1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:1-6
“An Old Testament Portrait of Christ” by Robert Morman
I remember going to various churches when I was in my teens, and it was always there. That one framed picture of Jesus. You know the one. I have jokingly called it the Swedish-Pageant-Sash Jesus. He is there with blue eyes and flowing hair. His robes are white, and he wears either a red or blue sash that goes from his shoulder across his chest and around his side. He looks like he is either in a pageant or in a commercial for some hair product. He looks amazing – almost heavenly. There is usually one other picture in most churches – Jesus on the cross. It is a sanitized picture of the crucifixion. It is usually Jesus nailed to the cross looking to Heaven. For the most part, he looks normal and in good physical condition, but when we read the words of Isaiah 53, we see a completely different Jesus described.
Verse 2 says, “He [Jesus] had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” Appearance wise, there was nothing that stood out about Jesus. In His time, He would look exactly like most normal working class or even poor people in that area of the world. He wouldn’t have stood out in the marketplace. Isaiah 53 doesn’t stop there with Jesus. This is a prophecy about what would occur to the Messiah. He is called “a man of sorrows” and one “acquainted with grief”, so well acquainted with grief that it is recorded that He sweat drops of blood in the garden because of what He knew was going to occur to Him. He carried our sins. Verse 4 says it best, “he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Every sin was on Him. A sinless Savior feeling the weight of an eternity of sin. That is tremendous grief and sorrow.
Verse 5 foretells what would occur to him. “He was pierced for our transgressions.” From the flogging to the crown of thorns, to the nails, to the spear in his side, every piercing was caused by us. “He was crushed for our iniquities.” Jesus most likely would have fallen as he carried the crossbeam he would soon be nailed to. This piece of the device of torment and death would have fallen on him. Depending on the source, the beam would have weighed 75-125 lbs. Imagine falling multiple times with that weight on you, then getting up and doing it again. All of this combined with the beating Jesus would have received and his lack of sleep, food, and water would have made Him look almost inhuman in appearance. But why? Why would this occur? Verse 6,” The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Christ was sent to die because of what we have done. Every sin, big and small, was laid on Him by the Father. Jesus was mangled and marred for us at the will of the Father. This should drive us to adore Jesus more and more.
To close, let’s read the lyrics of the hymn “O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded”[i]:
“In thy most bitter passion My heart to share doth cry. With thee for my salvation Upon the cross to die. Ah, keep my heart thus moved To stand thy cross beneath, To mourn thee, well-beloved, Yet thank thee for thy death.”
Reflection Questions:
How do vv. 2-6 describe Jesus different than the pictures you are used to seeing of Him?
How does reading through these verses in Isaiah 53 help us understand why Jesus came to earth and why He died for our sins on the cross?
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
[i] F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 670.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
It seems that as I grow older (although not yet old), it seems that things take a little longer. As Indiana Jones says, “It ain’t the years; it’s the mileage.” This has been especially the case with our Bible studies. Essentially, I mean that I am getting to a stage of life where I am more convinced – maybe convicted – that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Part of that is, as I grow older and my responsibilities and opportunities grow, too, is that I do not have to get everything done. I do not have to check every box on my to-do list. The Lord knows what He wants me to do and how much time each task of His will take. So, I trust that as I spend my time each week nothing is wasted if I spend that time pursuing Him and looking to serve Him well in all areas of my life. Part of that is daily choosing to take off the old self and put on Christ. Just as each day starts with rising from bed, taking off the bed clothes, rinsing off the old in the shower, and putting on what I need for the day – deodorant, clothes, a decent volume of hairspray, bifocals – I must consciously lay out in my mind and meditate on what it means to put on Christ before heading out to meet the day.
My wife is a pro when it comes to laying out what needs to be put on the next day and how what is taken off is to be cleared away. The kids and I are blessed to have her remind us, more of them than me as their trainability leaves her more hopeful, to lay out our clothes for the next day and to remove the old to be washed or discarded as needed. When we do this, there are no distractions or detours when it comes to getting ready. When we listen to her and follow instructions, we can get up, take off the old, and put on the new. It just works. When we get off course, it seems like everything goes awry. Socks cannot be found. Shoes have been misplaced. Questions of whether we even have pants to wear or if homework is in the backpack instead of on the coffee table or if everyone’s teeth are brushed…. It never fails that precious time has been wasted, we are close to running late, or something has been left. It would all be so simple if we just laid out what we need to put on and take with us the next day. Could it be that walking with Christ is somehow similar?
Our past few Bible studies (The Tough Love of Colossians 3, Be Killing Sin & There’s No Such Thing as Imitation Fruit) have walked through the parts of Colossians 3 that tell us how we need to take off the old self and remove the sin that clings to us like dirt. We have also studied who we are supposed to be – “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12) — Who are You? parts one & two Now, we are getting to the practical part of walking with Christ: what to wear.
Because of its practical nature, this Bible study has been hard for me to complete. I want it to be clear. I need to be clear, especially considering that this list of things to “put on” is not a list of practical tips for a better life. In fact, they cannot truly be put on if one is not saved. I do not say this to exclude people. I also do not say that to include. I say it to invite people to come to Christ. I also say that to hopefully help you understand that the Christian life – a life that has been taken from dead in sin to alive in Christ – cannot, hear me canNOT be lived apart from Christ. The commandments will beat you down, suffocate, and smother you because they are meant to be accomplished through God’s power given by His Spirit to those who have put their faith in the Son. So, a big part of this study is helping you understand again what it is to be in Christ. If you find you are not in Him, I would love to help you come to know Him! And if you are in Christ, dear Sojourner, I want to help you lay out what you need to put on, namely Christ, so that you can build helpful habits (not self-help but continual parts of your relationship with Him) that will strengthen your walk with Christ and fulfill what Paul prayed for the Colossians (and I for you) in Colossians 1:10, that you may “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”. So, what to wear?
What to Wear (vv. 12-14)
Those three words – what to wear – can be either a question (as in what should I wear? or what I am supposed to wear?) or an instruction telling us what we need to wear for a certain occasion or for a certain event or activity. This ain’t that, but the analogy is helpful. Our righteousness (because of our sin) is the equivalent of putting on dress clothes after wallowing in mud – without taking a shower or so much as hosing off. The dress clothing will obviously be made dirty because we ourselves are unclean. We can compare putting on Christ then, at least to a small degree, to putting on fresh clothes after being cleaned by Him. In this analogy, Jesus is the one who cleans us and provides us with the clothing to cover us. Jesus justifies those whom He saves and covers their sin and shame with His blood, making them clean.
Paul explained to the church at Ephesus that learning and being taught in Christ helps us learn what it is “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, …and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24). That is the image Paul is trying to get across to us throughout Colossians 3:5-14. Our sinful flesh belongs to the way we used to be before Jesus saved us. We need to take it off. That old life is our grave clothes. Think about it like this: do you think Lazarus (who had been dead in his tomb long enough that his decomposing body had begun to stink – John 11:39) kept on wearing his grave clothes? That would have surely been lovely and appetizing at Martha’s dinner party the week before Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection (John 12:1-2). Nothing says, “Let’s eat”, like the smell of something dead. No, the grave clothes had been discarded – Lazarus went from death to life and came out of his tomb at Jesus’s command (John 11:43-44)! Grave clothes are for the dead. The old self and its former manner of life are products of the wages of our sin – death (Romans 6:23). It is time for those who are alive (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:4-5) to put on Christ. But what does that even mean?
First, we need to understand that putting on Christ is not something that we take on and off. Salvation and the new life that comes from Jesus saving us – from Him taking us who were dead in our sins and making us alive in Him – are reality. They are more than change in status; they are change of nature and our state of existence. Salvation is not something that can be lost because it was not accomplished by us. I know it sounds weird, but salvation is kind of a paradox. Those who are born again have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved by Jesus. There is the moment of salvation when the Spirit convicted of sin, and we repented of that sin and confessed Jesus as Lord. He is continually sanctifying us (a Bible word that the Holy Spirit is supernaturally making us more like Jesus in the new self and less like the old self) and saving us in our daily lives. And He will ultimately save us by taking us from this life into His presence!
Second, putting on Christ means that there will be evidence – fruit – of a relationship with Jesus. This is something that we have looked at in earlier sections of Colossians. In Colossians 1:10, Paul spoke to the Colossian church telling them what he had been praying for them, namely that they “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” and bear “fruit in every good work”. Their continual walk with Him grows them, provides them opportunities to serve Him, and produces fruit in their lives. In Colossians 2:6, Paul told them that they are to walk in Christ as they received Him. Again, the walk – the life – bears fruit that proves it. This is like our talking about putting on Christ and taking off the grave clothes. Dead people have no sign of life. They are dead. Think about what we refer to as vital signs: pulse, respiration, etc. They are vital to life because without them we are dead. In that same way, the fruit of Jesus changing our lives is the vital signs of our walking with Him. He took our heart of stone and gave us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). His works are not written on stone tablets but on and through our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). James made this clear by saying that our faith will be proven – not earned – by works (James 2:14-26). There are outward signs of inward change, or we are dead.
This is important, and I do not want you to be able to miss this. Putting on Christ is not putting on a show. As I have already told you, trying to do the things that come from new life in Christ will weigh you down and beat you down if you have not been saved. That is what religion is and can be. Nothing will burn you out and make you want to quit quicker than trying to accomplish what only God’s Spirit can accomplish. If there is no fruit, there is no life. Jesus told His disciples a parable about a fruitless tree in Luke 13:6-9. A man owning a vineyard had a fig tree that was of fruit-bearing age for three years, yet it never produced a single fig. The vineyard owner told the worker in charge of the fig tree to cut it down because it was a waste of space and soil. The worker convinced the owner to give it one more year, a year where he would try all he could to make the tree healthy and produce fruit, but if at the end of that year there was no fruit, the tree would be cut down because it was dead. So, it is with us. Those connected to Christ – connected to the Vine – produce fruit because of the life He gives (John 15:5). But any who profess to be alive in Christ who are altogether fruitless, they are still dead in their sins (John 15:6).
I know this might sound harsh and judgmental. This section in particular is most of what has taken so long for this Bible study to develop because I do not want you to be beat down with a religious argument. I do not want you to think that I am putting qualifications on you that you cannot meet – or thinking that I am able to give you things to do in and of myself. So, if you are looking at your life and do not see any fruit of Jesus saving you, this is not me trying to hurt your feelings; it is a gift from God if you can come to realize that you are dead in your sins. Turn to Jesus and be saved (Isaiah 45:22)! Behold, “now is the favorable time”, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)! Religion can beat you down, but the mighty hand of God can lift you up (1 Peter 5:6). If you see no fruit of Christ in your life – if you see none of His life and only yours, I beg and plead with you to look to Him, repent of your sin, confess Him as Lord, and believe on Him. He will surely save you.
If you look at your life and see fruit, no matter how small, let us look and see what He would have us wear.
What We Put on When We Put on Christ (vv. 12-14)
This is our wardrobe if we put on Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, patience, enduring care, forgiveness, and love. They stem from what we see in Jesus. Each can be clearly associated with Him, just as the sins of Colossians 3:5-9 are clearly associated with us in our sin. So, I want to treat these words – these articles of clothing as they are presented here – similarly to how we walked through the sins. In those verses, and today’s, I used the same lexicon and Greek dictionary for all the words to present their definitions fairly and not whitling the context to fit any agenda. Even when there are not quotations in the definitions, the information comes from Spiros Zodhiates’ The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament[1]. More importantly, I want to show you every verse in the New Testament (and a few from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament from the 3rd century b.c.) that contains these words. As I said in that earlier section, this may seem nerdy and/or boring, but I want you to see what the fruit is supposed to look like. I want you to see what the new life in Christ is supposed to be. I want to show you Him:
“compassionate hearts” οἰκτιρμός (oiktirmós) — This word is “the pity or compassion which one shows for the suffering of others”. It is not as strong as the word usually used to describe God’s mercy, ultimately because we are not capable of such. But it is a result of having received mercy! The word for hearts here is essentially the word for our insides, meaning that this compassion is not just something we show. As above in mentioning compassion because of receiving mercy from Jesus, this compassion comes from inside of us – out of the new life in Jesus. It is fruit.
Romans 12:1 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Corinthians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort….
Philippians 2:1 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy….
Hebrews 10:28 – Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
1 Chronicles 21:13 (Septuagint[2]) – Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of a man.”
2 Chronicles 30:9 (Septuagint) – For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him.”
Psalm 50:3(Septuagint) – Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Zechariah 7:9 (Septuagint) – “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another….
“kindness” χρηστότης (chrēstótēs) — This word is translated as “good”, “kindness”, and “gentleness”. It is kind of hard to explain this word with a simple definition. This word is a byproduct of having received grace. The grace of God spreads through one’s whole self, softening the sharp edges of our personalities and mellowing out what was once harsh. It is the word used in Luke 5:39 to talk about why the old wine is better – because it has mellowed with age. This word is not really describing actions but is a description of character. It is fruit.
Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans 3:2 – All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Romans 11:22 – Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness….
Ephesians 2:7 – …so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:4 – But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared….
“humility” ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosúnē) — We all think we understand humility or being humble, but sometimes we are falsely humble. Zodhiates does a good job with this explanation by saying this word is the “esteeming of ourselves small, inasmuch as we are so, the correct estimate of ourselves”. To illustrate, this sort of humility is seen in the sinner who realizes he or she is unworthy of the grace of God, confesses that sin to God, and repents of it. This word is especially important to the Colossian church because a fake religious version of this was already mentioned in Colossians 2:18 and 2:23 with the word “asceticism”. This was a fake humility that was meant to make people look holier than they were. The genuine form of this humility cannot be faked. It is fruit.
Acts 20:19 – …serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews….
Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
1 Peter 5:5 – Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
“meekness” πραΰτης (praǘtēs) — There really is not a good translation of this word since “meekness” in English is usually associated with being weak or coming from a position of weakness. This ain’t that. Prautes comes from a position of power. It is a heart and mind that demonstrates gentleness and grace because the person knows who they are – more importantly whose they are. It is a confident action. It is fruit.
1 Corinthians 4:21 – What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
2 Corinthians 10:1 – I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ – I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!
Galatians 5:23 – …gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
2 Timothy 2:25 – …correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth….
Titus 3:2 – …to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
James 1:21 – Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
James 3:13 – Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
1 Peter 3:15 – …but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect….
“patience” μακροθυμία (makrothumía) — This word is different than we might typically think of regarding patience. Or at least it differs from how we mean patience sometimes. It is less about endurance – just getting through something – than it is about faith or respect for others. It is what the KJV translators called long-suffering – a sense of “self-restraint before proceeding to action”. It is the quality one would have if they were able to avenge themselves after being done wrong but instead refraining to do so. It is fruit.
Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans 9:22 – What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction….
Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness….
Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
Colossians 1:11 – …being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy….
1 Timothy 1:16 – But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.
2 Timothy 3:10 – You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness….
2 Timothy 4:2 – …preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Hebrews 6:12 – …so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
James 5:10 – As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
1 Peter 3:20 – …because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
2 Peter 3:15 – And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him….
Flowing out of these qualities or attributes are some that are written out in phrases or sentences rather than in words we can break down easily and define. The first of those is “bearing with one another” (Colossians 3:13). The compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience are to be shown to others, especially to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and especially in the context of the local church. There are so many factors and factions in this world competing with and antagonizing the local church. May it not be so that we are warring against one another inside the local church (or that we claim Christ and are not a part of a local church). Yes, churches are made up of people – sinners saved by grace, but sometimes we live and act as if we have never received the grace and mercy of Christ ourselves. This is part of what Paul is talking about here. The fruit of receiving grace and mercy is extending it to others. Oh, what our faith families would be like if we showed grace to one another regularly instead of just when there are extraordinary burdens that need bearing!
Part of bearing with one another is the next quality: “if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:13). This one is tough! So often, we want to look at how we are to confront people (biblically or sinfully), but it is clear here that is more fruitful to just forgive. I think about times, especially a few of recent that I find myself suddenly convicted of, when I wanted to confront someone over some slight or hurt against me. How arrogant and selfish I am sometimes! What gives me the right to confront and call folks to the carpet when Jesus has been so forgiving – so merciful to me? That is part of forbearance: passing over sins. But to do that means that we must “in humility count others more significant than” ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Forgiveness is not easy. It is not meant to be. It is meant to be fruit of Jesus forgiving us – “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13). That kind of tears down our selfish and prideful arguments of who deserves better or who needs to know ___. Paul tells the Colossian church, and us today, that we must forgive, not should forgive, or could forgive if ___. This is imperative. This is fruit.
Wrapping Up
The last item of clothing or last part or quality of putting on Christ really brings the whole outfit together. It is kind of like how my school kids pick at me when I am dressed well (which is not very often). They tell me I need to do a “fit check”. It is usually when I wear a sport coat or a vest that draws attention to my clothing – that item takes the clothes and makes an outfit (again, as I am told by knowledgeable and well-meaning sophomores). Love, Paul tells us, should be “put on” above all the others (Colossians 3:14). The Greek word translated “love” here is one you are likely familiar with: agape. This is the love with which God loves. We only know it and can show it if we have received God’s love – that John 3:16 sort of love where God “gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the love that God demonstrated “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is unexplainable. But, then again, isn’t all love too complex to put into words? Thankfully, those who are putting on Christ have His Word to depend on and explain Him to us and others. Just as John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 show us some aspects of God’s agape toward those He saves, it serves us well to look at the Word to see how His love bears fruit in our lives and helps us to love others. I am tempted here, because I have gone longer than originally planned, to snip at some verses, but as Dane Ortlund rightly says, “the safest way to theological fidelity is sticking close to the biblical text.”[3] So, we will take a good-sized chunk of 1 John 4 – not to break apart for more Bible study but to build us up to see why agape “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). Look at 1 John 4:7-19:
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
Love, complex and simple. But in the context of putting on Christ, it is fruit. 1 John 4:19 sums that up aptly. We are capable of agape only if we have received agape. Those who are chosen of God, holy and beloved (Colossians 3:12) can have compassion welling up within them because God has had compassion on them because He loves them. They can be kind because God, in His love, has been kind to them. They can humbly look at themselves for who they are because who they are is loved by God. They can demonstrate grace and mercy appropriately because God in love pours grace and mercy in immeasurable proportions into their lives. They can patiently endure ___ because God has been, is, and will be patient with them because that is what He does for His beloved. We can bear with others and forgive them because Jesus loved us enough to forgive us and continues to do so as we need it.
Putting on Christ, then, is taking the love He gave us and turning it back toward others. Putting on Christ is showing the love and care Christ has for His Bride, the Church, toward our own local churches. Putting on Christ is showing His gospel love to the world by sharing His gospel so that people will come to know Him. Putting on Christ is more of Him and less of us until we get to the point where we see Him face-to-face – the point where we will not need to put on Christ because He will be right there with us!
[2] The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC by Jewish scholars who understood Hebrew (and Greek) better than anyone who has lived in the last 1,800 years.
[3] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 14.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.[1]
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
I love the way that Paul’s letter to the Colossian church builds and builds and builds. I think our overviews of the larger chunks of chapters one and two help us to see how it builds, but also how it fits together as an epistle or letter. Remember, where we see chapters, sections, passages, and verses there was just a letter from the apostle Paul to a church that needed help. Paragraph by paragraph the help he offers them is pointing them to Jesus. And since Paul’s letter to the Colossians was “Scripture…breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), it is important for us to remember that these words apply to us and the local churches we belong to as well!
Even though we have spent several weeks reviewing the initial chapters of Colossians, it is important that we keep our passage today in correct context:
In chapter 1, we saw Paul presenting Jesus in a beautiful hymn highlighting how Jesus, God incarnate, is preeminent over all and yet cares for them enough to deliver and redeem them (and us) “from the domain of darkness” to His Kingdom (ch 1:13-14).
Chapter 2 saw Paul helping them to understand what it is to be alive in Christ and helped them understand that receiving Christ and walking in Him (ch 2:6-7) is necessary to combat the false teaching attacking their church.
As we begin chapter 3 where Paul lays out for the Colossian church – and again, the church today – what new life in Christ is and is not, the final verse from last week’s passage (ch 2:23) strikes me a bit stronger: “These (human precepts and teaching) have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
We looked at Colossians 2:23 in the context of last week’s passage, and we need to now see it as the hinge that opens the door between last week’s passage and ours today because, contextually, it fits with both passages. The “human precepts and teaching” (ch 2:22) were spoken of in the context of the false teaching plaguing the Colossian church – that people were trying to tack on additional religious practices to the gospel and distract from it. But, as we are about to begin looking at precepts and teaching given by Paul, it is fitting that we clarify the difference between human precepts and those “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Sins are going to be listed – not Paul’s interpretation of a religion but speaking from God as He was “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). We must be careful to focus on and look at what God is saying to the church – then and now – through Paul. We must be careful to recognize the authority of Scripture to teach us what to believe and correct us when we are wrong – to teach us how to live and correct us when we sin – to give us everything we need to live this new life in Him (2 Timothy 3:17).
There is temptation to blunt what God makes sharp regarding sin – to call good what God called evil (Isaiah 5:20). There is also a temptation to take God’s Word and use it to hurt people rather than to point them to Him. Both are dangerous. Both are trying for “human precepts” instead of the divine. God’s Word says what it says, and it has power. But the former, the man-made or man-twisted have “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”. Thankfully, Paul’s answer to both – the answer that has been consistent throughout Colossians and will continue to be through the end is Jesus – is clear in our passage today.
If You Have Been Raised (vv. 1, 3)
The first word of today’s passage is “if”. As a parent and a high school teacher, I understand this word with unique clarity.
Daddy, can I go to __’s house Friday? Yes, if, you clean your room. Mr. Harris, if we all make __ or above on the assessment, you should buy us donuts. I sure will if you hold up your end of the bargain. When Friday comes or the assessment is over both sides play the parts of expert lawyer explaining how I am bound to do this or how I should change my mind because of how close they got to the agreement. Yet if leaves extraordinarily little wiggle room. If is conditional. Any agreement containing if means that its completion is contingent upon whatever in-the-event-that occurs.
In the case of today’s passage – “Ifthen you have been raised with Christ”, the condition is if someone is in Christ, whether or not they have been “raised with Christ”. One either is or is not. Think back to the way that Paul has presented this state of being in Christ throughout the letter: either in “the domain of darkness” or “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (ch 1:13), either reconciled to Him through “the blood of His cross” or “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (ch 1:20-21), either “dead in your trespasses” or “made alive together with Him” (ch 2:13). So, to say “If then you have been raised with Christ” is to say you are either dead in your sins or raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) – in Christ or not knowing Him at all (Matthew 7:21-23[2]).
It is important to the message Paul is communicating because the teachings in Colossians 3-4 are for those who have been “made alive…with Christ”, saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:5). These are not principles for a good or successful life. They are not suggestions or even a how-to manual for faith or practice. If one is not in Christ – saved, born again, these teachings are of no value and will only end in discouragement and disappointment because they are contingent on the Spirit’s power only available to those who are His.
This is illustrated through the rest of that conditional statement: “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”. Basically, if you are in Christ, seek Him. Verse 3 clarifies it even further because, once one is saved, the former pre-salvation life is over and life is “hidden with Christ in God” – eternal life is contingent upon His life, our being brought from death to life is contingent upon His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-16).
This is why the new life that comes from being in Christ is not simply a how-to manual or list of instructions – it is real and lasting transformation, life change that occurs when one goes from the “wages of sin”, which is death, to “the free gift of eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Think back to the time spent earlier on the context of ch. 2:23: only new life in Jesus is of value “in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”! Seeking Christ is more than reading His Word or praying to Him as a religious exercise, it is seeking the One who rescued you and redeemed you – who saved you. If you have been raised with Christ, why would you not seek Him?
Set Your Minds (vv. 2, 4)
There is good news in the command to seek Jesus, namely that He will be found! Look at this beautiful passage in Isaiah 55:6-7:
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
This is often viewed as an invitation – and it is – for those who do not know Christ but let us look at what it means for those who do know Him. If you have been raised with Christ, He will be found when sought and near when He is called upon. But also, if one’s wicked ways have been forsaken and unrighteous thoughts laid aside, one surely has sought the Lord and received His compassion and forgiveness – received His life – because human beings do not lay aside their wickedness of choice easily. The latter proves the former. The fruit proves the tree[3].
The command here moves from seeking Him, though, to setting one’s mind on Him. That word “set” means be mindful of, to be devoted to”[4]. Think about it like how one would set a thermostat or an alarm. A thermostat ensures that a house stays within the confines of temperatures that will keep us comfortable – that is comfortable to the one who sets the temperature. An alarm ensures that appointments are kept and things that one really does not want to miss. As a resident of Mississippi in June, I am devoted to making sure my thermostat is set correctly as the humidity and heat would quickly overtake my home. Alarms are necessities for things I want to make sure I do not miss and things I must do and are set as needed – as often as needed, as often as I need to be mindful of a time or date. How does this pertain to Jesus?
Paul tells the Colossian church to “set” their minds “on things that are above” – the same thing that he just commanded them to “seek”. The mind of the church, its members, should be set on Jesus “not on things that are on earth”. Set – like a thermostat – to keep one’s mind consistently where it needs to be, on Jesus. Set – like we would an alarm to remind us of where we need to be. Set.
Now, I have heard people say that there is a danger of being so heavenly minded that one is no earthly good, meaning that one can be so focused on “things that are above” that things below are forgotten about. That warning assumes that these heavenly minded people would have a sort of monastery view that would isolate them from the world.
I would argue that I am of no earthly good if my mind is not set on Christ. When we look at the rest of the larger section that today’s passage begins (Colossians 3:1-17), what follows comes from setting one’s mind on Jesus. The sins that are crucified are because of focusing on Jesus and the life He gives. The behaviors that characterize the new life follow in the way that He lived – and lives!
This leads to the ultimate goal: meeting Jesus. If we look at verse 4, this is the goal – the expectation of seeking and setting one’s mind on Christ – “When Christ who is your life appears”.
This is the sort of expectant devotion that reminds me of my son. The first day I spent alone with him was when he was barely a month old on my wife’s first day back at work. He screamed. He cried. He was upset. But everything changed when his mama called to see how everything had gone. He heard her voice over the phone and began to be soothed. For the first time that day (except when a bottle was in his mouth) he was quiet. As soon as he hit her arms when she got home, he was at rest. Now, I know it would be hard to say that as an infant he was thinking this or that. Yet on rare occasions when my wife is gone for a long while, every audible car noise from the street brings questions of whether his mom is back. When my wife and daughter were on a mission trip without us a year ago, every buzz on my phone brought questions whether it was his mama on the other end. And, as hard as he tried to play it cool when we picked them up at the church when they got back, everything was right in his world once his mama was home.
Expectantly setting one’s mind on Christ shows that kind of devotion. While Jesus is away, setting our minds on Him operates on the belief that He really is returning for us and has prepared a place for us (John 14:2). But, more than that, it is a connection between the one you confessed as Lord (Romans 10:9) and the life you actually live (Galatians 2:20). And when He appears – when He returns, He comes to take you with Him. Those who are His will be ready because their minds are set.
Wrapping Up
It is so easy to regiment our lives to fit everything that we want. We can schedule and plan. There are immovable commitments in our lives that will trump anything that comes up. I can be in the middle of something that has everything else in my schedule detouring around it and have it all upended with a single emergency call or text from my wife or kids. In that moment, everything else pales in comparison. The immovable appointment suddenly becomes movable.
But how does God fit in my life? Is time with Him immovable in my schedule? I learned – sadly later than I should have – that there are times that, if I do not schedule time with my wife I will run out of time – the same with my kids. I felt bad when I initially began scheduling this time because it seems so impersonal to schedule things as important as time with my wife and kids. Then, I realized that it is better to schedule than miss something important, which is the reason I had a calendar in the first place: to ensure that important things do not get missed. If I fix my schedule around gathering with my church family so that it is an immovable commitment, why should I be so foolish as to think the precious time I get with my wife and kids should be less of an immovable commitment.
I must do the same with my time with the Lord – in His Word and praying. It has become part of my daily routine (which I know also sounds impersonal). And, if I do not start my day in His Word and in prayer – if I do not set my mind on Him at the very beginning of my day, I will be off. I will be more like the old self than the new.
Important things are set. They are fixed.
And so, it must be for the minds of those who claim to be saved.
If you are reading this and find that you have no desire to set your mind on Christ or that you can make it through days or weeks or months or years without caring about spending time with Him in His Word or praying to Him, there is a problem. If you claim to be a part of His body – the church – and have left it dismembered in your absence, there is a problem. Remember that conditional if. If you are His, you will seek Him. If you are His, you will desire to spend time with Him. If you are His, there will have to come a time when you are set – fixed – on Him. It is conditional. And per His Word, the conditions are set – fixed, immovable.
Maybe there is an issue with repentance that needs to be taken care of so that you can fix your mind on Him. Or maybe, just maybe, you are not in Christ. If you have not truly been born again, it is like I said earlier: these actions are not for you. They will drain you because you do not have the Spirit’s power. They will make you feel empty and dead because those who have not been made alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5) are still dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). If this is you, then there is hope. The Bible is clear on this:
…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:9-13
If this is you, I hope you take these words to heart. If there is no fruit of life in Christ, then there is no life. But this does not have to be bad news. The words from Romans 10:9-13 tell us how to be in Christ. To confess Him as Lord is to submit to Him as the Master of your life, trusting that His ways are better than yours. To believe that God raised Him from the dead is more than mere information; it is trusting that only Him who raised from the dead can give life to those who are dead in their sin. If you call out to Him and tell Him these things, then He will save you just as He promised. Know this, whether you are in Christ or out: I am praying for you. I am praying for you to have a desire to meet God in His Word and talk to Him. I am praying for His Spirit to help you set your mind on Him and seek Him while He may be found. And, if you come to realize that you are not in Him, know that I would love to talk with you and pray for you. I would love to introduce you to Jesus.
[2] The context of Matthew 7:21-23 is interesting here because just prior to that paragraph in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15-20) is a paragraph where Jesus describes the danger of “false prophets” who appear to be part of the sheepfold but are “ravenous wolves”. The context helps us here because Jesus clarifies that one’s fruit defines what type of tree they are. Those who are in Christ bear His fruit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit thrives because those who are in Christ are connected to Him (John 15:5-6). So, based on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, no fruit means no Christ. This is very frightening and damning illustration – or it is assurance.
Early in 2022, we began a study on the epistle of Colossians but were unable to complete it at that time due to my schedule. Over the next month or so, we will finish that study: Jesus Over All!
Rather than diving in right where we left off, it is important that we refresh our memories – definitely necessary for me – so that we keep our study in context. We will revisit Colossians 1[1] today, Colossians 2 next week, and then revisit each of the two sections of Colossians 3 after that. This will poise us to be able to finish the study and to grow by God’s Spirit in the study of His Word as He intended when Colossians was written – to the church then, now, and until the return of Christ. Furthermore, I will be including the biblical cross references[2] in the footnotes so that those who are interested can see what the Bible says about itself.
Colossians 1 is important for understanding Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae not only because it is the first chapter but because it contains the beautiful Christological hymn (vv. 1:15-20) which illustrates Jesus’ preeminent position over everything that is – over all creation, and especially over us. God has graciously revealed this to us so that we can see Jesus appropriately – high above us and worthy of all worship. Yet, despite our own sinfulness and unworthiness, He offers us “redemption” (v. 1:14) and the opportunity to be delivered “from the domain of darkness” and to be transferred to His Kingdom (v. 1:13). What a beautiful opportunity to recognize Jesus is Lord and above all else and to move our hearts to believe in Him (Romans 10:9-10)!
Introduction (vv. 1:1-2)
1 Paul, [3]an apostle of Christ Jesus [4]by the will of God, and Timothy [5]our brother,
2 To the [6]saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: [7]Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Colossians 1:1-2
The book of Colossians is an epistle written by the apostle Paul to the church in Colossae, which was established by their pastor, Epaphras. It highlights the importance of everyday individuals like Epaphras in spreading the gospel and emphasizes the significance of Jesus in our lives and churches.
One of the main themes in Colossians is the preeminence of Jesus Christ over everything. Paul teaches the Colossians deeper truths about Jesus to build upon the gospel they received from Epaphras. The whole epistle highlights various aspects of Jesus and warns against false teachings that damage His church.
False teachers and distractions continue to challenge the Church today, but the good news is that Jesus is our shepherd who offers abundant life and eternal security. His grace and love – the opposite of what we deserve – provide us with peace. The goal of studying Colossians is to recognize Jesus’ supremacy, deepen our faith, and display Him as sufficient in the face of all difficulties, those that come from within and from without.
Throughout this epistle, Paul urges us to focus on Jesus, trust in His work, and guard ourselves against false teachings. Jesus is the center of our faith, offering hope and salvation to all who believe.
For more, check out the original Bible studies from this section:
Thankfulness and Prayer for the Church at Colossae (vv. 1:3-14)
3 [8]We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of [9]your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of [10]the hope [11]laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in [12]the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed [13]in the whole world it is [14]bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you [15]heard it and understood [16]the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from [17]Epaphras our beloved [18]fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your [19]love in the Spirit.
