OK I'm back to my normal format for now, picking up at Colossians. Last week I deviated a bit but wherever the Holy Spirit takes me, I'll go. In this chapter Paul admonishes the church in Colosse to continue in the faith they had received through the preaching of Epaphras, another faithful minister of the gospel. He encourages them to walk worthy of the Lord, do good works, increase in the knowledge of God and to exhibit patience with joy. Then he suggests they ought to be "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (v. 12-14).
Paul's audience here is one of primarily a Gentile background, as the city of Colosse was a Roman province of Asia and predominantly Gentile. When Paul talks about sharing the inheritance & being rescued from darkness, I'm reminded of a passage we've been studying in Bible study:
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2).God spoke hundreds of years ago that this people who, in God's view, were obscure, unimportant & unchosen, would one day be shown a great Light. Understanding the Colossians verse (12-14) in this context, knowing that this Gentile nation who historically had been without hope and without God, and knowing that even my heritage is Gentile, it becomes obvious that this God is worthy of my worship. This is an awe inspiring thing: "the mystery which had been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to his saints. To them God willed to make known the what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (v. 26-27).
I encourage you to offer God praise today because the Word makes it evident that He is worthy. Before Christ the destiny of the Gentiles was total separation from God (Ephesians 2:11-12). But here is hope, and a point of reflection:
"For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (v. 19-22)
Where would we be without Christ today?
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