a heavenly inheritance: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4). The Spirit of Christ within us is the “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14).
Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination.

Gotquestions.org

Reflection and Application

In what ways are we “gloriously rich” if we have Jesus? Try making a list of all the “riches” we have in Christ? (search for them in Ephesians 1:7-14)

Response of Prayer

Father, thank you for the glorious hope and riches that we have to look forward to in Christ. Thank You for making known the mystery of the Gospel, for Christ in us, and the seal of Your Spirit, who guarantees not only our resurrection but our inheritance that is being being kept in Heaven for us. Thank you that we can know with certainty that we will one day be with You in Heaven. ~To You be all the glory, Amen

The More We Know

What does it mean that Christ is the hope of glory?

What does Colossians 1:26 mean?

Know These Truths
  1. Saul’s/Paul’s Story in a Nutshell,
    The Journey: Saul went to catch and hurt followers of Jesus.
    The Flash: A bright light brighter than the noon sun shone all around him.
    The Fall: Saul fell down on the ground.
    The Voice: A voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you hurt me?”
    The Answer: The voice was Jesus.

    What Happened Next
    The Blindness: Saul could not see after the light. His friends had to lead him by hand into the city of Damascus.
    The Three Days: Saul sat in the dark for three days without food or water.
    The Healing: A helper named Ananias prayed for Saul, and things like fish scales fell from his eyes. He could see again.
    The Change: Saul became Paul, a main teacher and writer of the New Testament. ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Responsibility of Serving

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for the Journey: Colossians 1:24-29 (SOAP 24); (Mark 8:35)

Paul counted it a joy (gladness) to suffer for the cause (spreading the Gospel). He knows this is what Christ Himself did for the Church when He walked on the earth. As BibleRef.com points out, “Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice (the scapegoat1), but Paul suffered (faced trials and tribulation as He carried out the call of Jesus in His life).”

We too have a call from God upon our lives. Paul defines it in verse 25, where he wrote, “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.”

Friends, as believers in Christ, we too have been called to serve His Church by going into all the world with His Gospel message, by loving others as Christ has loved us, by giving to those in need … and any other word or deed that makes God known.

We should consider it an honor and a privilege to serve Christ in this world, but we must not forget that suffering is to be expected, not just for Paul but for all who choose to answer Jesus’ call to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him2.

While no thought of suffering is pleasant and quite honestly serves more as a deterrent than a coveted invitation, James encourages believers to consider it an opportunity for great joy when troubles of any kind come their way. He reminds them that when their faith is tested, their endurance (or perseverance) has a chance to grow, and when their endurance is fully developed, they will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Paul certainly dealt with troubles of many kinds. “He was regularly mocked, beaten, whipped, imprisoned, and even stoned.” Yet, he continued on, praising God, writing letters to make Him known, praying for the church, and making every effort to reach others with the Gospel message, no matter the cost.

His example is a challenging one for certain. May the Spirit of God who lives in us grace us with courage and joy to live and suffer for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ – no matter where we are or who we are with.

Reflection and Application

Have you ever made yourself wholly available to God for the spreading of the gospel? Have you asked Him to use you for the advancement of His kingdom? If not, are you willing to do so now?

Response of Worship

The More We Know

  1. Leviticus 16 ↩︎
  2. Mark 8:35 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Established and Firm in The Faith

Posted on by MaryEllen

19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. Colossians 1:19-23

Paul wrote that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17), the author of Hebrews wrote that God’s Word is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12, and the Psalmist wrote that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light to guide our path (Ps 119:105). On today’s journey, it is Paul who makes it clear that God’s Word is where we find the assurance of salvation and the gifts that it brings those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are the gifts of eternal life by grace through faith, the hope of Heaven, the promise of His Spirit in us, the freedom from and forgiveness of sin, peace during trouble, and mercies that are new every morning… and the list goes on. So it is no little thing when Paul advises the believers to “remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel…” the same gospel which Paul declares he has “become a servant.“

Here on this earth, we will have troubles; we will hear of wars and rumors of war, we will see wickedness increase, and there will be those that preach or encourage a different message than the truth of Jesus Christ ~ but as Paul urged the Colossian believers, we are to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The same gospel message that we believed and through which we were saved. There will be heartaches and discouragements, seemingly unanswered prayers and needs that make us wonder where God is – but we must be resolute in our faith, not wavering, not turning to the right or to the left but trusting in and pursuing the One who pursued us. We must give the utmost effort to remembering the work and mediation of Jesus Christ on our behalf, the crux of which are found a praise song, Lord I Lift Your Name on High1, from the 80’s, “He came from Heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross our debt to pay, from the cross to grave and from the grave to the sky … Lord I lift Your name on high.”


