What an amazing gift we are given the opportunity to experience. If only we could grasp the absolute magnitude of what God is offering us. Just to know Jesus Christ and be a Declared Saint of God. Wow! Consider that. It is for that reason, I have chosen for us to look at the letter to the Colossians for our next study. My desire is that through this study we will come to know Jesus Christ in all His splendor and Glory. To see Him with eyes wide open. Even if for now it is through a glass dimly. But One day, we will see Him face to face, if we know Him now as our Lord and Savior. He is the greatest desire of my heart. Only He can fully satisfy my longings. But for now, He has called me to continue to spread His word wherever I go until He calls me home.
The church of Colossae was one that had not been started by Paul. Indeed, it is believed that the church was founded by Epaphras. At the time of this letter, Epaphras was Paul’s jail partner. We learn this from Philemon 23 KJV, where Paul wrote: “There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.” The letter was then delivered by Tychicus and Onesimus as we are told in Colossians 4:7-9, which we will reach during this study. That is if Jesus does not return before then and He permits us to continue.
To Know Jesus Christ
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother Colossians 1:1 NASB
Saul knows the truth of what it is to come to know Jesus Christ (Savior Messiah). He had been so deeply embedded in his teachings as a Pharisee, that he did not recognize Jesus. That is until that day on the road to Damascus when Jesus called him by name with a blinding light. Jesus had called out the 12 apostles. Now it had been Jesus who called out the replacement of Judas. Only now– Saul would be renamed Paul and become the apostle chosen for the Gentiles. He knew what it meant to be chosen by the WILL of God. Not mankind’s will. Not his own will. But, rather, the will of God.
And to be a declared Saints, brothers and sisters
To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Colossians 1:2 NASB
All who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are declared saints. We are also called the brothers and sisters in Christ, meaning we are faith filled. It is doubling down on this truth. We are declared saints and faithful brothers and sisters, whether we recognize it or not. As we saw in Ephesians, often what we need is to know our identity. When we know who we truly are we are more likely to display our identity to those around us. It is like saying, “Hello, I am Effie, a saint by declaration of God, sister in Jesus Christ.” Here in Mexico it is common practice to call those in the church “hermana or hermano” then their name. Meaning sister or brother. Paul goes on to remind them that Grace and Peace are theirs from God.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 KJV
All who are justified by faith, HAVE peace with God and the access to stand before His throne by GRACE and grace alone. We rejoice in the HOPE of the Glory of God. OURs by faith alone in Christ alone. And even that faith is given us as a gift. Chosen before the foundations of the world.
A Prayer to Know Jesus Christ
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1: 3-8 NASB
Now that is quite a prayer! We thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for you always. We should pray for one another always. It is God the Father who gave each of us to the son. And it was the Father who gave His son to die in our place. Thereby, absorbing all the wrath that sin justly deserves. We should pray for each other always. Being a faithful brother and sister in a broken world is not always easy.
How do we continue standing in the faith and love we have been given? We do so because of the hope reserved for us in heaven. Remembering this is not our final home, we cling to tomorrow with Him. Why and how? Because we have been told the word of truth, the gospel. Jesus is the Word, the Truth. To that, we can cling. That gospel message is what gives us the strength to stand and bear fruit. We see the evidence of labor by fruit. That is how Paul knows their faith and labor. Also, the gospel message is spreading and increasing throughout the world. Paul knew this of them because of Epaphras’ testimony concerning them.
The Prayer continues to Know Jesus Christ and His Will
For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all perseverance and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:9-12 NASB
Step by Step each builds upon the other like building blocks.
Be Filled with the Knowledge of HIS will
All Spiritual Wisdom
Spiritual Understanding
Because of 1-3, you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
And in walking in that manner, you will please Him in all respects
You will bear fruit in every good work and
That then increases your growing in the knowledge of God further
Causing you to be strengthened with all power in Him
According to HIS might developing
Perseverance,
Patience and
Joyfulness—thanking the Father Why?
Because He Has qualified us to shar in the inheritance with whom?
All the saints of lights
What a powerful statement and thought.
And even more, to fully know Jesus Christ
For He (GOD the Father) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NASB
We were rescued from the domain of darkness in which we dwelt. Dead in our trespasses and sin. Unable to do anything about our condition, had He not made the first move.
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Ephesians 2:1-3 KJV
Not just drowning, going down for the final count with our hands reaching up for help. We were dead spiritually. DEAD, not just dying. We needed to be born spiritually into life. And we had no hope of even looking to Him if He did not reach out His hand to us first. He gave us the breath of life. He alone breathed into our souls the breath of spiritual life. We could not do that ourselves. Jesus said,
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 NKJV
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2: 4-10 KJV
Is there cooperation on our part?
Yes. We have to accept. Jesus said,
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16: 15-16 KJV
Here he is referring to the baptism of the spirit of which water baptism is merely a symbol. However, he that believeth not shall be damned. We are still held responsible for denying Him. How choice and predestination are both true at the same time is far beyond my small brain. Therefore, I accept both as true by faith. I know that my sin is not due to His will, but my own will overriding His desire. Yet, I know even that in His Sovereignty, He can use to transform me in time. It may be through discipline or perhaps merely allowing me to see the consequences of my foolish choices. But He ultimately will finish the task of conforming me into the image of His will. Whatever it takes. I have nothing to boast of. Never did I deserve salvation. Even my faith was a gift from Him.
To Fully Know Jesus Christ,
Well, we will read the next few verses. However, they need a more thorough discussion so that I will leave to next week’s lesson. But for today, let’s look at them.
He (JESUS Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things [aa]hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the ullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— Colossians 1:15-22 NASB
We will end with this poem I wrote and the song created from it.
My Glorious King
By Effie Darlene Barba
My Sovereign Lord and King
Who joins me in my suffering
He’s ever present at my side
That in His joy I might abide
My Glorious King hung on a cross
And never thought about His loss
By reason of His love for me
He paid my price, my penalty
So, willingly He left His throne
That I might never be alone
And when this life brings pain and tears
He’s there to quiet all my fears
He took upon Himself my strife
To give to me eternal life
He cloaked me in His righteousness
That I might know His love and bliss
And on that cross His Glory shone
And ne’er a victim, did bemoan
His fate He chose with open arms
To free me from my own sin’s harms
He rose again, oh Glorious Day
To bring me life and light the way
That ever present I might be
Wrapped in His love eternally
And thus, it is, I love Him so
That willingly I to must go
Where ever He would bid me to
For He is all that I pursue
He is the treasure that I seek
The strength I need, for I am weak
He is the love my heart desires
The only one my soul requires
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. I urge you to seek Him today.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. That is except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR. Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Please note: This Post only has quotes from the KJV Bible except where otherwise indicated
