Prayer is a dialogue NOT a monolgue. God commands and encourages us to come and converse with Him without ceasing and that is the force behind Paul’s last words to the believers in Colossea.
Paul had just told them to allow Christ to dwell with understanding in their hearts and live out what they know of Him in their homes and at work. But ALL of this was impossible to accomplish in a way which is pleasing to God, if it is done FOR God rather than with and by Him.
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To the Colossian believers Paul describes what it looks like when a person has truly died with Christ.
After this, he goes on to describe the same regarding those who have truly risen with Him!
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The recurring theme of Paul’s letter to the Colossian believers was to stay centered on Jesus.
Our lives are hidden with Christ in the Father. This implies a need to seek Him, discover Him in growing and intimate ways.
The overall picture is very much like a young boy who imitates his father who he looks up to. He admires him and wants nothing more than to be just like him. He pays attention to what he does, where he goes, what he likes, what he wears and becomes SO influenced by him, that he begins to acclimate to his ways. This is not just by means of forced imitation, but through loving admiration – his find himself influenced by his father to the point that he is becoming like him without any real effort at all.
THAT is the gospel!
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Series: In Pursuit of Relational Knowledge
It is easy to loose sight of WHO has come to make His home within us. He is preparing us as an eternal home for the Father, which requires an ongoing work of santification.
To fascilitate this, we need a deep, sincere and ongoing awareness His inner presence.
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Series: In Pursuit of Relational Knowledge
Paul addresses the topic of Christian immaturity with the Corinthian believers.
He expresses the need for Christian maturity because our child-like actions are building ungodly structures upon the foundation of Jesus Christ which will be judged at the Judgment seat of Christ.
It is better to enter into the tough discussions with God now, than to have to face our unfaithfulness and lack of deep devotion on that day.
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