Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord

March 30, 2018

Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7

Read: Colossians 2:1-7

Pretend you are dreaming and in your dream you walk into a small jewelry store. The display case on your left glimmers with beautiful diamonds, on your right are rubies and sapphires, behind you are emeralds, and in a display case in the middle are the most beautiful pearls you have ever seen. “Help yourself,” the proprietor says. Where do you begin? That’s pretty much how I feel after reading Colossians Two. There are so many precious gems, so many pearls, where do I begin? The precious gem that caught my attention today is in verse 3.

In this gem, I see Paul connecting the life in Christ to the words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Paul teaches us that Jesus is our way of life, the truth of our life, our very life, because in Jesus are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Paul then describes our mission to seek the life in Christ as our way of life: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7).

There is a huge temptation in our culture to try and be satisfied by just adding Jesus to our existing lives, as though we were adding a little spiritual seasoning to our life. Over and against this we hear the Great Commandment: "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind” (Luke 10:27). When we make this our ambition, when we let our roots grow down into him, and let our lives be built on him, we find that in Jesus are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and we’ll never be satisfied with just a little spiritual seasoning.

My Takeaway: Yesterday, in preparation for hearing Paul’s word from Colossians 2, we read again of the Supremacy of Christ, Colossians 1:15-20. Then we heard Paul proclaim that this Christ, who is supreme over all, lives in us!!!! Then today, Paul tells us that in Jesus are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” My response is to join Paul and affirm in my life, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

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.

Christ Lives in You

March 29, 2018

Christ Lives in You

And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:27b

Read: Colossians 1:24-29

In this passage, Paul presents the most astonishing truth of our life as a Christian. But before we read Paul’s statement, let us ponder again Paul’s prose about the supremacy of Christ: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God; He is supreme over all creation; through him God created everything; Everything was created through him and for him; He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together; Christ is also the head of the church; he is first in everything; For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ; through him God reconciled everything to himself by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-20).

Now hear Paul: “Christ lives in you” (Colossians 1:27). This statement helps us understand how Paul could consider it an honor to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. (Remember he is writing to the Colossians from his jail cell.) Paul accepted a seemly impossible mission from God. As a converted Jew, who formerly persecuted Jewish Christians, he was commissioned to take the message of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. If you could ask Paul how he was able to undertake such an impossible assignment from God, he would quickly respond, “(By) depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me” (Colossians 1:29).

My Takeaway: Today is a good day to take the time to consider the assignments we have received from God. We may have received a specific assignment from God in addition to the assignments all followers of Christ have received, such as love our enemies, forgive as we have been forgiven, love our neighbors as we love ourselves, reconcile people to Christ and serve as his ambassador. Can any of these assignments be impossible for us knowing that Christ, the visible image of God, lives in us? Like Paul, we can depend on Christ’s mighty power working within us.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(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.

Faultless

March 28, 2018

Faultless

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 1:22

Read: Colossians 1:21-23

It is impossible to comprehend Paul’s beautiful prose about the supremacy of Christ (Colossians 1:15-20) in just one reading. Actually, the more you read it, and explore different translations, the more awe inspiring is the wonder of His Majesty, Christ Jesus our King, our Savior. As we try to digest the wonder of Christ, Paul makes an astonishing statement: “He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you . . . (Colossians 1:20-21a Emphasis mine).

Paul has drawn a diagram of the supremacy of Christ, from before creation to the present moment, and placed an X right in the middle and said, “You Are Here!” But wait! There’s more! Not only are you on the inside of God’s reign, His Kingdom, Paul says when you come into the presence of God, you are “holy and blameless and irreproachable before him (Colossians1:22 NRSV). All this was accomplished by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Hallelujah!

Paul cautions us to not “drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News” (Colossians 1:24). Picking up on this, Miles Stanford noted that to taste the grace God is one thing, to be established in it, and in manifest it in our character, habit and daily life is another. We don’t earn God’s favor or our faultless right standing with Him. But it does take our full commitment to let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think.

My Takeaway: The new life that is ours in Christ has made us holy and blameless and irreproachable before God. Today take the time to draw a diagram of your own life. In the very center of your paper write: holy and blameless and irreproachable. Next list your character traits, your habits and the routines of your daily life. How does your life, as you are choosing to live it, reflect the truth of what Christ has accomplished by the means of his blood on the cross? Invite the Holy Spirit to so transform your life that the life of Jesus (holy and blameless and irreproachable) may be made visible in your mortal flesh. (See 2 Corinthians 4:11 NRSV)

For an added blessing go here: (Flawless by MercyMe)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoOPsGDZdnM

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(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.

The Supremacy of Christ

March 27, 2018

The Supremacy of Christ

Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

Colossians 1:20 (MSG)

Read: Colossians 1:15-20

The mission of every Christian is to work out the meaning of their life with God. As we mature in our faith, we grow in our awareness that faith in God and Jesus is not just an ideal in life. Faith is how we abide in an intimate relationship with our living Lord. Paul expressed this faith in Acts 17:28, “For in him we live and move and exist.” With such faith we are not left on our own to work out the meaning of our lives only using Jesus’ life and teaching as a model. Paul’s proclamation of the supremacy of Christ is our affirmation that Jesus is actively involved in our life.

I was impressed in reading the passage today with the affirmation of Jesus’ role in creating all that has been created. Jesus, who created all that has been created, is also holding everything together. (v.17) Jesus is actively involved in this world, or as the Affirmation of Faith of the United Church of Canada states, I believe in Jesus “who has created and is creating.” I love Paul’s affirmation of Jesus’ activity in our lives today: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God; he is supreme over all creation; he holds all creation together; Christ is also the head of the church; he is the beginning; and he is first in everything. Jesus is not just passively seated next to his Father; Jesus is, by far and away, the most active force in our lives, yesterday, today and forever!

Eugene Peterson’s translation of Paul’s words is just icing on the cake: “Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross” (Colossians 1:20 The Message).

My Takeaway: I sense God calling me to bring to His throne of grace all the broken and dislocated pieces of my life so He can properly fix and fit them together in a vibrant harmony that brings glory to my Blessed Savior.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(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.