Hello, folks. Just playing catch-up after celebrating my birthday last weekend. As you’ll eventually read, I already had this prepared last week, but I promise you (and myself) that I will have fresh stuff out again soon.
Just a reminder, if you don’t have time, I’ve kind of summarized what I wanted to share in these first few paragraphs, just in case you don’t have time to read me going deep. Thank you! -JB
We are one with Christ, who is the Author of our Faith, the Hope of glory, and the pinnacle of God’s everlasting Love. We do not merely possess these virtues as things, but Christ Himself is our living Faith, our living Hope, and Love that is alive in us.
This is a Truth that is for us as individuals, but as we can see, it is a Truth for the entire body of Christ! We certainly see Christ’s Life, Love, and Light working in us by seeing it working in and through others. Paul expresses how he saw it in the body of Christ in Colosse.
Seeing faith, hope, and love, he rejoiced, prayed, and gave thanks.
“Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse; Grace to you & peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of truth of the Gospel,which has come to you, as it has also in all the world,and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who has also declared to us yourlove in the Spirit.”– Colossians 1:1-8
That old song goes, “I can see in you the glory of our King; Yes, I love you with the love of the Lord.”
First off, loving anyone ONLY comes from the love of the Lord which constantly flows through us, if not upon us, as massive waves over the stony cliffs, day after day. The love of the Lord is the only love to be had.
This entails, and also comes from seeing “the glory of (the) King” in others. In much elaboration, Paul gives thanks to God, for what was observed of the saints and the faithful brethren in Colosse:
- Their faith in Christ Jesus,
- The hope with is laid up for them in heaven, which has come to them and is bearing fruit, and
- Their love in the Spirit, their love for all the saints.
Faith, hope, and love. Sound familiar? These three abide, but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). I believe Christ’s resurrection, Christ’s finished work guarantees the manifestation of these gifts in us; though not necessarily how we would expect them to manifest, they are present.
Faith, authored and eventually to be finished by Christ. Hope, an anchor for our soul. Established, maintained, and taken to exponential levels by perfect Love that casts out all fear, endless and everlasting.
Paul saw and heard the glory of our King in the body of Christ is Colosse. For this, he gave thanks.
Consequently, so should we.
“For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” – Colossians 1:9-12
In thanks and praise, Paul continues to pray for the church in Colosse; That as faith, hope and love abound in them, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, “in wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
Paul prays as he prayed for the church in Rome, that they would be transformed by the renewing of their mind; This renewal, I believe, ushered in by our spiritual understanding of the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom.
To elaborate, as we have believed and received – as we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, faith is established, hope secures us, and love overflows. Furthermore, in this we see God’s will for us and for all, and the knowledge of His will would just continue to integrate and infuse with all of our beings, including the aspect of our minds.
And we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, in that we “walk worthy of the Lord”, “being fruitful (our entire being, fruitful) in every good work”, “increasing in the knowledge of God”, “strengthened with all might… for all patience and longsuffering with joy”, “giving thanks to the Father.”
Have you noticed something? Paul rejoices in the faithfulness of the saints. He prayed for them, and in his prayer he prays for them to join him in giving thanks to God, “who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
He rejoices, prays, and give thanks – As he told the Thessalonians, this is God’s will for us in Christ!
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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