New Mindset Leads to Heavenly Thinking

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I totally love the beginning verses of Chapter 3 of Colossians. Paul is using Because, Since, & Therefore deliberately. These are transition words that show because of what has come before in the first 2 chapters He can now state as truth the following: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:1-2 Paul has spent 2 chapters presenting the case for the preeminence of Christ, the power of His death and resurrection to each believer and the fact that in Christ we are new creations. We can put off our old self, our old sinful nature, and put on a new nature, being a new creation in Christ!

Since that is true, what kind of difference does this make in our lives? Paul is saying it should and does make all the difference in the world. It allow us to be free from the bondage of the old nature and open to the newness of life in Christ. We can focus on new things with our minds, heavenly things to edify and build up the body of Christ. We have heard this before in Philippians 4:4-9 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon, 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you”. He also tells us to be mindful that our home and citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 1:27a “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. ” Philippians 3:20 “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

This seems a practical message for us today. Think about godly things, good thoughts and actions, seek to please God and glorify Him and consider ourselves kingdom citizens at all times. That kind of thinking will help us to focus Jesus each day and lead us to show others our Savior in all we say and do. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have a new nature with a new mindset as I seek to live for Him each day. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Remember Who You Belong to!

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Colossians 2:20-23 finished up this chapter and Paul’s final plea to the Colossian Christians to think about their faith and not to follow along just to get along. “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, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

Paul starts out – remember who you belong to! Christ has set you free! Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The power we have in Christ is greater than the power in the world. Jesus told the disciples in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Christ admonished us to be obedient to Him not the world and its desires. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Trust in His Word and look to Him. I love Titus 1:9 “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Psalm 119:41-42 “Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,  your salvation according to your promise; 42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.” Paul’s message was remember who you belong to, trust in the power of Jesus to overcome, be obedient to His commandments and rely upon His Word.

When you are feeling bullied or under attack, look to God’s Word. There you will find strength, comfort, mercy and guidance by our Heavenly Father. Pray, Pray, Pray and ask God to show you what is true and right. Ask and you will receive when you ask for wisdom (James 1:5), ask without doubting (James 1:6), and ask with right motives with purity of heart (James 4:2-3).

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am affirmed in Christ and can ask for His guidance and wisdom from His Word. I know He will answer. Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Linda

Solo Christo, Christ Alone is Enough

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Colossian 2:16-19 led me to the Message translation. It is a paraphrased translation and uses modern terms and words to help us decipher what Paul was trying to tell us. The Colossian Christians were under a great deal of pressure to add rules to the gospel. The Judaizers were trying to get the Gentile Christians to practice the Jewish laws and customs so they could consider them Christians. These were no longer necessary as Christ freed man from the need to follow all the mosaic laws and rituals. Our connection through faith in Christ brings us His indwelling Holy Spirit. As Paul stated in Colossians 2:11 it is a circumcision brought by Christ and is of the heart. So as they struggled with these issues, Paul did not want them intimidated or bullied into doing things that were not necessary for faith in Christ. Paul denounces rules about diet or saying they have to bow and worship angels.

16-17 So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18-19 Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are. They’re completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.”

Paul wants them to stay focused on Christ as He is the source of life that flows through us. Jesus himself said in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Christ alone is the way to truth and life. Only through Him can we know and experience God. Hebrews 5:9 names Christ as the source of all salvation. “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Here are a few other verses to help us focus on Christ as the only source of our faith and life: John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Romans 16:26-27 “but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! and Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.“

What does this mean for me and you? The message from Paul is one for all of us. Martin Luther took it to heart when he nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the Wittenberg church on October 31, 1517 in Germany that sparked the Reformation. Solo Christo- Christ alone is the answer and in Him all is Yes and Amen.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know Christ, be indwelt by His Holy Spirit and have a relationship with Almighty God through the power of Christ Alone!

Linda

4th Sunday of Lent, God’s Love and Grace

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This week we have studied verses from Colossians 1:28-2:15. There have been some amazing truths revealed to us by Paul as he continues to make the case for Christ and His work on the cross. We can be empowered to live for Christ, filled by His Holy Spirt, and freed from the bondages of sin. I stand amazed at the depth of God’s love for us and Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die for me. I am truly blessed by His graciousness towards me. Here are the truth from this week to meditate upon and a Psalm of praise.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead,

I can grow to be more and more like Jesus in character through the power of His Holy Spirit within me. Colossians 1:28-29 “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

I can claim treasures in Christ that will fill me with His confidence, wisdom and knowledge so I can be united to other believers by His love. Colossians 2:1-3 “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“

I can be rooted and grounded in Christ producing a life that is abundant and filled to overflowing with thanksgiving, hope and love. Colossians 2:4-8 “I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

I am one with Him, totally forgiven and have His Holy Spirit dwelling with me. Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God]. 10 And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].”

I am spared God’s wrath as my sins are forgiven and I am freed from sin’s power in my life. Colossians 2:13-15 “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

Psalm 36:5-9 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O Lord. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

Have a blessed week.

Linda

Spared, Forgiven and Free, That’s me in Christ!

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Colossians 2:13-15 are powerful verses that describe what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

Paul first describes our state of being before faith- we were dead in our sins. Through faith in Christ we were made clean, alive , forgiven and blameless so we could have a relationship with our heavenly Father. I love Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” and Romans 5:8-9 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Jesus restored, redeemed and ransomed us from our sinful state of being through Christ’s work on the cross.

Paul also speaks of cancelling the charges against us. This is referring to the case against us at birth from original sin. We are born with a sin nature and that cannot be erased or cancelled through any efforts of our own. In the Old Testament times the Jews followed the Law and offered sacrifices as forgiveness requires an atoning sacrifice. Paul is affirming that no amount of rule following would ever be enough to satisfy God’s wrath over sin. Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Lastly, Paul is saying that Christ’s death on the cross did public damage to Satan and his minions. They are still alive and active but their days are numbered and there is a time coming when Christ will return victorious and judge them. 1Thessalonians 5:2-4 “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” Revelation 20:7-10 “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

As for me I know, Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am spared God’s wrath as my sins are forgiven and I am freed from sin’s power in my life. Rejoice with me over being forgiven and claim your victory in Christ!

Linda

In Him A New Heart, Old Nature GONE!

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In Colossians 2:11-12 Paul makes a comparison between the circumcision done physically to the body and the one done spiritually by Christ’s indwelling Holy Spirit. “When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. In the Old Testament physical circumcision was performed on the 8th day of life to all boys and was a sign of the covenant, promise, agreement made between Abraham (man) and God. It was a sign of separation of being set apart by God as his own. Genesis 17:11-13 “You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. ” This was to be the sign of an everlasting covenant between the people of God and God. Paul makes the comparison that we as believers in Christ are also circumcisized spiritually by the cutting away of our old nature. We are set apart by God to be His people by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:5-6 “For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” After the death and resurrection of Christ, the circumcision that sets believers apart is the circumcision of the heart that comes when one accepts the truth of Jesus and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

The problem in the days of the Colossian church was that many Jews were saying that new believers had to be circumsized physically to be accepted into the body of Christ. Paul refutes that over and over in the New Testament that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit set believers apart for God and circumsizes their hearts and minds. Paul wanted to stop this quarreling and have them move forward to embraces the gospel and spread the good news of Jesus to all who would believe, Jew or Gentile.

What about you? Are their ideas or requirements that you want to add to faith that are not based in scripture? The Jews wanted to require an old way when Jesus had given a new way. When in doubt, look to God’s Word and see if what you are thinking and believing lines up with scripture. Then pray about it and ask God for discernment. James 4:1-3 gives us good practical advice and advises us to check our motives. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.“

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I was circumcised spiritually when I accepted Jesus as my Savior and He cut away my old nature and gave me a new heart. Praise God!

Linda

Praise Jesus, He is who He is!

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Who do you think Christ is? Paul wanted the Colossian Christians to know without a doubt that Christ is God. Current philosophies of Paul’s day claimed that he was not all God. Paul says and that in Him nothing was lacking, He is the all in all. Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God]. 10 And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].” I like the Amplified text as it adds and explains to us what Paul was talking about specifically. Some were saying Jesus was not all of God and was not divine. Paul wanted to confront their heretical ideas and explain the truth about Christ- who He is.

We have philosophies today that want to discredit and deny the deity of Christ. What can we say to refute them? Paul’s claim is that Jesus, when here on earth, had the fullness of God within him. Hebrews 1:3 gives us a perfect description who Jesus is and what He accomplished, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Jesus often talked of who He was and the power He possessed to grant eternal life. John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” He possessed the glory of God within himself, John 13:31-32 “Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.” Being God himself, Jesus was able to make those who believe in Him complete. They would have complete forgiveness of sins, Acts 2:38, ” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” They would have the Spirit of God dwelling within them, 2 Timothy 1:13-14 “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” They would be one with Christ, Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” and John 15:4-5 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Lastly, Paul wanted the believers to know that Jesus was and is ruler over all, He is sovereign God. I love the Philippians passage where Paul explains who Jesus is and was for all time, Philippians 2:6-11 “

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

May you catch a glimpse of Who Jesus is and was and what He has done for you. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am one with Him, totally forgiven and have His Holy Spirit dwelling with me. Praise God, Jesus is who He is!

Linda

Your Roots, what do they cling to?

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Paul continues to voice his concern for the Colossian Christians as he does not want them to be led astray by persuasive arguments of those in opposition to Christ. He wants them to know he is with them in spirit and desires they resist and stand firm in their faith. Colossians 2:4-8 “I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

I love Paul’s straight forward way of talking about our need to be aware and on guard towards those that would seek to lead us astray into thoughts that are empty and meaningless. He zeros in on what we have in Christ in verse 7. Let your faith grow roots and have them firmly planted in Christ. Build your faith on Him, then it will be on a firm, resolute and unshakable foundation. This foundation is explained in Ephesians 2:19-22 “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 puts it very plainly, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.”

Paul says the result of building our life on Christ and His truth is that our lives will then overflow with thankfulness. When we grasp the inheritance, love, forgiveness, and freedom that we have in Christ we will be eternally grateful. Paul wrote to young Timothy that coming to faith in Christ did exactly that for him. 1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.“

Are you overflowing with grace and love because of your faith in Christ? Are you rooted and grounded in your faith? This is not something you get quickly but it grows over time as you allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life. The sanctification process of becoming more and more like Jesus begins at the moment of belief and continues growing throughout our life. It is truly a life changing process made possible only in Christ. Christ Alone is the reason for our change. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be rooted and grounded in Christ producing a life that is abundant and filled to overflowing with thanksgiving, hope and love. Choose Christ so you can stand steadfast and resolute as things change all around you and be overflowing with thankfulness.

Linda

Today’s blog is a milestone for me. By God’s grace I have written and posted 1,000 blog entries. It has been a growing process that has increased my faith and clarified my thinking about Christ. I can agree with Paul that standing on a firm foundation which is set in Christ Jesus fills my heart with overflowing gratitude and joy. Thank you Jesus for your love and sacrifice on my behalf!

Claim your Treasures!

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Chapter 2 of Colossians starts with Paul showing us his empathy for the believers in Colossae and Laodicea, a nearby town. Epaphras has filled him in on the great needs and struggles of both of these churches. Paul identifies with their struggles and wants them to know he is united to them by love even if they have never met. Colossians 2:1-3 “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” He wants them to understand the wonderful mystery that Christ reveals- redemption, forgiveness and salvation for all who believe. In Christ is life and knowledge that is a treasure for living a guided, indwelt and redeemed life.

What part of this treasure do you possess? Do you know Christ’s great love? Have you experienced the strong ties to other believers as you work, study and encourage one another in your walk with Christ? Do you have a treasure chest filled with good things Christ has given you? All of these are YES in Christ! Here are some of the benefits Paul wanted the Colossian and Laodicean Christians to experience: LOVE– John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” UNITY- 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” CONFIDENCE- 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,” HIDDEN TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE– Psalm 51:6 “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,  and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Paul wanted the Colossians and Laodiceans to have all these treasures so they could live a life worthy of the calling of Christ and shine for Him in a dark world. Paul wants these things for us too, claim them today. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can claim treasures in Christ that will fill me with His confidence, wisdom and knowledge so I can be united to other believers by His love.

Linda

Christ desires maturity. Are you growing?

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Colossians 1:28-29 finishes this first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossian Christians. He is seeking to explain his earnest motivation for calling them to be the most that they can be in Christ. He wants for them to honor Christ in their lives and seek to grow in faith. “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

How concerned are your church leaders about growth in your church body? How concerned are you about growing your faith? I’m not talking about numbers in your church congregation or hours spent serving but growing in faith. This is a growth that stretches and moves you to be more like Jesus. Are they teaching from the Word and encouraging you to spend time in God’s Word and prayer? Do you hunger after God’s Word and crave to spend time with God in prayer? This was Paul’s passion. He wanted those who came to know Jesus as savior to be mature Christians who would be able to stand steadfast in troubled times, lean on and serve each other in love and be mission minded desiring to bring others to faith. Ephesians 4:13 “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ”. Christ’s standard is high and calls for us to be mature and wise in our daily walk with Him so as to not to be tempted and fall away. Hebrews 5:14 “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong”. Being mature aids in one’s perception of the world and enables one to view things from a godly perspective. This allows one to make godly choices and not fall into sin.

Today as you mediate on these verses, test yourself? How much do you see yourself growing? Are you more like Jesus now than you were 1,2,5 years ago? I don’t mean more religious or more involved. I mean more like Jesus in character. James puts it this way in James 1:2-4 our experiences in life should be growing and producing more godly character in us. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” In Romans 5:3-6 Paul says this about character development. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” None of us likes to suffer but in the trials of life we grow and move either closer to Jesus or away. Which is it for you?

My latest book, Strategic Living, is about growing more and more like Jesus, I chose 1 John 2:15-17 from the Message translation as my motivating verses. Let the words speak to your heart today. “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can grow to be more and more like Jesus in character through the power of His Holy Spirit within me. Praise God! He is changing me to be more like Him. See Galatians 5:22-23 for specific examples of ways God the Holy Spirit changes us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” In Him, He has promised we are new creations! 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Linda