Lord, I lift Your name on high.
Lord, I love to sing Your praises.
I’m so glad You’re in my life;
I’m so glad You came to save us.

You came from Heaven to earth
To show the way.
From the Earth to the cross,
My debt to pay.
From the cross to the grave,
From the grave to the sky;
Lord, I lift Your name on high.

Songs of Praise

Friends, it’s not something I’m proud of, but my faith was the shakiest when I began spending more time with the world and its vast temptations than in the Word of God. The longer I played both sides of the fence (or tried to), the shakier my faith became. At its worst, I began believing that I had crossed too many lines, committed too many sins to ever know God’s favor again. Eventually, I was so overwhelmed with my sin and was working so hard to be ‘good’ enough to win His love ‘back’ that I lost sight of the truth that the work of Christ on the cross had already paid the full sin debt I owed. Somewhere along the way, I had failed to fully understand the message, depth, and power of God’s grace ~ a grace that was and always will be greater than all my (our) sins. It is also a grace that is never earned but always and only received through faith alone, in Christ alone.

It’s dangerous not to see ourselves as sinners in daily need of God’s grace.2

Response of Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you that even though I was your enemy, you found me and drew me to
yourself by your great work on the cross. Thank you for dramatically transforming my heart so many years ago, for taking my sins in Your own body and pouring Your transforming power into my life. You turned God’s wrath away from me and opened the way for me to be made new in You, declaring me righteous before God. ~ Amen

Reflection and Application

What are the two things God needed to deal with so that we could be reconciled to Him?

Response of Worship

The More We Know

  1. “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” is a contemporary Christian worship song written by Rick Founds in 1989. The song was inspired during Founds’ morning devotion, where he was reading scriptures and reflecting on his faith. It encapsulates the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, expressing themes of praise and gratitude for salvation ↩︎
  2. LGG, Christ Is All I Need, p 86 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Power of Reconciliation Through Christ

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for our Journey: Colossians 1:20-23 (SOAP: 21-22); 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds, as
expressed through your evil deeds, but now he has reconciled you
by his physical body through death to present you holy, without
blemish, and blameless before him – Colossians 1:21-22

I often find myself saying, or hearing others say, “I honestly don’t know how people get through life without God.” How do they navigate life-threatening illnesses, the agonizing grief of burying a loved one without the hope of eternity, or the pain of divorce and the devastation of job loss? To those without faith in Jesus, a God of endless mercy, love, and grace can seem impossible to understand. As Paul wrote, the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). They struggle to comprehend a Creator who loves a world of sinners so deeply that He gave His only Son to them (John 3:16). It passes human understanding that Jesus—sinless, powerful enough to heal the sick and raise the dead—would willingly hang on a cross for our sins instead of calling down ten thousand angels to save Himself (John 10:18; Matthew 26:53). Yet, the truth is, as Paul wrote to the Colossian believers, Christ gave His life for strangers and enemies, reconciling them with His physical body through death so that He could present them blameless before God. Because of His sacrifice – His blood on the cross – and the unfathomable grace of God, salvation has been offered to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved … Acts 16:41
Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 6:47
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Consider the following commentary found in the Love God Greatly Journal, Christ is All I Need, and let the reality sink in that before we came to Jesus, we were strangers from God and cut off from Him. How does knowing that you were an enemy and stranger before God make you feel? Read through the three verses above that declare God’s gift and means of reconciliation – how does this make you feel?

