Christ in Colossians Part 2

The following is the conclusion of a two-part series on Christ in the letter to the Colossians.

While the Christmas season may be long over, the aftermath of after-Christmas sales linger on, as does the great old bumper sticker that proclaims, "Jesus is the reason for the Season!" While I certainly agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment this slogan expresses, I can't help but wonder which Jesus is meant? Society presents many different versions of Jesuses for people to celebrate. For example, there is the "great moral teacher" Jesus, the Jewish version of Socrates or Buddha. There is also the "enlightened" New Age Jesus who came to raise our consciousness; the blond, blue-eyed Aryan Jesus who stands for white supremacy; the politically correct Jesus, etc. There are so many ideas of Jesus in circulation that it can get awfully confusing to a great many of us.

The doctrine of Christ is a critically important area of study. Often it is a deviation from theological orthodoxy, with some deviations being more subtle than others, of this very doctrine that separates the various cults from the Church. It is essential for us to know what the Bible reveals concerning the One we worship. This alone must be our standard reference work concerning our Lord and our relationship to Him. That relationship will be discussed following a brief summary of the ground covered last month.

Recall, first of all, that the theme of Paul's letter to the believers at Colossae is the complete sufficiency of Jesus in contrast to the insufficiency of human wisdom. There were certain people in Paul's day teaching that Christ was merely a glorified man, an enlightened master of divine wisdom; the bearer of a higher consciousness to which we need attain by means of secret knowledge. The old adage that there is nothing new under the sun particularly is relevant in regard to heresies. The letter to the Colossians is a terrific reminder of this. Indeed, much of the claptrap that passes for religious "insight" today is merely 1900 year old recycled heretical rubbish.

In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul establishes the preeminence of Christ is three areas. First of all, Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God and therefore is sovereign over the creation. Second, since Christ is the creator and architect of the whole universe and in fact sustains it, He is the rightful Lord of the universe. Third, Christ is the head (authority) of the church, having restored harmony between men and God through death on the cross. The restoration of God and mankind is called "reconciliation".

The amazing aspect regarding this accomplished reconciliation is that it is not only accomplished on a vertical plane, between God and men but also possessed a horizontal axis as well, reconciling Jews to Gentiles. This revelation, the fact that through Christ's death both Jews and Gentiles are spiritually equal before God and together form one new body, the church, was good news, it was also quite unexpected (Col. 1:26-27, Eph. 2,3:5). The reason we have this newfound capability to be unified into on new body is because Christ Himself can dwell in believers by His Spirit. Now He is the hope of glory - "Christ in us" (Col. 1:27). This supernatural indwelling provides great and powerful fuel to energize our individual and corporate ministries (1;29).

Paul matter-of-factly presents Christ to his readers as the very essence of Deity in bodily form (2:9). This specifically means that Christ has all the attributes of God. Contrary to what certain Colossian philosophers were teaching (and contrary to the contemporary echo of these ancient teachings today), these attributes are in no sense watered-down, diluted or distilled. Every attribute of deity possessed by Jesus is full- strength. Nor were these full-strength attributes imparted by God to a lesser divine being, who needed an improvement package to be raised up to a higher level of deity. Each and every one of Christ’s divine attributes are His by His very nature and have always belonged to Him. Christ is truly, “the Real Thing!” So, we must accept no substitutes.

In the same way Christ has all the attributes of God, so in Christ all believers have everything that we need, are supposed to have and God intended for us to have (2:10). The same word is used in both 2:9 and 2:10 to describe both Christ's fullness of Deity and our fullness in Christ. Consequently, there is no extra secret knowledge that believers must possess to be saved, no "second blessing" is to be sought for either our salvation, justification or sanctification. "Fullness in Christ" does not mean, as our New Age friends teach, that we are "little gods", minor divine beings awaiting the fulfillment of our potential. While we possess Christ, we do not possess the attributes of deity as does Christ. Therefore, don't prance out on the beach as Shirley MacLaine famously did thirty-five years ago, proclaiming joyfully, "I am God!" This is not only doctrinally incorrect; it is blasphemy. (Not to mention, somewhat embarrassing.)

What is the significance of having the gift of fullness in Christ? It means that we were spiritually circumcised when we were saved by Him. We were given a new nature. We got to cast off the old nature like so much dirty clothing abandoned to the hamper (2:11). No need to take the old nature to the laundry, though – we have a brand new and improved nature with which to be clothed. This occurred through our spiritual baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ, the moment of our union with Him (2:12).

When we were antagonistic to God in our pre-conversion lives; we neither had nor wanted a part of Him. We were like someone who owed a great deal of money, but lacking the ability to repay, assiduously avoided crossing paths with creditors at all costs. We were all defaulters on the loan of our lives, due to the accumulation of sin. In fact, when we were completely dead in our sins, spiritually bankrupt, owing a debt to God we could not possibly repay, Christ removed our debt completely. He wiped it out, marked our liabilities as cancelled. Our debt was crucified alongside Christ when He carried it with Him to the cross (2:13-14).

The first four verses of the third chapter of Colossians have particular bearing to our lives as believers. After establishing some theological basics about Christ in the first half of the letter, Paul proceeds in the remaining half to practical application for his readers. Again, Paul records that we have been identified and entered into union with Christ in His death burial and resurrection. Since that is the case we can concentrate on heavenly things. It is in the heavens, after all, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (3:1-2). We have died to our former selves and to spiritual bankruptcy, so now we must strive to remain "debt-free." We must enjoy in our daily practical experience what Christ has made us in theological experience. From the moment we became believers our lives have been united with Christ's. To be united (hidden) with the Lord of creation and His church is both awesome privilege and responsibility (3:3).

We conclude our study with mention of the promise to which all believers look forward. Paul’s argument continues with the great news that Jesus Christ will be coming back to claim His own. When he returns for those of us with whom He has been united, we will share in His glory (3:4). There is plenty of divine glory to go around, rest assured! We will all have a piece of the action! As we proceed through another year together, let us be assured that the Lord Christ's glorious return is indeed nearer than when we first believed. Are you ready?

Christ in Colossians Part 1

As the director of Sojourner Ministries, I get a host of phone calls and a volume of email each week from people who have questions about the Bible, Jewish customs, theology, prophecy, Israel, etc. In answering these questions I have noticed that an alarmingly high number of people hold to a host of strange beliefs about Christ. Many of these problematic doctrines can be traced back to a misunderstanding or even ignorance of Scriptural teaching concerning the Messiah. As an antidote, I often reference Paul's letter to the Colossians to restore sound doctrine. It is in this brief, yet potent, epistle that Paul presents us with some of the most basic essentials concerning what God wants us to know regarding Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote the letter to the believers at Colossae to refute an alarming heresy which had arisen. This aberrant teaching both deprecated Christ and elevated human philosophy. Therefore, the theme of the letter is the complete sufficiency of Christ in contrast with the emptiness and insufficiency of mere human philosophy. Paul wastes no words as he pointedly levels the weapon of truth at his target.

Beginning in Colossians 1:15-29, Paul provides a veritable treasure trove of doctrinal gems. One truth stressed here is the absolute preeminence of the person of Christ. Jesus is the reflection of God; the absolute representation, image and manifestation of God the Father. In Christ, the invisible God becomes visible (1:15). As deity, Christ is therefore sovereign over all creation.

Paul continues by arguing that Christ is the firstborn over all creation. Being firstborn does not mean that Jesus was the first creature to be created, as some false teachers claimed. Rather, it is critical for readers to understand that Paul’s use of the term, “firstborn,” indicates Christ’s preexistence and unparalleled preeminence over creation. Christ was the creator of all. Therefore, it would be a position of absurdity to hold that He created Himself!

Our Messiah has no peer. That is precisely why He is before all things (1:17). Absolutely everything in the entire universe was created by His design and through His command. As architect and builder of creation, all things came into being by His decision, through his power and for His purpose. Furthermore, He is the sustainer. The bonding strength in which all things hold together is none other than Jesus.

Having established that Christ is Lord over all creation, Paul goes on to relate the Messiah’s supremacy over the Church. He is the supreme, uncontested head of the church. As such, He alone is the authority and guide for His body. He possesses sovereign preeminence by divine right and divine work since He is the firstborn (first fruits) from the dead, never again to die (1:18). The divine fullness indwells Him (1:19), which means that Jesus is in firm possession of the totality of God, including all the powers and attributes of deity. With that power and authority, Christ has reconciled God and the world, or more specifically, reconciled the world to God through the cross. Paul is not declaring here that all people are now saved. What he is teaching is that it is now possible for harmony to be restored between man and his Maker. Messiah’s death has dealt definitively with both sin and guilt. More next time …

Our Cup Runneth Over, Part 2

Having been to Israel many times, I have witnessed with my own eyes the deep, dark valleys of the Judean hills. In these potentially treacherous gullies (called "wadis" in Hebrew), danger may well lurk for unsuspecting sheep.These recessed valleys might well be valleys of "the shadow of death" for sheep or even their shepherds. Today, these valleys continue to provide cover for wild animals to prowl and pounce upon the unsuspecting. It is not "evil", i.e., moral corruptness, that the sheep must fear there but, rather, the danger of what might await in the unknown darkness.

However, we are reassured that the sheep do not traverse this valley alone. God the shepherd protects His sheep by means of the shepherd's two common tools of the trade -- a heavy rod, to beat off attacking animals, and a staff, to keep the sheep in line and on course. Our Lord uses these tools with his "sheep", even today and offers the same protection and guidance with us as He did with David, three thousand years ago.

*You prepare a table before me in my enemies' presence; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows!*(v. 5).

 David sets aside the shepherd/sheep metaphor of verses 1-4 and in the final two verses switches to s metaphor of host and guest.The Lord is viewed as a host who honors David, the guest, with abundant provisions and hospitality. A private table is laid out before David by his host. Anyone who has partaken of Middle Eastern hospitality knows full well the elaborate and abundant meals that are so typical of that tradition! Course after course is laid out; appetizer upon appetizer, entree upon entree, dessert upon dessert. David's language vividly creates a sense of ongoing and bountiful provision. This is not just one trip to the all-you-can-eat buffet but, rather, a lifestyle as this divinely prepared banquet is never-ending.

Furthermore, David reveals that God is providing this elevated level of blessing in full view of David's enemies. This "feast-ival" is happening right in front of hostile faces and leaves no room for doubt as to whose side the Lord is on. The divine host has spared no expense or amenity.

As was customary in Biblical times, the host anointed the head of his honored guest with oil. David's cup cannot contain the blessing the Lord is pouring out. Can you relate? Have you ever felt that way? The holidays are a splendid opportunity to take a moment and meditate on the times you have felt this way in the past year. What is the level of your cup?Have you viewed it as only being half full? Half empty? Or does it overflow?

*Assuredly, goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever*(v. 6).

David, as a member of the covenant people of God, is confident that God's goodness and love will pursue Him the rest of His life.Note the irony here--instead of David's enemies (v. 5) in hot pursuit, instead, David is pursued by God's love!/Hesed/, the Hebrew word translated, "love" means God's loving loyalty to His people, His steadfast love which never ceases (Lam. 3:22).This level of loving commitment is as equally applicable for God's New Covenant people as it was for Israel. We can run but we can't hide from the relentless pursuit of the Lord's goodness and love for us. Sooner or later it will catch up to us and we will be showered with blessing after blessing.

The imagery David utilizes in Psalm 23, although ancient, is timeless. God is portrayed as both provider and protector and as both shepherd and host. The psalm is particularly concerned with the personal aspect of God's protection and provision for the single, individual sheep. This means you! It has been my purpose to provide a fresh and refreshing study of a very familiar psalm, and it is my prayer for all of you that in the coming year God's goodness will catch up with you and overtake you, with the result that you will dwell in His presence all the days of your life, both in this word and the world to come.

Our Cups Runneth Over, Part 1

The holidays art upon us again! Already! Soon, we will have survived the gastronomical extravagances of Thanksgiving and prepare to face the hustle and shopping frenzies of Christmas and the beginning of another(!) new year. As we sprint through the holiday season, with Christmas lists and New Year's resolutions formulating in our minds, let's take a moment to focus on our relationship with the Lord of both the holidays and our lives.

Our Scripture passage this month is Psalm 23.This is perhaps the most "famous" of all the psalms, and I'm certain that most of our readers are quite familiar with its lyrical poetry. I know of no better Biblical passage to provide a much needed refreshing pause during the busy holidays.

When Psalm 23 comes to mind, I immediately think of it being read from the King James Bible in the velvet tones of Alexander Scourby or some other British actor with rich, dulcet tones. In addition, I also think of funerals. I don't believe I've ever attended a funeral or memorial service without hearing this moving passage. The familiarity we all share concerning this psalm is a testimony to its poetic brilliance and spiritual insight. Through its economical six verses this psalm has managed to communicate the cry of the hearts of millions of God's people for three thousand years.

However, this familiarity with the psalm carries with it the danger that we will take its message for granted. It is only natural that through repeated hearings we may cease actually listening to the words. As we go through the psalm, using my own translation of King David's original Hebrew, let us allow David's intimate words to impact us anew.

*The Lord is my shepherd; I never lack anything*(v. 1).

The initial portrait painted by David is that of a shepherd relating to one of His sheep. In this classic metaphor, David himself is the individual sheep and He identifies the Lord as His personal shepherd. Of interest is that David does not write, "God is my shepherd", or, "the Most High is my shepherd; no, David specifically uses the most sacred and holy name for God, YHWH. From ancient times to modern, Israel has cherished this awesome covenant name of God, the name by which he revealed Himself to Moses. To David's original audience, this name symbolized the Lord's protection and provision for His covenant people, Israel.

