Some verses seem to show forgiveness as conditional, but the New Covenant teaches us otherwise. In Christ, God forgave us unconditionally, and we are to do the same for others.
Forgiving those who wound us can feel like the hardest thing ever. But doing so frees us from what others have done to us … and what we’ve done to ourselves.
Few phrases change our perspective more than ‘But God’. Joseph’s time in Egypt shows how Father can use the worst circumstances imaginable to bring about His greatest glory ... and our greatest good.
Philippians 2 presents the greatest ‘But God’ in Scripture. While we were dead to God, because of His great love for us, He made a way for us to receive what we need most … life together with Christ!
Rooted in Christ and established in the faith, the Colossians must be on guard against false teachers who promised earthly wisdom and human tradition. Their standard? Whether what they heard is according to Christ.
Encouragement is among the most powerful gifts we can give someone. Knit with the Colossians in spirit, Paul taught them who they are in Christ, how to walk in the world, and why they must watch for the enemy’s lies.
All wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. This comes in handy when slick-talking false teachers sidestep the truth to deceive the saints. Only our Lord can show us what’s true … and what isn’t.
Our suffering is not only for our maturity, it’s for others’ too. Paul’s agony for the saints in Colossae had a purpose … that they might pursue Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Rejoicing in our suffering sounds absolutely impossible. But it’s not … if we rely on His strength. When we braid intimately with God, He doesn’t replenish our meager strength. He gives us His instead (Isaiah 40:31).
In His grace, God allows us to share the sufferings of Jesus so that we can become like our Savior in His death. It’s only then that we begin to truly know Him and to experience His resurrection power in our lives.
Suffering. No one wants it, but it’s God’s gift to us wrapped in dark paper. Paul wrote that suffering is necessary to make the word of God fully known. It’s crucial to advance God’s kingdom … and to advance God’s kingdom in us.
Understanding the supremacy of Christ begins with recognizing His role in creation. Our Jesus, Who came to us as the tangible, safe expression of God, was the very One Who created everything in the heavens and on the earth.
Father God qualified us to share His inheritance, delivered us from darkness, transplanted us into His Son’s kingdom, liberated us by paying the ransom, and forgave us our sins … past, present, and future. In Christ, we have it all now!
Paul continues his encouragement by praying for the saints in Colossae … but not about specific problems or needs. Instead he prays that they’d overflow with the knowledge of God, so that they’d choose to walk worthy of Him.
The epistle begins with Paul’s warm praise for the Colossian believers’ faith in God and love for the saints. And the reason for this? It’s their hope, their confident expectation, of what’s laid up for them in heaven.
Relationships are costly. And when they’re broken, it’s so very easy to simply discard them. But Christ’s life in us desires to pay the cost for restoration, using the currency of forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, and love.
When conflicts occur, we often pray for things to go back to how they were. But what if more is possible? This is how Paul approached Philemon, encouraging him to let God rebuild his relationship with Onesimus in an unprecedented way.
Frank and John’s podcast series on the One Anothers goes from the classroom to the real world. Join them as they consider how Apostle Paul worked to restore a tricky relationship in the early church.
Forgiving one another is a command meant for our good. Frank and John discuss the need for forgiveness, the consequences for refusing to do it, common counterfeits, and most importantly how to do it.
Forgiveness is a great idea, until it’s time for you to do it. Then it can seem almost impossible. But Christ’s life empowers us to do the supernatural … to forgive completely, just as the Lord has forgiven us.