Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read Colossians 2:16-19 before reading the devotional below.

You may recall from our study of Galatians 5 (from 21 Days to Freedom last month) that the early Jewish Christians are having to mentally shift their understanding of God. They had a long history of relating to him through priests and sacrifices and an emphasis on the law. In yesterday’s post, Paul contrasted actual circumcision with “circumcision of the heart” which is what God really cares about. Today Paul emphasizes that rules are not what following Jesus is all about.

If we want to follow God, what should we eat? What should we drink? Does it matter? If you are extra “religious” or “pious” does that get you bonus points with God? Extra jewels in your heavenly crown? A bigger eternal mansion? No, no, no, and no. God is not impressed with these grand gestures because they actually make you an arrogant jerk. Modern-day Christians could stand to pay attention to Paul’s point here: if you want to follow Jesus, you have to stay fully connected to him.

Here’s your freedom for today: you don’t have to worry about rules. Being “good” won’t get you any closer to God and they certainly won’t make him love you any extra. You’ve got his full love and attention right here and now. But if you stay connected to Jesus through his Holy Spirit, then you will be led down a path of wisdom. Rules don’t matter because you will know the right thing to do by the Spirit’s leading. When your heart cares, you don’t need a rule. Just like a “slow down” sign in front of an elementary school playground, if you care about kids you’ll slow down whether there is a sign or not. Rules actually cheat us from examining our hearts and bringing them into alignment with Christ. Go deeper, way past rules, all the way into the heart of God.

Take a moment to read Colossians 2:11-15 before reading the devotional below.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to know how to disarm your enemies? Like reading the insider’s guide to their biggest weak spots. Paul gives us a hint in today’s passage: just mention the cross and the dark spiritual powers crumble. It’s described here as “public shaming.” Imagine it! Jesus’ victory over death was absolutely humiliating to Satan and his demons.

We get to share in this spectacle-making scene by participating in Jesus’ death and resurrection with him. Baptism is a symbol of this, as we descend under the water and rise up again. Circumcision was an older symbol of cutting away the flesh to mark oneself as belonging to God. Jesus now accomplishes this through a supernatural open-heart surgery. He removes our sinful nature and are brought into a new spiritual life.

Here’s your freedom for today: when Jesus changes your heart he humiliates Satan. For this reason the Enemy fights this heart reconstruction process with every power he’s got. Have you ever noticed that when you start to make progress in your spiritual journey a whole bunch of things start going wrong in your life? You’re not alone. That tug-of-war that you feel is literally just that: a pull from a spiritual war far greater than your life. Keep your head and your heart in the game — let Jesus keep cutting away and removing the flesh that doesn’t belong as he crafts you into his likeness. No matter what opposition you face in each individual battle, Jesus wins the war.

 

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.