"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
In Colossians, as in many of his letters, Paul begins by laying a doctrinal foundation of what God has done for us in Christ, before exhorting his readers to then live according to that marvelous truth. In the first two chapters, Paul has unfolded for us the sovereign supremacy of Christ, and the magnificent mystery … Continue reading Citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom
In our passage this week, the nature of the pressures faced by the Colossian church are brought to light at last with Paul’s pastoral concern for them and his condemnation of the practices and the practitioners of the false teachings that threatened to undermine the believers’ faith in the all-sufficiency of their salvation in Christ. … Continue reading Christ Plus Nothing
Last week we considered how Paul could rejoice in suffering, and how we also, because of the riches of the glory of Christ in us, can face our trials with joy. This week we considered how our mutual loving encouragement, a deeper understanding of our Savior, and the actual practice of living out our faith … Continue reading The Triumph of Christ
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake . . . Rejoicing in suffering. What a concept. What a counter-cultural, upside-down, foolish-in-the-eyes-of-the-world notion. And yet, what a thoroughly biblical response to the trials and pain Christians face in this fallen world. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer. Quite to the contrary, it … Continue reading Why Paul Rejoices in Suffering
“Jesus did not come into the world for us; we came into the world for Jesus.”[1] Pause. Read that again. We are so used to a faint, if unconscious, view that the world revolves around us, that we’re blinded to the Scriptural truth that the universe really and truly exists because of, through, holds together … Continue reading He Is
It’s been a hard couple of weeks. The domain of darkness is sharply apparent. A young woman was murdered on a train in North Carolina and nobody moved to intercede or help her as she died. The initial response was silence. In Utah, a well-known young man was assassinated in front of a crowd of … Continue reading A Prayer We All Need
I work at an RV Resort in the Hill Country of Central Texas, and on the morning of July 4th, unlike most days, I brought my raincoat to work. Our resort is located 100 miles from the stretch of the Guadalupe River that runs through Kerr County, and Canyon Lake with its dam lies between … Continue reading When Sorrow Like a Flash Flood Rises
One of the joys of church membership is seeing the children of our congregation being brought by their parents for baptism. As a covenant community, we delight to participate in the responsibilities of nurturing these precious young lives in the knowledge of the Lord. Being Presbyterians, children are usually baptized in the first weeks or … Continue reading Prayer For our Grandchildren (and children!)
And you, who were dead in your trespasses …, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. — Colossians 2:13-14 As I read deeper into Hosea, it causes … Continue reading Like Adam
Grateful 