January 24, 2015

On January 5, 1974, I went to a dinner party where I met a young woman named Marla. My friends had told me that she was my type, but I had heard that and had been disappointed so many times that I was skeptical, at best. But as I entered the apartment and met Marla, something inside of me said, “Yeah, she does seem like my type! Maybe she could be the one!”

I was very lonely at the time and didn’t want to wait a whole week to see her again, so I asked her out for the next evening. We spent almost that entire first week together and by the end of the week, we were talking with some certainty about marriage. After three weeks, I screwed up my courage to ask her father for her hand in marriage. He took a drag on his cigarette, blew out the smoke, looked at her, shrugged, and said, “It’s your life!” I took that for his blessing! We got married on March 23, 1974, less than three months after we had met. Later, when we had children, I was afraid that they might do something similar!

We all like to hear stories of how people fell in love. But, honestly, falling in love is fairly easy. But the question is, how do you sustain that love so that it grows deeper and stronger over a lifetime? I’ve performed a lot of weddings and without exception, the couples were deeply in love with each other. But sadly, I’ve also often had couples in my office who are so angry and bitter towards each other that I wonder how, just a few years before, they ever were in love. They started out madly in love, but they failed to sustain and deepen that love.

Becoming a Christian is a lot like falling in love. When you meet Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you feel like the lame man at the temple, whom the Lord healed through Peter and John: you walk and leap and praise the Lord (Acts 3:8). Your guilt is gone. You’re at peace with God. He gives you His joy and the hope of eternal life. You’re a brand new creation in Christ and it feels wonderful, kind of like falling in love.

But those wonderful feelings will not automatically last. Trials and disappointments will come. You may suffer health problems. You pray for something, but God doesn’t answer. Doubts will creep in. Old friends cut you off and ridicule your faith. If you’re married, your spouse may be threatened by your changed life and become hostile and abusive. Your kids may not turn out as you had hoped and prayed. How do you go on with Christ over the long haul and sustain that first love for Him?

Sadly, some don’t go on. They grow bitter at God because of their trials. Some fall prey to false teachers, who offer them health and prosperity if they just have enough faith. Some get sucked in by the cults. Others settle in for routine Christianity, like a routine marriage, where they go through the motions, but they don’t enjoy the love of Jesus. They fill the void by collecting more things that promise to make them happy. Some succumb to temptation, thinking that an affair will bring happiness and fulfillment.

So the question is, “How do you go on with Christ? How do you keep that first love fresh and vital over the long haul?” In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul gives us a simple, but not simplistic, answer:

We go on with Christ in the same way we received Him.

Colossians 2:6: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” In the context, Paul is not focusing so much on the means of how you received Christ (by grace through faith), but rather on the Christ whom you received. The false teachers were trying to set aside or minimize Jesus Christ with their clever philosophies. They probably weren’t overtly denying Christ, but they were saying that to be fulfilled, you had to learn their secrets. You had to follow their manmade rules. You had to worship the angels and understand the visions that they had seen (Col. 2:18, 20-23). Christ alone was not enough.

So in chapter 1, Paul exalts Jesus Christ as all-sufficient and supreme over all. In Christ, we have “redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14). He is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15), which as Paul immediately explains, means that He created all things that exist. He also is the head of His body, the church. God’s intention is that Jesus Christ will come to have first place in everything, because He shares the fullness of God (Col. 1:16-19). Even though we were alienated from God and hostile to Him, Christ reconciled us to God through His death (Col. 1:21-22).

It was that Christ whom Paul proclaimed and in whom the Colossians had believed through Epaphras’ preaching. It was that Christ who dwelled in the Colossians, whom Paul proclaimed so that he might present every person mature in Christ (Col. 1:27-28). If they wanted to avoid the errors of the false teachers, then they needed to go on walking with this same Christ Jesus the Lord whom they had received. If we want to go on with Christ without succumbing to the many false teachers in our day, or without falling into sin, or drifting into spiritual apathy, then we must go on with this exalted, all-sufficient, Christ in the same way we received Him. Who, then, is this Christ and how did we receive Him?

1. Christ Jesus the Lord is the one whom we received.

The order of the name, Christ Jesus the Lord is significant (the exact Greek sequence of names and articles is unique here in the New Testament; cf. Douglas Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and Philemon [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 178).

A. We received Him as the Christ.

The One we received is first of all the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One (“Christ” is the Greek and “Messiah” is the Hebrew for “Anointed One”). He is the one prophesied of in the Hebrew Scriptures, written centuries before He was born. He is God’s anointed King, Prophet, and Priest.

As God’s anointed King, Jesus is appointed to reign as the sovereign of the universe. God has put His Son on the throne at His right hand and will give Him the nations as His inheritance and the very ends of the earth as His possession (Ps. 2:6-8; Ps. 110:1). One day every enemy will bow before Him as King of kings and Lord of lords (Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 19:16). He will throw the devil and all who follow him into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). No power in heaven or earth can stand against Him (Eph. 1:20-22). He is God’s anointed King!

As God’s anointed Prophet, Jesus speaks for God as the prophet, par excellence. Being one with the Father from all eternity and sent by the Father to do His will, Jesus is uniquely qualified to reveal the Father to us (John 10:30; 1:18; 8:38; 14:9). He spoke with authority about heaven and hell, about eternal life and about every aspect of this life. Being God in human flesh (John 1:14), He is omniscient and without sin, so that all that He speaks is both true and authoritative. He is God’s anointed Prophet.

As God’s anointed Priest, Jesus mediates between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). He offers the blood sacrifice which the holiness of God demands as the means of approaching Him. But unlike the Old Testament priests, who offered the blood of animals and who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins, Jesus offered His own blood for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Heb. 7:26-28). As a priest after the order of Melchizedek, Jesus’ priesthood replaces and supersedes the Levitical priests. They offered repeated sacrifices year after year, which could never make perfect those who draw near. But Jesus offered Himself once for all, providing complete forgiveness for all who trust in Him (Heb. 10:1-18).

This Christ, the anointed King, Prophet, and Priest, as revealed in the Scriptures, is the one whom the Colossians had received. Paul is arguing that they must not—we must not—turn aside to any other so-called “Christ” or human philosophy. Christ provides a full and complete salvation for all who believe in Him.

B. We received Him as Jesus.

Jesus is His human name. When the angel announced to Joseph Mary’s conception by the Holy Spirit, he said (Matt. 1:21), “You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua,” which means, “Yahweh saves.” Jesus said (Luke 19:10), “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

As I’ve often said, although we toss around the word “salvation” as a common term, we need to remember that it is a radical word. Good people who just need a little advice or guidance do not need salvation. People who are functioning pretty well on their own do not need to be saved. Self-righteousness blinds us to our need for Jesus to save us from our sins. But sinners who are lost and alienated from the holy God, unable to do anything to be reconciled to Him, know that they need to be rescued or saved from God’s righteous wrath against their sin.

The Bible says that while God is a personal God, at the same time He “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim. 6:16). “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He is so holy that when the godly prophet Isaiah saw Him on His throne, he cried out (Isa. 6:5),

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

So the question is, how can we know and be close to such a holy God? The good news is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). If you know that you’re a sinner, cry out to Jesus to save you from God’s judgment. The Bible promises (Rom. 10:13), “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Christ Jesus is the only Savior God has provided for helplessly lost sinners.

C. We received Him as the Lord.

The Colossians received Him as Christ Jesus, but also as “the Lord.” “Lord” refers to His deity. In the Old Testament it is the personal covenant name of God. It focuses on His absolute sovereignty as the Creator of the universe, the ruler over all that exists. It means that what He commands we must obey. He made us and knows everything about us. His commands are not burdensome, to plague us. Rather, they are perfect, right, and for our good (Ps. 19:7-11; Rom. 7:12; 1 John 5:3).

If you think that you can receive Jesus as your Savior and wait until later to consider the option of receiving Him as Lord, you may not have received Him at all. To receive Him as Savior means receiving Him for who He is; and He is the rightful Lord of all. All history revolves around Him and will be consummated in Him for His glory (Eph. 1:10-11; Col. 1:16-20). When He comes again in power and glory, He will conquer all His enemies and bring salvation for His saints (Rev. 19:1-21).

The Colossians (and we) have received Christ Jesus the Lord. Paul is saying that they (and we) must not trade this sovereign Lord for a false substitute, a “Christ” of man’s vain philosophizing. We received Christ Jesus the Lord. We must continue with Him alone, as He is revealed in His Word.

D. We received Him.

The word “received” means “to receive as transmitted” from their teachers. Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). He passed it on to others, such as Epaphras, who took it to the Colossians. They received the testimony of Epaphras by trusting in Christ Jesus the Lord, whom he proclaimed. The point is, the gospel is not a human philosophy, based on the speculations of religious wise men. Rather, it was transmitted to us from Jesus Christ through His chosen apostles, recorded in the New Testament. It is the testimony about a unique person, Jesus Christ the Lord. When we believe the gospel, we don’t just believe a body of doctrines, although that is true. We receive Christ Jesus the Lord personally. We recognize who He is and we welcome Him into our lives as our Savior from sin and as our rightful Lord.

Of course, the Christian life is a process of growing deeper in the knowledge of who Jesus is and how we can live in a way that is pleasing to Him (Col. 1:10). But as imperfect as our initial understanding may be, we must receive Jesus Christ as Lord. Saving faith is more than just intellectual assent, where you add Him into your life as a nice accessory to have on hand when you need a little help. No, you must receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in all that that means. He owns you because He bought you with His blood (1 Cor. 6:19-20). He is the one you must go on with as a Christian. But how?

2. We go on walking with Him as Christ Jesus the Lord.

Colossians 2:6: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him ….” “Walk” is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing process. It’s a frequent word for describing the Christian life (Eph. 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). Walking isn’t as impressive or quick as running, galloping, or flying. But if you keep walking in a deliberate direction, eventually you’ll get there. It implies a daily, steady, step-by-step effort and progress toward a goal. We are to walk “in Him,” that is, in all that Jesus is for us as we are in Him.

In verse 7, Paul uses four participles to elaborate on what this walk in Christ looks like: “…having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” The first participle is in the perfect tense, indicating a past action with continuing results: you were and still are rooted in Him. The other three participles are present tense, indicating an ongoing process: you are being built up in Him; you are being established in the faith; and you are overflowing with gratitude. The first three participles are in the passive voice, emphasizing that God is working these things in us. The final participle is active, pointing to our responsibility to be thankful. Or, it may look at thankfulness as the result of the first three actions.

Note that Paul uses a variety of metaphors: walking on a path; being rooted like a tree; being built up like a building under construction; and overflowing like a flooding river. There isn’t a logical connection. Rather, Paul is showing us from different angles what it means to go on walking with Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way we received Him. Let’s look briefly at each of them:

A. To walk with Christ Jesus the Lord means being rooted in Him.

This pictures a tree, firmly rooted so that it gets the water and nutrients from the soil to grow and be healthy. It can withstand the storms that blow against it and endure times of drought because of its roots. The roots are hidden from view, but they are absolutely essential. Without those deep roots, the tree will fall over in a storm or die during a drought.

When we genuinely trust in Christ, God roots us in Him, but we need to continually sink down more roots into Him. This is the hidden part of your walk with Christ that others don’t see. It refers to your heart before God and your time alone with Him. Some go to church and act like Christians. Outwardly, it seems that they are Christians. But in the hidden person of their heart, they have never truly trusted in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. They never spend time alone with Him, seeking Him in His Word and in prayer. Then a storm comes up and they crash. They weren’t rooted in Christ. Are you sinking down roots in Him?

B. To walk with Christ Jesus the Lord means being built up in Him.

This pictures a building under construction. The present participle indicates steady progress toward completion. If you’ve watched a building under construction, sometimes the progress is evident: the frame goes up or the roof goes on. At other times, you wonder, “What did they do there this week?” They were inside working on things you couldn’t see, like the wiring or plumbing. But they are essential for the finished building to function properly.

When you walk with the Lord, sometimes there are obvious changes that others can easily see. More often, the Lord is steadily at work on areas that aren’t as dramatic, but are just as necessary. We learn to trust and obey Him on little, daily matters. We judge our grumbling spirit. We put to death the lusts of the flesh. We speak kindly to others, even when they are mean towards us. We’re gradually being built up in Him.

