The Word of God in Truth

Colossians 1:1-6 ESV

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

“To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.”

Paul wrote this letter to the saints and faithful brethren (the family of God, the body of Christ, the church). And a saint is one who is set apart by and for God who is different (unlike) the world because he is being made by God to be like Jesus in character. And the faithful are those who are reliable, trustworthy, and who are believing in Jesus Christ. For they are those who have been persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of their sinfulness, and of their need to repent of sin and to obey the Lord.

[Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Acts 26:18; John 6:44; Titus 2:11-14]

And what is grace? It is God’s/Christ’s favor towards us, his kindness, which was demonstrated by him dying on that cross for our sins. For he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. And he died that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves. And he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in slavery to sin. And he was raised from the dead that we might walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

And God’s grace, which is bringing salvation to us, trains us to renounce (say “No” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ gave himself up for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (see Titus 2:11-14; cf. Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 4:17-24; Acts 26:18). So God’s grace is not free license to keep on walking in sin deliberately.

Now Paul was very thankful to God for these saints of God who were faithful in Christ Jesus. He thanked God for their faith, which was God-given and God-honoring faith in Jesus Christ. And he was also thankful for the love that they had for one another. And what is that love? It is not fleshly love, but it is godly love, i.e. it is a love which centers in moral preference and which prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, upright, godly, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to God.

And then he moved on to the subject of the gospel of Christ, also called the gospel of salvation. Now the gospel he spoke of is the one Jesus taught and that Paul taught and that the other NT apostles taught. It was NOT the “gospel” message which is permeating the church here in America. He did not teach that we could make a one-time profession of faith in Christ and now all our sins are forgiven, and we are on our way to heaven, and nothing can take it away, regardless of how we live.

Jesus taught that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life. For he said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING the will of God (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And Paul taught that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ that we are crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Therefore, we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies any longer, to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it will lead to death. But if obedience is what we obey, it will lead to righteousness and sanctification, and its end is eternal life (Romans 6:1-23).

This is the word of truth! This is the gospel of Christ! This is the message of God’s grace to us, that he died to deliver us out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now serve him with our lives, and so that we can live holy lives pleasing to him in walks of obedience to his commands, and no longer as slaves to sin. Amen! And it is of this gospel that we all should be bearing spiritual fruit (results, outgrowth) in keeping with repentance and for the kingdom of God, and for the glory and praise of God.

And I like it that it stresses here twice “the word of truth” which is also “the grace of God in truth,” which is what I have shared with you in this writing, and which you can read about in these noted Scriptures, in context. For so many liars and deceivers today are teaching lies and not truth. And so many professing Christians are buying into the lies and they are rejecting the truth, because the lies permit them to keep living in sin without feeling guilty, while the truth demands death to sin and obeying our Lord Jesus.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Make Me a Servant

By Kelly Faye Willard

Make me a servant

Humble and meek

Lord let me lift up

Those who are weak

And, Lord, may the prayer

Of my heart always be

Make me a servant

Make me a servant

Make me a servant today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pv8bY61S2M

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