Colossians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:1-2:23.

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

In baptism we are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands. In baptism, the body of the flesh is put off, the old man is crucified. According to Colossians 2:13-14, we are forgiven in baptism and made alive through baptism (not before). When we are baptized the record of debt that stood against us is canceled. Amazing.

Sadly, not many today recognize the very clear teaching of this passage. Why? Because too many people who do recognize it have put their faith in the wrong thing and taught this passage incorrectly. Too many people who recognize the wonderful things that happen in baptism have put their faith in the wrong place. They have put their faith in baptism.

Seeker: “Why are you saved?”

Christian: “Because I got baptized.”

Do you see the problem? When I put my faith in baptism, I’m actually putting my faith in my work. But notice what Paul said. He didn’t say we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of our obedience.” He said we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.” Where is your faith? In your baptism? In your praying? In your experiences? Or in God? When our faith is in the powerful working of God, we’ll get baptized because we know that is when God does His powerful work of circumcising the old body of the flesh, forgiving us, canceling our debt, and making us a live with Christ. We didn’t do that by baptism; God did.

Where is your faith?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Philippians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

This passage just smacked me this morning. Who is Paul convinced will complete this good work in the Philippians? He doesn’t say, “And I am sure of this, that you who began this good work will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” Instead, he is convinced God will do it.

What freedom. What comfort. What joy. What peace. I don’t have to put my confidence in me to complete this good work, which only leads me to despair. I can put my confidence in God to complete it, which leads to peace and hope. That sets me free to quit worrying about where I’ll be at my death or when Christ returns. All I have to focus on today is doing the next right thing. God is working on the outcomes. He will bring this good work in me to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. No need to despair when God is the one who is at work within me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (cf. Philippians 2:13).

Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

PPS. Thanks to all of you for the positive comments you gave me here, on Facebook, via e-mail, and person to person about this blog. That was very encouraging and uplifting.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Revelation 7:1-8:13.

Revelation 7:10 shows a great multitude crying out: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

What a powerful statement. What a directive statement. Think about it. This says salvation does not belong to me. I can’t own salvation in the sense that somehow I get it for myself. Salvation is God’s. Salvation is the Lamb’s. If I want salvation, I have to go to God and the Lamb to get it.

So, what should be my top priority today? Trying to get salvation from me and my effort? Absolutely not. I can’t get it that way. Instead, my top priority should be striving to get close to God and the Lamb. They have salvation. If I am in them, then I’ll have salvation.

***Question: What do you do to get close to God and the Lamb?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Debt. I hate it. Sadly, before learning how bad debt really is, I racked up my fair share of it. Even more sadly, after learning how bad it really was, I had developed habits that have been difficult to overcome. Therefore, I racked up even more of it. Now, slowly but surely, we are working our way out of it.

Worse than that, however, is my debt to God. I have sinned. I have sinned greatly. I owe God my very life. In fact, I owe God more than I can possibly pay. When I have paid it, I will be dead. Not just physically dead, but eternally, spiritually dead. Even worse, I cannot work my way out of this one. I cannot pay a little today and then a little tomorrow, make a sacrifice here and a sacrifice there and then one day be out of debt with God. It just can’t happen. 

What on earth can I do?

Nothing. 

But God has done something.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 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, ESV).

God sent Jesus to live among us and then die among us. He nailed Jesus to the cross and placed my debt there with Him. He canceled my record of debt, writing “PAID IN FULL” with Jesus blood across it. He forgave me of my trespasses and made me alive in Jesus. 

How powerful and amazing is that? 

When I start getting down and discouraged, I just need this reminder now and then. That makes me glad I got to read Colossians 1-2 today.

Keep the faith and keep reading, 

ELC

I always have a little trouble when I get to Ephesians 2:1-3.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience–among whom we all once lied in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (ESV)

It reminds me of the trouble I also have when I get to Romans 3:10-18.

None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.
Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.
The venom of asps is under their lips.
Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes (ESV).

 The problem I have is, I hear these descriptions and think, “I just wasn’t that bad.” I mean, I have done some really bad things. But I am not a bad person. I’m actually a pretty good person over all. I have great intentions. I really do fear the Lord. I don’t want to deceive. I have dallied in the passions of the flesh on occasion, but I don’t think I was really following the prince of the power of the air or was by nature a child of wrath. 

What’s amazing about that is that I have even done some exercises where I have tried to honestly lay out my sins and how far they went and I realize I really have done some really, really bad things. But to say I was like these verses describes always makes me come up short.

Perhaps it is some kind of subconscious trick so I won’t see how much I really need to surrender to God. I don’t know. Anyway, I was reading this passage and it hit me. These passages are not saying I am a sinner because I am this bad. They are saying, I am this bad because I sin. No matter how bad my sins are on some kind of scale; no matter how I compare with other sinners (there will always be someone worse in my book); no matter what I have or haven’t done, this is how I look to God when I commit any sin. This is why I need a Savior. Even when I have committed what seems to be the most harmless of minor infractions, I have turned from God to submit to Satan and followed the course of my flesh just like everybody else has done. In that moment, I have not just become a person who made a social faux pas, I have become a rebel. 

What amazes me even more are the verses that follow in Ephesians 2:4-7:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (ESV).

Despite how I looked to God because of my sin, He still sent Jesus to die for me so my sin could be removed and I could look holy, spotless, blameless and clean to God.

Thank you, God, for your love and mercy.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC