Reconciled With God

Colossians 1:21-29

Occasionally we hear of a couple who are estranged from each other, not speaking, and possibly physically separated from one another.  Sometimes this happens between parents and teenaged or older children, where there is no communication, no connection between them. Going to a marriage or family counselor, or to a clergyman is often suggested.  Sometimes such alienation happens in the workplace or between neighbors. A mutual friend or co-worker can sometimes help work things out. When this happens between nations, the ambassadors or a neutral third country’s leader might try to work for peace.  In our Scripture passage today from Paul’s letter to the Colossians we read how all of mankind was alienated from God, and what was done to rectify this condition.

As Paul writes to the Colossians, he reminds them that before they were saved, they were alienated and enemies of God (vs. 21).  That is the case with everyone. Before we were saved, we were all enemies of God. We were all sinners, and had turned our backs on Him.  Sin corrupted our way of thinking about God. Wrong thinking leads to sin, which destroys our thoughts about God, leading to alienation from Him.  Unbelievers hate God, and resent His holy standards because they love wicked works. We all lived as God’s enemies, with wrong thinking and evil behavior.

However, as Paul continues on, he shows us that God did not leave us in that condition.  He did not want man to remain alienated from Him. God sent His Son Jesus to reconcile us to the Father (vs. 21-22).  Jesus’ death on the cross paid the full penalty for the sins of all who believe, making reconciliation possible. Any sin is enough to cause us to need Jesus for salvation.  Apart from Him there is no way for our sins to be forgiven and removed.  Because of Jesus, who reconciled all who believe, we are no longer enemies of God.  On our own we would be condemned. However, Jesus died for us, and now presents us holy to God, without blemish, and free from accusation.  He is our mediator between ourselves and God (I Timothy 2:5).

Paul continues on by instructing us that we need to root ourselves in the faith and hope of the Gospel, to persevere to the end (vs. 23).  Rather than defecting from the faith, true believers remain solid on Christ and faithful to Him. Paul also teaches that when the Church suffers persecution, Christ also suffers, as we are part of the Body of Christ (vs. 24).  Jesus’ enemies never get their fill of inflicting injury on Him. When they persecute believers they are really persecuting Jesus. Whatever persecution Paul suffered, he would endure, as he wanted to benefit and build up the Church.

There were false teachers in the church at Colossae, and one thing that they were teaching was that spiritual perfection was a secret, hidden, and very exclusive plan that only a few privileged people could discover.  However, Paul shows us that through Christ, God’s plan of salvation was made open for all (vs. 26 - 27). Jesus lives in the hearts of all who accept Him as Savior, whether Jew or Gentile. We who are born again believers, have almighty God, Creator of all, the One who holds authority over the power of the enemy, living inside of us (vs. 27).  Because of the finished work of the cross, we are now one with Christ, and co-heirs of His glorious inheritance. God’s presence is inside of us, and so is His power to deliver us.

Paul wished to correct the Colossians wrong beliefs and practices, and to teach them correct ones (vs. 28).  He wanted to present them to God as fully mature believers. The word “perfect” here means to be complete and mature.  To be like Christ. All believers should strive to be spiritually mature.

Have you been reconciled to God, or are you still at enmity with Him?  We like to have peace between ourselves and others, especially family members.  How much more important is it then to have peace between ourselves and Almighty God?  Jesus bought that peace with His Precious Blood on the Cross, and if we just call upon Him as our Savior, we can be reconciled to God.  Call upon Him now, and have peace with God.

A Believer's Lifestyle

Psalm 15

When we were children, and in school, the teachers would often ask a question, and want the students to answer.  In our psalm for today, King David brings up a frequently asked question, and then gives an answer. He asked who the people were that could reside in God’s tabernacle, in His dwelling place.  David then proceeds to give the qualifications of one such person.

As we look into Psalm 15, we see in answer to the question of who could dwell with God, David lists three positive answers (vs. 2), then three negative ones (vs. 3).  He gives three more positive ones (vs. 4), and three more negative answers (4-5), along with a guarantee (vs. 5). Let’s take a closer look at the qualifications that a believer and follower of Jesus should have.

First, David says that a believer’s lifestyle should show integrity (vs. 2).  His deeds and actions show justice, and his word is true. David continues on describing this believer.  He doesn’t speak unkindly of others, nor does he do them any harm (vs. 3). A believer won’t dump reproach or unnecessary scolding or criticism upon others.  A reproach is sharp, cutting, scornful speech about others, either behind their backs, or to their face. A person of integrity will not take part in this. There is both honesty and gentleness in their character.  This person will do what they promise, even if it is difficult, when it is no longer convenient, or when it hurts.

The character of one who can dwell with the Lord is one who rejects a vile or reprobate person (vs. 4), but respects the people of God.  He loves whom God loves, and rejects those whom God rejects. A vile or reprobate person is someone who is totally disinterested in spiritual things.  A genuine believer will know what kind of impact that type of person would have on their walk with the Lord, and they would not have a close association with them (I Corinthians 15:33).  We emulate those we spend time with, so we need Christian friends.

David finishes up the characteristics of this type of godly person.  This person will hold themselves accountable (vs. 4). He is not fickle, is not greedy, and cannot be bought (vs. 5).  Nor will he charge exorbitant interest rates if he loans money to anyone. When he sees fellow believers have a genuine need, he will help them, with love being the only motive, not making interest. He is loyal and consistent, not faithless or unreliable.  Nor does he consciously bring difficulty upon others.

As we see, someone who is truly saved should show some degree of ethical integrity and moral responsibility.  One thing that should identify a Christian is how they control their speech. They should speak the truth, refuse to slander, and keep their promises (vs. 3-4).  We need to watch what we say. Our standards for living should not come from evil society, but from God.

This list may sound impossible to achieve, and it is if we try to on our own.  That is why we need a Savior. We will not realize our need for a Savior until we understand how far we have fallen short of God’s holiness (Romans 3:23).  We must depend upon Jesus. He is the only one who can cleanse our sins, and give us His righteousness so that we may dwell in His house. Only when we depend upon Jesus can we strive to become the type of person that David was describing in this psalm.

After reading this psalm, we who are believers need to ask ourselves, are we trustworthy and honest in all that we do?  Are our words true? Do we speak the truth in love? We need to live in such a way that when people think of honesty and integrity, they will think of us.  We need to be such a person that when it comes time to make up our tombstone, they could put the words “He (or she) was an honest person” on there.

Nothing Is Impossible With God

Genesis 18:1-14

Think of some men who are 100 years old.  You’d be rather surprised if you heard they were going to be a father soon!  A woman who is 90 years old becoming a mother would make the news headlines! Both Bob Hope and George Burns lived to be 100.  Imagine if after their 100th birthday they cradled a newborn child of their own in their arms. Though she’s over 90 now, how surprised would we all be if Betty White had announced a few years back that she was going to be a mother!  Impossible! In the natural, yes, but not with God. In our Scripture passage today, we will see just such a scenario.

As our passage opens, Abraham is sitting underneath some trees outside his tent door.  As he looks out he sees some men coming by. As was the custom of the day, he goes to greet them and offer them hospitality.  Abraham invites them to come and refresh themselves by his tent, offering them food and drink (vs. 1-8). Little did Abraham know, as is alluded to later in this chapter, that these are two angels and a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord God, also called a theophany.

Many years earlier God had promised Abraham a child, which we read about in Genesis 12:2, 13:16, and in 15:4-5.  That was many decades earlier, and he only had the child he had fathered off of a slave girl, no child from his true wife, Sarah.  At the time God had first made the promise of a child to Abraham and Sarah, it still would have seemed highly unlikely, as Sarah was past the usual age for having children.  Now it was not only unlikely, it was outright impossible. However, as Abraham and his guests sat beside the tent, the Lord asked Abraham where his wife Sarah was. Abraham answered that she was in the tent, and then God told him that his wife Sarah would have a son (vs. 9-10).

