Colossians 2:20 - 3:4

Wednesday, November 27, 2013          Colossians 2:20 - 3:4

Our passage for today highlights what I believe is the most significant difference between the followers of Jesus and the followers of every other religion. Basically, all of the other religions are DIY: Do-It-Yourself. The Judaizers had been encouraging the church in Colossae to follow rules in order to establish and maintain their relationship with God. Paul taught the church that such rule keeping may look good on the outside, but “they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (Colossians 2:23).

Where other religions teach their followers how to try and make themselves fit to meet their god, Jesus brings his followers into a right relationship with God. Because the problem of sin is a spiritual problem, it requires a spiritual answer, which is beyond our human capacity. God’s solution to the problem of sin is to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves: “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world” (Colossians 2:20). Here Paul is reemphasizing the point he made in 2:12, “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life.” Paul goes on to provide us with yet another gem, which is the very essence of Christianity: “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Every day is Thanksgiving Day when we remember that because we have died with Christ, we are now alive in Christ; Christ has set us free from the spiritual powers of this world. (Colossians 2:20)

BTW, I have found Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message, to be very helpful in grasping Paul’s expanded teaching on this point in Romans 6:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%206&version=MSG

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.