The portrait of God as a shepherd was one of the most common illustrations of God's relationship to His people in Scripture (2 Sam. 5:2; 7:7; 1 Kings 22:17; Is. 13:14; etc.). Indeed, it was also the role that Jesus described Himself as portraying.Millions of believers through the centuries have known Jesus as, "the Good Shepherd."

Since the Lord is the author's shepherd, he will never lack a single thing. (The more familiar translation, "I shall not want", although certainly reading more poetic in English, does not do justice to the nuance of the original Hebrew.) There will never be a time when this sheep will not have enough to eat or drink, shelter from the elements, time to rest, etc.Whatever his needs are, the Lord, as personal shepherd, will provide for them.

*He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside refreshing waters*(v. 2).

Continuing the sheep/shepherd metaphor, David is contentedly relating that the Lord always arranges a safe haven for him to get some rest. David is dependent upon his protector/provider to direct him to green, lush pasture land and calm waters where he can rest and nourish himself in peace and quiet. The author's experience is one to which many of us can relate: when needing respite from the stress and anxiety of our twenty-first century lives, we can turn to the Lord, our good shepherd, to find the peace that passes understanding.

*He restores my vitality. He guides me in straight paths for His name's sake *(v. 3).

David's poetic imagery is much earthier than the familiar King James version would lead us to believe.Since sheep do not have "souls", what the shepherd restores here is the sheep's vitality. In the same way, neither can a sheep be led on a morally "righteous" path.Although the poetry of "being led down righteous paths" is moving, what David is actually conveying is that the shepherd leads the sheep in the most direct, safest and straightest course possible to get to their destination.

The reason the shepherd directs his sheep in this fashion is that His reputation as shepherd is on the line! What manner of shepherd would willingly expose his sheep to unnecessary danger by meandering off-course and taking needless detours before arriving at their final destination? The Lord, YHWH, has pledged to protect and provide for his people. Scripture is clear that the Lord directs the steps of His people. It is true that we all have a tendency, like sheep, to go astray. Nonetheless when we follow our Good Shepherd, He does not lead us in an aimless course, but rather with divine purpose and meaningful direction. We believers are on the fast track and our God's fidelity to his promises is on public display.

*Even though I walk through deepest, darkest valleys, I won't fear any danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me *(v. 4).

Jeremiah: Weeping for the Disobedient, Part 3

Welcome to the third installment of our study of the dynamic message of the prophet Jeremiah. We have previously established the uniquely autobiographical tone of the book, concerning the one whose name means both "the Lord exalts" and "the Lord throws down". We have confirmed that Lord's message through his prophet in the first six chapters is indeed to "exalt" the righteous and to "throw down" the disobedient. This month we will continue on through the emotional and vivid journey of Jeremiah's message and see the passionate reaction of a spurned God to His people's faithlessness and rejection of His law. Let's proceed on to this month's invigorating portion of the prophetic word, Jeremiah 7-13.

 

The prophet in chapters 7-10, standing in the gate of the great Jerusalem Temple, indicts Judah for backsliding away from the Lord. In front of crowds of priests, merchants and worshipers, Jeremiah addresses the issue of true religion, i.e., religion that is acceptable to God. He demonstrates that salvation does not come through ritual or sacrifice or going through any other pious "motions,” but rather comes from knowing the true God and then acting accordingly.

 

Early in the ministry of Jeremiah, good King Josiah had begun to reform the religious practices of Judah and to restore and purify the worship of God.  He had even initiated a building project to repair the decaying Temple.  Some years later, in the wake of Josiah's religious reformation, the Jewish people were falsely placing their trust in the sacrifice and ritual of the Temple. They believed that although the Lord may have judged the idolatry and rebellion of the northern kingdom of Israel, that there was no way He would allow His holy city of Jerusalem to suffer judgment. Certainly He would not permit the great Sanctuary of Zion to be desecrated. 

 

Jeremiah proclaims that this is futile wishful thinking. The Lord will not spare a people who have brazenly transgressed a full half of the Ten Commandments (7:9). Pronouncing the judgment that Jesus would later echo over six hundred years later, Jeremiah cries that the house of the Lord has become a den of thieves (7:11). The Temple will provide no shelter for those who have profaned its sanctity.

