Christlikeness

Godliness Is Not An Option

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11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. – Titus 2:11-15 ESV

Paul has just given Titus detailed descriptions of the kind of conduct he should expect from those exposed to sound doctrine. But now Paul makes it clear that sound doctrine alone does not produce life change. Understanding theology doesn’t save anyone. A good grasp of doctrine will never earn anyone a right standing with God, and it can’t truly transform anyone’s behavior.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day knew doctrine and theology, but Jesus regularly referred to them as hypocrites. They were intimately familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, and the prophecies they contained about the coming of the Messiah, but failed to recognize Him when He was standing right in front of them. Paul emphasized the teaching of sound doctrine because he knew God had equipped each believer to apply that doctrine to their lives and experience true life change. It was all because “the grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11 ESV). This clearly refers to the incarnation of Jesus, the Messiah. Paul made a similar reference in his second letter to Timothy.

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. – 2 Timothy 1:9-10 NLT

God revealed His grace by sending His Son to provide mankind with the only means of salvation. Notice what Paul says: God saved us and called us to live a holy life. That is exactly what Paul just finished describing to Titus: what a holy life looks like for each and every believer in his local congregation. From the oldest to the youngest, male or female, and even bondservants, God expected godly behavior, made possible by His grace. Jesus came to bring salvation, but also to make possible the ongoing process of sanctification. Paul describes it this way: “the grace of God has appeared…training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:12 ESV).

The salvation provided for us by the grace of God and made possible through the death of His Son is not to be viewed as some kind of entry ticket to heaven. It isn’t a future pass into His Kingdom that has no present value. No, Paul makes it clear that the grace of God impacts our present standing with Him as well as our ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ. We are to grow in godliness, even in the present age.

Rather than making heaven our hope, we should focus our attention on the inevitable return of Jesus Christ. We are to “look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13 NLT). The hope of that promise should motivate us to live godly lives here and now, and it is God’s grace that gives us the power we need to do it. The apostle Peter reminds us: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

Jesus Christ died not just so we could get into heaven, but to redeem us from the power of sin. And that process begins in this lifetime, not the next. Paul clearly states: “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:14 NLT).

Are we to be committed to doing good deeds when we get to heaven? No, Paul’s emphasis is on the present, not the future. Jesus Himself stated: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV). That abundant life begins at the point of salvation, not just after our glorification. Our sanctification is an ongoing process of transformation that begins the moment we place our faith in Jesus as Savior, and it continues until He returns or the Father takes us home. Paul was so confident in God’s promise to transform each of His children into the likeness of Christ that he told the believers in Philippi: “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

Titus was to teach these truths to his flock, and demand that they live lives of godliness, not in their own strength, but in God’s power and grace. Life change is possible, and character transformation is expected of every believer. As far as Paul was concerned, a professing believer whose life failed to exhibit Spirit-induced transformation was to be met with rebuke, not indifference.

The author of Hebrews was willing to confront those who professed faith in Christ, but whose lives showed no signs of spiritual growth or maturity.

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. – Hebrews 5:12 NLT

Paul had something similar to say to the believers in Corinth.

When I was with you, I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

Spiritual growth is non-optional for Christ-followers because life transformation is an undeniable expectation and unavoidable outcome of God’s grace. Jesus did not die to leave us as we were; He set us free from slavery to sin and provided the Holy Spirit to ensure our ongoing transformation into His likeness. That’s why Paul provided the believers in Rome with these powerful words of reminder:

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. – Romans 6:12-14 NLT

The grace of God has set us free from the power of sin. We now live under the freedom of God’s grace provided by the death and resurrection of His Son. That’s why Paul goes on to say, “Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living” (Romans 6:17-18 NLT).

We have been given the grace to live godly lives in the here and now, not just the hereafter. So, let’s pursue it passionately and expectantly, just as Paul did.

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. – Philippians 3:10-12 NLT

Father, we seem to believe that godliness is reserved for those supersaints who are hardwired for holiness. It’s as if we think there is a special breed of Christian out there with a innate disposition for pursuing righteousness. But Your Son died so that all who believe might be transformed into His likeness. Jesus’ death wasn’t meant to be a golden pass into the afterlife, it was the means for His followers to experience abundant life in the here and now.

Yet, far too many of us make godliness a choice. We postpone, ignore, and avoid it all costs. Rather than pursuing Christlikeness, we seek the things of this world and spend our days in the vain pursuit of pleasure, popularity, and some sense of significance. But You have promised us so much more. You have justified us, providing us with the righteousness of Your Son. You have forgiven us of all our sins — past, present, and future. You have filled us with Your Spirit, providing us with everything we need for life and godliness. But we have to submit to the Spirit’s leading and willingly allow Him to transform us. Thank You for Your patience, kindness, ongoing grace, and unwavering commitment to complete what You have started. Please continue to open our eyes to the non-negotiable necessity of our sanctification. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Godliness For All

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1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. – Titus 2:1-10 ESV

They say the best defense is a good offense. So, to help Titus in his battle against false, heretical teaching, Paul told the young pastor to surround himself with qualified men who could help him lead the church. But Paul didn’t stop there; he also told Titus to rebuke his flock for their laziness and gluttony, so that they might be “sound in their faith” (Titus 1:14 ESV).

Now Paul gets specific. He gives Titus detailed and practical descriptions of how various groups within the body of Christ were to conduct their lives. First of all, as their shepherd, Titus was to teach what “accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1 ESV). Sound doctrine was essential to Paul because it was the glue that held the body of Christ together. That is why he spent so much time writing to the churches he had helped establish. He knew that the most difficult days for any believing congregation were those that followed their initial salvation experience. Salvation was to be followed by sanctification, and that would require sound doctrine and teaching in accord with the words of Jesus and the Old Testament Scriptures.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul reminded him that the law “is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10 ESV).

He went on to tell Timothy, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3-4 ESV). In his second letter to Timothy, he warned that people would prove fickle and drawn to falsehood, desiring to hear teaching that condoned their behavior and excused their love of the world.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

But Paul isn’t only telling Titus to teach solid, reliable doctrine; he is encouraging him to get specific and show how that doctrine should apply to everyday life. The New Living Translation puts verse one this way: “promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching” (Titus 2:1 NLT).

Good doctrine should produce good behavior. The teachings of Jesus, expounded and expanded upon by the apostles, were to have a dramatic impact on the lives of those who placed their faith in Him as their Savior. Christ’s followers were to be Christ-like.

So, Paul begins by emphasizing the older men in the church. He tells Titus that they are to be characterized by sober-mindedness, an ability to think clearly, unhampered by alcohol or anything else that would confuse their capacity to judge wisely. They are to be dignified, worthy of respect, and are never to behave childishly or immaturely. Their lives are to be marked by self-control, the ability to manage their natural desires and passions. They are to have a healthy faith that shows up in how they live their lives, exhibiting a love for others, even those who are difficult to love.

Paul focuses on older women in the church. Their lives were to be marked by behavior that reflected their holiness. In other words, their godliness was to show up in tangible and visible ways. They were not to be addicted to gossip and slander or, for that matter, wine. And they were to teach the younger women by modeling what godliness looked like in the life of a believing woman. While Paul provides a list of good behaviors that the older women were to teach to the younger women in the church, I don’t think he had a class in mind. They were to teach by example, not by lecture. Their lives were to be the lesson younger women studied and from which they learned God’s expectations for holiness.