C. To walk with Christ Jesus the Lord means being established in the faith.

“In the faith” could be translated “in your faith,” but in light of the context of false teachers and the next phrase, “just as you were instructed,” I think Paul means being established in the Christian faith, that is, in sound doctrine. The word “establish” was sometimes used as a legal term meaning, “to confirm, guarantee, or make irrevocable.” Here, Paul may be looking at the growing assurance that we gain as we grow to understand the irrevocable truths of God’s Word. You learn the guaranteed promises that God has given to us in Christ. Your growing knowledge of sound doctrine protects you against the many winds of false teaching that blow others off course. To go on with Christ, you must make a deliberate effort to be established in the faith.

D. To walk with Christ Jesus the Lord means overflowing with gratitude.

The picture here is a river overflowing its banks. There is just too much water to stay in the normal flow, so it floods out over the surrounding land. Our gratitude to God for all that He’s done for us in Christ should flood out onto those around us.

Over the years, I’ve had to fight constantly against grumbling. I think I’ve made progress, but I’m still prone to grumble when things don’t go as I want them to go. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, instead of thanking God for delivering me from bondage to sin and providing me with all the blessings of His salvation, I complain about the little things. But as I think about my salvation and all that God has done for me, I should be overflowing with gratitude to Him for His abundant grace.

In Colossians, Paul repeatedly emphasizes thankfulness. As we saw (Col. 1:12), we should be “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saint in Light.” (See, also, Col. 1:3; 3:15, 16; 4:2.) The application is that grumblers will be more susceptible to the lure of false teaching. In my marriage, if I’m thankful for Marla and delight in her, I’m less susceptible to the temptations of another woman. With the Lord, a grateful heart that is satisfied daily with His abundant blessings won’t be attracted by false teaching.

Conclusion

This March, Marla and I will celebrate 42 years of marriage. What began so wonderfully all those years ago has continued and gotten even better. How has that happened? Well, we’ve gone on in the same way we started: I’m hopelessly infatuated with her and she tolerates me!

Are you going on with Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way you received Him? Don’t lose your first love for the wonderful, exalted Savior who loves you and gave Himself for you! If your love for Him has cooled and you’re just in routine Christianity, take the time to sit again at His feet. Think about how it was when you first received Him. Meditate on His beauty and grace. Ask Him to make this a year of unprecedented growth in Him! And, if you’ve never received Christ Jesus the Lord, why not do that right now?

Application Questions

1. How would you counsel a Christian who has lost his first love for Christ? How can he rekindle it? (See Rev. 2:1-7.)
2. Why is understanding who Jesus is and growing in that understanding essential for the Christian life (Matt. 16:13-17).
3. Those who argue against what they call “lordship salvation” say that to require submission to Christ at the point of salvation is adding works to faith. How would you refute this?
4. How can you develop gratitude when you suffer or are treated unfairly?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:9–14).

Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you ever struggle with what words to say or knowing if you’re praying exactly what God’s will is?

In this text, we see Paul praying God’s will for the church. We can be sure that it’s God’s will and Spirit–led because God chose to include this prayer in the Holy Scripture as an example for us.

Paul had never seen or met with this church before (cf. Col. 2:1). At the time of this writing, Paul is in prison, and it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, who previously founded this church.

Shortly after Epaphras founded the church of Colosse, a group of false teachers entered the church and caused division. From the clues in the letter, it seems that this group was influenced by Gnostic teaching. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, “to know.” They said in order for a person to be saved or in order for them to be sanctified, they had to experience supernatural knowledge. They needed new revelation.

This is very much like many of the cults and liberal Christian groups today. They teach that the revelation of Scripture is not enough. They say the Bible is either not true or we need human reason to test the writings of Scripture to see what is true. They declare the revelation of Scripture is not enough and that there is a new authoritative revelation that all must hear.

This Gnostic teaching, just like Satan in the Garden, attacked the very foundation of our faith, which is the Word of God. Because the Colossian church was experiencing this teaching, it was in great trouble. The ground of their faith had been shaken as Satan, through false teaching, attacked the gospel message and Christ specifically.

But as we look at this prayer, we learn a lot about how we should pray for God’s church, which is always being attacked from without and within. This prayer shows us how we can intercede for the body of Christ throughout the world, for believers we know and those we don’t know. The characteristics of prayer in this text will strengthen our own prayer life. Let’s look at the text and see what we can learn.

Big Question: What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer that we can discern from this passage, and how can we put them into practice?

Spirit–Led Prayer Is Informed

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you we have not stopped praying for you” (Col. 1:9).

Paul says, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.” Paul was not just sitting in his room, and the Holy Spirit brought the exact prayer prompts to his mind without outside information. No, his prayer was informed.

It seems that Epaphras had informed Paul about the needs of the church and the attack of the cult. It was this information that led Paul into deep prayer. Part of the reason many of us struggle with our prayer life is because we are not informed. We don’t know how to pray or what to pray for.

We don’t know the problems of our friends, our church, our company, or our nation. Some of us do not want to know what everybody else struggles with. Listen to what Solomon said: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl. 7:4).

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.” The wise want to be where there is hurting and pain, but the fool wants nothing to do with it. The fool thinks his happiness and pleasure is all that matters in life, so he goes off seeking solely those things. For the fool, “Ignorance is truly bliss.”

But this is not true for the wise. They know “joy” can be found even in the midst of suffering. The wise know this and choose to be informed, even if that means being at the hospital with someone sick or dying, or inquiring and asking questions about issues and problems in the church. That’s what the wise will do. The wise are not living for themselves but to serve God and others.

We get a glimpse of this in the example of Nehemiah. Let’s look at the beginning of his story.

The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven (Neh. 1:1–4).

Nehemiah was the cupbearer of the king of Persia. He had no worries and no needs. He lived in the palace. However, this was no excuse for him to be blind to the pains of the world and especially to those of the people of God. When his brother visited the kingdom, he asked him about the Jews left in Israel and about the city of Jerusalem.

Upon hearing the seriousness of the situation, he went into deep fasting and mourning. He took on their pain and wept for them, and then he felt compelled to return to Israel and help. Nehemiah was informed and that prompted his prayer life, and therefore, his mission.

We must be informed as well. I think Paul is telling us to be informed in Colossians 4:2 when he says to be “watchful” so we can pray. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

We must be watchful so we can be informed and know how to pray. How do we become informed so that we can pray properly?

Application Question: What must we do to be better informed so that we can pray more effectively?

1. To Be Informed We Must Be Sensitive To The Needs Of Others.

Sometimes people may choose not to share what is wrong or burdening them and the intercessor is left to his discernment. This is not as difficult as it sounds. Communication is over 70 percent nonverbal. Many times you can tell something is wrong with a person by what their body is saying or by what their mouth is not saying.

A person who is sensitive, who desires to know the needs and concerns of others, many times identifies cues others miss. We need to look at our friend’s body language, our wife’s body language, and discern what they might not be saying.

In fact, we see this with King Artaxerxes and Nehemiah in Chapter 2. Look at the story:

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’ I was very much afraid (Neh. 2:1–2).

See, the king picked up on the sadness in Nehemiah’s heart, which prompted him to ask a question. We must be sensitive and discerning as well. This leads us to the second way we can be informed.

2. To Be Informed We Must Be Willing To Ask The Right Questions.

What are the right questions? It is not, “What do you think about the weather?” or “How about those Chicago Bulls?” It means asking questions that tell us something about their heart and their relationship with God.

Nehemiah asked his brother about how things were going with the remnant of Israel, and this prompted him to prayer. Asking the right questions may include things like:

• How is your relationship with God?
• Have you been reading the Word of God?
• How are you and your boyfriend doing with staying pure?
• How are you handling temptation on the Internet?

We must learn to ask the right questions. This is essentially one of the greatest skills a counselor must develop to help people. This is also true for someone who is an intercessor. The right question can be as simple as, “How can I be praying for you at this time?”

3. To Be Informed We Must Be Aware Of What Is Happening In Society And The World.

When Nehemiah asked his brother about Israel, this was a world event—world news. The news was about the Jews who returned after the Babylonian exile.

In the same way, one of the ways we can be informed is by something as simple as watching the news or reading news online. We should do this not just to accumulate knowledge but also to be drawn to prayer.

If we hear about difficulties in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, or North Korea, then it should prompt us to prayer. Prayer is not getting our will done on earth, but God’s will done. God cares about the nations, the people who are hungry, suffering, and at war. Informed Christians should be drawn to prayer over world events.

4. To Be Informed We Must Be Sensitive To The Promptings Of The Spirit Of God.

Sometimes the Spirit of God prompts us to pray specifically for a situation or a person. We see this in Acts 13. The disciples fasted and prayed in Antioch, and the Spirit of the Lord told them to set apart Barnabas and Paul for the mission work he had called them to. Acts 13:1–3 says this:

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

After this prompting, the leaders of the Antioch church laid hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them out to do missions in the Gentile world. In some sense, we are here as Gentiles because of that mission and because they were sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, we should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in our prayers. I often practice asking the Holy Spirit how he would have me pray. I do this especially when I’m struggling with what to say or pray about. Scripture says one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to help us with our prayers. Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

How else can we be informed like Paul so that we can pray?

5. To Be Informed We Must Know The Word Of God.

The Word of God often clearly tells us how God wants Christians to pray. For instance 1 Timothy 2:1–3 says this:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.

When we pray for our pastors, teachers, government leaders, presidents, etc., we can be sure we are praying as the Spirit desires. This is exactly what Scripture calls Christians to pray for. We pray for these things especially in the places where we live so we can live peaceful and godly lives. These types of prayers help keep our government from corruption, ungodly laws, and decrees.

We also see commands to pray for all Christians—the entire church—in Scripture. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 6:18: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

When we lift up local churches and the universal church throughout the world, we can be sure we are being directed by the Spirit. Often, Christians have a tendency to think only of their local church and forget that the body of Christ is larger than their congregation or local association. Informed prayer includes things that God has called us to pray for in Scripture.

To be Spirit–led in prayer we must be informed just as Paul received updates from Epaphras. Let us seek to be informed Christians so we can be Spirit–led intercessors.

Application Question: In what ways do you practice being informed in your prayer life? How is God calling you to be more strategic in being informed?

Spirit–Led Prayer Means To Pray Without Ceasing

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you” (Col. 1:9).

Another characteristic of Spirit–led prayer is to pray without ceasing. Paul says, “We have not stopped praying for you.” After Epaphras informed Paul about the situation in Colosse, he did not simply pray once and forget the topic. He faithfully continued to pray for this church. This is something that Scripture commands of us. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–17: “Be joyful always; pray continually.”

Application Question: How do we practice a lifestyle of praying without ceasing?

1. To Pray Without Ceasing, We Must Develop A God–Consciousness.

John MacArthur has tremendous insights on how to do this practically. Look what he said:

Such unceasing or recurring prayer (1 Thess. 5:17) demands first of all an attitude of God–consciousness. That does not mean to be constantly in the act of verbal prayer, but to view everything in life in relation to God. For example, if we meet someone, we immediately consider where they stand with God. If we hear of something bad happening, we react by praying for God to act in the situation because we know He cares. If we hear of something good that has happened, we respond with immediate praise to God for it because we know He is glorified. When Paul looked around his world, everything he saw prompted him to prayer in some way. When he thought of or heard about one of his beloved churches, it moved him toward communion with God.¹

If we are going to develop constancy in prayer, we also must develop a God–consciousness where we view every person and situation from the standpoint of God. Listen to what Paul said: “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Cor. 5:16).

Paul could not look at people the way he once did. We look at people as “Dr. So-and-so” or “the wife of James,” but Paul always viewed them as souls for whom Christ died. He saw them in relation to God and his plan for their lives. Therefore, he was always moved to prayer.

The secular viewpoint regards the world without God, and therefore sees no need for him or prayer. But to view life from God’s view is to see the weakness and corruption of man and the world system and its need for God. This prompted Paul to live in prayer, and it should do the same to us.

It should be noted that being God–conscious makes a person automatically self–conscious and others-conscious. We see this with Isaiah when he saw God in heaven in Isaiah 6:5. Listen to what he said: ‘“Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”‘

Isaiah saw God and it automatically affected how he saw himself and others. It prompted him to prayer. He began to lament before God because of his sinful state and that of his people.

Similarly, when one lives in a state of consciousness toward God, he will find that watching the news or other events may be a very difficult chore. He will find himself at times prompted to lament and lift up individuals, the church, and society. This is a good thing.

We must develop this type of mindset to pray without ceasing as Paul did.

Application Question: What are some other biblical or practical examples of implementing this lifestyle of constant prayer?

Nehemiah is a good example of someone who lived in prayer. In his book, we see him pray eleven times. One great example of this is in Nehemiah 2:4–5. Nehemiah has just told the king about the desperate circumstances of his nation, and then the king said, “What is it you want?” Look at how Scripture describes his reply: “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king” (Neh. 2:5).

It says he prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king. Now did Nehemiah stop and get on his knees, talk to God, and then reply to the king? Probably not. Often people call this an arrow prayer. He was talking to the king and while doing this he shot up a prayer to God. See, Nehemiah was God–conscious even while talking to the king. He knew his weakness and he probably feared for his life. To be sad in front of the king could actually call for his execution. In view of this, he prays to the God of heaven while having a conversation.

We can do this throughout the day as well. We don’t need to walk around with our hands folded while praying. We can lift up prayers to the God of heaven throughout the day. Listen to this other practical illustration of praying constantly about a woman named Aunt Vertie.

Aunt Vertie, one of the godliest women I have ever heard about, was once asked the meaning of ‘praying without ceasing.’ She replied: ‘Well, it means what it says:

“When I put on my clothes in the morning, I thank God for clothing me in the righteousness of Christ.

When I wash in the morning, I ask God to cleanse me from my sin.

When I eat breakfast, I thank Christ for being the bread of life.

When I clean house, I ask God to be merciful and cleanse the houses of the world from sin.

When I talk with people throughout the day, I ask God to save and grow them in Christ and to meet their particular needs.

When I see strangers or crowds of people on the streets, I pray for the salvation of the people of the world.”‘²

Amen! We can live a lifestyle of constant prayer as we see God in everything. We can see him in our eating, drinking, and our studying, and this can prompt us to constant prayer. This is the desire of the Spirit of God in our lives.

Application Question: What are some other tips to help us be more constant in prayer like Paul? What tactics do you use?

Spirit–Led Prayer Asks For God–Sized Requests

Another thing we must notice about Paul’s prayers is that they were God–sized. His requests were not stingy. Consider some of the superlatives he used:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience (Col. 1:9–11).

Do you see all the superlatives Paul uses? He asks for “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” to “please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work” to be “strengthened with all power” for them to “have great endurance and patience.”

When you listen to most people’s prayers, you would think they are talking to a very small God. But, when the Spirit of God is guiding our prayers, he knows and calls upon the tremendous resources that we have access to in God.

A perfect example of this is Christ. Scripture shows us the type of prayers he prayed. Look at what God commands him to pray in Psalm 2:8, a messianic Psalm. It says, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

Again, we see that God is calling him to pray a big prayer. The Holy Spirit is prompting him to ask for the nations. Similarly, God often calls us to pray big prayers in order to bring glory to him.

Certainly, we see this when we look at Moses in Exodus 33:18. It says, “Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.”‘ Moses’s request was so grand God had to dial it down a bit. He declared to Moses, in the preceding verses, he could not show his face, but that Moses would see the glory of his arms and back. Spirit–led prayers ask for God–sized requests.

We have seen this in the history of the church by those whom God has used greatly. John Knox, a man used greatly for Christ in Scotland, prayed this prayer: “Give me Scotland or I die.” Mary the Queen of the Scotts said that she was more afraid of John Knox’s prayers than an army of ten thousand.

George Whitefield, an evangelist in the 18th-century who was used to start a revival in England that later spilled over into America, once prayed: “Lord give me souls or take my soul.” It was said that when he preached, hundreds of people would fall down under the conviction of sin.

Both of these men were used greatly by God. We also see this in the story of Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators. The Navigators is a ministry that is happening all over the world, and it was started by a man who was willing to ask God for great things. Let’s look at this small selection from an article written about him:

The Word of God was foremost in his thinking, and he saturated himself with it . . . memorizing a verse a day, studying it, reading it, praying over it. He found promises like Jeremiah 33:3 and Ephesians 3:20 and wondered at their depthless possibilities. ‘Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.’ ‘Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us . . . ‘

If these were God’s promises, they were meant to be claimed. Dawson asked a friend if he would join him in asking God for some of these great things. The friend agreed, and following the example of the Lord Jesus in rising early, they met in the hills at five o’clock every morning of the week. They prayed until seven, and were at work by the scheduled eight o’clock. Dawson as a truck driver and the other man as a plumber.

The two determined to continue until they were sure God would show them some of the great and mighty things He had promised. They prayed at first for the boys in the Bible clubs by name and for the towns nearby from which requests had come for help with their boys. Then they prayed for cities up and down the California coast. As they prayed, God enlarged their vision, and they began to ask that God would use them and other young fellows in each of the 48 States.

During the sixth week God put it into their hearts to pray for the world. With a map before them they put their fingers on Okinawa, Formosa, Germany, France, Turkey, Greece . . . praying that God would use them in the lives of men in those places. After 42 days the burden lifted. There was nothing left to ask, and they knew their purpose had been accomplished. ³

Dawson had a burden that led to forty-two days of praying. The fruit of this praying is a ministry that is affecting people all over the world. It started by praying for great things.

Is this not why James encourages us to pray for the healing of the sick? He says the prayers of a righteous man are powerful. Consider what he says:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops (James 5:16–18).

In what ways is the Spirit of God calling you to pray big prayers?

I’ll be honest. Even as I talk about this, I have a fear praying these types of prayers. Do I really want to be used by God in a great way? Also, am I selfless enough to be willing to pray for others’ ministries that God would use them greatly? Am I willing to pray that he would give them all knowledge, all power? These are great things to pray for, and I believe that is how the Holy Spirit desires us to pray.

Listen to how Paul ends his prayers for the Ephesians. He says:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Eph. 3:20–21).

God is able. Let Paul’s prayers encourage us to pray for the members of our church to be strengthened with all power, to be filled with all the knowledge of God’s will. Let this prayer encourage us to pray greatly for churches throughout the world that God would open doors to reach the youth, to be strategic in breaking trafficking and ministering to orphans, to reach a nation with the gospel, or to bring revival in their own nation. Let us pray for open doors for ministers in the church to love and care for the lost.

Let us even consider praying scary prayers for ourselves. Pray that God would use us greatly. Let us pray like Moses that we would see his glory. Let us pray like Paul in Ephesians 3:19, that we may be filled with the “fullness of God.” Let our prayers demonstrate how great God is.

Application Question: In what ways is God stretching your faith and prayer life by calling you to pray God–sized prayers? What are some hindrances to praying these types of prayers?

Conclusion

What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer?

1. Spirit–Led Prayer Is Informed.

Paul’s conversation with Epaphras about the Colossians’ struggle prompted him to prayer. In the same way, those who practice Spirit–led prayer are also informed. They ask people how they are doing. They are willing to care. They are informed about events happening in the nations of the world because they know God cares about them.

2. Spirit–Led Prayer Is Constant.

Paul could not stop praying for this church. In the same way, when we are in tune with the Spirit of God we will live in constant prayer as well. First Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray without ceasing.” In order to do this, we must begin to see everything in the world from the viewpoint of God. This God–consciousness will draw us into constant prayer. We will see every man as a soul whom God died for and cares for. We will see every situation as something God wants to redeem.

3. Spirit–Led Prayer Asks For God–Sized Requests.

All of Paul’s requests are large. This reflected his theology of God and his faith in him. He knew God is a generous God who desires to bless his people—a God who is rich in mercy and who is the God of all comfort. Paul prays that they may be filled with “all” spiritual wisdom, strengthened with “all power,” that they may bear fruit in “every good work.” His prayers stayed in the superlatives.

What great things are you praying for? What does your prayer request say about your theology? How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to pray great things for your life and others?

Copyright © 2015 Gregory Brown

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¹ J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 25.

² Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible – Commentary – Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible – Colossians: The Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible.

³ Lorne C. Sanny, The Pathfinder: A Condensed Life Story of Dawson E. Trotman

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Col. 1:15–19).

Why should Christ be first place in our lives? Why should he be first in our churches, our communities, and our nations?

I think we can learn a great deal from this story about Leonardo da Vinci:

Leonardo da Vinci took a friend to criticize his masterpiece of the ‘Last Supper,’ and the remark of the friend was, ‘The most striking thing in the picture is the cup!’ The artist took his brush and wiped out the cup as he said, ‘Nothing in my painting shall attract more attention than the face of my Master!’¹

Because Christ is supreme, nothing else should distract us from him. We must get rid of anything that keeps us from glorifying Christ.

Often in our lives, Christ is marginalized. He often isn’t first: schoolwork, hobbies, or family commonly take first place. In these verses, Paul gives us reasons why Christ should be first in our lives and in the entire world. He talks about how special Christ is and why he must be preeminent—first.

In the church of Colosse, a heresy called Gnosticism had crept into the church and was trying to marginalize Christ. It was a combination of mysticism, Jewish legalism, and Greek philosophy. The heresy taught that Christ could not be God. This belief was based on Greek philosophy which taught the spirit was good and the body was evil, and therefore God could not have become a human because God cannot mix with evil.

It also taught Jesus was an angel and that receiving him was not enough for salvation. One needed new revelation to be saved. That is where the name “Gnostic” comes from. The Greek word gnosko means “to know.” In order to be saved, one needed secret knowledge that only the Gnostics had experienced.

The heresy attacked the very foundation of the gospel because it attacked Jesus. Though Gnosticism is not attacking the church today, the remnants of it are. Jehovah’s Witnesses also do not believe Jesus is God; he is an angel, a created being. There are similar sentiments in Mormonism. Much of liberal Christianity attacks the deity of Christ as well, making him just a religious teacher and declaring he is not the only way to heaven.

We see these same attacks on Christ happening today in the church, only in different coverings. But before we look at the cults and the false teachers, we should also realize there are remnants of this in our hearts. See, if Jesus is God, if he is the only way to salvation, and if we declare his Lordship over our lives, then this is not just a matter of belief; it must be a matter of our daily practice.

If Christ is all these things, then he must be first in our life. He must be our daily meditation, and it should be our daily goal to please him and honor him. In the same way, Paul wrote to declare the preeminence of Christ to those in Colosse being tempted to withhold honor from him. We also must put Christ first, and we must remove anything that draws us away from him or takes his place. Like Leonardo da Vinci, we must take our brush and wipe away anything that detracts from his preeminence in our lives.

In this text, Paul makes the argument that Christ is the preeminent one. He is the supreme one, not only over our lives, but also over the entire world. We will see four reasons why Christ should be exalted in our lives, the church, and the world.

Much of the doctrines presented in this lesson are not new, and they were not new to many in Colosse. However, Paul’s hope was to challenge them to put Christ first by reminder of these truths, and also to correct any wrong doctrine they may have accepted. This is the hope for us as well. Let Christ be exalted in our lives, in the church, and throughout all creation.

Big Question: According to Colossians 1:15–19, what are some reasons why Christ should have first place in our lives, church, society, and in all of creation?

We Should Exalt Christ Because He Is The Revelation Of God

“He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15).

Why should Christ be exalted in our lives and throughout all creation? He must be exalted because he is the revelation of God. He reveals God to us. Paul says he is the “image” of the invisible God. The word “image” is eikon in the Greek, which means “an exact representation and revelation,”² and was used of an idol, picture, or statue. It is the word from which we derive our English word “icon,”³ which are religious relics or pictures used in orthodox churches. “It is used in Matthew 22:20 of Caesar’s portrait on a coin, and in Revelation 13:14 of the statue of Antichrist.”⁴

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean to infer about Christ by saying he is the “image” of God?

He seems to mean at least two things:

1. It Is Through Christ That We See And Learn About The Characteristics Of God.

Scripture teaches God is spirit, and therefore, he does not have flesh and blood and cannot be seen. There are times where he has revealed himself in the Bible through theophanies. This means that God took the form of something such as a fiery bush, a cloud, or even a man, to reveal himself to people in tangible, temporary ways. But theophanies did not fully depict God’s person or character.

It has always been the desire of mankind to see God. Moses cried out to God, “Show me your glory.” But because no one could look at the full display of the glory of God and live, God showed Moses only a portion of his glory (Ex. 33).

Therefore, how can man see God?

We can see God through Christ, and we can know him more as we study Christ. Look at what John said: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18). Christ made God known.

Jesus said this to his disciples, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). In Christ, God manifested himself in ways never clearly seen in the Old Testament.

Interpretation Question: In what ways did Christ uniquely demonstrate God the Father when he came to the earth?

• Christ revealed God through his teachings.

Listen to what he said to Philip: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14:10).

When Jesus said God was “doing his work,” he referred to God’s “words” coming through him. Jesus claimed to say only what God said. Listen again to what he said: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me” (John 8:28).

In fact, this is best illustrated by the name John gives Christ. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

When John calls Jesus the “Word,” the name expresses one of the functions or purposes of Jesus. By using the name “Word,” it was meant to convey that Christ is the “expression of God.” He is the communication of God. One of the reasons Christ came was to give the words of God to mankind through his teaching.

When we look at the teachings of Jesus, we see the very words of God. When Jesus taught to love our enemy and pray for them, when he taught hatred as equivalent to murder, and lust as equivalent to adultery, we hear the very words of God. In these words, we find a standard much higher than our own because they come from the Father in heaven.

If we want to know how to live, how to be a good parent, how to be a good spouse, how to be saved, how to make decisions in life, etc., it all comes through God’s Word, and Christ came to reveal these words in a greater way. His teachings are not just seen in the gospels, but in the writings of his apostles in the epistles. These words reveal God.

• Christ revealed God through his person.

Jesus revealed many character traits not fully known about God through his person, and one of them is that God is a servant. Look at what Paul said about Christ: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil. 2:6–7).

The word “nature” used in verses 6 and 7 means “the outward expression of the inward nature.”⁵ Christ did not become God; he always was God. Jesus, the man, was an outward expression of who he always was as God, and it’s the same with his servanthood. God has always been a servant, but in Christ’s incarnation he demonstrated that outwardly. Jesus was the prototype of a servant; not only did he serve God, but he served us. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In the incarnation, Jesus revealed God as a servant. It’s a phenomenal concept we could never understand without Jesus. He bent down and washed the feet of his disciples, something only the slaves did (John 13:1–17). Peter was so shocked he said, “You will never wash my feet.” He found this hard to understand about God.

In fact, Christ taught that he would serve us in the future kingdom. Look at the parable about a master and his servants that he taught his disciples,

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them (Luke 12:35–37).

Here Christ gave a paradoxical story. He shared the scenario of servants faithfully serving their master while he was gone. When the master returned, you might expect a thank you, or simply for the master to go about his business. But not this master. The master dressed himself to serve; the servants sat at the table and the master came and waited on them.

This refers specifically to Christ’s second return when he will reward his faithful servants with crowns, authority, and property on the earth. As a master, he will refresh and serve his servants. We serve a “Servant–God.” This is a phenomenal concept not fully revealed until Christ displayed the “exact representation of God.”

What else does the word “image” say about Christ?

2. Image Also Conveys The Idea Of Representative.

The word “image” was used of Adam in the Garden of Eden since he was made in the “image of God.” God made Adam to represent him to all of creation. He was called to demonstrate this image by ruling over the earth as God ruled over the heavens (cf. Gen 1:26–28). Adam was to represent God by ruling with character and holiness. In a similar way, Scripture calls Christ the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). Where Adam failed to represent God as he fell into sin, Christ has not and will not fail God. He is the perfect representative of everything that God is because he is God.

We see Christ represent God specifically in having his authority.

Interpretation Question: How does Christ represent God’s authority?

• Jesus represents God’s authority by granting eternal life to those who come to him.

John 17:2 says, “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.”

God chose Christ to be the channel through whom salvation comes. He has authority to grant salvation.

• Jesus represents God’s authority by being the judge over all the earth.

John 5:22 says, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” In fact, Scripture teaches that because we are “in Christ,” we will judge the world with him. Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 6:3 that believers will even judge angels with Christ. Christ as the image of God is his representative to all the earth. Where Adam failed, Christ came as the perfect representative.

Application Question: What applications can we take from Christ being the “image” of God?

1. Christ is worthy of our worship because he is the “exact representation of God.”
2. Christ is worthy of our imitation because he is the “exact representation of God.”
3. Christ is worthy of our meditation, which is why we study Scripture to better know and experience God. Christ has made the Father known. If we have seen Christ, we have seen the Father.

We Should Exalt Christ Because He Is Supreme Over All Of Creation

“The firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:15–17).

Paul then makes the argument that not only should Christ be exalted because he is the “image of God,” but Christ should be exalted because he is the “firstborn” or supreme over all creation.

This text has been misused by cults and false teachers throughout the history of the church. The Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret the term “firstborn” to teach that Christ was created and therefore is not God. However, not only is this a misunderstanding of the phrase “firstborn,” but it also neglects the context and the rest of Scripture’s teachings on Christ being God and not part of creation.

Interpretation Question: What does the term “firstborn” mean in Scripture and therefore in this context?

The term firstborn can mean one of two things in the Scripture.

1. Firstborn can mean first in birth or first created.

We see it used this way in talking about Jesus’s birth to Mary. Look at what it says: “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

Jesus was the “firstborn” of Mary. He was the first chronologically. Certainly, this term can be used to mean this, but it doesn’t mean first chronologically in the context of Colossians.

What else can it mean?

2. Firstborn can mean first in position, rank, or to be supreme.

The way Paul uses the term “firstborn” means first in rank, the priority, or the supreme one. In Greek and Hebrew culture, the firstborn received the inheritance of the father. The firstborn was the special one in the family. However, just because one was born first chronologically didn’t necessarily mean he was the firstborn. Again, the firstborn meant the one who received the inheritance and who was the highest rank in the family under the father. For instance, we saw this with Jacob and Esau. Esau was the firstborn chronologically, but he lost the right of the firstborn, which went to Jacob.

We see the term “firstborn” used throughout Scripture to demonstrate priority or favor. Look at how God talked about Israel. He said, “Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son’” (Ex. 4:22).

Israel was not the first nation created, but they were God’s special nation. They were called to be a nation of priests to win the world to God. They were the firstborn.

We also see that Christ was predicted to be God’s firstborn among the kings of the earth. Psalm 89:27 says, “I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.”

Was Christ the first king on the earth? Absolutely not. He was, is, and will be the most exalted king on the earth. Right now he sits at the right hand of the Father and one day he will rule on the earth and all nations will submit to him (Ps. 2).

When Paul says “firstborn over all creation,” he is referring to Christ’s supremacy. He is over all creation. In fact, verse 16 says that he was the Creator of creation. “For by him all things were created” (Col. 1:16).

Christ cannot be the first created and the Creator of “all things.” “All things” has to include him if this were true. The context itself contradicts the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults, and so does the rest of Scripture. Scripture clearly teaches Christ’s eternality. John 1:1–3 says,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Christ was there in the beginning and he was God. It was through him that everything was created. Jesus also used language that declared both his divinity and eternality in his teachings. John 8:58 says, “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’”

By calling himself “I am,” Christ declared to the Jews he was God. This was the same name that God used when introducing himself to the Hebrew people who were in bondage in Egypt (cf. Ex. 3:14). This name (Yahweh in the Old Testament) expressed God’s eternality and independence. Christ cannot be created and still be the Creator. He has always existed and therefore is deserving of honor.

Next, Paul gives reasons why Christ is over creation and why he should be exalted.

Interpretation Question: Why does Paul say that Christ should be exalted over all creation as the firstborn according to Colossians 1:16–17?

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Col. 1:16–17).

The word “for” at the beginning of verse 16 connects Paul’s next teachings with the reason Christ is the firstborn—the supreme over creation. Paul gives four reasons why Christ is the firstborn.

1. Christ Is Exalted Over Creation Because He Is The Creator.

We already briefly covered this one. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him.” Paul says that “all things were created” by him.

It should be noted that another part of the heresy propagated by the Gnostics was that Christ was an angel and that angels were to be worshiped. We see something of this in Paul’s rebuke in Chapter 2. Look at what he says:

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions (Col. 2:18).

Some in this community worshipped angels. There was worship of angels going on in this community. They boasted about their experiences with angels in order to draw people into this cult, as well as declaring that Christ was an angel—an emanation from God. But Paul rebuked this. He said Christ is the Creator of angels. “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him.”

Jesus created not only the visible world, but also the invisible world, which includes angels. In fact, when he talks about thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities, he seems to be referring to a ranking of angelic and demonic beings. We see these referred to several times in Ephesians (cf. Eph. 1:21, 3:10, 6:12). Christ created angels and therefore is over them.

In fact, the writer of Hebrews makes this same argument in teaching the Hebrew Christians, who were being tempted to fall back into Judaism. Angels had an exalted position in Judaism, and therefore the author seeks to demonstrate how much better Christ is over them. Look at what he says:

So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’ (Heb. 1:4–6).

Christ is superior to angels. God declared that all the angels must worship him and called the messiah his “Son,” which was never said about an angel. Paul, similarly, is making Christ’s standing over angels clear lest these believers be tempted to exalt angels or any other supernatural experience over Christ. Christ is to be exalted over creation.

Application Question: What are some applications we can take from Christ being the Creator of all things?

• Because Christ is the Creator, we should always give him thanks and honor.

Certainly, there is a sense in which all children should honor their fathers and mothers because they gave them birth. We owe our existence to them. How much more should we always give thanks to Christ, the Creator of all things? He did not need to create us, and he certainly did not need to save us after the fall of man. God uses this argument in Malachi 1:6. “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Because he is our Father—our Creator—we should give him honor and glory.

• Because Christ is the Creator, we should seek to fulfill his purposes for our lives.

Every creator creates something for a purpose, and therefore our purpose is found and fulfilled in Christ. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It would be foolish for man to live his life without knowing and submitting to the will of his Creator. The Creator ultimately knows what’s best. He knows what will fulfill us and in what ways we will be most useful in his service. He created each one of us for specific good works.

Even though this is true, many Christians still hold back the best of their lives. They still cry to God, “I want my will for my life; I want this path,” instead of submitting to God as Christ did. He said, “Thy will be done.” Most prayers seek to get God to change his will rather than to help us know and submit to his will.

Because Christ is the Creator of all things, we must seek to fulfill his will for our lives.

• Because Christ is the Creator, we should seek him for wisdom about everything.

We should seek his help and wisdom in everything including freedom from sin, righteousness, salvation, future plans, education, missions, government, etc. When you want help with something, wouldn’t it always be best to ask the Creator? Listen to what Paul said:

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2–3).

In Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This was especially important for the Colossians to hear as they were tempted to seek this special wisdom from the Gnostic cult. No, in Christ is all the wisdom we need for every situation in life. Listen to this story that one commentator shared:

Some years ago a South American company purchased a fine printing press from a firm in the United States. After it had been shipped and completely assembled, the workmen could not get it to operate properly. The most knowledgeable personnel tried to remedy the difficulty and bring it into proper adjustment, but to no avail. Finally the company wired a message to the manufacturer, asking that the company send a representative immediately to fix it. Sensing the urgency of the request, the U.S. firm chose the person who had designed the press. When he arrived on the scene, the South American officials were skeptical—the young man was obviously wet behind the ears. After some discussion, they sent this cable to the manufacturer: ‘Your man is too young; send a more experienced person.’ The reply came back: ‘He made the machine. He can fix it!’⁶

Because Christ is the Creator, we can go to him for everything. In him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

What other reasons does Paul give for Christ being the firstborn, the exalted one over us and all of creation?

2. Christ Is Exalted Over Creation Because He Is The Goal Of Creation.

Paul says, “all things were created by him and for him” (Col. 1:16). “For him” can actually be translated “to him.” Everything was created to give glory to Jesus. This is typical even of things we create. If a person makes a piece of art, not only is it made for others, it is meant to give glory to the creator. It shows the creator’s skill, wisdom, and creativity. In a similar way, everything Jesus created was made to bring glory to him.

