Category: Colossians

Take a moment to read Colossians 2:6-10 before reading the devotional below. 

When and how does salvation happen? Is it all in one moment — pray the sinner’s prayer and get signed up for heaven? Or is it a process that we are slowly working out? Yes. And no. God’s power instantly transforms your life from the moment you ask for his forgiveness. But you also need to walk in that newfound freedom or it will not take root. Paul describes this process well when he says, “…you must continue to follow him.” Accepting Jesus is wonderful. Following him is just as central to your faith.

Why do we need to focus so hard on following? Because there are a lot of ideas floating around out there in the world. Different religions, unique points of view, and theories about how the world works. Some might try to tell you that all religions are basically the same. (The only people who say this are those who have never actually studied world religions in any depth.) Some of these ideas are mutually exclusive — they cannot both be true. Eventually, you have to pick a side and land somewhere. That’s called faith. Jesus’ claims to be God require faith and action.

Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus completes you. We often look to people, places, and things to make us feel whole. We buy into worldly ideas and systems in search of happiness. And yet here we see that Jesus, who embodies the fullness of God, fulfills us in a way that nothing else ever could. God created us for the very purpose of relationship with him. In unity with God through Christ, we are truly whole and free.

Take a moment to read Colossians 2:1-5 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever wanted something for someone so badly that you felt like you would do anything for them? Paul uses the word “agonize” to describe how he has felt towards the Christians in Colosse and in Laodicea. He wants unity and love for them, and he wants them to understand the mystery of Christ. This agonizing doesn’t manifest in worry or helplessness, but rather it drives Paul to keep pressing forward on his mission.

Paul isn’t with these new Christians, and he doesn’t want them to believe just anybody who comes their way. He wants the truth to prevail, and in doing so he has to keep in mind that his mission is actually the Holy Spirit’s mission. He can’t protect every follower of Jesus from believing lies. But he can write to them, encourage them, strengthen them, and pray for them.

Here’s your freedom for today: there is always a way God can use you. You may not be able to directly intervene in situations that you know could be better. Or you may not have the physical or mental ability to do as much as you’d like. Sometimes we have to work from a distance, not in helplessness or worry but in great spiritual power. Paul found a way to be an influence from prison, and you can do the same when you can’t directly get involved in helping someone. You can encourage. You can pray. You can demonstrate patience and a willingness to love. If you are focused on all that you can’t do today, ask God to show you one thing you can do. He always uses willing hearts.

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:23-29 before reading the devotional below.

Paul hammers his message home as we read verse 23: Jesus embodies the full power of God who loves you and wants you and came to rescue you. And don’t you dare forget that! I’ve certainly had people in my life that I have wanted to give that reminder to over and over. There is something about how good the Good News is that makes it take a lifetime to digest.

The next verse delves into a topic that can be a tricky one: suffering. Have you ever noticed that all the people who talk about how we should act/feel while we suffer are not themselves suffering? So let’s get rid of the simplistic talk and look at Paul. He had a sense of his mission, and he was determined to do it no matter how much he suffered for it. He had a secret that the entire world needed to know: Jesus is alive in you. And since Jesus is fully connected to God then you are fully connected to God! It’s a message worth dying for.

Here’s your freedom for today: when you are on a mission you become someone you never imagined you’d be. Notice Paul is not on his own mission — he has a word straight from God that we can adopt as our very own mission too. Some people get lost on this point because they don’t feel like they have a clear sense of calling. Don’t worry, your mission is right here: tell everyone that Jesus is alive and ready to make peace. Paul never imagined he could do this, or that he ever would want to do this, since his primary mission before this was to kill all Christians. You never know how God is going to turn your life upside-down when you get your mission from him. But you’ll become the person you were made to be.

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:21-22 before reading the devotional below. 

If you haven’t kept up with our Colossians series so far, pause and read the past few days’ devotionals to catch up. In my opinion these are some of the most important verses in the whole Bible. And they are essential leading into today’s passage.

We start in verse 21 with words that are so profound I almost don’t want to write another word: “This includes you…” If that doesn’t hit you and bring tears to your eyes, read it until it does. This peace-making that God went to all lengths to bring — it’s for you. We all are enemies of God, corrupted by sin and led astray by evil. You might think, “Well, I haven’t done anything THAT bad…” It’s not about how your sin seems to measure up to you. It is about the broken state of relationship that exists between every human and God our creator. God isn’t waiting for you to fix it. He knows you can’t. But he repaired what we cannot. He’s inviting you in to be with him.

Here’s your freedom for today: God wants you. Plain and simple, too good to be true (but yet it is!) — he wants you. He wants you so much he made a way for you to be with him, pure and blameless just like it was all supposed to be from the start. If you don’t understand the relationship as God designed it to be, read Genesis 1-3. He was willing to take a risk on us by letting us be involved in ruling over his creation. And even though it sure seems like that risk was not worth it, he doesn’t seem to be backing away from us. Instead, he’s drawing us closer. I can’t explain or understand the ways of God — all I know is that today he includes me. He wants me. And I am saying yes.

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:18-20 before reading the devotional below.

In yesterday’s post, we saw the complex interaction within God himself, with Jesus described as the visible appearance of God and the Creator of all things. Today we explore the relationship between Jesus and the church. In these verses, Jesus is described as having two roles: Head and Reconciler.

It might sound weird to describe Jesus as the head of a body (throughout the Bible used as a metaphor for the church). But Jesus and the Church can’t be separated anymore than you can be decapitated and survive. On top of that, Jesus being God himself cannot be separated from the Father. Verse 19 says that “God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ.” This intimate relationship in which there is no definable separation between God and Jesus Christ extends to the Church. We are invited into enter into God’s peace through Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross. He made things right between you and God.

Here’s your freedom for today: you have an open invitation to unite with Christ. Imagine the magnitude of this invitation — the Creator and Sustainer of all creation came in all fullness to earth in order to make peace with you. Why would he do that? Why does he care? What does it mean for you to accept God’s peace? Take some time to ponder those questions today.