Freedom For Today

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.

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:15-17 before reading the devotional below. 

Today’s passage is perhaps the most significant summary of what defines Christianity: the claim that Jesus is God. There is so much theology packed into these three little verses, so take time to read them over a few times and write down anything you notice. Here’s what I’m seeing:

1. Jesus was visible as a man on earth.

2. An invisible God cannot be seen until he appears visibly somewhere. His appearance was Jesus.

3. Jesus existed before anything was created. This language also implies that he himself is not a created being.

4. Jesus is the supreme ruler of all creation — a position only God himself could hold.

5. Verse 16 is confusing — “through him God created everything” — so is Jesus God or did God use Jesus as a separate being? (You might want to check out Genesis 1 to see the interplay between God and his Spirit during creation which is referenced here regarding Jesus. Also take a look at John 1, which describes Jesus as “the Word” who became flesh in order to live among people.)

6. Jesus created the physical and spiritual realms and it was created for himself.

7. We already established that Jesus existed, and the use of that word directly ties back to the name God had been going by since the beginning of Israel’s history — “I AM.” Jesus also made this claim in John 8:58.

8. Jesus holds all of creation together. This points to an absolutely beautiful intertwining of God’s very being and ours.

Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus’ claims to be God are what give him the power to set you free. Some like to say that Jesus never claimed to be God, or that he was simply a moral teacher. Others try to simplify God rather than embrace the complexity here as we see the interplay between Jesus, God (the Father), and the Spirit. These names are almost interchangeable at times, and at other times they seem to be quite distinct. If Jesus is not God, then he does not have the power to set you free. His resurrection and the complex nature of one God described in three persons is what makes it possible for your sin to be permanently erased.

 

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:11-14 before reading the devotional below. 

Today’s post will be a prayer that follows the themes that Paul writes in these verses. As I read the passage, my heart stirred and I felt myself praying for all of you. May it bless and encourage you!

A prayer for you:

God I pray for each one reading this today, that you would strengthen them and encourage them. I pray that no matter what obstacles they face, you would fill them with your patience and strengthen them for their journey. I pray that you would remind us of all the things we have to be thankful for, and that through gratitude we would find new measures of joy. Thank you for the spiritual and eternal inheritance you have for us — may we accept your daily provision as all that we need. Thank you for rescuing us from the darkness of this world and for setting us free. Today we ask for your forgiveness. Help us to live within your light. 

Amen.

 

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:7-10 before reading the devotional below.

We find out more in today’s verses about how Paul learned of the great work happening in Colosse: his co-worker Epaphras. Not much is known about him, though he is also mentioned in the very short letter called Philemon. This mention makes sense because Philemon’s home church was with the Colossians and Epaphras is clearly with Paul at that point.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is one that most of us have prayed for ourselves: to know God’s will for our lives. Wouldn’t it be great to just know God’s will in all circumstances? A clear path to light our way? When we have this clarity, we can live wisely, grow in spiritual maturity, honor God, and see the fruit of our spiritual labors.

Here’s your freedom for today: God’s will is not a mystery. In another of Paul’s letters (this one to the Romans), he illuminates the subject of God’s will. He says that we are to offer our bodies as a kind of living sacrifice. When we do this, we begin to know God’s will. It’s all about changing how we think — moving from the way the world works to the way God’s kingdom works. God has made these things clear to us in his word so that we can follow him. God himself is so infinite and complex that he will always be a mystery to our limited minds. But knowing his will is not a mystery, it simply requires sacrifice of our bodies and minds. Begin today by acknowledging that many (or most!) of your thoughts are unhelpful or just plain wrong. You don’t have it all figured out. You can do less, stop overthinking, and just simply do the basic things described in the Bible. The hardest part is holding still long enough to listen.