Perspectives

Colossians 2:6-10… 6) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7) rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ. 9) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10) and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (NIV)

Would it be fair to say that we must act out what we believe? If we go back to the day, we accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have no problem remembering how on fire we were for the gospel. We started our walk with Christ well grounded and settled in Him; we were spiritually healthy and enjoyed our daily communion with our Saviour. However, I have become aware, in my own life; my walk and my life do not always communicate or correspond with my faith. It saddens my own heart when it grieves the Holy Spirit to remind me that indeed it is dishonourable when I state publicly my faith in Christ, but function as though motivated by my own mischievous or playful spirit.

There is, at that moment the danger there are those who will not accept my confession of faith in Christ as being sincere. If I have received Christ, then I should walk as He would have me walk. If I have been rooted in His Word, then I need to grow up according to what His word teaches. All these are outward expressions or evidence of a heart transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit. Walking with Christ expresses this new life. Growing up, in the Spirit, show signs of inner power. Building up my faith in Christ will reveal that there is progress in my new character… That is what the apostle Paul was teaching the Colossians and us today.

When we trust Christ to save us from our sins, we can also trust Him for each day’s problems as well. However, it is especially important that we have a close, living relationship with Him. In that close relationship, we are also able to draw nourishment from Him so that we can become strong and spirited in the truth. In other words, our lives should overflow with the joy of the Lord which produces a thankful spirit within us.

The apostle Paul also reminds us that we should not let others spoil our faith and joy in Christ with their philosophies or ways of thinking. The other day I was discussing Scriptural issues with a man who was trying to persuade me not to believe everything that I read in the Bible as being accurate. It was my privilege to remind him that his answers are based on human thoughts and ideas, not on what Christ was teaching in the Bible. Because in Christ we have everything, in Christ we have God in a human body; He is the highest ruler over every other power, a power that will enable us to resist seductive teaching. Our faith is strong enough to withstand those who come to us with enticing words or ideas, because we have such a grip of the truth, not motivated by seductive arguments. Not moved by anyone who would have us believe that we must follow a whole lot of manufactured rules to get to heaven. Do not let anyone declare you lost if you refuse to worship something other than the risen Christ. It is true that people have a very witty imagination not linked to Christ.

I do believe we have to believe truths about Christ. We all agree that we must receive Christ if we are to have eternal life. There is no doubt, in our minds, that we cannot earn eternal life, neither can we buy it… it is a gift from God. Remember we are rooted in Christ; therefore, we draw our spiritual food from Him. He is our foundation, we started with Christ, and we continue to grow in Christ. We are dependent on Him for our steadfastness in our walk with Him. He gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ in us. That assurance of salvation comes from none other than, God Himself… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done…

Would you pray this prayer with me… “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart, I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen