Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—April 2023

East Tallassee Church of Christ

April 27, Colossians 1

God’s plan centers in and consists of Christ. He is not a way, but the way. He’s not part of it; he is it. In Colossians, Paul presents Jesus Christ as God, the creator and sustainer of all that is. He has the preeminence in everything. The fullness of God is in him. People alienated by sin can be reconciled and find peace with God only through Christ.

Christ is the only hope of a fallen world. No message is clearer in Scripture. The apostles told Jews that their hope and confidence could not be in their law keeping or being Abraham’s descendants. Their only hope was in Christ. Gentiles who did not know the true God were told that Christ was God and the way to God.

That message bore fruit wherever it was preached and believed. Sins were forgiven and sinners were reconciled in Christ. Jews and Gentiles were delivered from darkness and transferred into the kingdom of Christ. Redeemed and forgiven, they became heirs of God’s promises and members of Christ’s body.

The fruit showed up in the lives of the people who came to Christ. Evil deeds were replaced with good works. Hostility was transformed into holiness. They endured adversity with joy. They were stable in their faith and steadfast in their hope. They were energized by power from Christ himself.

What are the implications for us? First, there is no good news or hope apart from Christ. Was Paul narrow and intolerant for insisting that Jesus is the only way to God? That is the essence of the gospel. The point of the cross is that there was no other way for

sinners to be reconciled except through the sacrifice of Jesus. We should be kind and considerate toward everyone, but we can’t compromise the core of the gospel. It’s inclusive in the sense that all are invited to come to God through Christ. It’s exclusive in that there is no other way to come.

Also, we’re not redeemed to continue in our sinful ways. Our conduct should reflect the change in our standing with God. The redeemed are supposed to live holy, blameless lives. It is a process of growth. Let’s be patient with one another, but never use the concept of growing in Christ as an excuse to persist in sin.

All the good we do and progress we make is by his power at work in our lives. The same grace that redeems us enables us to serve the Lord and live in a way that pleases him. Paul’s prayer wasn’t just that they would do the right things, but that they would be strengthened with God’s power to do them. He knew his own hard work was accomplished by Christ’s energy within him.

At every step of the process, it’s about Christ. All the glory belongs to him. God designed it that way to put our hope on a solid foundation and keep us from deadly pride.

From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament, Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.