 

Jeremiah knew that elaborate sacrifice and ritual were meaningless unless they were accompanied by individual changes of heart. Knowledge was useless without obedience and Jeremiah evoked the message of his prophetic predecessors in calling for social justice and renewed obedience to the Mosaic Covenant. Jeremiah again promises destruction on Judah if there is no repentance. He contrasts God's infinite wisdom with their foolishness. Unless the people of Judah change their ways their sin would be severely punished. Their claim of “peace, peace” when there was no peace would suck them down in a whirlwind of terror; the terror of destruction, death and exile from their homeland (10:17ff). Disaster cannot be averted. The prophet himself identifies and personifies the hopelessness of the imminent judgment to come. The weeping prophet cries out for "the balm in Gilead;" healing medicine to close the gaping wounds of Judah (8:22-9:1).

 

In chapters 11-13, Jeremiah implores Judah to face the fact that they were grossly violating the Covenant and that dire consequences were about to follow. To say the least, the prophet's message lacked popularity. In fact, he records that there was a plot to muffle his message by assassinating him. Disturbingly, even members of his own family were involved with this heinous scheme (11:18-12:6). However, the Lord revealed the plot and protected his servant and Jeremiah continued to speak the word of the Lord against his people. The message continued to be uncomplicated: those who were obedient were under God's divine protection and those who were disobedient were under His wrath. God and his prophet were both acutely aware that the people would not listen and Jeremiah wept bitterly at the pending disaster for his people.

Jeremiah: Weeping for the Disobedient, Part 2

Welcome to the second installment of our overview of Jeremiah's message. Last month we introduced the prophet himself and the background of his ministry and message. We learned that Jeremiah is one of the most autobiographical books in the entire Bible, and that his name means both "the Lord exalts" and "the Lord throws down". We will see after studying this book that God exalts those who seek Him but does indeed "throw down" entire nations (even Israel) which disobey Him. This series is entitled, "Weeping for the disobedient"; Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet", who agonized over the coming judgment on his people. This month we will examine the first six dynamic chapters of the book bearing Jeremiah's name. Before continuing with this month's lesson, please review Jeremiah 1-6. Buckle your seat belts; the prophecy of Jeremiah is a bumpy road!

The first six chapters of Jeremiah comprise his earliest messages to the people of Judah. The first chapter introduces the Lord's call and commissioning of the prophet. We see that God chose Jeremiah from the womb and called Jeremiah to ministry when he was only a youth. Young Jeremiah, like Moses had centuries earlier, claimed incompetence for prophetic ministry. Jeremiah knew the magnitude of the opposition he would face . God, however, promised to be in relationship with Jeremiah and to give him the words to speak.

Basically, the message God gave Jeremiah was concerned with condemning Judah's sinfulness. God appointed his prophet to "uproot, tear down, destroy and overthrow". Judah had forsaken the Lord and served other gods. Jeremiah's message was specifically designed to bring the people to repentance. The Lord also commissioned Jeremiah "to build and to plant". If the Jewish people could be persuaded to repent of their gross idolatry, then there was a chance that the curses promised for their sinfulness in the Mosaic Covenant could be avoided and God's blessings delivered in their stead.

Judah was given two choices. They could either repent and be saved or they could continue in sin and be severely judged. Their idolatry was an abomination to the Lord. However, they hypocritically and blindly continued to believe that all was right between themselves and God. God called them to circumcise their hearts, to truly return to Him. They were to perform radical heart surgery on themselves and cast away their corruption. these were necessary actions in order to actuate their nation's corporate healing, individual's personal restoration and in order for all nations to be saved. It can not be doubted that there was ample justification for God's judgment. From the greatest of the people to the least of them; priest and prophet, king and peasant alike were all sinful and unrepentant. Jeremiah's heart was tormented as he prophesied God's judgment on the people and the land.

The direction from which the judgment was to come would be from the north. It would come swiftly and as a direct consequence of their sin. There was no ambiguity as to whether this referred to the then most powerful nation on earth, Babylon. Those of you readers who happen to be teachers know the educational value of object lessons in order to communicate a topic. The book Jeremiah is a veritable handbook of educational object lessons. The specific object lesson the Lord would use to teach Judah to obey Him would be exile and captivity in a foreign land. As Judah had served other gods, so they would also serve foreigners.

Even so, note that even through this harsh punishment, the Lord promises that a remnant of the Jewish people would survive to appreciate and learn the Divine lesson. Jeremiah's message hearkens to the future messianic age, when Judah and Israel would be reunited in the land. In that age Jerusalem will be exalted again and all nations would serve God. At that time the symbol of God's presence, the ark of the covenant, would be irrelevant because God Himself would be present in the midst of His people.

After reading through these first six chapters we have seen that the book of Jeremiah is an emotional, vivid journey into the hands of an angry and jealous God. Next month we will see the Lord's condemnation through Jeremiah of the corrupt rituals of the Jerusalem Temple and the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant.