COLOSSIANS 2:6–15 – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
THEME OF THE DAY: JESUS IS ALWAYS ENOUGH. My wife and I have been reading the same Bible reading plan for this year. It is the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan. This 19th century Scottish pastor made this for his congregation to provide a unified reading of the Bible together. The person who uses his plan will read the Bible through in an orderly fashion. The Old Testament will be read once, the New Testament and Psalms twice. A nice format is available at www.truthforlife.org.
Today’s scripture was the assigned reading for October 12. As my wife was reading it, she said to me, “I would like to memorize Colossians 2. It is my favorite chapter in the Bible.” That led to us having a discussion on the dominant truth the Apostle Paul is teaching in this passage from Colossians 2. And instead of me initially identifying it, go back and read the passage, if necessary, a couple of times, and try to discern what the dominant truth is.
Basically, the Apostle Paul is instructing the Colossians and us, that Jesus is always enough. There is not a trial, a heartache, a difficulty, a relationship . . . nothing is beyond the power of Christ. He is sufficient for all we need to not only endure life but to rejoicingly live life as the scriptures teach us – abundant and full.
And the key to understanding Paul’s position, go back and look at all the references he gives to the believer being “in Christ, in Him, with Him.” It will appear at least nine times explicitly and also implied. Do we think of our Christian life every day as being in an inseparable union with Christ? Think about it. We walk in the Creator, Redeemer, in which all the fullness of God dwells, and that fullness is ours to not only enjoy but to appropriate in living out the demands and commands of the Christian life. Make it a habit to daily remind ourselves that Jesus is always enough. Why? He is God in us, and we in Him. And nothing is stronger than that inseparable union!
PRAYER: Father, I praise you for granting me all I need to live pleasing to You because of my union with Your Son.
REFLECTION: Never start a day without reminding yourself and praising God that You are in Christ.