Colossians
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Jesus into the world to rescue us from sin and death, and to give us a new life that last forever! Thank You for giving Him all authority and power, and for delegating that authority and power in our lives, through the Holy Spirit. Fill me today with Your Holy Spirit that I may be all that You created me to be, and to do everything that You created me to do. These things I pray in the powerful name of Jesus, who died and rose again and who dwells with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Colossians 2:6-15
6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
8Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. 9For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, 10and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.
11When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. 15In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.
Reflecting on God’s Word
What does it mean to you that in Jesus the “fullness of God lives in a human body”?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
What does the Apostle Paul say is the relationship between Jesus and God, the Father? (2:9)
What is the impact in our lives of our relationship with Jesus? (2:10)
Understanding God’s Word
Why do you think Paul so it as so necessary to equate Jesus with God in his writings?
What does today’s Scripture tell us about Jesus’ authority?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
What one thing does today’s Scripture call you to do?
Thoughts...The Fullness of God...
Once again we see that the Apostle Paul is making it clear to the Colossian believers that Jesus is not some “demi-god.” He is not some second-rate deity. Jesus IS God. The fullness of God lives in Jesus in human form. While we human beings have been trying to comprehend exactly what that means for the past 2,000 years, this much is certain: No one else who has ever lived, or who ever will live is like Jesus. Jesus is both human AND divine. We will never fully comprehend that—probably not even in heaven, but that it is true is beyond debate if the Scriptures ARE God’s word! Jesus told us that He and God are one, and Paul tells us that over and over again in his letters. The reason that this is so important for us is that Christianity rests on this truth. If Jesus is not God, then his claims and the claims of the rest of the New Testament are false. Thankfully, Jesus IS God, so we can live in His power through the Holy Spirit and our relationship can grow throughout our lives here on earth, and into eternity with Him! May we live in such a way that Jesus is glorified in our bodies today!