Sharing Life and Christ

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28 Paul transitions from his description of Jesus Christ into an overview of his ministry (1:24-2:5). He is quick to point out that his ministry is a God-given stewardship with specific instructions. He is to make the Word of God fully known and strive to present everyone mature in Christ. His entire focus is to make much of Christ no matter the cost to his own personal wellbeing. Even in discussing his own ministry, Paul showcases Christ. He calls Jesus the hope of glory (v. 27). He explains how Christ was afflicted for His elect Church (v. 24). Paul also boasts that in Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (2:3). For someone talking about his calling, Paul sure mentions Jesus a lot! My guess is that Paul’s thoughts and life were so consumed with knowing Christ that talking about Jesus in relation to everythin...

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His Cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which...

I have been refreshed time and time again recently by the short, four-chapter letter of Paul to the Colossians. I’m pretty sure the thing I like most about this letter is that Paul talks a lot about Jesus Christ and how great He is. Paul’s words help me refocus when I am beginning to turn my gaze away from Christ and onto myself. With that being said, I guess you could call this writing the first installment of my attempt to share some soul-enriching truth from the pages of the Letter of Paul to the Colossians. I will try to avoid biting off too much text in one sitting, but I make no promises because I am eager to put some thoughts down on “paper.” Chapter 1:3-14 Paul starts off by saying, “we always thank God for you when we pray for you.” Right away I am convicted that I don’t spend nearly enough time thanking God for the salvation of my friends and family who I pray for! And I certainly don’t tell my fellow Christians how thankful I am to God for their salvation...

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:3 In his book, The Cross Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney writes, “Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the Gospel ought to be.” In The Discipline of Grace , Jerry Bridges writes, “The Gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history.” To put the words of the Apostle Paul and these two modern saints into other words…if I could only possess knowledge of one thing, I would choose to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Through the Gospel, we know God. Apart from the Gospel, we do not know God. And it is because of the central Figure of the Gospel that any of this is possible. CrossWay Community Church uses five words of 1 Corinthians 15:3 as the essent...