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
what is old has passed away—look, what is new has
come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Friends, how have your responded to God’s loving and undeserved offer of reconciliation? If you haven’t turned to Him in faith and gratitude, I invite you to click here: “Know these Truths”

The Bible makes it clear that by nature we all have a deep hostility toward God in us. This is expressed through evil deeds. We were strangers to God because we loved our sin, and we hated the God who rebuked our sin. We didn’t want to surrender to Him but instead cling to our own plans and ideas.
Since sin was the root cause of the problem, a holy God not only had to deal with the punishment for sin but also with our hearts. We needed to be dramatically transformed with a new heart, which did not love sin and was not hostile to God anymore. Reconciliation was only possible if our sinful nature was changed, and God’s holy wrath was appeased.
And that’s exactly what God did. He appeased His wrath by pouring it out on Jesus, and He made us new creations by faith in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His own body. When we believe in Him, He pours His transforming power into our lives.
When we trust Jesus for His redemptive work, we are declared righteous. And when we get to heaven, we will finally become in practice what we are now already in position: holy, without blemish, and blameless.

LGG, Christ is All I Need, p 81

Prayer Response

Lord Jesus, even though I was your enemy, you found me and drew me to yourself by your great work on the cross. Thank you for making a way where there was no way. Amen.

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Fullness of God

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for our Journey through Colossians: Read Colossians 1:15-19 and John 15:1-8; (SOAP: Colossians 1:19)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him.
17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son

Colossians 1:15-19 NET

Yesterday’s journey revealed that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. We looked at power of Jesus. The fact that He has always been and will always be. He was there in the beginning, creating with God. He was in the heart of creation, as Paul writes, “all things in heaven and on earth were created in/through Jesus.” God wanted Paul’s readers, us included, to understand that Jesus was not only there in the beginning as part of the creative team (Father, Son, Spirit), but he was fully and creatively involved. As Bibleref.com explains, His creative power “included absolutely everything imaginable: heaven, earth, visible, invisible.” Paul wrote that even “thrones and dominions, principalities or powers ~ all things were created through him and for him.” In other words, as Paul suggests in Romans 11:36 and as John mentioned in John 17:24, “Creation exists for His glory.1“


For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

Romans 11:36

In today’s journey, we continue to look at Paul’s beautiful word portrait of Christ. He portrays Him as the head of the church (the body of Christ). Friends, that’s us; as believers we are the Church. This means Christ is the head of us. We are under His authority. Just as a vine is the source of the branches, so Christ is the source of our faith and salvation. As He told the disciples, we are to abide in Him, yielding to His leadership and control; and our lives should reflect His love. I love the way that today’s LGG journal explains this: “Think of the little branch on the vine. It can do nothing by itself. It needs the sap of the vine to flow into it in order to be of any use. That’s what Jesus is to us. He is the sap, the living water, God’s fullness, flowing into our barren lives.”

That’s what Jesus is to us. He is the sap, the living water, God’s fullness, flowing into our barren lives.”

LGG Journal, Christ Is All I need, p 78

As I was typing that last quote from the book, it made me think of an old hymn I used to love to sing, called “Fill My Cup Lord”. It is a great reminder that while our hearts may respond and even chase after the treasures of this world, none can truly fill us up and satisfy our souls. Only Jesus and the fullness of God’s love that He alone can offer us will be enough, for “The infinite God gives Himself to us in the person of His Son. Jesus is a reservoir full of God’s mercy, love, and grace. We can come to Him whenever we want and receive all we need.2“

Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy.
And then I heard my Savior speaking—
“Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”

(chorus) Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

There are millions in this world who are seeking
For pleasures earthly goods afford.
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

(chorus)

So my brother if the things that this world gives you
Leave hungers that won’t pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray—

(chorus)

Instead of trying to find fulfillment in earthly things, let’s instead go to Him who said: “The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35)

Prayer Response

Lord Jesus, I am empty, but you are full. I am needy, but you are sufficient. You can fill every void in me. I thank you for this reminder and ask that you help me always turn to you instead of the world and its offerings ~ only then will I be truly satisfied; only in You will I find all I need. Thank you. Amen.3

The More We Know

  1. Bibleref.com, Romans 11:36 ↩︎
  2. LGG, Christ Is All I Need, p 78 ↩︎
  3. Adopted in part from LGG, Christ Is All I Need, p78 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Visible Image

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for the Journey: Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:1-3 ~ (soap: Col 1:16)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him.
17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. ~ Colossians 1:15-17 NET

I have a friend whose father passed away many years ago. However, because two of his children (and some of their children) look and sound just like him Corky’s ‘image’ remains visible to me. As I was reading today’s passage, I thought of them and the clear resemblance of their features. I get the same type of comments from the nurses and residents at the senior living center where my mother lives: “You look so much like your mother” is part of at least one conversation or greeting every time I visit. While these similar traits and comments make me think of Paul’s declaration that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God”, there is a distinct difference. While I may look very much like my mother, unlike God, my mother was never invisible. Instead, my mom has a visible form that I resemble. Corky had a visible form that many in his family resemble. However, Paul writes that “Jesus is the image of the invisible God.” In other words, as Bibleref.com explains, “The unseen God became seen, in the form of Jesus.1“

Paul also describes Jesus in this passage as the “firstborn of all creation.” However, it is important to understand that this in no way means that Jesus was created. Jesus was, and is, and always will be. John wrote in John 1:1, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In John 10:30, Jesus Himself declares, “The Father and I are one.” A quick glance back at Genesis 1:1-2 reveals that: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” God was creating from the beginning, and as we have already been reminded, John wrote that Jesus was in the beginning with God. He went on to say in the verse that followed that “He/Jesus existed in the beginning with God.” This settles any question of Jesus being a created being. Paul makes it equally and dramatically clear in verses 16 and 17 of our passage today, where he writes: “for all things in heaven and on earth were created in Him ~ all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or power ~ all things were created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and all things are held together in Him.”

If He were created He would not be equal to the Father, nor would He be eternal.

Bibleref.com

Friends, in the beautifully poetic exaltation of Paul in Colossians 1:15-17, describing Jesus as Creator, we must not lose sight of this truth: Jesus created not only the sun, moon, and stars… He created us. As today’s LGG Journal entry rightly reminds us: “We were made for Jesus, not the world, your reputation, your relationship status, or your material possessions. You were made to know and worship the Creator.2

Reflection and Application

Love God Greatly’s journal entry for today concludes with this statement and two questions: “Everything was created in, through, and for Jesus. He is the only being worthy of our worship.”

  • Is your mind captured with the greatness and beauty of Jesus?
  • Do you worship Him?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, you made everything. You are in charge of all powers. Nothing happens without your permission. Help me to worship you in the way you alone deserve. Amen3

The More We Know

What does John 1:2 mean? by Bibleref.com

This continues to introduce Jesus, while countering false views of spirituality. John already described Jesus as the Logos, meaning “the Word,” of God (John 1:1). Jesus is a living message: a definition of God the Father. John also specifies that Jesus did not become God. Nor did He rise to the level of God. Jesus Christ has always been God, from the very beginning. John 1:1 states that the Word was God, not something separate from God.

This verse clarifies that this was true from the start. Jesus was not a created being, nor a separate being. He was, and is, God. This is a claim Jesus will make of Himself later in the gospel. In John 8:38, for instance, Jesus claims to speak what He has heard directly from the Father. Shortly after, in John 8:58, Jesus not only claims to have existed before Abraham, He refers to Himself using the name of God: “I am.” John will relate several of these “I am” statements in his book.

Footnotes
  1. Bibleref.com, Colossians 1:15 ↩︎
  2. Christ is All I Need, p74 ↩︎
  3. Christ is All I Need, p74 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Joyfully Giving Thanks

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map: Colossians 1:1-14 (SOAP: 12-14)

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

  12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.  13  For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,  14  who purchased our freedom  and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:9-14. NET

I marvel at these opening words (1-14) of Paul in his letter to the Colossian believers. He wasn’t just happy to hear about their salvation and their faithfulness. He wasn’t merely offering an obligatory pledge to pray for them; he was blessing them with the utmost encouragement that prayers were continually being lifted up on their behalf. As we looked at in the earlier parts of our journey, Paul even listed out the reasons and focus of their prayers – which centered on the work of the Father, their faith in the good news of the Gospel, God’s grace, and the love the Holy Spirit had given them for others. We noted how the entire Trinity ~ the Father, Son, and Spirit is part of Paul and Timothy’s prayer and the faith of the Colossians. Don’t miss that the focus of their prayers was that the people would “live worthily of the Lord and please Him in all respects…”

From the beginning, Paul’s words bring conviction to my heart, but twelve verses into this opening portion of the letter, my toes are still being stepped on. For Paul now encourages the Colossian believers to be filled with joy and give thanks to God, and proceeds to instruct them or prompt them with all (or many of the things) that they have to be thankful for. His list is appropriate for us today and one that I am persuaded to use in my own prayers of thanksgiving.

Always thanking the Father that …

  • God has made it possible for me to share in the <strongift and promises of salvation</stron
  • He has promised me an inheritance (in the light1) that belongs to His people (Galatians 3:6-14)
    • Christ is the Light of the world… John wrote that He is the Word of God… The Word is often referred to as light – such as in Psalm 119:105
  • He has promised deliverance from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ
  • and finally, here in Colossians, we are reminded that we are promised the redemption, which is the forgiveness of sins through the blood and mediation of Christ Jesus our Lord – the only begotten and beloved Son of God

Friends, we have many reasons to give thanks to God on any given day; however, these that Paul mentions for the “Church/believers in Colossae” should flow from our lips often – for other believers/Churches as Paul and Timothy are doing here and for ourselves – as we realize with a fresh awareness that God chose to deliver us, not only from our sins but from the power of darkness over our lives — as Paul wrote. May we never forget or take lightly the gift of redemption (the forgiveness of sins) that we have received through the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of our loving God.

Reflection and Application

  • What sins has Jesus saved you from?
  • Who can you begin praying for to be free from the chains of sin by the grace of Jesus Christ?

The More We Know

Key Bible Passages for Sharing in the inheritance of Abraham, through faith in Christ

  • Galatians 3:29: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [1]
  • Galatians 3:7: “Realize, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.” [1]
  • Romans 4:13: “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” [1]
  • Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” [1, 2, 3]

In verse 12, Paul also makes mention of light, “which is an important part of Hebrew thinking. According to the Jewish people, all knowledge and goodness was symbolized by ‘light’ while sin and ignorance were characterized by ‘ darkness.’ This is a theme of the apostle John, as well, frequently used in both his letters and the Gospel of John.”

  1. https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-12.html ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Sharing in the Inheritance

Posted on by MaryEllen

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Colossians 1:11-12

Remember, our journey yesterday revealed that Paul’s reason for praying for the church was so that they might please God – not just in the big things but in “every good deed [or work]. In today’s passage, Paul continues to share his prayer for the church – both to encourage them in their walk of faith and to remind them that God has enabled them to share in the “inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.” This is not simply an inheritance of property or land or money, but the far more valuable gift of God, which is eternal life and that of the Holy Spirit.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the assurance and realization of the saints’ inheritance. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.” The Holy Spirit is both a seal and a guarantee, affirming the believer’s status as an heir and providing a foretaste of the future inheritance.

Peter describes the inheritance as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). It is an inheritance not earned or deserved, but acquired by faith and secured through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. By God’s grace, believers are described as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), sharing in His glory and the fullness of God’s promises.

Click here for more on the inheritance that is ours through Christ.1

I really appreciate the following commentary2 from David Guzik concerning the prayer of Paul and Timothy for the Colossian believers:

c. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This is how we can be fully pleasing to God and how we can have a worthy walk.

i. This is an echo of Jesus’ thought in John 15:7-8: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

ii. “‘Fruitful in every good work.’ Here is room and range enough – in ‘every good work.’ Have you the ability to preach the gospel? Preach it! Does a little child need comforting? Comfort it! Can you stand up and vindicate a glorious truth before thousands? Do it! Does a poor saint need a bit of dinner from your table? Send it to her. Let works of obedience, testimony, zeal, charity, piety, and philanthropy all be found in your life. Do not select big things as your special line, but glorify the Lord also in the littles – ‘fruitful in every good work.’” (Spurgeon)

d. Strengthened with all might: As we walk worthy of the Lord, His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges, and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering) with joy.

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

a. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us: In the divine administration, the Father is mentioned in connection with the broad sweep of His plan of redemption. He is the Person of the Trinity who initiates the plan of the ages.

b. To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints: It is the Father who qualifies us, not our own works. We gain this as an inheritance, instead of earning it as a wage.