As for the younger women, they were to love their husbands and children well. While this may sound like a simplistic and unnecessary command, we know how difficult it be. Marriage is not always a walk in the park, and raising children can be extremely challenging. That is why Paul wanted older women to model what loving your husband and children looks like over the long haul. Their lives were to be a tangible example of self-controlled, selfless living.

Along with loving their families well, the younger women were to prioritize purity and wholesomeness, and to be diligent workers who ordered their homes well. This passage should not be construed to mean that wives should work outside of the home. But in Paul’s day, that was a rare option for women. He was simply calling for an attitude of diligence and order in their responsibilities, that would apply in every area of their lives, either at home or work.

Again, these older women were to model what submission to their husbands looked like. It was not a matter of worth or value, power or weakness. It had to do with willingly submitting to God’s intended order for leadership within the family. Paul is not suggesting that husbands are better, smarter, or more deserving of the leadership role in the home. He is simply saying that God prescribed an order of responsibility for the family, placed the man as the head of the home, and expected him to lead well. It is an all-too-proven fact that many men don’t lead their families well. But their failure to lead does not release them from their God-ordained responsibility. God intended for the wife to be an asset to her husband, encouraging and assisting him in his God-given role. They were to see themselves as partners in this sometimes difficult and bumpy adventure called marriage. In fact, Jesus would say that a husband and wife are not really partners, but a single unit joined together by God through the marriage covenant. The two of them are to act as one, in loving unison, as they raise their family and conduct their lives on this earth.

The younger men, which includes younger fathers and husbands, as well as single men, were also to be self-controlled. They were not to be driven by their passions or controlled by their lusts. Titus, as a young man himself, was to be a model of godly behavior, using his own life as a teaching tool that revealed integrity, dignity, and godly speech. Young men were not to use their youth as an excuse to act foolishly or shirk their responsibilities as Christ-followers. They were to take their faith seriously and behave consistently so that the outside world could not accuse them of hypocrisy.

Paul closes his list by addressing bondservants or slaves. In that day, there were many who found themselves operating as household slaves or servants because of unpaid debts. There were others who were outright slaves, taken captive as a result of war, and sold into slavery. But many of these individuals had come to faith in Christ and had become members of the local churches on Crete. So, Paul didn’t want to leave them out.

It’s interesting to note that Paul doesn’t address the institution of slavery, and neither condemns nor condones it. He wasn’t out to change the unjust, man-made institutions that took advantage of the weak or helpless; he was out to change hearts. This is why he tells Titus that slaves were to remain submissive to their masters in everything. He didn’t attempt to emancipate them or suggest they rebel or run away. In fact, he told them to use their enslavement as a platform from which to exhibit their faith in Christ. They were to obey and not argue. They were to refrain from stealing and show themselves to be trustworthy and reliable. In short, their overall behavior, even as slaves, was to bring glory and honor to God.

Good doctrine should result in good conduct. Belief that doesn’t affect behavior should be questioned. When an individual claims to know and follow Christ but shows no qualifying characteristics, it should raise concerns. Paul suggests they should be rebuked because behavior is one of the greatest testimonies to the gospel’s life-transforming power. Our actions are practical proof of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power within us. But it is important to remember that all these characteristics and behaviors Paul lists are Spirit-produced, not man-made. They are produced as we rely upon the Spirit and adhere to the good, solid teaching of sound doctrine.

Father, You designed Your church to be a melting pot of people from all walks of life, cultures, economic backgrounds, and belief systems. This was the mystery Paul talked about. While the early church was compiled mainly of Jews who had placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, it didn’t take long for the message to spread to the Gentile world. Your Son ensured that would happen when He commissioned His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And He kickstarted the process when He transformed Paul from being persecutor of the church to becoming His primary messenger of the gospel to the Gentiles. The result was that the body of Christ became an eclective, sometimes messy blend of different people with disparate backgrounds. But Your goal for them was unity, community, mutual love, and a shared passion for reaching the world with the message of Your gracious gift of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. Paul reminds us that the church is anything but perfect because it is comprised of imperfect people who must rely on the power of the Spirit and the truth of Your Word to live together in unity. But when we obey, good things happen. The church grows, marriages thrive, families prosper, and the transformative power of the gospel is demonstrated to the world.  Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Life of Godliness Is Busy But Blessed

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11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. – 1 Timothy 6:11-21 ESV

Flee, pursue, fight, take hold, keep, guard, and avoid. Paul’s final words to Timothy contain a lengthy list of infinitive verbs that are meant to solicit action and encourage godly behavior. He wants his young associate to take his role seriously and to use his position to influence the faithfulness of the Ephesian believers.

He calls him to live a distinctively different life, set apart from all those around him, including those who crave money or have wandered from the faith. Unlike the false teachers for whom godliness was a means to acquire wealth, Timothy was to run from that kind of attitude and make true godliness his goal, accompanied by ever-increasing faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

Paul tells him to “pursue” godliness. The Greek word Paul used is diōkō (διώκω), which means “to run swiftly in order to catch.” It can also refer to one “who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal.” The pursuit of money, materialism, popularity, power, pleasure, significance, and comfort was off-limits for Timothy. And while Paul addressed this last section of his letter to Timothy, it is really a call to all believers. Paul made it clear to Timothy that he was to “teach these things … and encourage everyone to obey them. Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life” (1 Timothy 6:2-3 NLT).

Everything Paul shared in his letter was intended to be put into practice and promoted among the people of God. As a leader, Timothy was to be an example of godly living to all those under his care, despite his young age.

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

As believers, our lives are always on display; even if we don’t realize it, others are watching. God Himself, our fellow believers, and the countless lost who surround us constantly witness our behavior and conduct. That’s why Paul encouraged Timothy to live a life marked by consistency and outward purity. He portrayed the Christian life as a battle for good.

…fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you. – 1 Timothy 6:12 NLT

For Paul, perseverance and consistency of faith were essential. He wanted Timothy to finish well and to keep his eyes on the goal of Christ’s return. Timothy was to focus his mind and heart on the reality of that promise so no one could find fault with his character or conduct. Some would certainly dislike and disparage his life because he lived it for God, but that was to be expected. Suffering for our faith was something Jesus said would happen. But Paul didn’t want Timothy to do anything that would harm his reputation as a believer or bring dishonor to God.

Next, Paul turns his focus to the flock under Timothy’s care, addressing those who enjoyed the benefits of wealth and privilege. Despite their affluence, they were to trust God and live in a way that honored Him.

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. – 1 Timothy 6:17 NLT

He doesn’t condemn them for their wealth, but warns them not to trust money because it will prove unreliable and unable to save them. Money makes a lousy god; it promises the world but can’t save the soul. It can’t even bring true happiness or contentment.

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:9-10 NLT

Instead, the rich were to trust in God, the ultimate provider of their needs. They were to view their wealth as a divinely ordained resource to be used for the care of others and to further the cause of God’s Kingdom. They were to be “rich” in good works and generous to those in need. They had been wealthy when God had called them, so He must have had a purpose for placing them in the body of Christ in that condition. By focusing on obedience to God and service to others, they would learn to view their wealth as a tool in God’s hands, not a treasure to be hoarded and held onto.

Paul warned Timothy to “guard what God has entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20 NLT). He was to see his own salvation and the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as invaluable and worthy of constant protection. Leadership in the body of Christ was a dangerous calling, and it came with great responsibility. Timothy had been entrusted with the message of the gospel and the care of the flock of Jesus Christ, and was obligated to put the needs of the congregation ahead of his own. Yet, he was also to guard himself, constantly watching over his character and conduct. The same message applied to Timothy that Paul shared with the elders in Ephesus.

So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock – his church, purchased with his own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. – Acts 20:28 NLT

The goal for all spiritual leaders is godliness, not only for themselves but for all those under their care. But godliness without God’s grace is impossible. The journey of faith requires an ever-increasing dependence upon God. We need His Word to teach and guide us. We need His Spirit to empower us. We need His grace and mercy to miraculously meet us where we are along the way and constantly remind us that godliness is our one and only calling.

But pursuing godliness demands action, not apathy. It requires consistency, not complacency. It is a life marked by action verbs like flee, pursue, fight, take hold, keep, guard, and avoid. But it also offers the promise of rest, contentment, hope, peace, unity, confidence, and joy. The life of godliness is busy but also blessed.

Father, You have made the life of godliness possible. By sending Your Son to die for the sins of mankind, You provided atonement and forgiveness in place of judgment and condemnation. His sacrifice reconciled our relationship with You and transformed us from enemies to Your sons and daughters. Then, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, You provided a means for us to grow in godliness, as the Spirit molds us into the likeness of Your Son. It is not an easy process and it doesn’t happen over night. It is a lifelong process that requires all the things Paul talked about in his letter to Timothy. It requires that we flee, pursue, fight, take hold, keep, guard, and avoid. We must fight the good fight and run the race to win. But never in our own strength or for our own glory. We are to do it out of gratitude for Your grace, mercy, and love. We diligently pursue godliness, not to earn Your favor, but to serve as lights in the darkness of this world. As your children, we should desire to reflect Your character and to serve as living proof of the gospel’s efficacy. Godliness isn’t someting we can manufacture on our own, but we can certainly make it our highest priority. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Goodness and Grace of God

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14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. – Philippians 4:14-23 ESV

Paul was grateful, and he expressed that gratitude to the Philippian church. They had lovingly and generously reached out to him in what they believed to be his time of need. Paul didn’t want his earlier admission of having no need to come across as ungratefulness. The last thing he wanted was to offend his brothers and sisters in Christ, who had heard of his predicament and reached out in love and concern.

Paul wanted them to know he appreciated it, because not every church had been as kind and caring. Not only had some of the cities where he had ministered failed to give toward his ministry, but they had also rejected his message. While Paul had been preaching in Macedonia and Thessalonica, the Philippians had been the ones who donated to his ministry and provided for his needs.

To keep their minds focused on what is truly important, Paul reminds them that their eternal reward is far more valuable than any temporal benefit he may have received from their gift. God would reward them for their generosity and bless them for their willingness to sacrifice on his behalf. The gift was not the important thing; it was the heart behind the gift. The generosity of their gift had left Paul well-supplied and in need of nothing, but, more importantly, their gift had been “a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18 NLT). Paul was blessed, God was pleased, and the Philippians were fruitful. What more could Paul ask for?

Paul wanted the Philippians to know that God would care for them because of their gracious, loving generosity.

…this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19 NLT

God loves a cheerful giver, and He expresses that love by generously meeting their needs so that they might be equipped to give again. Paul expressed this same idea to the church in Corinth.

Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NLT

Paul was not preaching a prosperity gospel or promoting a give-to-get mindset; personal reward should never motivate generosity. That is a self-centered, selfish approach that does not comport with Scripture. But gracious, selfless giving is proof of the Spirit’s work in an individual’s life; it reveals His presence and power. But if a Christian allows reward or recognition to motivate his giving, he will never enjoy the blessings of God. Jesus made this perfectly clear in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” – Matthew 6:2 NLT

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:5 NLT

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:16 NLT

Giving motivated by the praise and applause of men will be the only reward they receive. But the admiration of others is no substitute for the blessings of God. To have men speak well of you may inflate your ego, but it will never increase your favor with God. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exposed the danger of seeking men’s praise.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” – Luke 6:26 ESV

Men may be impressed by our outward displays of generosity, but they are unable to see into our hearts. However, God can, and that is why Jesus went on to say, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:30-31 ESV). Give with no strings attached and no expectation of reward or recognition for your actions. Let it be an outflow of the heart.

Paul expressed his thanks, but he didn’t want the Philippians to mistakenly assume that their gift was the reason they received a reward from God. They needed to understand that God was not obligated to them or owed them a blessing. Their love for Paul was most important; the gift was simply an expression of that love.

We can give, pray, and fast, and expect God to reward us for doing so. But if we don’t do it out of love, our giving, praying, and fasting have no value in God’s eyes. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul stressed that even the greatest display of generosity or sacrifice would be of no value without love.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT

Paul could declare that God had met all his needs, and he knew God would continue to do so, and He wasn’t dependent on the Philippians for assistance. God could have sent an angel to minister to Paul, but instead, He allowed the Philippians the joy of serving as instruments in His hands. They were allowed to experience the blessing of being the tools through which He accomplished His will for Paul’s life. Their sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading, as evidenced by their gift to Paul, reminded them that God was working in them and through them.

This brings us full circle to a statement Paul had made earlier in his letter.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. – Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

God was working in them, and it was evident in the way they lived their lives. Their gift had blessed Paul, pleased God, and would result in His gracious reward. For Paul, the most important thing was that God be glorified in all things. It was never about the Philippians or Paul; it was about God’s greatness and goodness. Paul firmly believed his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel would bring God glory. He had already used Paul’s incarceration in Rome to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the household of Caesar.

Paul closed his letter by bringing greetings from the believers in Rome, including “those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22 NLT). Because of his arrest and imprisonment, the gospel infiltrated the royal palace and led to the salvation of some of Nero’s servants. God used Paul’s less-than-ideal circumstances to bless the lives of others, and Paul was a willing and eager participant in the process. He was blessed to be used by God and closed his letter by praying that his readers experience God’s grace so that they too might continue to be willing instruments in His hands.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. – Philippians 4:23 ESV

Father, Paul was anything but a reluctant servant. He gave his all to the mission and was willing to suffer the loss of all things just to remain faithful and committed to his calling. Over his lifetime, he had learned the secret of true contentment and was determined to live in a way that emulated Christ and pleased You. He didn’t need the accolades of men. He wasn’t a glory hound or infatuated with his own reputation. He referred to himself as “the chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) and knew that his efforts on behalf of Christ were worthless without the power of the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t perfect and never portrayed himself as an icon of spiritual virtue. He told the Corinthians, “you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT). He spent his entire life pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus and was willing to share in His suffering and mimick His life of humility, service, and selflessness. Thank You for redeeming this former persecutor of the church and transforming him into a servant of the gospel. In Your wisdom, You “chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise…, what is weak in the world to shame the strong…,what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 ESV). Paul never boasted and neither should I. He was greatful to be used by You and that is how I want to live my life, for as long as You give me breath. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Subtle Snare of Self-Confidence

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4 If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:4b-11 ESV

To understand what Paul means by “confidence in the flesh,” it’s important to consider the context. He has just warned the believers in Philippi to “look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Philippians 3:2 ESV). This was a direct broadside delivered against the Judaizers, a group comprised of Jewish converts to Christianity who were attempting to bring the legalism associated with the Mosaic Law into the church. They were demanding that male Gentile believers be circumcised and then agree to keep the Jewish laws, religious festivals, and sacrificial requirements. In other words, they had to become Jews before their salvation experience could be considered legitimate.

So, when Paul mentions having confidence in the flesh, he is stressing the teachings of this group. They believed that their human efforts, those things done in their own strength, somehow earned them favor with God. As Jews, they put a high value on the rite of circumcision; it was an outward sign of their unique relationship as God’s chosen people. They were of the strong opinion that circumcision was necessary for anyone who hoped to enjoy the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. But for Paul, this was nothing less than another gospel, a false gospel, and it was to be exposed for what it was: a dangerous heresy.

The Greek word Paul used for “flesh” is sarx, and while it was often used to refer to the physical body, it could also be used metaphorically, as in human nature. The Judaizers put a lot of stock in human nature and their own physical abilities, believing that they were able to keep God’s laws and live up to His holy standards. But Paul rejects that mindset, stating that believers were to “glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3 ESV). Salvation was based on the work of Christ, not the works of men.

But Paul chose to use their own argument against them, sarcastically portraying himself as the poster boy for stellar human character and self-achievement. To demonstrate the kind of credentials that might earn someone favor with God, Paul recited his own accomplishments and boldly proclaimed, “If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more…” (Philippians 3:4 NLT).

It is as if Paul is saying, “So, you think you can earn a right standing with God based on your accomplishments and status? Well, check this out!” What follows is a laundry list of Paul’s off-the-chart human credentials.

  • He was a card-carrying member of the nation of Israel
  • He was from the tribe of Benjamin
  • He had been circumcised according to the Mosaic Law
  • He was a Hebrew of Hebrews (a hard-core traditionalist)
  • He had been a member of the Pharisees, an elite religious sect
  • He had been a passionate and zealous persecutor of the church
  • He had been painstakingly dedicated to keeping the law

Even a short glance at that list reveals that Paul was not subtly comparing himself with the Judaizers; he was placing himself in direct competition with them and declaring himself to be a model Jew. If they thought their Jewish heritage and law-keeping ability were somehow better than everyone else’s, they had nothing on Paul. His resume made them look like third-string players trying to win a spot on the varsity squad.

But notice what Paul says next. He takes his list of accomplishments and credentials and describes them “as liabilities because of Christ” (Philippians 3:7 NLT). It was the work that Christ accomplished on his behalf that determined Paul’s righteousness, not flesh-produced efforts at lawkeeping. All of his so-called assets amounted to nothing and earned him no credibility or favor with God. Paul understood that his so-called righteous deeds were of no value when it came to his salvation. He firmly believed what the prophet Isaiah clearly declared.

We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

Paul’s lofty list of accomplishments and personal assets were worthless. That is why he could say, “I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NLT). Rather than placing stock in human nature or his ability to produce righteous-looking deeds, Paul saw those things as hindrances to his spiritual walk. They were liabilities because they were tainted by sin, so Paul had given them up and treated them like what they were: liabilities rather than assets, all so he could know Christ better.

Paul gets a bit graphic when trying to describe his new relationship with all those things he once held near and dear. He considered them to be as worthless and detestable as dung, to be tossed aside and avoided at all costs.

The bottom line for Paul was righteousness. A holy and righteous God demanded that His people live holy, righteous lives, but man’s sinful nature made that impossible. No amount of law-keeping, ritual-observing, or efforts at God-pleasing were going to make a difference. Paul states, “I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness” (Philippians 3:9 NLT). In other words, Paul’s righteousness was not based on self-effort, but on Christ’s faithfulness. Jesus died a sinner’s death to satisfy the just demands of a holy and righteous God. As Paul explained to the Corinthian believers: “For our sake he [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV).

Earlier in this letter, Paul pointed out that Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 ESV). His faithfulness to do the will of His Father resulted in righteousness for us.

The Judaizers were not right before God because they were circumcised. They were not right before God because they were Jews. They could not claim a right standing before God because they kept the law. In fact, Paul vaporized that idea in his letter to the Galatians.

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Galatians 3:11 NLT

He said the same thing to the believers in Rome.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

We have no reason to boast and no ground on which to stand or from which to proclaim our own self-righteousness. Our righteousness is actually Christ’s righteousness imputed to us when we placed our faith in Him. When Christ died on the cross, He paid the debt that was owed for the sins of mankind in full. He died in our place, bearing the penalty we deserved, and that act justified us before God, who now sees us as righteous and just, not sinful and worthy of death.

We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. With that thought in mind, Paul refocuses his readers’ attention on what is really important: the pursuit of an ongoing and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, not effort and earning.

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:10-11 NLT

Paul is not talking about cognitive knowledge or suggesting a purely academic understanding of who Jesus is. He is describing a deep and intimate relationship that features an ever-intensifying awareness of all that Jesus Christ has done and will do for him. In the immediate context, Paul wanted to experience all the power that Christ’s resurrection made available to him. Jesus had been raised back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit, and every believer has that same power present within them.

But Paul knew from experience that resurrection power is most often revealed in the context of suffering. Just as Jesus had to suffer and die before He could experience the resurrection, we too must endure suffering before we can experience the resurrection power of God’s Spirit in our lives. Jesus experienced humiliation before His glorification and so will we. Paul reminds us that it will all end in the ultimate form of suffering: our own physical death. But Paul wants us to remember that there is a resurrection of the dead. Death is not the end; it is the beginning of something greater. Paul told the believers in Corinth what they could expect when death finally came.

For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” – I Corinthians 15:53-55 NLT

Why put confidence in the flesh? It is of no value and will ultimately be left behind. And why put stock in our own perceived worthiness before God? Without Christ, we have no righteousness of our own. As Paul told the Colossian believers, it all boils down to one thing: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV). He is our hope of salvation, sanctification, and, ultimately, our future glorification. In this life, we are called to share His sufferings, yet one day, we will share the power of his resurrection. 

Father, how silly it is to think I can somehow earn a right standing with You through self-effort. My best deeds done on my best day and with the best of intentions are no better than soiled rags in Your eyes. I bring nothing to the table that impresses You. My attempts at righteousness don’t score brownie points with You. And while I know that my behavior matters to You, it was never intended to save me. My works are important but they are to be the fruit of Your Spirit’s presence in my life, not the result of human effort. You are the one who declared me righteous and You are the only one who can produce righteousness in me. When I start believing that my adherence to a set of rules can raise my estimation in Your eyes, I depreciate the work of Your Son. When I think my acts of righteousness are my own doing, I rob You of glory and treat Jesus’ sacrificial death as insufficient. Never let me lose the wonder and awe of the gift I have received. Rather than focusing on my accomplishments and trying to promote my own self-worth, I want to consider and appreciate the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Without Him, I am nothing. But because of Him, I am Your son and an heir of the Kingdom. Thank You.  Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New Life In Christ

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5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. – Colossians 3:5-11 ESV

How were the believers in Colossae supposed to set their minds on things that are above, instead of things that are on earth? Was Paul suggesting they be so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good? Paul has just challenged them to adopt a Christ-focused perspective that highlights the eternal aspect of their relationship with Him. Christ is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, and one day He will return. His presence at His Father’s side demonstrates that He successfully completed the initial phase of His earthly mission. The apostle Peter addressed the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation when he delivered his first sermon to the crowds at Pentecost.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us…” – Acts 2:32-33 NLT

Jesus’ death was efficacious. In other words, it accomplished the will of His heavenly Father and required no supplemental aids or add-ons to increase its effectiveness. Paul assured the believers in Rome that because Jesus died and rose again, they were assured of eternal life with Him.

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:9-11 NLT

Paul picks up the same theme with the believers in Colossae. He wants them to live according to their new status as spiritually transformed and fully adopted children of God. Jesus didn’t die so they could have their best life now but so that they might enjoy glorified life forever. However, Paul knew this future-focused mindset was challenging to maintain while living in the present. That’s why he provides them with practical guidance for navigating life in a fallen world. He is expanding the theme he began back in chapter two.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith… – Colossians 2:6-7 ESV

For Paul, it was always about faith. He firmly believed and persistently taught that faith was the key to our salvation and sanctification, and Jesus Christ is to be the sole focus of that faith. It is through Christ that we have access to the Father, and it is because of Christ that we have the assurance of eternal life. As Paul stated to the believers in Rome, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit was made possible because of Christ’s resurrection. Look closely at what Paul told the Roman believers.

Consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:11 NLT

Their union with Christ gave them unprecedented power to live godly lives, even in the ungodly environment of Rome. The same thing was true for the Colossian Christians. Paul has already told them, “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world…” (Colossians 2:20 NLT).

Paul constantly admonished believers for their tendency to regress in their faith. They seemed to have no problem believing that Jesus could save them, but they had difficulty trusting that He could keep them saved and help them grow in godliness. So, they kept reverting to their old lifestyles based on human effort and self-righteousness.

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? – Galatians 4:9 NLT

Paul was calling for complete separation from and dependence upon the things of this world. If Jesus was to be the believer’s sole source of salvation and sustenance, why were they continually turning to the world for satisfaction, fulfillment, significance, and hope? Their actions directly conflicted with their calling and their expressed commitment to Jesus Christ. Their behavior did not accurately reflect their belief in a transformed life. That is why Paul demands that they do an about-face, turning their backs on their former way of life and seeking things above.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. – Colossians 3:5 NLT

Paul was well aware that his flock in Colossae was struggling with the ongoing presence of their sinful natures. He was not exempt from this internal battle between godliness and wickedness. In his letter to the Romans, he divulged his own struggle with indwelling sin.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? – Romans 7:21-24 NLT

But Paul answered his own pleading question, joyfully declaring, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25 NLT). The solution to the problem of indwelling sin is Jesus. Because of Jesus, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to say no to sin and yes to God. His divine presence provides us with all we need to put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within us. Peter put it this way: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

Peter was addressing the power and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Godly living wasn’t a matter of self-control, hard work, and a commitment to keeping a list of rules and religious rituals. Self-effort can only produce self-righteousness. But the kind of righteousness God demands can only be produced by the Spirit of God. That is why Paul told the Galatian church, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 NLT). He went on to say, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there” (Galatians 5:24 NLT).

Because of their relationship with Christ, their former sinful habits had been nailed to the cross with Him. But every believer knows how easy it is to breathe life into those old, dead habits and “resurrect” them again. So, Paul demands that they “put to death” those things. But how? Is he suggesting that this is an ongoing, daily action? Is it the fate of every Christian to live their entire earthly existence in a daily struggle to put sin to death? The answer is found in the grammar of Paul’s statement. When he states, “put to death,” he uses the Aorist Active Imperative (AAM) tense. The action described by the verb indicates that it is a past event. In other words, it has already taken place. Paul is stating that our old sinful habits have already been put to death on the cross. So, we must constantly return them to their rightful place: the cross. Our present action is based on a past reality.

The action Paul commands is a natural byproduct of belief. If we truly believe that Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NLT), then we should confidently return those sinful habits right where they belong. They are dead to us and no longer possess power over us. Paul is reminding the Colossians that their new life in Christ is meant to reflect a new way of living.

You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. – Colossians 3:7-8 NLT

They had been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and were now clothed in His righteousness. Yet, metaphorically,  they were constantly going back to the closet of sin and picking out old, soiled garments to wear. That’s why Paul reminds them that they had already “put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9 ESV) and “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10 ESV). It was a past action that required constant repeating in the present. But they were guilty of putting on the old self. In a sense, they were reaching into the closet of their past life and selecting one of their old, comfortably fitting sins to wear in public. 

In this passage, Paul describes the ongoing nature of sanctification or spiritual growth. The Christian life is not meant to be static or stagnant. Once saved, always saved doesn’t mean that there is no ongoing transformation in the believer’s life. Peter indicates believers are to “grow into a full experience of salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT). Paul told the Ephesians that they were to grow “in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).

Growth in Christlikeness is non-optional for the believer, but it is not a matter of hard work and determination. One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to assist Christians in their knowledge of Christ and their ongoing transformation into His likeness. This transformation is for all believers, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background. Each is to individually experience the Spirit’s transformative power so that, together, we might reflect the nature of Christ and bring glory to God the Father.

…you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. – 1 Peter 2:5 NLT

Jesus made our salvation possible and ensured our ongoing sanctification. Our transformation into His likeness is a supernatural work of God that requires our participation but not our power. We must willingly cooperate with the Spirit by submitting to His will and obeying His promptings. We put off the old nature in His power, not our own. We live to righteousness in His strength, not our own. Our ongoing renewal and reformation is His work, not ours.

Father, thank You for making the process of sanctification not only possible, but completely doable in Your power. I can’t make myself more holy and You don’t expect me to. I do not have the strength to manufacture godliness, but You have given me Your Holy Spirit to ensaure that my transformation into the likeness of Christ is achievable. What an incredibe gift You have given to Your children. Never let me take it for granted or try to take on the responsibility for my holiness on own. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Supernatural Mystery of Spiritual Maturity

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24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. – Colossians 1:24-29 ESV

As a faithful minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul often found his calling to be difficult and, at times, dangerous. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul described in excruciating detail the treatment he had received as a servant of Jesus.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT

Yet, Paul was pleased to suffer for His Lord and Savior. He viewed the trials and tribulations that accompanied his mission to be in keeping with the suffering experienced by Christ as He carried out His own earthly mission. Paul was well-acquainted with the darker side of ministry life. In fact, he wrote his letter to the Colossians while under house arrest in Rome, where he awaited trial before the Emperor.

But when Paul penned his far-from-exhaustive list of trials to the Corinthians, he wasn’t complaining about his lot in life; he was defending his right to be treated as a legitimate spokesman for Jesus Christ. Like His Savior, Paul had faced a barrage of persecution and personal attacks, and, on top of all that, he had been forced to carry “the daily burden of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28 NLT). He was a faithful shepherd and caretaker for the flock of Jesus Christ who took his role seriously and suffered persecution but was able to say, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…” (Colossians 1:24 ESV).

Paul saw his sufferings as an opportunity to, in some small measure, experience “Christ’s afflictions” (Colossians 1:24 ESV). He was eternally grateful for the pain that Jesus endured on his behalf so that he might be freed “from this life that is dominated by sin and death” (Romans 7:24 NLT). And Paul was more than willing to suffer “for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24 ESV). It was the least he could do.

Paul understood that he had been made a gospel minister and was responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the Gentile world. His job, while far from easy, was accompanied by great joy because he was able to witness firsthand the transformative nature of the gospel.

Paul states that his message to the Gentiles was a mystery to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Their concept of the long-awaited Messiah did not include hope for anyone outside the Jewish community unless they had converted to Judaism. They believed themselves to be God’s treasured possession because that is exactly how He had described them.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NLT

Even Jesus’ 12 disciples found it difficult to watch Him minister to Samaritans, Syrophoenicians, and Romans. In their understanding of the Messiah’s role, they had no category that accommodated a ministry to the Gentiles, and yet, Jesus told them, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:14-16 NLT).