9 And so, [20]from the day we heard, [21]we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that [22]you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all [23]spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as [24]to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [25]fully pleasing to him: [26]bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 [27]being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for [28]all endurance and patience [29]with joy; 12 [30]giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in [31]the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He [32]has delivered us from [33]the domain of darkness and transferred us to [34]the kingdom of [35]his beloved Son, 14 [36]in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:3-14
In this section, Paul offers a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the church at Colossae. He expresses gratitude for their faith in Christ, their love for one another, and the hope they have that comes from Christ. Despite facing false teachings, Paul prays for their continued growth in knowing God and walking with Him. He highlights the significance of faith, love, and hope within the church, emphasizing that faith in Christ is the foundation, love for fellow believers comes from God’s Spirit, and their hope is centered on Jesus and their eternal inheritance.
Paul also celebrates the effectiveness of the gospel, the Word of Truth, which is bearing fruit and growing. He emphasizes the importance of continually embracing and sharing the gospel message, which centers on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Despite his own circumstances, Paul finds encouragement in knowing that the gospel is still being preached and producing faith, love, and hope. He recognizes that the gospel’s power lies in Jesus, who is living and active.
Paul expresses admiration for Epaphras, who has shared about the Colossian church and its faith, love, and understanding of God’s grace. Both Paul and Epaphras celebrate what God is accomplishing through the gospel and the Holy Spirit’s power. They demonstrate humility and joy, desiring Christ to be exalted above themselves. Paul refers to Epaphras as a fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ.
This section concludes with a call to reflection and prayer. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their relationship with Christ and to offer prayers of thanksgiving for hearing the gospel, having faith in Christ, and the hope of eternity. They are also urged to express gratitude for their faith community, the impact of the gospel, and the opportunity to be part of God’s work. Additionally, there is a call to thank God for the privilege of sharing the good news and to pray for those who have not yet heard and need the opportunity to embrace faith in Christ. Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers encompasses their faith, love, and hope, and he prays for their growth, endurance, and thankfulness for their salvation and inheritance in Christ.
For more, check out the original Bible studies from this section:
15 [37]He is the image of [38]the invisible God, [39]the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, [40]in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether [41]thrones or [42]dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created [43]through him and for him. 17 And [44]he is before all things, and in him all things [45]hold together. 18 And [46]he is the head of the body, the church. He is [47]the beginning, [48]the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For [49]in him all the [50]fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and [51]through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, [52]making peace [53]by the blood of his cross.
This section is a hymn that exalts and explains the identity of Jesus Christ. Throughout these six verses, the importance of understanding the true nature of Jesus in response to false teachings that had infiltrated the early church is clearly emphasized. Jesus, God in flesh and the Truth, is the only way to salvation and surpasses any distorted versions of the gospel presented by false teachers. This section points to the historical context of heresies and the recurring need to affirm the biblical understanding of Jesus throughout church history.
This passage presents scriptural evidence for Jesus being fully God and fully man, emphasizing his divine nature and his humanity. Jesus is described as the “image of the invisible God,” representing the visible representation of God and embodying His glory and nature. It needs to be clarified that the term “firstborn of all creation” does not imply that Jesus is a created being, but rather emphasizes His authority and position as the King of kings.
The passage further establishes Jesus as the creator of all things, both visible and invisible, in heaven and on earth. Jesus is credited with the power to bring everything into being and sustain the universe. He is described as being before all things and encompasses the entirety of existence. These verses highlight the divinity, authority, and creative power of Jesus, establishing Him as the preeminent and sovereign ruler over all creation.
The significance of Jesus and the beliefs surrounding Him for believers and non-believers is consistently emphasized here. This stresses the importance of recognizing Jesus as the ultimate authority and helps one not be swayed by false teachings or idolatry. Jesus is clearly shown to be the head of the Church, guiding and leading believers through His Word and Spirit. Furthermore, there is also an emphasis on Jesus’ role in reconciliation. Jesus is referred to as “the firstborn from the dead,” signifying His role as the origin of everything and the one who has conquered death. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made a way for humanity to be reconciled with God. His sacrifice on the cross and subsequent reconciliation of all things to God demonstrate God’s grace, mercy, and love.
The significance of understanding the true nature of Jesus Christ and the importance of holding onto the biblical depiction of Him cannot be emphasized enough – His divinity, authority, and creative power, as well as His role in reconciliation between God and humanity. Let us reflect on the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice and the love of God in reconciling humanity to Himself and worship Him!
For more, check out the original Bible studies from this section:
21 [54]And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, [55]doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled [56]in his body of flesh by his death, [57]in order to present you holy and blameless and [58]above reproach before him, 23 [59]if indeed you continue in the faith, [60]stable and steadfast, not shifting from [61]the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed [62]in all creation under heaven, [63]and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
The way Colossians 1 wraps up gives an invitation from God to the readers and hearers of the epistle – the original audience and even today – to respond to His Word and Spirit. Throughout the Bible, there are invitations extended by God to humanity. Examples include God inviting Noah and his family into the ark, inviting Israel through His prophets, and Jesus inviting all who labor and are heavy laden to find rest in Him. Through the work of His Spirit through the reading, hearing, and preaching of His Word, God offers the same to us today.
Reconciliation is offered by God through Jesus, an offer that acknowledges that humanity, due to sin, was alienated and hostile toward God, described as being dead in trespasses and sins. This challenges the notion that all people are inherently good and highlights the need for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. God, in His love and mercy, reconciled humanity through Jesus’ death, offering salvation and presenting believers as holy and blameless.
It is my prayer that all of us recognize our need reconciliation with God, and that if any have not that they respond by repenting of their sins and believe in Jesus. Remember, this invitation emphasizes that salvation is by grace through faith, not based on deserving it. It is also an invitation for those who believe to continue in the faith, remaining stable, steadfast, and rooted in the hope of the gospel. Re-reading Colossians 1 has led me to examine my own life. I pray it does you, too.
[1] All Scripture references unless otherwise noted are from the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 1:1–2.
[2] Cross references show what the Bible says about a particular verse, section, or word. I use the cross references heavily in my study of the Word, especially when preaching and/or teaching the Word. Cross references that parallel the verse, section, or word but do not directly reference it are marked by brackets, for example [1 Peter 2:9-12]. Cross references of similar themes will be designated by the word “See”.
[3] See 2 Corinthians 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia….
[4] See 1 Corinthians 1:1 – Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes….
[5] See 1 Thessalonians 3:2 – …and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith….
[6] Ephesians 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus…. | See Philippians 1:1 – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons…..
[7] Romans 1:7 – To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 1 Corinthians 1:3 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[8] Ephesians 1:15-16 – For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…. | Philemon 4 – I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers….
[9] See 1 Thessalonians 1:3 – …remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
[10] v. 23 | See Acts 23:6 – Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” | Titus 1:2 – …in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began…. | Hebrews 3:6 – …but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
[11] 2 Timothy 4:8 – Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. | 1 Peter 1:4 – …to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you….
[12] See Ephesians 1:13 – In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit….
[13] [v. 23] | [Psalm 98:3] – He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. | See Matthew 24:14 – And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
[14] John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. | John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. | [Philippians 1:11] – …filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
[15] [Romans 16:26] – …but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith…. | [Ephesians 4:21] – …assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus….
[16] See Acts 11:23 – When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose….
[17] ch. 4:12 – Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. | Philemon 23 – Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you….
[18] ch. 4:7 – Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
[19] [Romans 15:30] – I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf….
[21] 2 Thessalonians 1:11 – To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power….
[22] [Ephesians 1:17] – …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him….
[23] ch. 4:5 – Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. | Ephesians 1:8 – …which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight…. | [1 Corinthians 12:8] – For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit….
[24] [Psalm 1:1-3] – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. | See Ephesians 4:1 – I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called….
[25] [2 Corinthians 5:9] – So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. | [Ephesians 5:10] – …and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. | [1 Thessalonians 4:1] – Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
[27] See Ephesians 3:16 – …that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being….
[28] Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
[29] See Matthew 5:12 – Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
[30] ch. 3:15 – And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. | Ephesians 5:20 – …giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….
[31] See Acts 26:18 – …to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
[32] 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – …and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
[33] Luke 22:53 – When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” | Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
[34] 2 Peter 1:11 – For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
[35] [Ephesians 1:6] – …to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
[36] See Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace….
[37] See 2 Corinthians 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel for the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
[38] See 1 Timothy 1:17 – To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
[39] [Psalm 89:27] – And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. | See Romans 8:29 – For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
[40] Ephesians 1:10 – …as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
[41] [Ezekiel 10:1] – Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in appearance like a throne.
[42] Ephesians 1:21 – …far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
[43] Romans 11:36 – For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. | 1 Corinthians 8:6 – …yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
[44] [John 8:58] – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” | See John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[45] [Hebrews 1:3] – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
[46] See Ephesians 1:22-23 – And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
[47] Revelation 3:14 – “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
[48] Acts 26:23 – …that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” | 1 Corinthians 15:20 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. | Revelation 1:5 – …and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood….
[49] ch. 2:9 – For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily….
[50] See John 1:16 – For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
[51] See 2 Corinthians 5:18 – All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…. | See Ephesians 1:10 – …as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
[52] See Ephesians 2:14 – For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility….
[53] [Ephesians 2:13] – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
[54] See Ephesians 2:1-2 – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…. | See Ephesians 2:12 – …remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
[55] [Titus 1:16] – They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
[56] [Romans 7:4] – Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
[57] Jude 24 – Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…. | See Ephesians 1:4 – …even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. | See Ephesians 5:27 – …so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
[58] 1 Corinthians 1:8 – …who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[59] See John 15:4 – Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
[60] ch. 2:7 – …rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. | Ephesians 3:17 – …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love….
[62] Mark 16:15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. | [Acts 2:5]
[63] See 2 Corinthians 3:6 – …who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
What a beautiful opportunity it is to get to gather on the Lord’s day to adore Him in worship, thinking on His first coming, life, death, and resurrection, and looking expectantly toward His return!
Here are our Scriptures and songs:
Scripture | Luke 2:8-17 —
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
Song | Go Tell It on the Mountain —
Song | Hark the Herald Angels Sing —
Scripture | 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 —
5:16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Song | O Come All Ye Faithful —
Song | Adore Him —
Scripture | Isaiah 9:2-7 —
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Song | Noel —
Song | Your Great Name —
Invitation | God With Us —
Offertory | Light of the World —
If you have not been gathering, consider gathering with your church family again. We have a 10:00 Bible study where Jamie Harrison is walking us through the book of Revelation. If you are at-risk, this Bible study would be perfect for you so you can spread out (and even dip out the side door before the 11:00 worship gathering begins).
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word![1]
Psalm 119:27-28
Greetings Sojourners!
I have written in the past regarding struggles that I have, so I will not revisit that here today. In fact, it is my plan to be brief.
It is not often when I am found at a loss for words, but there are a few things that are on my mind as I write this that I want to say – and I hope that it is helpful to someone.
First, it is okay to struggle. It is. The idea that any one of us can be self-sufficient and manage to never have anything overwhelming happen is on one side a pipe-dream and on the other utter foolishness.
I spent too many years in my twenties trying to give the impression that I had it (whatever it is) together. And, in all of that time putting up a façade of strength and resolve, I became more and more prideful, grew to try to rely more on my own strength (which was lacking in the first place), and forgot that complete and total surrender and reliance upon God is the bedrock of faith. We trust in Him because He is God. When we are weak, He is strong. When we are drowning in whatever this fallen world throws on us, He sets our feet on the rock (Psalm 40:2) – He is even the Rock!
Second, there are many people who are struggling. Sometimes, I pride myself in getting to be the guy God uses to help struggling people. I am not so foolish to think that I can fix people’s troubles, but I enjoy getting to point people to the Christ who is my hope – to the God who saves (eternally and in present times of trouble). Over the past few weeks, a sister and some brothers in Christ reminded me that it is good to be helped and not just try to help others. In the midst of some angst, exhaustion, and despair, they helped me like I have helped others. They pointed me to Jesus. They prayed for me. I rejoice that God is not only my Savior but that He has not left me alone. His Spirit never leaves me. And He moved in the hearts of these helpers to help me.
Lastly, there are varieties of struggles that I could not begin to enumerate. But the existence of those struggles does not mean that God is not there. He is. It does not negate the hope that is in Christ for us to struggle. The trials and tribulations of this life is why we “take heart” in the One who “has overcome the world” (John 16:33)!
I know have a dear sister in Christ who has gone through many sorrows and trials over the past few years than many will ever go through in their lifetimes. She has consistently reached out for people to pray and lift her up to the Lord. He hears those prayers. He loves her.
He loves me and you, too.
The verses above appeared in my quiet time yesterday, specifically verse 28, and reminded me of what I do when I find myself overwhelmed. I meditate on God’s Word – not ohmmmmmm with legs crossed, but listening to or reading chunks of God’s Word and let my mind dwell on Him rather than whatever has me bogged down in the moment. As I say this, I feel it necessary to say that this is not a magic cure. His Word is not a series of incantations that force my struggles into submission. This ain’t that. But fixing my mind upon Him, like we have been looking at in Colossians, means that my struggles are in perspective correctly with eternity.
Yesterday when I read verse 28 – “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word” – I was reminded why I do what I do, both in personal pursuit and relationship with God and in getting to write these devotions. I seek to be strengthen by God through His Word. And I want to help you, dear Sojourner, to receive the very same thing – to point you to Him through His Word and receive the help and salvation you need.
I told you I wanted to be short and will live up to that. My feeble words are over, but I want to give you something so much better. I want to share with you some passages from the Word that help me when I am struggling. There is no better place to turn when our souls are melting away with sorrow that the Word of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Passages for Meditation
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Nahum 1:7
6 [Humble yourselves], therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:19-26
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:21-31
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Invitation/Preparation for Lord’s Supper | Behold the Lamb (Communion Hymn) — Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19, 1 Peter 2:24, Revelation 13:8, Isaiah 53:5-7, 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 2:4-9, Ephesians 4:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Colossians 3:14, 1 John 1:7, Psalm 51:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, Luke 9:23-27, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Philippians 3:10
If you have not been gathering, consider gathering with your church family again. We have a 10:00 Bible study where Jamie Harrison is walking us through the book of Revelation. If you are at-risk, this Bible study would be perfect for you so you can spread out (and even dip out the side door before the 11:00 worship gathering begins).
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.[1]
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
I love the way that Paul’s letter to the Colossian church builds and builds and builds. Where we see sections or passages, there was just a letter from an apostle to a church that needed help. Paragraph by paragraph the help he offers them is pointing them to Jesus.
In chapter 1, we see Paul presenting Jesus in a beautiful hymn highlighting how Jesus, God incarnate, is preeminent over all and yet cares for them enough to deliver and redeem them (and us) “from the domain of darkness” to His Kingdom (ch 1:13-14). Chapter 2 saw Paul helping them to understand what it is to be alive in Christ and helped them understand that receiving Christ and walking in Him (ch 2:6-7) is necessary to combat the false teaching attacking their church.
And, as we begin chapter 3 where Paul lays out for the Colossian church – and again, the church today – what new life in Christ is and is not, the final verse from last week’s passage (ch 2:23) strikes me a bit stronger: “These (human precepts and teaching) have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
We looked at it in the context of last week’s passage, and we need to look at it as the hinge that opens the door between last week’s and ours today. The “human precepts and teaching” (ch 2:22) were spoken of in the context of the false teaching plaguing the Colossian church – that people were trying to tack on additional religious practices to the gospel and distract from it. But, as we are about to begin looking at precepts and teaching given by Paul, it is fitting that we clarify the difference between human precepts and those “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Sins are going to be listed – not Paul’s interpretation of a religion but speaking from God as He was “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). So, as we talk about what is taught in Colossians, we must be careful to focus on and look at what God is saying to the church – then and now – through Paul. We must be careful to recognize the authority of Scripture to teach us what to believe and correct us when we are wrong – to teach us how to live and correct us when we sin – to give us everything we need to live this new life in Him.
There is temptation to blunt what God makes sharp regarding sin – to call good what God called evil (Isaiah 5:20). There is also a temptation to take God’s Word and use it to hurt people rather than to point them to Him. Both are dangerous. Both are trying for “human precepts” instead of the divine. God’s Word says what it says, and it has power. But the former, the man-made or man-twisted have “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”. Thankfully, Paul’s answer to both – the answer that has been consistent throughout Colossians and will continue to be through the end is Jesus.
If You Have Been Raised (vv. 1, 3)
The first word of today’s passage is “if”. As a parent and a high school teacher, I understand that this word carries the utmost importance.
Daddy, can I go to __’s house Friday? Yes, if, you clean your room. Mr. Harris, if we all make __ or above on the assessment, you should buy us donuts. I sure will if you hold up your end of the bargain. When Friday comes or the assessment is over both sides play the parts of expert lawyer explaining how I am bound to do this or how I should change my mind because of how close they got to the agreement. Yet if leaves extraordinarily little wiggle room. If is conditional. Any agreement containing if means that its completion is contingent upon whatever in-the-event-that occurs.
In the case of today’s passage – “Ifthen you have been raised with Christ”, the condition is if someone is in Christ, whether or not they have been “raised with Christ”. One either is or is not. Think back to the way that Paul has presented this state of being in Christ throughout the letter: either in “the domain of darkness” or “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (ch 1:13), either reconciled to Him through “the blood of His cross” or “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (ch 1:20-21), either “dead in your trespasses” or “made alive together with Him” (ch 2:13). So, to say “If then you have been raised with Christ” is to say you are either dead in your sins or raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
It is important to the message Paul is communicating because the teachings are for those who have been “made alive…with Christ”, saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:5). These are not principles for a good or successful life. They are not suggestions or even a how-to manual for faith or practice. Look at the rest of that conditional statement: “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”. Basically, if you are in Christ, seek Him. Verse 3 clarifies it even further because, once one is saved, the former pre-salvation life is over and life is “hidden with Christ in God” – eternal life is contingent upon His life, His resurrection.
This is why the new life that comes from being in Christ is not simply a how-to manual or list of instructions – it is real and lasting transformation, life change that occurs when one goes from the “wages of sin”, which is death, to “the free gift of eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Seeking Christ is more than reading His Word or praying to Him as a religious exercise, it is seeking the One who rescued you and redeemed you – who saved you. If you have been raised with Christ, why would you not want to seek Him?
Set Your Minds (vv. 2, 4)
There is good news in the command to seek Jesus, namely that He will be found! Look at this beautiful passage in Isaiah 55:6-7:
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
This is often viewed as an invitation – which it is – for those who do not know Christ but let us look at what it means for those who do know Him. If you have been raised with Christ, He will be found when sought and near when He is called upon. But also, if one’s wicked ways have been forsaken and unrighteous thoughts laid aside, one surely has sought the Lord and received His compassion and forgiveness – received His life – because human beings do not lay aside their wickedness of choice easily.
The command here moves from seeking Him, though, to setting one’s mind on Him. That word “set” means be mindful of, to be devoted to”.[2] Think about it like we would set a thermostat or an alarm. A thermostat ensures that our house stays within the confines of temperatures that will keep us comfortable. An alarm ensures that appointments are kept and things that one really does not want to miss. As a resident of Mississippi in July, I am devoted to making sure my thermostat is set correctly as the humidity and heat would quickly overtake my home. Alarms are necessities for things I want to make sure I do not miss and things I must do and are set as needed – as often as needed, as often as I need to be mindful of a time or date. What about Jesus?
Paul tells the Colossian church to “set” their minds “on things that are above” – the same thing that he just commanded them to “seek”. The mind of the church, its members, should be set on Jesus “not on things that are on earth”. Set – like a thermostat – to keep one’s mind consistently where it needs to be, on Jesus. Set – like we would an alarm to remind us of where we need to be. Set.
Now, I have heard people say that there is a danger of being so heavenly minded that one is no earthly good, meaning that one can be so focused on “things that are above” that things below are forgotten about. They would have a sort of monastery view that would isolate them from the world.
I would argue that I am of no earthly good if my mind is not set on Christ. When we look at the rest of the larger section that today’s passage begins, what follows comes from setting one’s mind on Jesus. The sins that are crucified are because of focusing on Jesus and the life He gives. The behaviors that characterize the new life follow in the way that He lived – and lives!
This leads to the ultimate goal: meeting Jesus. If we look at verse 4, this is the goal – the expectation of seeking and setting one’s mind on Christ – “When Christ who is your life appears”.
This is the sort of expectant devotion that reminds me of my son. The first day I spend alone with my son, he was barely a month old. He screamed. He cried. He was upset. But everything changed when his mama called to see how everything went. As soon as he hit her arms when she got home, he was at rest. Now, I know it would be hard to say that as an infant he was thinking this or that. Yet last week while my wife – his mama – was chaperoning a youth mission trip for my daughter, every audible car noise from the street brought, “Are Mama and Keri home?” Every buzz on my phone brought questions whether it was his mama on the other end. And, as hard as he tried to play it cool when we picked them up at the church when they got back, everything was right in his world once his mama was home.
Expectantly setting one’s mind on Christ shows devotion. But, more than that, it is a connection between the one you confessed as Lord and the life you actually live. And when He appears – when He returns, He comes to take you with Him. And those who are His will be ready.
Wrapping Up
It is so easy to regiment our lives to fit everything that we want. We can schedule and plan. There are immovable commitments in our lives that will trump anything that comes up. I can be in the middle of something that has everything else in my schedule detouring around it and have it all upended with a single emergency call or text from my wife or kids. In that moment, everything else pales in comparison. The immovable becomes movable.
But how does God fit in my life? Is time with Him immovable in my schedule? I learned – and sadly later than I should have – that there are times that, if I do not schedule time with my wife I will run out of time – the same with my kids. I felt bad initially because it seems so impersonal to schedule things as important as time with my wife and kids. Then, I realized that it is better to schedule than miss something important and that was the reason I had a calendar in the first place – to ensure that important things do not get missed.
I must do the same with for my time with the Lord – in His Word and praying. It has become part of my daily routine (which I know also sounds impersonal). And, if I do not start my day in His Word and in prayer – if I do not set my mind on Him at the very beginning of my day, I will be off. I will be more like the old self than the new.
Important things are set. They are fixed.
And so, it must be for the minds of those who claim to be saved.
If you are reading this and find that you have no desire to set your mind on Christ or that you can make it through days or weeks or months or years without caring about spending time with Him in His Word or praying to Him, there is a problem. Remember that conditional if. If you are His, you will seek Him. If you are His, you will desire to spend time with Him. If you are His, there will have to come a time when you are set – fixed – on Him. It is conditional. Know I am praying for you. I am praying for you to have a desire to meet God in His Word and talk to Him. I am praying for His Spirit to help you set your mind on Him and seek Him while He may be found. And, if you come to realize that you are not in Him, know that I would love to talk with you and pray for you. I would love to introduce you to Jesus.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.[1]
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
For me, this is a week of transitions. I am a public school teacher, so I have transitioned from the regular school year to summer. I will transition right back next week for summer school. I will also start my second trimester at William Carey next week.
This is also a good time to look at the transition Paul makes in the book of Colossians.
He spends so much time in the first chapter of Colossians sharing his love for them and the deep and beautiful Christological doctrines they need. I have tried to show how he moves out of those topics into why he was writing to them and the church at Laodicea in the first place: false teachers/false gospel had made its way into their churches. He has shown them Christ and shown them love because he was about to have to tell them some things that they needed to hear that they may not want to hear. Since this letter is also from the Holy Spirit to every believer from then on to Christ’s return, there are some things that we need that we may not want.
This did not get framed this way in my thinking until yesterday. Yesterday was supposed to be a quick and easy work day, wrapping up the 2021-22 school year and getting (just enough of a) head start on next year to dive into summer. I had met Jamie Harrison (he’s been the guy behind the guy as long as there has been a Just Keith Harris ministry) for coffee and to discuss the book we are reading together – Do You Believe? by Paul Tripp. Every teacher up and down the halls was laughing and jovial. There were just a few things on the agenda and the pace and atmosphere of the day reflected all of that. Until my phone starting ringing….
I had been discussing the last few things that needed to be done with our ELA specialist, so I silenced my phone. No sooner than I had hit the button, another teacher burst into my room: “Xander’s busted his head. He’s in Candice’s room. It’s bleeding pretty bad.”
I ran. My mind raced faster than my legs. There was a crowd around Candice’s door. Faces were pale – but, then again, seeing someone “bleeding pretty bad” will do that to you, especially with a head wound.
Candice had everything under control, of course. Xander, on the other hand, was in full blown freak-out. “Am I gonna have to go to the doctor?!?!” Our school nurse then arrived, checked him out, and, when we saw the wound, it was clear to everyone – we were headed to the doctor. We did our best to put our fear down and let just the mama- and daddy-ness show forth. With that, there had to be questions of what happened and how did it happen and how brother and sister had managed to produce such an emergency.
Long story short, what Candice and I had told both of them hundreds of times in their life – and Candice had literally just reiterated to them – was ignored. They were rough-housing. No one was angry (I am thankful that they do enjoy playing with each other), but the roughhousing ended with Xander’s hard head against a harder object with the skin of his forehead in between.
As I drove, faster than I liked – while Keri cried out of worry and Candice held a cloth and ice pack to his forehead – I could not help but ask the question that every parent (Lord knows my parents had to) asks: why didn’t they listen to us? I was not trying to assign blame or punish – it was an accident, after all, but I was scared myself. I could see Candice’s eyes in the rearview. She was scared. There were plenty of what-ifs. Our wonderfully precocious and hard-headed boy’s head is precious to us. That is why we tell him what not to do – and tell him again – and again – and will tell him some more once the wound is officially closed.
That is what God did for us in giving us his Word, what Paul was doing for the Colossian and Laodicean churches, and what God still actively does for His people through His Spirit when they read the Word or hear it preached. And that’s what we need to get today before we move on next week to Paul’s specific teachings regarding the false teachers in Colossae.
Context is Key
If you have been reading the Bible studies I send out or have begun and continue in them, you will notice that I talk about context often. I believe one of the most dangerous questions that a believer can ask is what a particular verse means to you. The Bible means what God meant. The original authors – inspired by His Spirit – meant what the context of the original writing meant. Jesus did not proclaim that He was a Truth or a Way to Life but the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The Bible means what it means.
Today, that is a difficult concept for us. The idea of truth today is divided between two filters or lenses: moral relativism and post-modernism. Basically, moral relativism means that each individual gets to define their truth, and post-modernism denies the existence of truth outside of how an individual sees their truth. Yet the Bible defines itself outside of those filters. Look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
That sentence, in the context of the letter of 2 Timothy and that particular section shows us not only what that sentence means but, by doing just that, clarifies the importance of Scripture and context. Just prior to that sentence, Paul reminds Timothy of the “sacred writings” – Old Testament Scriptures – that he had been taught from by his mother and grandmother; Scriptures that “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). This emphasizes how important the Word of God is for a person being saved, namely that it is a necessity (Romans 10:17). Immediately after Paul defined Scripture, he charged Timothy (and every other pastor after him) “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus” to “preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:1). Again, the context matters. Scripture is essential to salvation and it is clarified to be the only substance of preaching.
Look back at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 again. God “breathed out” Scripture. He produced it. Now, this is where a lot of people decide that this is too much for them. God’s Word – just like He does – must be understood in faith. If a person does not believe in Jesus, naturally they are going to deny any divine origin of Scripture. Likewise, if you deny God’s Word by ignoring it, not believing it, or simply refusing to let it interrupt your “best life” (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help sticking that in), you probably don’t believe in Him. God “breathed out” His Word to be “profitable” in the lives of His people. It is profitable for “teaching” (teaching right belief), “reproof” (correcting wrong belief), “correction” (Holy Spirit conviction of behaviors and lifestyles contradictory to God’s standard), and “training in righteousness” (teaching us how the Creator meant for life to be lived). It contains everything that can be known about God. It is enough, through the empowering of God’s Spirit, to make every Christ-follower “complete, equipped for every good work”.
Consequently, the book that Jamie and I have been reading, put this in a more beautiful way than I have ever heard. I can give you thick, theological answers as to why Scripture is important. I can try to break it down as best I can (which is what I was trying to do above). But, Paul Tripp put it in a way that brings tears to my eyes and in a way that absolutely reflects the context we need to see for why Paul was writing to the Colossian church: “When you get the word of God, you also get the God of the word, and that is a beautiful thing.”[2]
So, as we look at some key phrases in the verses that our last few Bible studies covered, we will be able to understand the context better. Hopefully, this will help us understand what God would teach us through this study.
Reteaching and Remediation of Colossians 1:24-2:10
There was a time when how I taught the Bible and how I teach English was more independent from each other. I tried to be what the school of Education at Ole Miss taught me to be in the classroom and what New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary taught me to be in the pulpit. Well, I just do not quite fit either mold. So, now, I just teach how I teach in hopes of helping whichever context learn what they need to learn. I say that because school-teacher-me is leaking over into our Bible study today.
I have standards that cover various facets of 10th grade English. Whenever I teach the standards (central idea, theme, POV, rhetoric, etc.), it is not about my lesson; it is about what the kiddos need and whether they got it. In some cases where they do not get something, I just teach it again and try to change up my methods a little. But there are times when teachers need to break everything back down to square one and try a different approach. I am bringing a little reteaching and remediation to our Colossians study because God has allowed me a part in your walk with Him and I want to “present everyone mature in Christ” (1:28)!
I have picked out nine phrases or sentences from our passage from the past few weeks (you can find them here, here, and here) and what we started with today to help us have the opportunity to see what God wants us to get and the context that helps us get it the way He meant it. I’ll list the phrase or sentence and break it down as clearly and briefly as I am capable.
…in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church…. (1:24) Our last two Bible studies looked at Paul’s sufferings. We need to understand that he was not being punished. He also was neither complaining about his sufferings nor bragging about his endurance. These people had never met him. He was an apostle – a specific office that only existed at the beginning of the early church (beginning in Acts and going until they died). He was given authority to teach them and help them have the necessary foundation. He was willing to suffer for the church – for them specifically, and they needed to know that.
I know that if Candice was to be in need and me not be available that I have folks who would do what needs to be done. My brothers, Kevin and Erin, have each dropped what they were doing and have come to her aid when it would take too long for me to get there. They would suffer for my kids. I have brothers at church who bear my burdens even when they have more on them than they should, yet they add mine without a thought. Knowing that impacted my relationship with them all. The Colossian church needed that with Paul – they needed to know that Christ would take care of His bride.
…to make the Word of God fully known…. (1:25) That is the point of the ministry of Paul as an apostle and Epaphras as their pastor. That is my goal in these weekly Bible studies. Full disclosure, if your pastor has a platform for ideals and not a pulpit for preaching the Word, you need to move on. The Word of God – all of it, not just the parts that make your heart flutter or your toes hurt – “fully known” is what is needed to be mature in Christ. You can have a PhD in the world issues, your preferred national platform, or the soapbox of your choice, yet being ignorant of the Word will matter more than any of them in the long run because there is no long run for any of them.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone, and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (1:28) Again, preaching and teaching the Word – and living it out through continual repentance and faith – is what is called for. If you want to grow closer to Christ, you need to be fed by His Word. If you do not want Him and His Word interfering with your life, that is a big deal – hence the “warning everyone” and “teaching everyone”. I hate being corrected. But I would hate it more to stand before Him and He tell me, “I never knew you; depart from me, you [worker] of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).
For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. (1:29) The ministry of the Word – discipling other believers and helping them grow to maturity in their faith in Christ – IS WORTH TOILING. It is work. It is hard. But the strength comes from Christ.
…to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ…. (2:2) Preaching and teaching the Bible is not about knowledge. I mentioned earlier that I have things that my school kids need to learn. I help them get the knowledge they need, and that knowledge helps them on their way to the adult they are becoming. And I absolutely love teaching literature and writing. But the gospel is “riches”. I can take a Shakespearean sonnet and understand everything it has to offer. But reaching “all the riches of full assurance and understanding” is too lofty a goal for me to reach, yet it is so rich and valuable that I cannot help but pursue it and teach it and write about it.
I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (2:4) There is a seemingly inexhaustible supply of people trying to “delude you”. False teaching will make sense. This is why spending time in the Word is so important. It is a lot like being able to tell the difference between scammers on the phone and legitimate callers. The difference is that false teachers do not want your social security number; they are after your soul. This is a good time to remediate something I said above: if you are letting “preachers” speak into your life about worldly things that, to an earthly extent do matter, at the expense of preaching the Word, you are victim of a false teacher – or at the very least a preacher who cares more for whatever he wants to talk about than the sheep in his care.
…as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…. (2:6) This reiterates the importance of the Word in the life of the Church. The church in America is currently being called out for not “so walk[ing] in Him”. Receiving Christ means living like He has taught in His Word. When Roe v. Wade is appealed, are you willing to foster or adopt (James 1:22, 26-27)? I am a Southern Baptist and just read the report of how too many in my denomination cared more about getting sued or earthly liability than in caring for people they could have protected and most definitely should have ministered to (James 2:13-17). Walking “in Him” means being hated as He was hated. It means loving like He loved. It means living like He lived. And it may mean dying like He died. If you have not “received Christ Jesus the Lord”, though – if you have not been saved, you will walk away.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (2:8) Next week, we will dive in specifically to this and the rest of the paragraph that follows. It is our responsibility to “see to it that no one takes [us] captive”. This is important. We need to be testing the spirit of those claiming to preach the Word (1 John 4:1-6). We needed to be testing whether the Spirit be in us, too (Philippians 2:12-13). Test what you read here as well!
Wrapping Up
I hope this helps you understand the importance of the Word. I am praying for you, dear Sojourner. More than anything, I am thankful that the God of the Word is sovereign and omnipotent and cares for folks like you and me. Hallelujah, and amen!
Just Keith Harris 