Colossians 1: 19-20
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Jesus makes peace. Jesus sets us free. Jesus is the embodiment of all mystery (power) in human flesh. Jesus is it. There's nothing more and nothing less. To embrace Jesus is to embrace the supremecy of Christ over all the powers. To embrace Jesus is to embrace his ideology and to let His ideology expose the ideologies of the world (that we talked about in the last post). We've got to take everything to Jesus and to His cross. What I mean is that we've got to take a hard look at our lives and see how we've bought into the mysteries (powers) of this world over and above the mystery (power) of Christ. That means there's a lot that needs to change.
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1:28 - "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."
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Paul's entire life (post Damascus Road) was given to the proclamation of the mystery of Christ (2:2). I want to encourage you to see your mission as that of Paul. Paul hears of the potential of this group of Christians being led to something other than Christ, and he pens these words. All around us there is a world that is building itself on that which is unsustainable. Anything not built on Christ is not sustainable. It is time you and I are challenged in the way we think and live and live not as captivated by the powers of this world and begin to proclaim in our ACTIONS and MINDS (the reversal of 1:21) the mystery of Christ. What he writes in 2:2 should be our call. How can you make the following your call and challenge?...
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"My (your) purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by find-sounding arguments."
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How can you and I live this way? What in how you do and think needs to change so this is your purpose as well? How does Christ want to set you free from your dependance on the mysteries of this world and into the freedom of the mystery found in Christ?
