Author: Ben Bourland

“[Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 ->me: Our sinful nature, and its power over our lives, was stripped off when we put out faith and

trust into the God who can and has raised His Son from the dead. This same dead-rising power is the power that delivered me from my old life in sin to a new life in His Son and eventually into eternity with Him. Through Baptism we show the world that our old selves died with Christ and now have risen to join a body of believers; that through their fruit of taking care of the poor and losing self to join in the service to others as Christ demonstrated in His life, even unto death, might show the grace of God a

vailable to everyone. Lord God, strengthen my spirit and increase my faith that I may worship You by giving myself to others and losing my pride. Help me to be aware of Your every calling to opportunities placed before me so that I might make You proud by fulfilling my purpose for Your Kingdom.

“As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 ->me: Since I have accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, by which He has entered into me to take up residence to be glorified and magnified in all that I do; I must learn to be like Him and reflect His righteousness in all that I do. ‘In union with’ gives me the image of Jesus standing next to me and by association His character and person are influenced in the minds of those around me while here on earth (all that I do reflects on Him – both good and bad). In heaven, it is the other way around…because I am standing next to Jesus, God the Father associates and perceives the character of Jesus when He looks at me. In order to accomplish reflecting Jesus in all that I do, I must be grounded in Him by resting in His strength everyday. When I call on Jesus to be my strength and I feel the internal reward He gives me when I obey Him, my faith and trust and belief are expanded and increased the more I conform to His likeness in my life. I must NOT view the progress I make as something I have accomplished, but be abundantly grateful/thankful because it is what the Lord is doing in me.

“I say this [Paul earlier made these central and all-embracing claims about the Secret of God being Jesus and what He does in us] in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible and persuasive and attractive arguments and beguiling speech.” Colossians 2:4-5 ->me: Paul knows that a work of grace is always followed by an attack from the enemy. One regular form of this attack may take is the clever plausibility of teaching near enough to the truth to be apparently respectable and far enough away from it to be devastating in its effect on individuals and congregations. Frequently in Paul’s letter to the Colossians he stresses the importance of clear and straight thinking. Today, I did not model clear and straight thinking. I got very frustrated with the ‘olders’ today for not obeying a request I had made earlier for them to do before leisure activity. If I had been exercising clear and straight thinking I would see how might have handled things differently. After an apology to them and some time praying to myself upstairs while putting Prim to bed we were able to finish the evening strong. All of this right after I had gotten off the phone with a dear friend, encouraging them in their walk with the Lord. Lord, help me to stay on my road to sanctification; being set aside and bringing glory to You in ALL that I do. (I am once again reminded to quote my memory verse – Psalms 1:1-3)

“In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden.” Colossians 2:3 ->me: I do not need to look for wisdom of knowledge anywhere other than in the One I already possess. Everything I might want to ask about God and His purposes can and must now be answered – this is the force of this verse – with reference to the crucified and risen Jesus; the Messiah. I think when Paul says ‘Riches and Treasure’ being found in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, he uses those words to entice, me the reader, to explore it with eagerness. I do hunger for more. It is this hunger that also is a constant reminder of how much more perseverance I need to put into finding the fortune.

“[Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” Colossians 1:24  Biblically there are two ‘Ages’ referred to: ‘The Wicked Current Age’ and ‘The Age to Come’.  I have been cross referencing this passage to get a better understanding of what Paul is saying here.  When I first read it I was like, “what do you mean Christ’s afflictions are incomplete, His work of justification was complete on the cross!”.  The understanding of the 2 Ages helped me comprehend what is going on so I took all of the information gathered in cross reference and commentaries and built the illustration below (sorry, I know it is rough).  Rather than thinking that ‘The Evil Wicked Age’ and ‘The Age to Come’ stand back to back, Tyndale and other writers believe (and now I do too) that these Ages overlap.  Jesus’ resurrection had inaugurated the new age, but the old age would continue alongside it until Jesus’ second coming.  The whole of the span between the Lord’s resurrection and His return was, then, the period of the turn-around of the eras; and therefore the whole period would be characterized by the ‘Messianic woes’.  Such suffering is regarded as evidence that the sufferers are truly God’s new people.  So, the sufferings of the church during this time are also the sufferings/afflictions of Jesus since we are IN Him and He is IN us.  Just as the Messiah was to be known by the path of suffering he freely chose,, so his people are to be recognized by the sufferings they endure.  I like how it is clear from this that we can participate in some of the blessings of the Age to Come while we are here in ‘The turn-around of the eras”.