Sarah, just inside the tent, heard this conversation, and she laughed (vs. 11-12).  Imagine, a 90 year old woman having a child. She had long since passed the age of childbearing.  That was passed many decades earlier. Abraham was an old man, too. He was 100. Even when Sarah was young enough to have children, she had never been so blessed.  She had been barren. Sarah probably remembered back to hearing Abraham tell her of what God had promised many years ago, that he would have children, many descendants.  That was years ago, as well, and still no children. Sarah had given up hope. Now this guest of theirs, sitting outside their tent, goes and says that by this time next year they would have a son!  Ha! That’s a laugh, she thought, and proceeded to laugh out loud. The Lord God then asked Abraham why his wife laughed at this. Embarrassed, Sarah denied it, but God knew, and He corrected her, telling them both that nothing is too hard for Him (vs. 13-14).

Is there anything that is too hard for God to do?  A woman bearing a child at age 90! Who designed and constructed the human body?  God did. So if He decides He wants to make an adjustment in Sarah’s body so she will be able to conceive at this advanced age, He is quite able to do so.  Who made the molecules that make up water? God did, so He is able to make water part on two sides so a group of people can walk across on dry land (Exodus 14:21-22).  He can also make it possible for Jesus or Peter to walk across water (Matthew 14:22-33). The Lord God created the stars and planets, laying them out where He wills in the heavens.  If He so chooses, He can stop the earth’s rotation with no ill effects so that it seems the sun and moon are standing still (Joshua 10:12-14). God also created all of the animals, so if He so chooses to give a donkey speech one time (Numbers 22:28-31), or a fish to swallow a man whole (Jonah 1:17), or a hungry lion to not harm a man (Daniel 6:22) He can do just that!

What major difficulties are you facing today?  Is there some problem or health concern looming as large as a mountain in your life, one for which there is no answer that seems humanly possible?  Go to the Lord in prayer, believing that He can do the impossible. One year after the events in our Scripture today, Sarah, at age 90, was holding a son of her own in her arms, one that she, herself, had given birth to!  God asked Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” The answer, of course, is No!

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

The Gospel reading from this week’s Lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer brings us a parable of Jesus that is familiar to many people: the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Let’s look into this passage of Scripture and see if we can learn something new, something which the Lord might wish to teach us.

As our passage opens, a lawyer is asking Jesus some questions regarding the Jewish religious law (vs. 25-29).  He is a self righteous man, and not genuinely asking questions with an open, honest heart. He only wished to stir up more controversy between Jesus, the Pharisees, and the religious leaders.  They are discussing the two great laws in the Old Testament Scriptures, that of loving God with all one’s heart, soul, strength, and mind, and loving one’s neighbor. The lawyer then asks Jesus who constitutes his neighbor (vs. 29).  The Pharisees felt that only people like themselves were their “neighbors”. Sinners (especially tax collectors and prostitutes), the Gentiles, and Samaritans were to be hated and avoided. The Pharisees had elevated hostility towards these people to where they felt it to be a virtue.

Jesus then answered him with a parable, a story meant to teach a spiritual lesson.  A man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The distance between the two cities is about 16 miles (25 km).  However, in that short distance one descends over 3,300 ft. Jerusalem is at an elevation of 2,474 ft. above sea level, and Jericho is about 846 ft. below sea level.  The road between the two cities was a rocky and winding one, and was notorious for having thieves hiding behind large rocks and bushes. One tried not to travel the road alone, but as we see, this fellow was, and he became a victim of an assault and robbery, and was left barely alive (vs. 30).

As Jesus continues, two people come by separately, first a priest and later a Levite, both members of the Jewish clergy (vs. 31-32).  What luck! One would think and hope that of all people, a clergyman would stop and help. However, that was not the case. The priest barely gave the severely injured man a passing glance and hurried by.  The Levite came a little bit closer to get a better look, and then likewise went on his way. Their fellow man was of no concern to them. They didn’t want to get dirty, or contaminated and unclean by someone else’s blood.  They had other things to do and didn’t want to be delayed. They also didn’t want to put themselves at risk of being likewise attacked.

Then a little while later a Samaritan came by, and he decided to help the injured man (vs. 33-35).  An important thing to note here is that the Jewish people hated and despised Samaritans. They looked on them as a mongrel race, as Samaritans were descended from Jews of the northern kingdom of Israel who intermarried with Gentiles.   Both groups hated each other, so this wasn’t just some thoughtful person stopping to help another. It was not likely that any Samaritan would bother to help a Jew, and it was unthinkable for a Jew to want a Samaritan to even touch him!

This man’s own people, especially his own religious leaders would not stop to help him, yet here a Samaritan stopped to help, which would have been a risk to his own safety.  He tended to the man’s injuries, cleansing the wounds and bandaging them. Then he lifted him onto his own donkey, walked beside him and held onto him so he wouldn’t fall off the animal.  The Samaritan paid for a room in an inn, and sat up taking care of him that night. He then paid for additional nights, giving the innkeeper instructions to take further care of the man, promising to pay any extra that was spent.  The Samaritan was the one, not the priest nor the Levite, who showed loving kindness like God does to us, and is what He wants us to show others.

We each have a responsibility to be a neighbor to everyone, especially to those in need.  When we fail to do this, we often find it easy to justify ourselves, just as I’m sure the two religious leaders did.  That is never right. In answer to the lawyer’s question to Jesus as to who is our neighbor - our neighbor is anyone, of any race or social background, who is in need.  Love is acting to meet that person’s needs, showing them mercy, whether or not it’s convenient, safe, or costs us (vs. 37).  Jesus’ closing statement is one we need to take note of today. He said to him, and to us, “Go and do likewise!”

Things We Should Pray For

Colossians 1:9-14

Christians have both a privilege and a responsibility to pray for others.  Of course we pray for our friends, family, and others when we know they have a specific need.  Perhaps they are ill, just lost their job, or have some other pressing concern. We pray for them then.  What about when someone has no specific need? What can you pray for then? Here in our Scripture passage today Paul lists some things that he was praying for the believers in the church in Colossae.  These are things we can pray for our fellow Christian friends and family, for our pastors, missionaries, and for ourselves, as well. In this passage of Colossians, Paul lists some of the things that he is praying for the believers there.  Though I’m sure that if he knew someone there, or in any of the other churches he helped to establish, who was sick or needed a job, or some other specific need, he would have prayed for that. However, we’ll see what Paul felt was of primary importance.

Paul’s focus in praying for other believers was primarily for their spiritual growth.  He hated to see any believer remain spiritually immature, a baby Christian in their faith or knowledge of God.  As we look at this passage we’ll see several specific things he listed in his prayer to God for them. First, Paul prayed that the believers be filled with knowledge, specifically knowledge of God’s will (vs. 9).  Where do we find a knowledge of God’s will? We find that in His Word, the Bible. God reveals His will to us primarily through the Scriptures, so if we want to gain more knowledge of His will, we need to be studying the Bible.  We need to study it with wisdom and spiritual understanding, which was the next thing Paul prayed for the Colossians. Wisdom is the ability to accumulate and organize principles from the Scriptures, and understanding is the application of those principles to one’s daily life.  God doesn’t want us to just read the Bible, a chapter a day, and check it off our “to-do list”. God wants us to learn from His Word, and to apply what we read to our lives, thus gaining spiritual discernment.  We need to walk in His ways and obey Him if we want to know His plan for our life.

Paul prayed that the Colossians would walk worthy of the Lord (vs. 10).  Believers should live in a way that is consistent with their identification with the Lord who saved them.  Our conversations, our conduct, and our character should be consistent with that of Jesus, living in a manner that represents Him with honor.  Paul prays that we walk in a manner worthy of Jesus, pursuing a blameless life like the Savior.

We should be bearing fruit, and spiritual fruit is a product of a righteous life (vs. 10).  Our fruit should have an eternal impact, and influence those around us for God’s kingdom. There should be spiritual growth in our life.  There is something wrong when a newborn baby doesn’t grow, and the same is true of a newly saved Christian. There should be growth. Paul prayed we would grow, and increase in our knowledge of God.  We are to increase in our love for God, His Word, and others, developing a more perfect obedience to Him, a strong spiritual foundation, and a growing faith.

As we grow as Christians, Paul prays that we will then be strengthened with His power for patience and longsuffering during the trials we will face (vs. 11).  We should be giving God thanks for qualifying us to be partakers of His inheritance (vs. 12). We are only qualified through the finished work of our Savior. Our inheritance is everything we have and will receive through Jesus.  We should also primarily thank Him for delivering us from the power of darkness and into His Kingdom (vs. 13).  Jesus has freed every believer from slavery to sin by His sacrifice of shedding His Blood on the cross (vs. 14).

When we pray for others and for ourselves, of course we want to remember any specific needs they have, such as illness, family problems, etc.  We also can pray these prayers like Paul did, for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. For fruitfulness, strength, and joy, with thanksgiving for the inheritance we have through Christ.

Divine Guidance

Psalm 25

Life is filled with decisions.  When we are little, most decisions aren’t too important - what game to play with our friends, what TV show to watch.  As we get older, our decisions become more critical. We decide whether to go on to college or get a job when we graduate high school.  We decide what to study, who to date, who to marry, what jobs to apply for, whether to buy a house or rent, etc. Since these decisions are important, we often seek the advice of people we trust.  Christians should also seek the Lord in prayer for His guidance and direction. In our psalm today, we read how King David also sought God’s guidance in every area of his life. Since we all frequently need guidance throughout our life, let’s look into this passage of Scripture.

King David knew that he needed God’s guidance every hour of every day (vs. 4 - 5).  He had a kingdom to run, had armies to lead against the enemies of his people and enemies of God, and knew that he needed the guidance of the Lord.  He always looked to God for direction. David was a teachable follower of God.

We, most probably, are not running a nation or leading armies like David was.  However, we need the guidance and leading of the Lord for decisions that we make in our daily life, as well.  We receive guidance from God when we want to be guided.  God’s primary guidance system is from His Word, the Bible.  When we are willing to seek Him, and learn from His Word, when we fear God, He will give us specific guidance (vs. 8 - 9, 12).   If a Christian believes that God is leading them in a certain direction, they should take the time to seek His mind on the matter in prayer, and listen carefully to what and where the Lord would lead.  Following our own path and our own way can be a very serious mistake, often costly in many ways, sometimes even deadly.

As King David would come to the Lord for guidance and leading, he knew that he needed to keep his life free from unconfessed sin (vs. 11).  He knew that, like all of us, he committed sins, and that he needed to bring each fault to the Lord in confession. A mature Christian has an increased sensitivity to sin.  He consistently will go to God, asking forgiveness for his wrongs. David also speaks of fearing the Lord (vs. 12). To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who He is - holy, almighty, righteous, pure, omniscient, omnipotent, all-wise.  We then also see ourselves for what we are - sinful, weak, frail, needy. When we have both straight, He will show us His way.

God offers His intimate and lasting friendship to those who have reverence for Him, and worship Him (vs. 14).  If we turn to Him in our problems (vs. 16 - 17), giving them to Him, seeking His help, God can turn those problems into victories, into something wonderful.  We need to bring all of our sorrows and sins to God (vs. 18).