Listen to what David said about creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” (Ps. 19:1–2).

David said the heavens are preachers. Every day they speak of God and bring glory to him. In the same way, because Christ is God, everything in creation was made for him and to speak of him. It was made to bring him glory. Romans 11:36 says, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

All things were made to give pleasure to God and to bring glory to him. Christ is over creation because he made it and it was made to honor and glorify him. Listen to what Paul says about Christ in Philippians 2:9–11:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ has been exalted to the highest place and given a name above all names so that everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will one day bow to him and exalt him. Man may not submit to Christ now. When the rest of creation obeys and brings glory to God, man turns and points his finger at God and says, “No.” Not only does man say “No,” but sometimes man will go a step further and declare that God doesn’t even exist (cf. Ps. 14:1). However, Paul declares that one day at Christ’s coming “every knee” will bow and call him Lord. Scripture declares Christ is preeminent and that he must be exalted because he is the purpose of all things. All things were created for him and to him.

Why else does Paul say Christ is the firstborn over all creation?

3. Christ Is Exalted Over All Creation Because He Is Eternal.

Paul said one of the reasons Christ is over all creation is because he was “before all things” (v. 17).

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by Christ being “before all things” (v. 17)?

• “Before all things” speaks of Christ’s eternality.

Again, Christ is not a created being. He existed before anything was created. He has eternally existed as part of the God–head. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The prophet Micah predicted that the coming messiah would be eternal. Micah 5:2 (KJV) says,

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Micah predicted that the one to come would be from everlasting. Christ is before all things and therefore is worthy of being exalted. This is what makes Christ transcendent, meaning there is nothing like him. The heavens had a beginning, earth had a beginning, and humanity had a beginning, but not Christ.

He is over creation because he is before creation. He is God and therefore everlasting.

4. Christ Is Exalted Over All Of Creation Because He Is The Sustainer Of Creation.

When Paul says, “in him all things hold together” (v. 17), it is in the perfect tense, which tells us he continues to hold all things together.⁷ If he ceased to hold all things together, everything would fall apart. The writer of Hebrews says something similar: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3).

Christ holds all things together by the power of his word. In the same way that the world was created through the spoken word (Gen. 1), it is now being sustained by the spoken word. It is Christ’s word that keeps the earth spinning on its axis. It is Christ’s word that keeps it revolving around the sun. It is Christ’s word that keeps the nations of the earth from destroying one another.

Christ is still speaking and working in the earth. Christ is not a clockmaker that makes the clock and allows it to run on its own. Though Christ is the one that has implemented scientific laws like gravity, he is the one who keeps those things running.

He is the battery, the power, and at the same time the power switch. While Israel was in the wilderness and God fed them manna, he said,

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Deut. 8:3).

God allowed them to hunger in the wilderness and provided them manna every day from heaven so they would know it was not their strength providing for them, not the sun and the rain, and not the Egyptians. It was always God. It was the words of his mouth. He was their sustainer.

This is something important for us to understand as well. It is not our parents who provide for us; it is not our job that provides; it is not our scholarship, and it is not our relationship with a special someone. Scripture says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above” (James 1:17). God is the one who sustains and provides us with every good thing. This is why we exalt him. Look at what else Paul says: “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25).

Christ is still sustaining every man, even those who hate him. He gives them breath by the power of his word. He gives them bread, job, and family. He gives them life. This is the continual work of Jesus—sustaining the creation by his mighty word. And it is for this reason that we must give him preeminence. He must be exalted in our lives.

Application Question: What are some applications we can take from the fact that Christ is our sustainer?

• The fact that Christ is our sustainer means we should not worry.

Scripture compares us to sheep and God as our shepherd. The Psalmist said, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). We shouldn’t worry because Christ has always provided for us, and he will continue to do so in the future. He may not always provide in the way we want him to, but he will provide. He is our sustainer.

• The fact that Christ is our sustainer means we should pray to him for our daily bread.

Christ taught in the Lord’s Prayer that we should pray for our “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Even though God is the Creator–God and he is above all things, he still cares about our daily needs. He cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. How much more will he care for us?             

The fact that he is our sustainer should remind us to pray.

• The fact that Christ is our sustainer means we should always give him thanks.

Christ protects us; he feeds us; he opens doors for jobs; he opens doors for us to serve him with our gifts and talents. He gives us family and friends, life and breath. Even trials come from his gracious hand in order to strengthen us and help us know him more (cf. Rom. 8:28; 5:3–4; James 1:2–4; Eph. 1:11). We should always give him thanks for his sustainment (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18). Thank you, Lord.

We Should Exalt Christ Because He Is The Head Of The Church

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Col. 1:18–19).

Another reason Paul calls for Christ to be exalted is because he is the head of the church. The metaphor of the church as the body and Christ as the head is rich. As we look at this metaphor it should cause us as Christians to honor and revere Christ even more.

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by the metaphor of Christ being the head of the church?

1. The Metaphor Of Christ As The Head Of The Church Represents Leadership.

It is the brain, which is part of the head, that directs every part of the body. It is the control center of the body. Similarly, the church must stay dynamically connected to Christ in order to discern his will. A body that no longer listens to the head is a body that has become very sick. When the body is not listening to the head, there is a disease in the body affecting its parts. This is why the church must live in the Word of God; it must live in worship because without this dynamic connection, sickness can enter the body and destroy its functionality or even bring death.

This also is a solemn reminder that the pastor is not the head of the church; the denomination is not the head of the church; the state is not the head of the church. We must always honor Christ before anything else, lest we lose connection with the head.

I think this is why much of the church isn’t really growing, serving God, or reaching the world. They have lost connection to the head. It is from the head that all good things flow.

2. The Metaphor Of Christ As The Head Of The Church Represents Life.

A body without a head is a dead body. There can be no life without the head. In continuing with the metaphor, without being connected to the head there can be no fruit of the Spirit: no joy, peace, self–control, longsuffering, or even salvation. Christ said, “I came that they may have life and life more abundantly” (John 10:10).

We often miss this abundant life from a lack of being attached to the head.

3. The Metaphor Of Christ As The Head Of The Church Represents Mutual Dependence.

This may sound a little heretical because Scripture teaches God’s independence (Acts 17:25), that he needs nothing. However, God chose to partner with mankind to build his kingdom. In the same way that a body can’t function without the head, the head can’t function properly without the body.

In every nation or country where the church is not present, the presence of Christ is not manifest because his body is not there. Christ chose for the church to be the physical manifestation of his presence to a dying world.

Christ chose to eternally knit himself to the church. One of the wonderful truths of the Scripture is that we are now “in Christ.” When a person gets saved, they are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

This is not a second work after salvation. This happens at salvation when we are put into the body of Christ and given spiritual gifts to serve her and the world. The metaphor of the body and head represent mutual dependence.

This reminds us of our need to pray, to preach the gospel, and to serve so that Christ may receive glory and honor. Without the church doing its part in the nations of the earth, Christ is not exalted. Also, when the body is disobedient, it brings dishonor to Christ. Therefore as the body, we must be faithful so we may bring honor to the head and not dishonor.

Application Question: In what ways are you seeking to stay dynamically connected to the head? How can you tell when you are not as connected as you should be?

We Should Exalt Christ Because He Is The Firstborn From Among The Dead

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Col. 1:18–19).

Another reason that Christ is supreme is because he is the firstborn among the dead. What does that mean?

Interpretation Question: What does the phrase “firstborn of the dead” mean when referring to Christ, and why should this cause man to exalt Christ and give him preeminence?

We saw the phrase “firstborn” before. In this context, it does not mean Christ was the first raised from the dead because he was not. There were many people raised from the dead before Christ, starting with Elijah raising the widow’s child in 1 Kings 17. It seems firstborn from the dead could mean two things here.

1. Firstborn From The Dead Could Mean Christ Is The First Part Of The New Creation.

This is supported by the fact Paul calls him the “beginning” and firstborn among the dead (v. 18). This in one sense could mean the first in time. Yes, the widow’s son was raised from the dead before Christ in 1 Kings, and Lazarus was raised from the dead before Christ in the gospels, but both of these people died again. Christ is the first resurrection of the new creation; he will never die again.

One day each person will have a resurrection, even the ungodly (Rev 20:12–13). But, Christ is the first to be resurrected from the dead and to never die again. One day all believers will have new bodies at the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4; 1 Cor. 15). And, figuratively, creation itself will have a resurrection. There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21) and Christ is the beginning of this.

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 15 when he calls Christ the “firstfruits.” Let’s look at the passage:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him (1 Cor. 15:20–23).

The title firstfruits is a farming metaphor. The firstfruits were the chronological first fruit of a harvest. It would help the farmer know what type of harvest to expect. There will one day be a great harvest in the resurrection of the saints and the new heaven and new earth, and Christ is the firstfruits of that.

However, firstborn does not just mean “first in time” in this context.

2. Firstborn From The Dead Also Means He Is The Supreme One Of All The Resurrected.

Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

If Christ had not been raised, then the Christian faith is a hoax and our faith is in vain. The resurrection of Christ is the crux of the Christian faith and therefore this resurrection makes Christ the priority—the supreme one of all those who will be raised.

Application Questions: What applications can we take from Christ as the “firstborn from among the dead” or the firstfruits of the dead (cf. Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 15:20)?

Since the firstfruits would tell the farmer how great the future harvest would be, we can be sure that the future resurrection shall be glorious because Christ’s resurrection was glorious. Paul compares our future resurrected bodies to a planted seed that brings forth wheat (1 Cor. 15:35). The seed has no glory in comparison to the wheat. In the same way, our bodies are like a seed in comparison to our future bodies.

Christ’s resurrected body could be touched (cf. John 20:27), and he could eat (cf. Lk 24:42-43). It also seems as though he could walk through doors, as he suddenly appeared to his disciples in a closed space after his resurrection (cf. John 20:26). He ascended to heaven in his new body (cf. Acts 1:9). But one of the greatest glories of our new bodies is that they will be without sin and therefore able to inhabit heaven and be with God. This is something to be excited about and look forward to. Christ was the firstfruits—the firstborn—of this great harvest that we await.

Application Question: Do you ever give thought to your resurrected body? Why or why not? What are you most looking forward to about having a resurrected body in the eternal state?

We Should Exalt Christ Because He Is Sufficient

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Col. 1:19).

In this text, Paul says Christ is worthy of being exalted because he is sufficient. He said that the fullness of God dwells in him, and in verse 20 he adds “and through him to reconcile to himself all things.” Essentially, Paul is saying Christ is sufficient for salvation and we don’t need anything else. Christ is enough because he is fully God.

While pastoring my first church, I also worked at a facility that cared for people with developmental needs. While working there, I started sharing my faith with my boss, who I found out was part of the Baha’i faith. Eventually he asked me to visit a Baha’i meeting to hear about what they believed.

As you may know, the Baha’i faith accepts many of the founders of various religions as prophets of God: Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha, but the final prophet is the founder of their religion. So to them Jesus is not enough.

Similarly, the Colossian heresy accepted Jesus as one of many emanations from God, but he wasn’t enough for salvation. Paul confronted this heresy specifically when he said that in Christ the “fullness” of God dwells. Listen to Kent Hughes’s commentary on the use of the word “fullness” in Paul’s statement:

Paul’s use of the word “fullness” here was an intentional slap at the Gnostics, who used the same word, pleroma, to denote the totality of all the thousands of divine emanations or lesser gods. But Paul said, ‘No way! Jesus is not one of the lesser gods of the fullness. He is the Fullness!’ Colossians 2:9 says it even more explicitly: ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’ ‘Fullness’ means that the totality of divine power and attributes is in Christ. ‘The whole fullness—the full fullness’—Jesus Christ is the ‘exhaustion of God.’ Moreover, the fullness is said to ‘live in him.’ It is not temporary. It was, and is, there to stay.⁸

The temptations that attacked the church back then are the same today. Christ is a good man, a prophet, an angel; he is anything and everything other than what he said he was. The world says Christ is good but he is not enough; he is not sufficient. Listen to what C.S. Lewis said about the incredulous responses of people to Christ:

I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of thing Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic . . . or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. . . . You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.⁹

Christ being Lord God is the only option that is left and reasonable to accept. Nothing else makes any sense. In Christ the fullness of God dwells and he is the only way to the Father. Paul is saying that Christ is sufficient. He is all we need. There is no other revelation or emanation that we are waiting for. Jesus was God himself and he was enough to save us. Therefore, we should exalt him. He must be preeminent!

Application Question: What do you think about C.S. Lewis’s statement about Christ being God as he said, or either being a lunatic, liar, or the devil from hell? Do you think this is a fair assessment? How would you respond to somebody who claimed that Jesus was not God?

Conclusion

Why is Christ the preeminent one? Why should Christ be exalted in our lives and in the entire earth?

1. Christ should be exalted because he is the image of God. He is the revelation of God.

2. Christ should be exalted because he is the firstborn whom God has given all the rights and privileges.

• He is firstborn because he is the creator. He is the creator and therefore can fix creation and fix us.
• He is firstborn because he is the goal of all creation. Everything was meant to give him glory.
• He is firstborn because he is the sustainer of all creation.
• He is firstborn because he is eternal and therefore before creation.

3. Christ should be exalted because he is the head of the church.

4. Christ should be exalted because he is the firstborn from among the dead.

5. Christ should be exalted because he is sufficient for salvation; the fullness of God dwells in him.

Application Question: In what ways is God calling you to apply Christ’s preeminence? What must you do to make him first in your life and keep him first?

Copyright © 2015 Gregory Brown

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¹ Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible – Commentary – Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible – Colossians: The Teacher’s Outline and Study Bible.

² W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 2:116.

³ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 30.

⁴ J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 44.

⁵ W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 2:75.

⁶ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 33.

⁷ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 32.

⁸ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 36.

⁹ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. (London: Collins, 1952), 54-56.

“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine–sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:1–7).

What are the goals that each of us should be struggling for in our own lives and in the church?

Often, when pastors are trained for ministry, they are instructed to develop a philosophy of ministry statement, a vision statement for a church, and other ministry goals and guidelines. It’s the same for people who take leadership classes in school. Having a vision and goals is very important.

This is what Solomon, the wisest man on earth, said: “Without vision people perish” (Prov. 29:18 KJV). Everybody needs goals, especially those who minister in the church.

I heard the story of one child who often got in trouble both in school and youth group. One day during youth group, the youth pastor began to talk about God as the Creator and how he had a wonderful plan for each of the students’ lives. With that he challenged them to begin to pray about God’s plan. The student who normally was a problem kid and was failing many of his classes happened to be there that day. However, this time he was paying attention and took the youth pastor’s challenge to heart by beginning to pray. That following week the student kept having dreams at night, and in his dreams he saw himself as a medical doctor. He came back to youth group that next Sunday and told his youth pastor about his dreams and how he felt that God was calling him to be a doctor. From that point on, the student who was getting in trouble at school and failing classes became a “straight-A student” through junior high, high school, and college. He got into medical school and eventually became a doctor.

The problem with this student was that he had no vision; he had no knowledge of God’s plans for him and for that reason he cast off restraint (Prov. 29:18 NIV). He just did whatever he wanted and it led to destruction and failure.

This is true not only for individuals but also for local churches. Paul was writing to the Colossians, Laodiceans, and others who had not seen him (Col. 2:1), and he was sharing the goals he had for them—the goals he struggled to see manifest in their lives.

What is a biblical vision for the church? What are the type of goals each church member should have for themselves and those they minister to? We learn something of this as we look at Colossians 2:1–5. Consider what Paul says:

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

Paul tells us the “purpose” behind his struggles for those he was writing to (v. 2). This is a text about a biblical vision for the church, for each small group, and for each individual. We learn something about Paul’s apostolic struggle, and therefore what we as a church should be struggling and aiming for.

It should be noted that this struggle is not only for pastors or those with a public ministry. As we know, Paul had never been to the church of Colosse (Col. 2:1). He was imprisoned in Rome and yet he still was struggling for them. The word “struggle” in the original language is agon, from which we get the word “agony.” It was used of athletes in the Olympic games agonizing and fighting to win the prize.¹

In the same way, each member of the church must agonize for these goals to be actualized in God’s church. This agony is not only for our individual churches, but for all churches because we can agonize and struggle like Paul, even for congregations we have never been to (cf. Eph. 6:18). We can do this by prayer as Paul mentioned in Chapter 1 (vv. 9–13). We can do this by suffering for the gospel (1:24). We can do this by teaching God’s Word with the intention of making mature disciples in Christ (1:28–29).

Like Paul, we must agonize and struggle so that the church may become what God has called it to be. What are biblical goals for our individual lives, small groups, ministries, and churches? In this text we will learn about the goals that each Christian should be struggling for in God’s house.

Big Question: What are Paul’s goals for the churches in Colossians 2:1–5, and how should we apply them to our individual lives, ministries, and local churches?

Effective Ministers Struggle For The Church To Have Strong And Encouraged Hearts

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart” (Col. 2:2).

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by his desire for the Colossians to be “encouraged in heart”?

What does it mean for these Christians to be “encouraged in heart” or “strong in heart” ² as it can be translated? In this context, a heretical cult had attacked the Colossian church. This cult had been so effective that no doubt some had left the church and others were being tempted to. This prompted Epaphras to seek Paul’s help. The Colossians were being tempted to doubt the deity of Christ and ultimately the gospel. Paul writes this letter to discouraged and doubting Christians.

Encouraged Heart

The word “encourage” comes from the Greek word parakaleo, which means “to call alongside.”³ It is similar to the word Jesus called the Holy Spirit in John 14:6. He told the disciples he would send a “counselor” (paraclete)—the Holy Spirit—who would come alongside them and encourage them.

We should not minimize this. An encouraged heart or strong heart is very important for Christians. Listen to what Nehemiah said to the Jews who were weeping during a spiritual revival. He said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

The joy of the Lord is the strength of both an individual Christian and the church community. Scripture constantly commands for believers to have joy or to be encouraged. Look at what Paul said to the Philippians: “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you” (3:1).

Paul says, “I don’t mind telling you to rejoice over and over again because this is a protection for you.” Whatever is most important, we repeat. In fact, we repeat it often. At the end of the book, Paul says this again to the Philippians who were facing many attacks. In chapter 1, they were going through persecution (v. 29). In chapter 3, false teachers were calling the congregations back to the law, and specifically circumcision (v. 2). In chapter 4, two women were arguing and fighting in the church (v. 2). Paul commands them again to be encouraged by having joy in the Lord in Philippians 4:4. Listen to what he says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Paul repeats it twice in one verse: “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again. Rejoice.” Why is it so important for us as individuals and as a church to have joy in the Lord—to have encouraged and strong hearts?

This is the reason: a Christian who is discouraged and depressed is a Christian who is not good for much. They can’t serve, they can’t fight for themselves spiritually, and they are often prone to all types of sin. The discouraged person is prone to addictions to drugs, alcohol, or relationships. If Satan can get you down, many times he can pull you into a hole that will be very hard to get yourself out of.

That’s why God, through Scripture, works very hard to encourage you to control your emotions. Your emotions—your heart—should not control you. It is deceitful, sick, and beyond cure. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Because of this, the believer must control his heart.

Strong Mind

When Scripture refers to the heart, it refers not only to one’s emotions but also to one’s mind. The Psalmist said, “The fool says in his heart there is no God” (Ps. 14:1). Our mind, will, and emotions must be submitted to and controlled by God’s will.

It is imperative for the Christian to have a strong mind for the mind is the focus of Satan’s attacks. Listen to what Paul said about the believer’s warfare:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

To not have a strong mind means to be susceptible to being led away from Christ and into all types of strongholds and false doctrines. Satan is always attacking the heart and mind, and therefore the believer must protect it. It must be strong and encouraged to do the things God has called us to do. Therefore, Paul struggled for the church to have a strong heart and mind.

Application Question: How can believers develop encouraged hearts and minds?

1. Christians Develop A Strong Heart And Mind Through The Study Of The Scripture.

The believer’s mind finds encouragement and strength through the study of the Word of God. Listen to these texts:

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart (Ps. 19:8).

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2)

Do you want to have a strong heart? Do you want to have a heart free of the worries, discouragements, and the weights of this world? You must have a heart and mind that is full of Scripture. The Word of God gives joy to the heart; it renews the mind.

How else do we develop a strong heart and mind?

2. Christians Develop A Strong Heart And Mind By Being Encouraged By Other Believers.

Listen to what Paul said: “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Rom. 1:11–12).

When Paul talks about imparting a spiritual gift, many commentators believe he is talking about the whole book of Romans. He wanted to teach them the Word of God. Moreover, they would be encouraged not only by the Word but by their relationship with one another. They would find mutual encouragement.

Similarly, Paul also says this about seeing Timothy: “Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy” (2 Tim. 1:4).

Many Christians lack strong hearts and minds simply because they lack intimate fellowship with the body of Christ. They try to walk by themselves. When they get depressed, they lock themselves in their rooms, listen to sad music, watch movies, and eat ice cream. One of the ways we find encouragement is by being around the body of Christ.

What’s another way we develop a strong heart and mind?

3. Christians Develop A Strong Heart And Mind By Recognizing And Getting Rid Of Bad Thoughts.

Again, we see this when Paul talks about the Christian’s warfare. Look at what he says again:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4–5)

Paul says every Christian fights this warfare. They break strongholds of the mind by the power of God. Many Christian women have body image issues that need to be destroyed and removed. They need to take captive those thoughts and avoid anything that would encourage negative thoughts and insecurities.

Others have strongholds with fears or anxieties. “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression” (Prov. 12:25). Believers must choose to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6) by practicing biblical principles. Personally, I often picture myself coming before the throne of Christ with my thoughts, confessing them, and asking Christ to take them away. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

With others it might be lust. Job said he made a covenant with his eyes to not lust after a young lady (Job 31:1). We must stay away from movies, books, music, etc., that would seek to conform our mind to the lustful pattern of this world.

In order to have a strong and encouraged mind, believers must wage war on their thought processes. They must put in good things (Phil. 4:8–9) such as the Word of God and reject all things that do not agree with Christ’s revelation.

4. Christians Develop A Strong Heart And Mind Through Prayer.

Listen to Paul’s prayer: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Eph. 3:16). Similar to the Colossians, Paul prayed for the Ephesians to be strengthened in the inner being by the Holy Spirit.

Do we want to have a strong church that can stand against the attack of Satan and the temptations we go through in life? We must be a church that prays. Lord, strengthen and encourage the hearts of every believer in the church. Satan has trapped too many Christians. They are walking around depressed and discouraged and they have lost the joy of the Lord. Fill them with your joy which brings strength.

Let us pray that today God would strengthen his church in the inner being. Let’s pray that he would encourage their hearts through the Word and through genuine fellowship. Let us pray that he would break every stronghold and take every thought captive. This must be a goal for the church and our individual lives.

Application Question: In what ways does the enemy commonly discourage your heart or mind? How do you typically react toward discouragement? How is God calling you to strengthen your heart and mind or help somebody else?

Effective Ministers Struggle For The Church To Be United In Love

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love” (Col. 2:2).

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by the Colossian church being united in love, and what applications can we draw from this?

What does Paul mean by the church being “united in love,” which can also be translated as “knit together in love” (ESV)? Essentially, Paul’s second goal for the church was for it to be unified. With the false cult attacking the church, not only were they discouraged, but there was division in the church. Paul was struggling and agonizing for the unity of this church.

Jesus prayed for the unity of the church in his high priestly prayer in John 17. Listen to what he said:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me (John 17:20–21).

Not only was it Paul’s goal for the church to be unified, but it was also Christ’s. This prayer was answered at Pentecost when the church was formed through the baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). The church became one body of Christ.

However, this unity of the body must still be worked out practically in every church. Paul said something similar to the Philippian church. Look at what he says:

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).

The Philippian church was being persecuted; they were being attacked by legalistic false teachers, and some of the members were divided. He commanded them to stand firm in “one spirit” as “one man.”

This must be the goal of every church, but it is not something that comes easily. It is something that must be worked for and labored for in every congregation. Satan works hard to bring disunity in the ministries of the church, in small groups, and even among the leadership.

Application Question: What must we do to have unity in the church and in our relationships?

Ephesians 4:3 says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” He commands them to “make every effort” to keep the unity. This would include forgiving one another (Eph. 4:32). It would include being a peacemaker and helping others be unified (Phil. 4:2–3). It also includes being humble and considering others’ interests over our own (Phil. 2:3).

I heard a story about two rams that were both on a bridge coming from different directions at the same time. The bridge was too narrow for them both to cross. At first, they just looked at one another, and it seemed as though a fight was about to break out to see who was going to cross the bridge. However, one of the rams did something peculiar. He lay down on the ground and allowed the other ram to pass over him. Sometimes animals have more wisdom than humans. Many times to have peace, we must lay down our pride and be humble.

Paul makes the same argument to those in the Corinthian church who were suing one another in 1 Corinthians 6:7. He says, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” Why are you still angry, suing one another and going to court? Sometimes, in the midst of seeking to preserve the unity, we must even accept being wronged. Sometimes we must turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39). We must make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3).

What are some benefits to walking in unity in the church? Being “united in love” affords many benefits to the church and that is why Satan works so hard against unity.

Application Question: What are some of the benefits of unity in the church?

1. A Benefit Of Church Unity Is Evangelism.

We read this previously, but one benefit of unity is evangelism, as Christ said in his high priestly prayer.

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20–23).

Jesus said the purpose of the church being “one” was “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” When the church is not unified, evangelism is stifled.

If we surveyed the consequences of church splits, we would find many members who stopped attending church and some children who stopped practicing their faith or believing in God altogether. No doubt, unbelievers look on in disbelief. Church unity is essential to evangelism and that is why the enemy works so hard to bring division.

2. A Benefit Of Church Unity Is God’s Blessing Seen In Empowerment And Fruitfulness.

Listen to what the Psalmist said in Psalm 133:

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore (Ps. 133:1–3).

David said when the people of God are living in unity, God’s blessing is present. He compares this blessing with the oil on Aaron’s beard. Anointing with oil was a picture of empowerment by the Holy Spirit. When the church is walking together there is empowerment to serve God. Churches that do not have unity are churches without power.

He also compares God’s blessing on unity to the dew on Mount Zion. Dew is moisture that often waters plants and trees so they will produce fruit. Where there is no unity, there is no fruitfulness. The Holy Spirit does not produce fruit where there is division.

3. A Benefit Of Church Unity Is Protection From The Evil One.

Another benefit is protection against Satan. Listen to what Paul said about harboring anger in our hearts: “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26–27).

Disunity opens the door for Satan to have a foothold in the church, a marriage, or our individual lives. A “foothold” is war terminology. Division opens the door for Satan and his demons to wage war in the house of God, whether on a small group, a ministry, or a family. Therefore, unity is very important.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced division in the church? What were some of the negative effects from this division?

Effective Ministers Struggle For The Church To Be Protected By Having A Full Understanding Of Christ

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine–sounding arguments” (Col. 2:2–4).

Here we must notice another one of Paul’s goals. He desired the church to have a “complete understanding” of Christ. This was the very thing that the Gnostic cult was attacking. It was attacking the deity of Christ, the sufficiency of Christ, and therefore the gospel itself.

Paul calls Christ the “mystery of God” (v. 2). It seems this truth had become part of an early church hymn in 2 Timothy 3:16. Listen to the hymn:

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Christ is the only way to godliness. He came to earth and died. He was raised by the Spirit from the dead, seen by angels at his tomb, preached among the nations, and believed on by people in these nations. He ascended to heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father. This is the mystery that the Colossian church must come to fully understand. They must know who Christ is and his sufficiency. Paul struggles for this so that they would not be deceived by the cults (v. 4).

When he says “fine–sounding arguments,” he was using language common of lawyers.⁴ These cults would produce case after case to say that Christ was not God, and therefore not sufficient. These believers needed to have a full understanding so they would not be tossed to and fro by all types of false doctrines (Eph. 4:14).

It must be noted that with many cults today this is exactly where they attack. They attack the deity or humanity of Christ. This is seen in Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, Mormons, etc. They declare that Christ is not God. In fact, the apostle John taught that a correct doctrine of Christ was a test of salvation to the church of Ephesus (cf. 1 John 5:13), who was also being attacked by a cult.

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1 John 4:2–3).

He essentially says that you can identify a cult by what they believe about Jesus. Did Jesus Christ come in the flesh? It is obviously implied in this question that Jesus was God who came in the flesh. If they do not have a right doctrine about Jesus, they are not of God. It is the spirit of the antichrist.

Paul wants this church to come to a full understanding of the mystery of Christ so they can be protected.

Interpretation Question: How do we come to a complete understanding of the mystery of Christ as seen in Colossians 2:2?

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ (Col. 2:2).

1. Believers Come To A Complete Understanding Of Christ Through Developing A “Strong Mind” Through Scripture.

It must be noticed that coming to a complete understanding of Christ is a result of both having an encouraged heart and being united in love. Paul uses a purpose clause in Colossians 2:2 with the phrase “so that.” This means having both an encouraged heart and being united in love lead to right understanding.

As mentioned before, when Scripture refers to the heart it is not just referring to the emotions but to the mind also. The Psalmist says, “The fool says in his heart there is no God” (14:1). Therefore, the principal way that a believer has an encouraged heart, and therefore comes to a complete understanding of Christ, is through the Word of God. They must strengthen their mind, will, and emotions through the Word. Listen to what Paul said about the purpose of pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11–14:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

God has given us pastors and teachers to help us reach “unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God” so that we will no longer be infants tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Our hearts and minds must be strengthened by the Word.

A weak mind, one not trained in doctrine, is a mind open to deception. In this epistle, Paul is essentially giving them proper doctrine so they will not be led astray.

What else must we do to come to a complete understanding of Christ?

2. Believers Come To A Complete Understanding Of Christ Through Being “United” In Proper Relationships With The Saints.

Again, the result of both a strong heart and a unified love is complete understanding of Christ (2:2). See, it is impossible to come to a proper understanding of who Christ is apart from the church and right relationships within it.

In Scripture there is no place for lone-ranger Christians. This life cannot be walked alone; we need one another. It is often the lone sheep who has become angry at the church, or was slighted by a member of the church, who begins to drift away and is drawn into cults or other false teachings.

Most cults are not gathering new converts; they steal converts from God’s church. They are the wolves stealing the sheep, and the sheep who are most prone to be led astray are those who no longer are walking in a “united love.” They are angry, scarred, and disillusioned, and therefore prone to deception.

Not only must we know the Scripture through sound teaching, but we must be in right relationships with our brothers and sisters. It is impossible to come to a complete understanding of Christ, the head, apart from knowing his body. We get to know Christ through one another.

God does some things in the midst of fellowship that he doesn’t do when we are by ourselves. He shows up in a special way during a service or small group. When two or three are gathered in his name, he is in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20).

Application Question: Have you ever seen or experienced a member of the body of Christ being drawn into a cult or false teaching? Can you describe what happened and maybe what might have precipitated the event?

Effective Ministers Struggle For The Church To Develop Military Discipline

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is” (Col. 2:5).

The next goal of Paul for the church is military discipline. He uses two military words in this passage: “orderly” and “firm.” Listen to what Warren Wiersbe says about these words:

The words order and steadfastness are military terms. They describe an army that is solidly united against the enemy. Order describes the arrangement of the army in ranks, with each soldier in his proper place. Not everybody can be a five–star general, but the general could never fight the battle alone. Steadfastness pictures the soldiers in battle formation, presenting a solid front to the enemy. Christians ought to make progress in discipline and obedience, just as soldiers on the battlefield.⁵

This analogy was very appropriate for them as Satan was strategically trying to attack and destroy the church. They needed military discipline to withstand the attack.

This is a common analogy Scripture uses for Christians. Not only are we the bride of Christ, but we are also Christian soldiers. We are a warring bride. In Ephesians 5:22–33, we see the analogy of the bride, but very soon after in Chapter 6 we see the imagery of the church being a soldier, putting on the armor of God. Listen to what Paul says:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:10–12).

As one who has served in the military for many years, I can relate to this illustration. In fact, Paul speaks as though he is a high-ranking officer inspecting the formation of an army, and he says he is pleased.

Would God be pleased with our church as he inspects our military discipline? Would he be pleased with our conduct in the formation? Would we stand against an “all–out” assault of the enemy both individually and corporately?

Application Question: What are some implications we can take from the military words “order” and “firm” in referring to our preparedness for the attacks of the enemy?

1. An Implication Of The Word “Order” Is Knowing Our Place In God’s Army.

Order represents an army being in formation or ranks. Everybody in formation has a specific role. The people in the front of the formation lead and those behind must follow. One of the ways the enemy can get an open door into the church is through disgruntled people who do not submit to their leaders and people who are negligent in doing their jobs, or in using their gifts. If we saw this in a company—no leadership and nobody doing their job—we would say this company lacked “order.”

Again, in an army formation, each person lines up behind certain leaders in the formation. When the formation marches, those who are behind the leaders must step in the exact place as the leader. They follow step by step, and this is how a proper formation marches. Each person knows exactly who is in front of them and behind them.

When each person does their job, the formation looks dynamic. But when each person is not doing their job and not paying attention to the leaders, then it looks like utter chaos. Instead of being called a formation, it is often called “a gaggle.”

What is your role in the church? Are you doing your part to help maintain order?

Who are the leaders that God has called you to model and imitate? Are you submitting to them, following and imitating their lives, and stepping in their steps?

These people may be small group leaders, pastors, or mature women or men whom God has called you to follow in order to grow in Christ. Listen to what Paul told the Philippians: “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (3:17).

Paul essentially says, “Imitate my life and imitate others who follow my example.” Each church includes people with the gift of evangelism, and we need to watch and get in step with them. Others have the gift of mercy, and by watching and following them, we will be better at giving mercy to others, serving the poor, and serving those who are hurting. If we are going to have order, we need to get in step.

We must know what our specific job is and our specific role is so we can honor our commanding officer, the Lord.

2. An Implication Of “Firm,” Or It Can Be Translated “Steadfastness,” Is The Ability To Persevere Through Attack And Hardship In Following Christ.

Paul said he took delight in seeing how “firm” their faith in Christ was. I re–watched the movie Gladiator (2000), the one with Russell Crowe in it, not too long ago. In the movie, a bunch of gladiators were put into a stadium to essentially be slaughtered by a small army in chariots. They were at a great disadvantage.

I remember Russell Crowe, the leader of the gladiators, said to all them, “Whatever comes out of that door, we have a better chance of surviving if we all stick together.” When the chariots came out, he called them into formation, where they put up their shields to withstand the attacks of the chariots. He kept saying this as they attacked: “Hold! Hold! Hold the line together!” They held until it was time to attack.

This is similar to the picture given by Paul. The enemy was attacking, seeking to make them doubt Christ’s sufficiency for salvation. Paul says they must hold the line. They must stand and persevere in these attacks instead of giving up and succumbing.

That is the type of discipline we must have, not only as individuals but also corporately in the church. Observe how many people who, when trials come into their life, like difficulties at work or difficulties with relationships at church, instead of standing firm, start to fall away. They get mad at God. They stop coming to small group. They stop attending church. They don’t stand firm.

Steadfastness is necessary for any army. In battle there will be times when things are very difficult and you are tempted to give up. But it is then that you must stand. I think we get some idea of why this is necessary again in Ephesians 6. Listen to what Paul says: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (v. 13).

What is the “day of evil”? The “day of evil” is when the enemy brings an “all–out” attack in order to make you break the line and eventually give up. We probably get a picture of this with Job. In one day, most of his servants were killed by raiders, fire from God came down and destroyed his sheep, raiders stole his camels, and worst of all a storm killed his sons and daughters. The enemy threw all his fire at Job to break him, to make him not stand firm.

Have you experienced the day of evil—the evil season—when everything just seemed to go wrong? This is when God, your General, is calling you to “stand,” to just stand firm. Just hold your ground in Christ. Don’t let go of him; don’t fall away from him. Continue to seek Christ among the body of believers. This is what it means to stand firm.

No doubt, when the day of evil came, some in Colosse fell away from Christ and the army God had placed them in, the church. God wants you to stand firm with a military discipline. Remember what James said: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:4 KJV).

By persevering under trial, God is completing you, making you perfect so you can better serve him. This is a characteristic of a healthy church with military discipline.

3. An Implication Of Both Military Words Is A Willingness To Die For The Church.

Any person who has served in the military understands the symbolism. Paul uses military terms in part because to have order and steadfastness against the attack of the enemy takes a willingness to die for one another. Not only do we persevere, but we persevere even to the point of being willing to die for the members of our congregation.

This may seem radical, but this is exactly what Christ taught. Listen to what he said: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

How did Christ love the disciples? He gave his life for them. This is the type of love we must have for one another. Jesus said the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep (John 10:11). For many Christians, their church history is full of stories of being hurt in the church and leaving for another. Most Christians have no comprehension of this type of discipline. This is especially needed when we are under attack and when the church is under attack. One of the goals for our lives and our churches must be to have military discipline so that we can stand in the day of evil.

Application Question: Whom do you feel God has called you specifically to follow in the church so you can grow and be more effective? In what ways has he gifted you to serve? In what ways have you seen individuals or churches suffer because they lacked both military order and steadfastness?

Effective Ministers Struggle For The Church To Continue In Christ

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6–7).

As Paul is giving his goals and desires for the church, he finally challenges them to “continue to live in him,” or it can be translated as “walk in him” (v. 6). Their salvation was just the beginning of their faith; they must continue in this same dependency upon Christ. They must not be shaken by the false teachers, persecution, or the worldly culture of the day.

Listen, Satan’s purpose in getting you discouraged, in bringing division, and in bringing disorder is more than separating the church or bringing fights. He ultimately wants every Christian to fall away from Christ. He wants you to doubt God’s goodness. He wants you to focus on the hypocrisy in the church and therefore to judge Christ based on it. He wants you to fall away.

I have served and ministered to many youth who, after seeing a church split and the lack of order in the church, fell away from the faith, even if just for a brief period of time. That’s what Satan is after. He wants people to not continue in following God.

This is true for us as well. There are many things that would seek to shake us from a continued relationship with Christ, and we must labor to stay with him. We must struggle to continue to follow Christ and struggle to help others to continue to follow him as well. In verse 7, Paul describes how we continue in him.

Observation Question: How do we continue to live in Christ so that we will not fall away (Col. 2:6–7)?

1. The Believer Must Continue In Christ By First Recognizing That They Are Truly Saved.

“Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7).

When Paul used the word “rooted,” the tense of the Greek word means, “once and for all having been rooted.”⁶ It is also passive, meaning that God does all the work. He roots believers, and they will stay with Christ forever, for they were rooted in the past and will continue to be. This is the tense of the word, and therefore to continue in him, we must first be sure of our roots—our salvation.

In describing those with spurious faith in the parable of the soils, Jesus described a believer who was on shallow, rocky ground and lacked strong roots. This is what he said:

The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away (Matt. 13:20–21).

This person had received the gospel but did not have an appropriate root system. Therefore, when trials came into this person’s life, he fell away from God. He was not “once and for all” rooted in Christ. He was not genuinely saved.

Knowing our root system is so important that Scripture tells us to test our faith or to prove that it is real. Look at a few of these passages: “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

Paul said that he taught people to repent, which essentially means to accept the gospel, but he also preached that they must prove their repentance by their deeds. He said that they should prove their salvation. Resting our eternal destiny on saying a prayer or mental assent to a creed or doctrine is not very wise. It must be proved by our works. It’s the same thing John the Baptist taught:

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Luke 3:8–9).

John the Baptist calls the nation of Israel to repent, but he also calls them to prove their repentance by their fruit. He says, “Prove your root by your fruit.” It seems that Paul and John both taught this together with their presentation of the gospel. Repent and prove your salvation; produce fruits proving that your confession is genuine. No doubt they did this because they believed there were many false confessions among the people of God.

We see this need to confirm the genuineness of one’s faith in many other places. Second Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” Paul says examine yourself; see if you are in the faith. See if your faith is truly genuine.

Peter utters the same challenge: “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Peter says make sure you are elect, make sure you are saved. If we look at the previous verses to that passage, he tells us how to do that, how to know we are elect. Look at what he says:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self–control; and to self–control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love (2 Peter 1:5–7).

How do we make our election sure and prove our salvation? Peter essentially says it is by growing. “Add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self–control.” The way we know if we have been rooted “once and for all” is by growing. If a person shows no growth—no fruit—then he might not be elect.

I often tell people I don’t remember my natural birth. Though I was there, I was too small to remember it. The way I know I am my father’s child is because we both have big ears and big thighs. We have many of the same characteristics. This assures me that my father is my father, and it’s the same with God. As we grow in him, we will develop many of his characteristics, which will help assure us of our salvation.

How do we continue in him?

We must be sure that we have been rooted “once and for all.” If a person has truly been rooted in Christ, they will never fall away. But if they have shallow roots on rocky ground they will not persevere. The storms of life will pull them away from Christ (Matt. 7:24–27).

How else can we continue in him?

2. The Believer Must Continue In Christ By Growing In Him.

“Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7).

Rooted” is an agricultural term, but “built” is an architectural term. Paul says, “built up” in Christ. It pictures Christ as the foundation of our life (cf. Eph. 2:20), and from this foundation we continue to grow upward. Similar to making our election sure, one of the ways we continue in Christ is by growing in him.

To not grow is a dangerous place to be. A Christian who is not growing is a Christian who is in danger of being pulled away from Christ.

Application Question: How are Christians built up in Christ?

• Christians are built up by being trained by mature spiritual leadership.

Listen to what Paul says:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph. 4:11–12).

The way a Christian grows up is by being trained. In this context, Paul says God has given the church gifted people to help the body of Christ grow. We must attach to these people who are particularly gifted in teaching in order to be built up. That is the reason God gave them.

For some people this is very hard. I come from the West where we are very independent. To need somebody or to submit to someone is a very hard thing. But according to this text, God gave these people for this very purpose so that we may grow. Christians who are always walking in rebellion to the leadership of the church and their teaching will be Christians who are not growing.

Yes, we must test their teaching because teachers are not infallible (cf. Acts 17:11; 1 John 5:1). Nevertheless, these leaders will be one of the primary means God uses for our growth.

How else are we built up?

• Christians are built up by practicing the spiritual disciplines.

Paul said this to Timothy: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7). “Train” can be translated “exercise.” It’s the Greek word we get “gymnasium” from. We become more godly by practicing godly exercises—spiritual disciplines. These include prayer, studying the Scriptures, obeying the Scriptures, going to church, serving, solitude, giving, etc. These are spiritual exercises that help us to be built up into what God has called us to be.

How else are Christians built up?

• Christians are built up by submitting to God in trials.

Listen to what James says: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:4 KJV). The word “patience” can be translated “perseverance,” which means to “bear up under a heavy load.” God allows Christians to go through trials and difficulties in order for them to grow, in order for them to develop spiritual muscle so they can better serve God and others.

But James says in order for us to mature (be perfect), we must “let patience have her perfect work.” Not everyone grows when they go through trials. Some people turn away from God, get angry with God or others, find an addiction to satisfy them during the trial, etc. To “let” patience have its perfect work means we must draw near to God in the trial, draw near his Word, and draw near the fellowship of the saints; we must be willing to persevere. It is in the good ground of a trial that God develops our faith and helps us grow, if we are willing to “let” him.

How else do we continue in Christ?

3. The Believer Must Continue In Christ By Being Strengthened In Their Understanding Of Doctrine.

“Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7).

How else do Christians continue in Christ? They continue in Christ through knowing and understanding doctrine. Paul calls this being “strengthened in the faith.” Now the word “faith” is often used in two ways: it can mean to simply “believe or trust” in God, or it can be used to refer to Christianity and its body of beliefs or doctrines.

In this context, being strengthened in the faith means to grow in the doctrines of the Word of God. The Colossians were attacked at the very core of their faith. The Gnostic cult was attacking Christ’s deity, and therefore attacking the gospel.

It must be noted that the doctrines in Christianity make it virtually unique among world religions. God is not looking for a blind faith; he wants a thinking people. He says, “Come, let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18). He calls to his people and says, “Come think with me.”

In Christianity, we have the doctrine of Christology, Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit), Theology Proper (the study of the Father), Soteriology (the study of salvation), Eschatology (the study of end times), etc. These may seem like useless theological terms, but they all represent doctrines that God has called us to know and understand. “Let us reason together,” God says.

He has called for us to be a thinking people. In fact, this is what Paul said to Timothy about persevering in the faith. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). Timothy, persevere in your doctrine so you can persevere in Christ—so you can stay in him.

Paul also told Timothy,

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (2 Tim. 1:13–14).

Keep the teachings; guard the teachings because God has called you to be a steward over them. Satan realizes that if he can attack and steal the teachings of God’s Word then he can eventually steal us from Christ (cf. Matt. 13:19).

Satan is always attacking doctrines such as the inerrancy of the Word of God. Is it really true? He is attacking the deity of Christ. Is he really God? And he does this to encourage people to fall away. We must be strengthened in what we have already learned and grow in what we have not. We must persevere in them so we will not fall away from Christ.

4. The Believer Must Continue In Christ By Developing The Discipline Of Thankfulness.

“Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7).

The final way this church would continue in Christ was by developing the discipline of thankfulness. This should go without saying, but one of the ways that Satan tries to pull Christians away from Christ is by destroying their joy. He wants to make it seem like God is the ultimate “kill–joy,” someone who wants to take the pleasure out of life. We get a picture of this in his temptation of Eve. Consider what he said to her: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Gen. 3:1).

What was Satan trying to do? He knew very well that Adam and Eve could eat of every tree in the garden except one. Satan was trying to make God seem burdensome, unfair, and unkind. In a sense, he was trying to attack the character of God by making him out to be someone who is strict and controlling.

Satan realizes that if we lose our thankfulness and joy in following Christ, he can easily tempt us to look elsewhere for joy and happiness, including sin, rebellion, or ultimately apostasy.

If you are content and happy in your relationship with God, then you are not going to fall into alcoholism or pornography. You are not going to fall into any other addiction. Why? Because you are too satisfied in Christ, and you won’t let anything come between you and him.

Satan wants to steal your thankfulness so he can pull you into something else to find satisfaction and ultimately away from Christ altogether. When you are thankful and satisfied in Christ, you will not go looking for other wells to drink from because you are too content with God.

First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” If we are going to continue in Christ, we must have a thankful spirit. Satan realizes that it is the malcontents, the ones who are mad at God, the ones who are mad at the church or mad at their bosses, who are prone to fall away from their high calling in Christ.

How do we continue in Christ?

• We continue in Christ by knowing we are truly saved—rooted in Christ.
• We continue in Christ by growing in him—being built up in Christ.
• We continue in Christ by being strengthened in the body of faith.
• We continue in Christ by developing the discipline of thankfulness.

Conclusion

What are goals of effective ministers of the church?

These goals represent what Paul agonized over in the lives of the Colossians though he had never met them personally. He agonized through his prayer life, his sufferings, his writing, etc., in order that these goals would be realized in them.

It is these goals that must be ours as well, both individually and as a church community. They must be our prayers for our local church and the church universal. There should be an element of struggle and agony even for people we have not seen. This is how effective ministers labor for Christ’s church. May the Lord sow and reap these in us and in his body throughout the world.

1. Effective ministers struggle for the church to have a strong mind and heart—strong through his Word and his people.
2. Effective ministers struggle for the church to be united in love, a unified people walking in the blessings and favor of God.
3. Effective ministers struggle for the church to be protected through having a complete understanding of Christ.
4. Effective ministers struggle for the church to have military discipline, being orderly and standing firm as the body.
5. Effective ministers struggle for the church to continue in Christ.

Application Question: In what ways has God challenged you by Paul’s apostolic goals for the church? In what ways is God calling you to struggle for a specific goal for yourself or others?

Copyright © 2015 Gregory Brown

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¹ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 52.

² J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 83.

³ J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 83.

⁴ W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 2:4.

⁵ W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 2:4.

⁶ W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996).