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Posts Tagged ‘Colossians 01’

>Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

Posted in Mystery, tagged on October 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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the mystery … hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” – Colossians 1:26b-27

It has been a great comfort to realize God is in me – my body, such that it is; my soul in all it’s emotions; and my human spirit.

When I don’t know what to do I begin to thank God he is living through me, knows what to do, and will tell me what I need.

As I grow older I thank God my body is his, that I am part of Christ like my finger is part of me, and that he will sustain it1. Believing Jesus Christ came in the flesh2 means many things, not the least of which that He is not in a wafer of bread, but in the human flesh of those who receive him.

He is not waiting for me to do or become anything other than obey him and be his.

– fritz


1 – Romans 8:11
2 – 1st John 4:2

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>What could be lacking?!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on January 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church – Colossians 1:24 (NIV)

I have been cogitating this scripture for a while now (it is actually the search that recently led me to start my Joy Journey) and I think I may have found my sought-after understanding, today in my lunch quiet time.

When Jesus died on the cross he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and we, who care about the accuracy of such things, believe the afflictions Jesus suffered were complete with nothing lacking for an unhindered relationship with God.

So what could Paul have meant when he said he was filling up that which was lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the Church?

The answer is in looking at the context from Colossians 1:21 through Colossians 1:29. I don’t think Paul was talking about salvation, but the fulfillment of his own “dispensation” (Greek word, here, meaning “stewardship”) of the word of God. (Colossians 1:25).

Jesus did his work in his flesh (Colossians 1:22), now Paul is completing in his flesh the remainder of afflictions required for the distribution of the good news about that “Mystery” Christ enabled.

Jesus did his required part, in his flesh, purchasing the reconciliation (Colossians 1:22), and Paul is gladly doing the remaining work to make it known to all. (Colossians 1:24-25).

Christ’s work is complete, and continuing at the same time. Complete in Him, continuing in us as we fulfill our stewardship of the Mystery!

– Fritz

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>Asking the Wrong Questions

Posted in Sermon Seeds, tagged on January 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” (Colossians 1:13 KJV)
We don’t understand the gospel because we don’t understand the real problem.

God offers forgiveness and redemption from sin and we say, “I don’t need that, I need God to make my marriage work, or to keep the bank from repossessing my car or house, or to keep my kids out of trouble.”

We say, “I don’t need deliverance from selfishness, I need more friends, God, give me more friends!”

We say, “I don’t need to be diligent and study more, I need better grades, God, give me better grades!”

We say, “Sin is not my problem, I need God to work in my life, where is all that benelovance God promises; why is he not answering my prayers?!”

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