COLOSSIANS 1:16 – For by Him (Christ) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.”
THEME OF THE DAY: TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORDS. Two of the most important words Christians need to grasp and apply in their walks with the Lord are “possession” and “submission.” Whether we are new believers or those having known the Lord for a long time, these two words determine a lot of things in our Christian lives. Let’s look at each one and their spiritual application.
First, the word “possession” reveals what happened to us when God opened our eyes to the Gospel, showing our need of Christ, granting us faith and repentance, and making us His children. The Apostle Peter used the word describing who and what we have become in Christ – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Go through the four identifiers he uses to define believers. All of this may be grouped under the statement “God’s possession: bought and owned by Him.” We will find the Apostle Paul affirming this staggering transaction and truth of our salvation – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Do we live this way? Are we daily walking owned by the Lord, His prized possession by redemption? Learning to think this way will radically change our outlook on life and our Christianity. We are no longer to be under the control of our desires, wills, passions, pleasures, and goals. We are owned property and there is no greater place to be than under the ownership of the Lord Jesus.
The second word is “submission” and will be the natural response if we get the first word right in our thinking and living. Those knowing they are owned by the Lord pursue lives of glad submission to Him. They cherish His authority. They love to obey His commands. And the level of our submission to God determines the levels of our joy and fellowship with Him. We read from James, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Submission is also necessary for successful spiritual warfare. We admit submission isn’t easy but the more we realize our relationship with the Lord as His possession, we will find submission increasing in our lives and that with delight.
Possessed by the Lord and living in submission to the Lord. These truths define for us what happens at salvation and what is to follow after salvation. May the Lord help us to understand and apply these truths regularly and passionately.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see all of my life is to be lived under the Lordship of Your Son.”
QUOTE: “Christ not only owns us by creation but also by redemption. We are not our own.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim