Paul emphasizes the importance of Christ-like love as the unifying force within the Christian life. The virtues he lists (compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness) are the fruit of the Spirit and should be evident in every believer's behavior. Believers must examine their lives, confess shortcomings, and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to cultivate genuine, unconditional love modeled by Jesus.
The Apostle Paul tells us we must put our to death our sinful, earthly desires, and to put on the new self, a spiritual clothing of righteousness and mental focus on Christ.
Today we see the importance of keeping our desires focused on heavenly things, specifically Christ, who is our Lord and our life.
Paul's message is a warning to believers against deceptive philosophies and legalistic teachings that threaten to challenge our freedom in Christ. He emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, urging believers to remain rooted in Him and not be swayed by religious rites and human wisdom.
If you encounter a pastor or teacher who is using a lot of human wisdom or philosophical reasoning in their sermons, be careful. It may sound good, but has no power to save.
We all long for the assurance of good things to come, yet nothing in this life provides it. However, Scripture tells us that we can be fully assured of our salvation and the hope Christ gives to those who put their faith in Him.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the importance of unity in Christ's Church, but that's often easier said than done. Paul's instruction to believers is to be of one mind and spirit and put minor disagreements aside for the sake of the gospel.
Paul labored tirelessly to proclaim the gospel and help believers mature. Similarly, as we labor for Christ's purposes, the Lord provides the energy we need to do the work He has set before us.
Paul frequently discussed the mystery of Christ, and in today's devotional we look at what this means and the incredible promise it brings to all who believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Paul understood that suffering for Christ's sake allowed him to have a deeper relationship with Jesus. We too should consider our trials and persecutions as a means to both glorify God and make us more like Christ.
As a redeemed and reconciled child of God, Christ will present you holy and blameless and above reproach before the Father. But there is an important stipulation we must keep in mind regarding this promise!
When Christ died on the cross in obedience to His Father, he fulfilled the required sacrifice for sins once and for all, and reconciled us eternally to the Father.
When we consider the astonishing stability of even a single atom, we see that it is none other than Christ holding it together by his awesome power. He is the force that keeps the Universe from flying apart.
Let's recap what we've learned in our expository devotional series in Colossians, looking at chapter 1 verses 1 to 16. To listen to all the devotionals in this series to date, visit our page on Sermon Audio or truthmatterschurch.org
Today we examine the amazing relationship of God the Father and Christ the Son as they worked together in perfect harmony to create everything in heaven and earth.
If anyone claims that Jesus Christ was only human, or simply a teacher or even a prophet sent by God, yet not truly divine in nature, our passage today crushes that argument.
God has moved us out from under the power and authority of darkness (evil) into the eternal kingdom of Christ. Our souls are already His and united with Him through the Holy Spirit.
When we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, the Holy Spirit strengthens us with the power of God to endure tribulation and significant suffering for Christ with patience in joy.
It's tempting to keep our prayers focused on earthly matters, but we should also be asking for spiritual wisdom and understanding, with a firm belief that God will give it abundantly.
Every Christian, and especially those in church leadership, must be a faithful servant to all, as modeled by Epaphras in Colossae.