Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #4 Speaking the truth

 

Chapter 4 – Speaking the truth

We have seen that the central exhortation of this Epistle is, as expressed in the words of Paul’s prayer
for the believers:

« that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of they mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ » (Col 1:2).

Being united together in a « full assurance of understanding », true brethren in Christ experience a joyous fellowship which greatly surpasses any friendship the world can offer. For the unity of the believers ought to mirror in measure, that perfect unity subsisting between the Father and Son. Thus the lord prayed:

« keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are … neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us … and the glory which thou hast given me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one » (Joh 17:11,21,22).

Being risen with Christ in the baptismal waters of a typical grave (Col 3:1), this is a powerful influence which irresistibly draws brethren together, irrespective of their personal differences. By contrast to the morass of humanity who seek only their own, whose only desire is to satisfy the grovelling instincts of the flesh, Christ’s brethren have no regard for the temporal advantages of this life. Rather, being One with him, and in him, they seek to set their affections

« on things above, not on things on the earth », (Col 3:2),

for ‘above’ is where their Master is, and is therefore where their hope of life is hid (3:3). They are elements of a New Creation (cp 2 Cor 5:17), formed in the image and likeness of their maker (Col 3:10) – the constituent parts of a « new man » (Col 3:10), formed by the living influence of the Word upon the tables of their heart. And as a new man – complete in Christ, having no need of further addition by way of the traditions of men and the Judaising influence of those who would have them believe in « another gospel » – they stand whole, with mutual regard one for the other,

« forbearing one another, and forgiving one another » (Col 3:13),

even as Christ forgave them.

 

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Preceding

1. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #1 Separation from the world
2. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #2 Completeness of the united Body of Christ
3. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #3 Living the Truth
4. Participants bonded together into one body
5. Oneness with Christ is like glue that ought to hold us together
6. Baptised believers left in the world to use
7. Jesus high priestly prayer for unity

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Additional reading

1. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
2. Looking at what the Gospel of Thomas Teaches
3. The night before Jesus his execution
4. The Hater of Jesus and Jesus’ followers having become a speaker for him
5. Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter
6. A fact of History or just a fancy Story
7. Be Honest
8. Unity
9. Commitment to Christian unity
10. Being one in Jesus, Jesus in us and God in Jesus
11. Blindness in the Christian world
12. Not making a runner
13. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
14. Today’s Thought: “Your life is hidden” (May 16)
15. Today’s Thought (August 10): Upon this I awaked
16. Today’s thought “Putting on the robe of compassion, kindness, humility and meekness” (November 15)
17. Taught by God to love one another
18. The Greatest of These is Love
19. Matthew 18:21-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Forgive 77 Times!
20. Forgiveness always possible
21. He who knows himself, is kind to others
22. Forgiveness
23. Tunnel under resentment
24. Today’s thought “Forgive … from your heart” (January 16)
25. Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news
26. The Ecclesia

Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #3 Living the Truth

 

Chapter 3 – Living the Truth

Colossians chapter 3 begins by describing the aspirations and affections of the disciple of Christ:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth …” (Col. 3:1-2).

The principle is amply demonstrated in the words of the Proverb:

“the way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath” (Prov. 15:24).

Interestingly, the same point is made to Israel concerning their lack of obedience to Jehovah’s ways:

“… for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9).

This passage from Isaiah is often misapplied to show that God’s ways are different from “our” ways.
However, the context is to do with faithless Israel (see verse 7), not those who are sanctified with the blood of the Lamb. For us, as disciples of Christ, we ought to know better than Israel of old. For them, the ways of the Almighty were so high above their frame of thought that they could not perceive the message of the prophets. But we, however, recognising that Jehovah is High and Mighty, and His Ways high above the natural man, ought to

“seek those things which are above” –

that is, to make God’s ways our ways. To try to conform to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), who was

“the express image of his [i.e. God’s] person” (Heb. 1:3).

