Glorify – Me From the Inside Out

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,
¹⁶for 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.
¹⁷He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
¹⁸He 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.
¹⁹For 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

Bibleref.com, Romans 11:36 ↩︎
LGG, Christ Is All I Need, p 78 ↩︎
Adopted in part from LGG, Christ Is All I Need, p78 ↩︎

Now This Is Eternal Life

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

John 17:3

Eternal Life

When we talk about glorifying something or someone we typically are referring to making them known – drawing attention to them or to what they’ve done – and giving them the place of honor. In this first section of John 17, Jesus lifts up His request to the Father to make Him known – not that He may boast but that He may glorify the Father. However, there is a second reason that I see and that is found in our focus verse today (3). God’s purpose in sending Jesus was so whoever believed in Him would have Eternal Life. Jesus has been making Himself and the Father known during His time on earth both to the disciples and all who would listen to the message or saw the miracles. Having come to the end of His time on earth He points out to the Father, that He has been successful in what He was sent to do. His reasoning for deeming it successful was that the disciples had accepted the message God had sent Him to give and they knew with certainty that He came from God. And this, by Jesus’ definition, is eternal life – that they know both the Father and the Son whom He sent.

For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
John 17: 8

Our Mission

Our mission as believers is to keep the message going. It’s a mission made possible, according to Jesus, by the spoken testimony of the believers that God sent Jesus to save. The mission is accomplished with more than words though, it is to be the action of loving others as Christ has loved them, (John 13:34-35; 15:8, and 17:20). We accomplish the mission by living in a way that the world will know Him through us – just as He lived in a way that the world would know God through Him. Don’t miss the passion Christ had for the mission to save the world and to make the Father known. We’ve seen it throughout the book of John and we see it here as He prays and emphasizes His hope that the world will believe that God has sent Him. I believe it is clear from His words in this prayer that Jesus’ hope was that we would share in His passion.

my Prayer

Father I don’t have to feel like you are using me. I don’t have to know anyone is listening – I only have to live and love like Jesus, who kept the message going so the world would know You – the only true God and Him, who You sent to save us.

The Emotions of Jesus

One final thing I can’t help but point out – and that is how Jesus prayed and longed for those who had believed in Him. We can feel His excitement in verse 7 over them truly understanding His relationship with the Father and the Father’s real and present role in all that had been happening. I could also feel His true longing for those who belong to Him to be with Him. This is how He longs for all of us who are His. May we equally long for Him and for the Father; and may we pray for the lost to believe.

Tag: Glorify

The Fullness of God