This mystery of Gentile inclusion had remained hidden for generations and had not been revealed until after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they began ministering to those who had gathered in Jerusalem for the annual feast. Luke describes the crowd as being made up of  “Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5 ESV). He goes on to describe them as “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9-11 ESV).

The crowd consisted of native Jews and converts to Judaism from a wide range of nations and ethnic groups. When they heard Peter’s gospel message, they responded en masse.

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. – Acts 2:41 ESV

Many who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost would return to their native countries, carrying the gospel message with them. The apostle Paul would later join their forces and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the Gentile world. On his missionary journeys, he would encounter converts to Christianity who had heard the message of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone from their converted friends and neighbors. As Paul later told the believers in Ephesus, the mystery of Gentiles being grafted into the family tree of Abraham had been revealed and was making an impact on the world.

God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. – Ephesians 3:2-5 NLT

God had always intended to redeem people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. His Son was the Messiah of Israel, but as God had promised Abraham, His offspring would bless the “nations.”

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 12:2-3 ESV

Jesus, a son of Abraham, fulfilled that promise. Although He was a Jew, Jesus came to offer salvation to all men, a fact that Paul expressed to the Gentile believers in Galatia.

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Galatians 3:9-11 ESV

It was through Jesus, a Jew, that the blessing of Abraham came to the Gentiles, so that they might receive the promised Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14 ESV). Paul proudly declared that message of hope to the Gentile world and gladly endured suffering as he did so; he considered it his privilege and honor. Jesus had died to make salvation possible, so the least Paul could do was suffer to make it available and accessible.

He wanted the Colossian believers to know that their hope was based on the reality of the Spirit’s presence within them. Jesus had died, been raised to life, and was seated at the right hand of God the Father. But following His ascension, Jesus sent the Spirit of God to indwell His followers. In that sense, Jesus would not only be with them but in them.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” – John 14:16-17 NLT

Paul’s mission was to proclaim this life-altering mystery of  “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:28 ESV), and he did so, “struggling with all his energy,” knowing that “he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29 ESV). His ministry and message were comprised of both warnings and teachings. There were dangers to be avoided and lessons to be learned. False teachers would attempt to undermine the hope of the gospel and diminish the witness of God’s people.

Paul’s goal for the Colossian believers was nothing less than spiritual maturity. He would not settle for mediocrity or partial transformation. Since glorification was the ultimate goal of salvation, Paul remained committed to the ongoing sanctification of all those under his care. His lifelong objective was to one day be able to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28 ESV). That lofty goal will not be achieved in the believer’s lifetime, but God has promised it will occur. John assured his readers of God’s divine plan for every believer’s ultimate glorification.

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. – 1 John 3:2-3 NLT

According to Paul, our glorification is inevitable and unavoidable because it is the work of God.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. – Philippians 1:6 NLT

Salvation was for Jews and Gentiles alike. This marvelous mystery was proclaimed gladly by Paul, who willingly endured suffering to do so. But for Paul, salvation was to be followed by the believer’s sanctification, their growth in Christlikeness. This was a non-optional requirement for all who believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. It would not be easy, but it would be well worth the effort because the God-ordained result was their future glorification. That is why Paul worked hard and suffered well. He knew that, one day, he would have the joy of presenting believers as “perfect in their relationship to Christ” (Colossians 1:28 NLT). They would stand before God in sinless perfection, having been transformed into the likeness of Jesus and accepted into the Father’s presence, “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 BSB).

Father, thank You that Your plan of salvation included the hope of sanctification and, ultimately, our glorification. You saved us so that You could transform us into the likeness of Your Son and, one day, we will see that supernatural process finalized with our glorification. You came up with the plan to include Gentiles in Your eternal family long before You made the universe and placed Adam and Eve in it. Before You called Abraham and created the Jewish nation, You had plans to redeem men from every tribe, nation, and tongue, and You included me in that plan. I am forever grateful because I know I did not deserve Your mercy, grace, and forgiveness. I did not earn salvation; it was given to me as a gift of grace. Thank You for the gracious gift of salvation and the supernatural mystery of spiritual maturity. You are faithfully molding me into the likeness of Your Son with each passing day and You have promised to complete the process with my future glorification. I sometimes find it hard to believe, but I know it is true because You are faithful. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Gospel of the God-Man

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21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. – Colossians 1:21-23 ESV

Paul knew it was essential that the Colossian believers fully understand who Jesus was and what He had done for them. Their concept of Jesus had become confused from allowing false ideas about His identity and accomplishments to filter into their beliefs about Him. After Jesus resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven, growing speculation arose about His true identity and its implications for mankind. In His absence, His disciples continued to spread the news concerning the coming Kingdom of God and the sole means of gaining entrance into it by placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ.

But others had begun formulating their own ideas about Jesus and the implications of His life and death. The disciples had clearly spread the news that Jesus had risen from the dead and had returned to His Father’s side in heaven. Paul had boldly proclaimed the nature of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to the believers in Corinth.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NLT

However, some had begun to refute the disciples’ teaching concerning the resurrection, declaring it improbable and even unnecessary. That’s what led Paul to warn the Corinthians about this dangerous heresy.

…if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. – 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 NLT

Others were spreading the idea that Jesus had not been an actual, flesh-and-blood human. They speculated that He only appeared to take on human form. This teaching was propagated by the Docetists who earned their name from the Greek word dokeĩn, which means “to seem.” They rejected John’s teaching that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Because these people deemed the flesh to be inherently evil, they could not accept the idea of deity taking on humanity. So, they rationalized it away by claiming that Jesus had only appeared to have a human body. So, His “death” was just a fiction. But by voiding the humanity of Jesus, these false teachers were actually eliminating the heart of the gospel message. Without Jesus’ humanity, there was no goodnews. That is why the apostles boldly preached the reality of Jesus’ incarnation.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. – 1 Peter 2:24 NLT

The doctrine of the bodily death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus became the litmus test for determining the veracity of those claiming to be teachers.

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. – 1 John 4:1-3 NLT

So, as Paul continued the introduction of his letter to the Colossian believers, he stressed the humanity of Jesus, reminding them that they had been “reconciled in his body of flesh by his death” (Colossians 1:22 ESV). For Paul, that point was essential because it explained how sinful human beings could be made right with a holy and righteous God. He even stressed the nature of their pre-conversion state, describing them as “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Colossians 1:21 ESV). This concept of alienation and hostility was a common theme for Paul. He repeatedly stressed the former hopeless and helpless condition of those who now enjoyed a right standing with God. He wanted them to consider the almost incomprehensible scope of Christ’s sacrificial death and what it had accomplished on their behalf.

…since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. – Romans 5:9-11 NLT

The physical death of Jesus made possible their spiritual transformation from enemies to friends of God. They had been reconciled to a righteous God by the undeserved death of His righteous and sinless Son. Paul reminded the believers in Rome of the remarkable nature of Jesus’ selfless sacrifice of His life.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

Paul told the believers in Colossae that because Jesus had died in their place, He had been able to present them to God the Father as “holy and blameless and above reproach” (Colossians 1:22 ESV). Jesus had taken upon Himself the penalty for their sins and, in exchange, had placed upon them His own unblemished righteousness. Paul fully understood the significance of this “great exchange” and boldly proclaimed His appreciation for it and his unwavering dependence upon it.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. – Philippians 3:9 NLT

For Paul, belief in Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection was essential for living the Christian life. He called the Colossians to reject any false teaching that might undermine their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and urged them to remain committed to the good news just as they had heard it from Epaphras.

…you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. – Colossians 1:23 NLT

Paul knew that false teachers would be a constant problem in the church. Each generation of believers would face a new wave of plausible but unreliable doctrines concerning the saving work of Jesus. He also knew that immature and poorly informed Christians would be easy targets for false teachers and end up “tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching” and tricked by “lies so clever they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:14 NLT). For Paul, the best defense against false teaching was the truth. He declared his firm commitment to continue doing what he had always done: preach the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ to any and all who would listen.

The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. – Colossians 1:23 NLT

Paul wanted the Colossians to know that they had been reconciled to God through the physical death of Jesus Christ. He had been fully divine and wholly human and died a very real, excruciating death on the cross—in their place. By placing their faith in Jesus’s substitutionary death, they had been restored to a right relationship with God. Formerly enemies of God, they now enjoyed a new status as His sons and heirs, and no false teacher or faulty doctrine could take that away from them.

Paul will continue to drive home his belief in the humanity of Jesus because it was essential to the gospel message. In the second chapter of his letter, he states, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (Colossians 2:9-10 NLT). For Paul, Jesus’ humanity and deity were inseparable and non-debatable. If Jesus did not become an actual flesh-and-blood human, then His death on the cross was pointless. For Paul, the bodily death and resurrection of Jesus were the key to the gospel message. If Jesus only appeared to be human, then His death was nothing more than a charade. Without an actual body, it would be impossible for Jesus to die, and if Jesus did not die, the resurrection was unnecessary. But in his first letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul debunked this heretical notion.

For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. – 1 Corinthians 15:13-19 NLT

Paul was willing to die to protect the integrity of the gospel. He would not tolerate any twisting of the truth or perversion of the message he had received from Jesus because there was too much at stake. The gospel was not up for interpretation or alteration. Yet, Paul constantly had to clean up the mess left behind by false and heretical teachers. He was forced to chastise the believers in Galatia for their lack of discernment and gullibility.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. – Galatians 1:6-9 ESV

There was only one gospel, and it was based on Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. To ensure that his audience understood, Paul unequivocally states, “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 NLT). 

Father, no man could have come up with the plan You devised for humanity’s redemption. The thought of a deity taking on human flesh is not a novel idea, The Greeks had their pantheon of gods who masqueraded as mere mortals. But Your plan involved Your sinless Son taking on the form of an infant baby and growing up to be a man. As Paul wrote, Jesus, ths Son of God “did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8 N:LT). It took a sinless Savior to sacrifice His life on behalf of sinful men. But to do it, He had to become like us. He lived among us, suffered hunger and weariness like us, endured rejection by us, and gave us life for us. All so that we could one day become like Him. That was Your plan and it is perfect down to the last detail. Thank You! Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Care Package

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1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father. – Colossians 1:1-2 ESV

The ancient city of Colossae achieved its early prominence and prosperity due to its location along a major trade route that ran through the Lycus River Valley in the Roman province of Asia Minor (in what is today modern-day Turkey). But in time, the nearby and newer city of Laodicea replaced Colossae as the economic engine of the region. While the Co­lossians had made a name for themselves through the manufacture of the much-coveted crimson-colored wool cloth known as colossinum, the once-thriving metropolis was reduced to little more than a small village. It was in this environment that a small congregation of believers sprung up.

When the church in Colossae was founded is unclear. At the time Paul wrote his letter, he had not been to the city of Colossae, but his missionary journeys had taken him to nearby Ephesus where he spent an extended period of time spreading the gospel message and making converts. According to Acts 19:10, “This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

It could be that one of the new converts from Ephesus took the good news of Jesus Christ to Colossae or perhaps a visitor from Colossae had been in Ephesus to hear the preaching of Paul. Whatever the case, the gospel made its way there and, in time, a small congregation was formed.

Because of its location along a major trade route, the city of Colossae had a population comprised of Greek colonists and native Phrygians. There would have also been a fairly large number of Jews living in the area because Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.) had relocated hundreds of Jewish families from Mesopotamia to this region. So, this local congregation was likely a diverse mixture of ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. This hybrid blend of backgrounds, along with the influence of false teachers, was causing a great deal of confusion among the church’s young congregation.

It appears that Paul had received word of the situation in Colossae from Epaphras, a resident of the city. Whether Epaphras visited Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome is unclear, but the fellow minister of the gospel had somehow gotten word to the apostle about the state of affairs in his home city. According to verses 7-8 of Chapter 1, Epaphras had been instrumental in the spread of the gospel to his fellow Colossians.

You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave—a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf—who also told us of your love in the Spirit. – Colossians 1:7-8 NLT

Epaphras shared with Paul his concern for the spiritual well-being of the church. Without proper leadership and instruction, the fledgling congregation had found itself struggling to resist the temptation to synchronize their old religious ideologies with their new faith in Christ. And some of the Jewish converts were attempting to add their own blend of Judaic ritualism and traditionalism. To top it all off, there were those who had infiltrated the church posing as doctrinal experts and propagating a dangerous brand of false teaching that directly opposed the teachings of Paul and the other apostles. This is what led Paul to open his letter with a statement that established his apostolic credentials.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… – Colossians 1:1 ESV

While Paul had not been one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus, he had received his apostolic commission directly from the Lord Himself. Early in his life, Paul had been a member of the Pharisees, a powerful and highly influential sect of Judaism. At one point, he described himself as the poster boy for religious extremism and dedication.

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. – Philippians 3:5-6 NLT

He was an up-and-coming member of the Pharisees who had been given a commission by the high priest to persecute and arrest members of “The Way,” the name given to the cult of followers who worshiped the dead Rabbi, Jesus. As a devout Pharisee, Paul had been a zealous adherent to and defender of the Jewish faith, and he was determined to eradicate the memory of Jesus and eliminate every one of His followers. He would later describe to the Jews how he had been given a commission to hunt down and destroy Christians.

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.” – Acts 22:3-5 NLT

But something remarkable happened as Paul made his way to Damascus; he had come face to face with the resurrected Jesus. A blinding light stopped Paul in his tracks and a voice spoke to him, saying, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8 NLT). Unable to see, Paul clearly heard Jesus give him instructions to visit a man named Ananias, who would give him further instructions, and Ananias opened Paul’s eyes and revealed to him his new mission.

“The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.” – Acts 22:14-16 NLT

This “Damascus Road experience” transformed Paul’s life; he went from persecuting Christians to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he was appointed an official apostle or messenger of Jesus Christ, with specific instructions to take the good news of salvation to the Gentiles.

Paul wanted the believers in Colossae to understand that he had divine authority to address the situation taking place within their local congregation. He defended his right to speak on behalf of Christ because there were those who attacked his apostolic credentials. But Paul pushed back on these critics, declaring his God-given authority as a spokesman for the gospel.

I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. – Galatians 1:1 NLT

So many of the churches Paul helped establish were being targeted by men who claimed to be speaking on behalf of God but who were teaching false doctrines and leading the people away from the simplicity and integrity of the gospel. Many of these men were eloquent and influential speakers who derided Paul’s ministry and portrayed him as a charlatan, but Paul refused to let them destroy what God had built.

But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:12-13 NLT

So Paul opened his letter to the Colossians with a declaration of his apostleship. He wanted them to know that what he was about to tell them was divinely inspired and not just the thoughts of a man they had never met. The content of his letter would reflect God’s will concerning their situation, so it would pay for them to listen. And Paul let them know that he was not alone in his concern for them. His protégé and fellow minister of the gospel, Timothy, stood with him in his message of encouragement and admonition.

Paul refers to his audience as “saints,” using a Greek term (hagios), which means “those set apart to God.” He wanted to remind them that they had been consecrated by God for His use. They belonged to God and had an obligation to live their lives in keeping with His will and according to His Word. They were not free to establish their own model for righteous living or to create their own system of religious rituals and creeds. They had been set apart by God and were to dedicate their lives to God.

The rest of his letter will address the specifics of their situation and the measures they must take to ensure that they continue to live faithful lives marked by God’s grace and peace.

Father, I am reminded of Paul’s passion for the gospel and his dedication to the well-being of the body of Christ. For him, it was not enough to preach the gospel and teach the truth of God’s Word, he was obsessed with the spiritual well=being of the many congregations he had helped to start. Like a shepherd, he cared deeply for his flock and wanted to help them make the most of their salvation experience. His life had been radically transformed by Jesus and dedicated his life to helping others come to know Him and become increasingly more like Him. Paul wasn’t interested in making religious converts; he was out to produce Spirit-empowered, fruit-producing, Christ-emulating, and grace-filled followers of Jesus who would help spread the gospel through words and deeds. I want to share his passion for preaching the truth of God’s Word and the life-transforming power of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. Increase my commitment to Your Word, my love for the lost, and my passion for preserving and protecting the body of Christ. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Freedom In Christ

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12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. – Philemon 1:12-16 ESV

Paul was sending Onesimus back to Philemon, and Paul made it clear that this had not been an easy decision. In a sense, Paul was sending his very heart because he loved Onesimus as if he were his own son. This young man had come to mean a great deal to the apostle, and it must have grieved him deeply to think of Onesimus leaving his side. But Paul wanted to do the right thing; he knew that the rift between Onesimus and Philemon needed to be healed.

But as difficult as it was for Paul, stop and consider the feelings of Onesimus. They say there are two sides to every story, and in the case of Onesimus, we know next to nothing about how he came to be a slave, why he ran away, or what kind of conditions he had lived under while serving in Philemon’s house. But it seems likely that something motivated his decision to escape his condition as a slave. Perhaps it was nothing more than the natural human desire to be free.

It is fascinating to speculate about Onesimus’ backstory. Perhaps he had sold himself into servitude to pay back a debt he owed to Philemon, or he could have been born into slavery, the unfortunate son of enslaved parents. Then there’s the very real possibility that Onesimus had been a prisoner of war whom Philemon purchased from the slave market.

But regardless of how Onesimus came to be a slave or why he decided to run away, Paul somehow convinced him to return. What a fascinating conversation that must have been. Just imagine how long Paul must have wrestled with the idea before he ever brought it up with Onesimus. And then consider how Onesimus must have received Paul’s counsel to go back to Philemon and make things right.

There were great risks involved, and yet Onesimus had agreed to follow Paul’s advice, despite knowing that his return could result in his re-enslavement. Not only that, but he could also face severe legal repercussions for his actions. As a runaway slave, he could be beaten, sold, or even put to death. His fate would be in the hands of Philemon. But this young man had willingly chosen to take risks to do what he believed was the right thing.

In an attempt to prepare Philemon for the arrival of his former slave and newfound brother in Christ, Paul used an interesting tactic. He implied that all the while Onesimus had been ministering to him during his imprisonment in Rome, he had done so on Philemon’s behalf. And Paul states that he had been tempted to maintain this arrangement, but had not wanted to make that decision for Philemon.

I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. – Philemon 1:13-14 ESV

Interestingly enough, Paul seemed to view Onesimus as a gift from Philemon. And yet, the only way Paul could have known about the relationship between Onesimus and Philemon was because Onesimus had divulged it to him. At some point in their relationship, Onesimus revealed his status as a runaway slave. And when Paul heard the name of Onesimus’ master, he recognized God’s hand in it all. Philemon was a dear friend of Paul’s, and he had a slave who had run away and ended up in Rome, where he met Paul and came to faith in Christ. Paul knew that none of this was the result of happenstance, luck, kismet, or karma; it was the handiwork of God.

Paul tried to get Philemon to view these events from a divine perspective, stating, “It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever” (Philemon 1:15 NLT). For Philemon, the loss of his slave had been nothing more than a financial setback; he had lost his property. But Paul reminded Philemon that his loss had actually resulted in great gain. He had lost a slave but was receiving back a brother in Christ.

He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. – Philemon 1:16 NLT

The young man who was about to walk through Philemon’s door was no longer his property, but a fellow member of the family of God. Onesimus wasn’t Philemon’s personal possession anymore. His life had been paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.

At one point early in his earthly ministry, Jesus returned to Nazareth, where he entered the synagogue and read from the book of Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – Luke 4:18-19 NLT

And having read this Messianic passage, Jesus handed the scroll back to the attendant and said, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21 NLT). Jesus had come to proclaim liberty to the captives and to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Of course, He was speaking in terms of spiritual captivity to sin and death, and freedom from the oppression that comes with trying to earn favor with God through human effort. And that is exactly what Onesimus had experienced. He had been set free and, as Jesus had said, “if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36 NLT). 

That verse is found in the middle of a discourse by Jesus in which he was discussing the ability of the truth to set men free. In that same passage, He describes all those who sin as slaves.

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” – John 8:35-36 NLT

Prior to coming to faith in Christ, Philemon had been a slave to sin, but he had been set free and now enjoyed status as a son of God. But the same thing was true of Onesimus. He had also been set free from slavery to sin and death and had become Philemon’s spiritual brother. So, why would Philemon continue to treat his brother as a slave?

Paul was asking both of these men to make difficult decisions. Onesimus had made his choice and was returning home. But Philemon still had a choice to make. How would he respond? What would he do when he saw Onesimus?

Jesus came to change the condition of the human heart. He died so that men might experience the life-transformative power of God, which not only restores fallen men to a right relationship with Himself but with one another.

“The supreme work of Christianity is to transform men, so that out of their transformed lives shall come the transformation of all social conditions, and the victories of righteousness and of love.” – G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible

Paul greatly desired that these two men, who both meant a great deal to him, would allow their faith in Christ to transform their relationship. Paul knew that their choice to live as brothers rather than as slave and master would be a testimony to the gospel’s power. And it would spread throughout the local congregation and into the community.

Father, what a wonderful reminder of the power fo the gospel to transform lives and relationships. Onesimus was returning as a runaway slave, but also as a forgiven, redeemed, and justified follower of Jesus Christ. His status as a slave had not changed, but his relationship with You had been restored. As a result, his relationship with Philemon would never be the same. But both men were going to have to wrestle with their past perspectives about what it means to be a free man. Philemon was going to have to accept his status as a bondservant of Christ and view his former slave as a brother, not a servant.. Onesimus was going to have to accept the reality that salvation had not changed his status as a slave. Legally, he still belonged to Philemon. And he too would have to look at his former master in a radically different way. Each man would have to die to his rights and serve the other selflessly and sacrificially. And what a testimony their redeemed relationship must have had on that community. That is what you have called all of us to experience., for the good of the body of Christ and the benefit of a lost world that needs to know that the gospel really is life changing. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.