Rather than to manifest the grovelling spirit of the natural man which, as that of the beasts of the field declines to earthly things, the spirit of the renewed man « goeth upward » (Eccl 3:21), focalising upon the place of favour and blessing – the Father’s right hand, where our lord is positioned. And in this, we have the example of our lord before us, who always kept the things pertaining to his Father’s Kingdom and Righteousness to the forefront of his mind, always seeking the will of his Father dwelling in the Heaven above:

« I have set Jehovah always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved … My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore » (Ps 16:8-11).

In these words, the Spirit of Christ speaks prophetically of the meditations of our lord Jesus, faced with the agony of Crucifixion. Elsewhere it is testified that he,

« for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God » (Heb 12:2).

And this Psalm enlightens us as to what that « joy » was which was set before the Lord.

« I have set Jehovah always before me »,

and positioned at His Right Hand, the future seat of power upon which he would set, the Lord saw joy and pleasures:

« in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore ».

So it was, that by continual meditation and reflection upon such a joyous vision of Glory – even his Father’s Glory, our lord was strengthened to overcome, enduring the shame of crucifixion that he might ultimately obtain that place of joy himself.
And even so it is with us. For the death of Christ was not the death of one individual – but that of all who are aligned with it in Baptism:

« if one died for all, then were all dead » (2Cor 5:14).

In our baptisms, we died with Christ. And for us, as with our lord, crucifying the flesh is not a single event
at the time of our immersion; but a daily struggle as we seek to « die daily » (1Cor 15:31). So the exhortation was given to the Colossians, that in seeking heavenly things – the « pleasures » at the Father’s right hand – they must crucify earthly things:

« mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry » (Col 3:5).

As we died in Christ therefore, we must put to death earthly things, and do as he did, focus instead on the Joyous Vision of the Divine Presence, and all that it speaks of. For if we are dead with him, then are we also risen with him (Rom 6:5), and our life is bound up in him:

« for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God ».

There is no earthly thing which appears in the presence of the Father – only things of the Spirit. And as our lives are

« with Christ in God »,

who is the fountain-head of all life, then we ought to have no earthly thing dwelling in us. Only things of the Spirit. How hard that is to maintain, but how necessary to try!

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Preceding

1. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #1 Separation from the world
2. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #2 Completeness of the united Body of Christ

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Additional reading

1. a City full of the Pride of life
2. Sharing the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge
3. Those who fear him
4. Favorably heard for his godly fear
5. Death and Resurrection of Christ
6. Son of God and King of kings
7. Memorizing wonderfully 72: Colossians 3:1: Christ seated on the right hand of God
8. Wanting to live in Christ’s city
9. To follow Christ
10. Deuteronomy for the twenty-first century: Choose life!
11. Obeying God rather than man
12. Today’s thought “outstretched arm of Jehovah” (February 01)
13. Today’s thought “Clothing yourselves with the right attitude” (May 16)
14. Today’s thought “Covetousness, which is idolatry” (May 16)
15. Today’s Thought: “Your life is hidden” (May 16)
16. Todays tought (June 2) Repenting whilst eagerly waiting for Christ’s return
17. Today’s Thought “To endure our trials and straighten up” (June 05)
18. Today’s thought “Whoever does the will of God, he (or she) is …” (August 08)
19. Today’s thought “Struggling on your behalf in his prayers” (November 15)
20. Today’s thought “Putting on the robe of compassion, kindness, humility and meekness” (November 15)
21. Today’s thought “He who was also subject to human weakness” (November 30)
22. Today’s thought “I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (December 8)
23. Today’s thought “He knows the way that I take” (December 19)
24. Extra memorizing verses John 5:24 He who believes Him who sent Jesus
25. Extra verses to memorize John 15:5-6 Abiding in the vine Jesus
26. Memorizing wonderfully 52 Acts 7:56: the Son of man standing on the right hand of God
27. Memorizing wonderfully 72: Colossians 3:1: Christ seated on the right hand of God
28. Memorizing wonderfully 73: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Sleepers with hope
29. A way to prepare for the Kingdom