If we want to make a straight line of footprints we should not focus our eyes on our feet.  If we do, the line we end up making will be very crooked by the end. Instead, we need to look ahead at an object, and then walk towards it.  The same is true in our spiritual life. We must not be focusing on ourselves or on others. Instead, we need to focus only on Jesus (vs. 15).

As David closes the psalm, he brings up two virtues, integrity and uprightness, that are so important and so rarely seen today (vs. 21).  Uprightness is learning God’s requirements and striving to fulfill them, and wanting to walk in God’s way. Integrity is being what we say we are, being a person of his word.  These are two virtues that should be developed in all believers. As we seek to find God’s will in our lives, as we seek His guidance and leading, we need to be praying and listening for His voice.  We need to fear the Lord and keep all known sins confessed. We also need to live with integrity and uprightness, and keep our eyes on the Lord.

The Choice Of Blessings Or Curses

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

Many years ago I was at a party where there was a treasure hunt.  The guests were divided into several teams, and each team was given a series of clues to follow.  We had to follow these tricky, often difficult clues to find the “treasure” at the end. Several of the teams never made it to the end.  They were not able to reach the goal or the prize. It was beyond them, and unable to be obtained. Our Scripture passage today is from the Book of Deuteronomy, and here God tells us that we have a treasure that is not hidden from us, not something that is too far away, nor too difficult to obtain.

Here in the Book of Deuteronomy, the people of Israel have spent the past forty years traveling through the wilderness after escaping from slavery in the land of Egypt.  They are now on the east side of the River Jordan, ready to enter into the land promised to them by God. Moses is giving them some final instructions, as he will not be with them in the Promised Land.  The Book of Deuteronomy contains these last words of Moses, reminding them of the Laws that God had given them years earlier when they first left Egypt.

We all have choices to make, and these choices will bring results.  Choose option A and you get a certain result. Choose option B and you get another result.  We see this all over. Mix one set of ingredients and you get a cake. Mix other ingredients and you get spicy chili.  You can’t mix the chili ingredients and expect to get a cake! In our Scripture passage God tells people that they will receive blessings from Him if they obey His Words and follow Him with their whole heart and soul (vs. 9-10).  There is cause and effect. People wonder why their lives are so messed up and in a wreck.  We look around at the world today and wonder why it is in so much trouble. God clearly states here that when we obey His Words and follow Him, then He will bring His blessings upon us.  We can’t act one way and expect to get a different result.  We choose option A, and we will get that result. Chose option B, and we get it’s result.  We can choose to obey God and receive His blessings, or to disobey Him and face His judgment.  God loves to rejoice over His obedient children, rather than pronouncing curses for those who disobey.  The choice is ours, it’s up to us.

People often then ask how can we know what God really wants.  Some say that God is a mystery, and we have no way of knowing what His will is.  God’s Word, the Bible, contains His commandments. It contains everything necessary to know His will, and everything necessary for the salvation of our souls.  God’s Word is not hidden from us or beyond our reach (vs. 11-14). It is not hidden from us like the hidden treasure I needed to find at that party I attended. We do know what God wants us to do, and how He wants us to live.  His Word is right with us, if only we would bother to read it.

As we finish off the second decade of the 21st century, the full Bible has been translated into 683 languages, the New Testament into 1,534 languages, so just about everyone on earth would be able to read God’s Word in a language they could understand.  With the Internet available to multiple millions, the Scriptures are available to them online in multiple languages. No one can say that they cannot know what God wants from us. It is here in His Word. It is not hidden from us. His Word, the Bible, is available to everyone, if only they would accept it.

We all need to remember our past, when we lived in disobedience to God.  Remember that, and make the right choice to follow Him. To choose against God brings emptiness, pain, and death.  To choose God brings blessings, fulfillment, and life. Enjoy salvation and blessings by loving God and obeying His Word.  God’s Word is right available for everyone to read. It is not too difficult to understand, nor is it kept locked up, far away from everyone.  Everyone on earth is invited to accept God and His Word. But only those who choose to accept His invitation and obey will receive His blessings.