Reflection and Application

Friends, let us not overlook Paul’s words of specific thanks to the Father. Instead, let us be faithful to include such thanksgiving in our own prayers. For it is good to give thanks to God, to praise Him for what He has done and for His good, good gifts – of love, mercy, and grace and of His presence with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Let us also be quick and faithful to not just tell someone we will pray for them but truly and specifically pray for them and make them aware of our prayers that they might be encouraged and strengthened “with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.”

  1. https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_saints’_inheritance.htm ↩︎
  2. Guzik, Enduring Word ↩︎
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Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Confident Hope

Posted on by MaryEllen

 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

Colossians 1:3-5 (SOAP verse 5)

Friends, I am borrowing from the LGG Study Journal again today – partly because I am having computer problems and having to use my iPad to post this, but also because I was out later than expected tonight helping Abi with her classroom.

Today’s focal point is verse five, and it is one of the key verses of the entire book. A reminder for us that it’s not just important to have faith – we must be confident in our faith – the belief in the truth that God has promised us a home in heaven with Him … not because our parents believed, or because “we worked for it or earned it, or ever could,” but solely because of God’s amazing grace.

Consider these words from the LGG team:

Do you often think of the hope lad up for you in heaven? The hope that one day, you will be totally healed and perfected, forever filled with indescribable joy? That all your tears will be wiped away, and nobody will ever cause you grief again? That you will finally see the loving face of Jesus?

Note how this hope came to us: Through the gospel. We didn’t work for it, and we don’t deserve it. But God gave us hope simply because we heard the message of truth and believed it. The gospel is the message that Jesus died and rose again three days later to forgive us of all our sins. It is a gift of grace through faith. God has subsequently prepared a place in heaven for those who trust in His Son.

Our hope as Christians is based only on God’s grace. Because it’s not based on our performance, it is firm. It is not a case of “I hope I’ll make it to heaven somehow.” Instead, we can proclaim, “I know I’ll make it to heaven because of what Jesus has done for me.”

Have you ever heard the phrase that some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good? Clearly this is not the teaching of the Bible. Right here, Paul is saying that the hope of heaven actually gives rise to love and encourages us to live faithfully and missionally here on earth. Real heavenly mindedness will make us more loving, less self-centered, less fearful, and less greedy.

Jesus Himself promised that whatever it may cost us now to serve and love others, our reward in heaven makes these sacrifices more than worthwhile.

Lord Jesus, please open the eyes of my heart so that I can see more clearly the glorious future that awaits me. – Amen.

Reflection and Application:

What about you? Is your faith confident or shakable? Is it based on the truth of the Gospel that you have heard or is it in the church…the people…your family…your good works??? Take some time and consider these questions and examine your faith.

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Uncategorized

The Thanks Belong to God

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8; James 1:17 (SOAP: Colossians 1:3-4)

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, Since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

Colossians 1:3-4

Today’s post is shared from p 40 of the Love God Greatly Journal, Christ is All I Need

Through the report of others, Paul heard about the faith and love of the Colossian believers. They trusted in Jesus, and they loved other Christians. Interestingly, he doesn’t praise them for it. Instead, he gives thanks to God for these virtues. Why? He knows that they didn’t produce their own faith or love, but these were gifts of grace from God.

Can the same be said of us? Are we marked by love for God and others? Let’s never forget to thank God for anything good we see in us, since He is the One who has produced it, and let’s acknowledge that every “perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17).

There is no room for pride or jealousy. How do we feel when we see other Christians displaying Christ-like characteristics? Do we honestly rejoice with them, giving thanks to God for the good He has worked in them, or do we maybe feel a little jealous? The attitude God wants us to have is one of gratitude. Just like Paul, we should thank God for everything positive we see in our fellow Christians.

Let’s remember that everything good, whether material or spiritual, is given to us by God. May we be made into women who overflow with thankfulness for the good we ourselves have received and that has been given to others.

Just imagine what an encouraging place the church would be if we not only saw God’s good work in others, but, like Paul, we were truly thankful for it rather than jealous. Imagine how much joy could be spread if we genuinely rejoiced with others for what God has done in their lives.

Lord, I confess that so often I become proud of what I have, or I am jealous of what others have. Please forgive me and make me into a thankful person. Amen.

Today’s Reflection and Application:

Can you think of spiritual fruit in your own life which you are thankful for? How about any spiritual fruit in one of your Christian friends? How could you encourage them about it?