Sunday, December 6, 2020
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Praying For Fellow Believers (Colossians 1:9)
Colossians 1:9
The Bible exhorts us in many passages to pray without ceasing
as believers. Even in this letter, the Apostle Paul urges the saints at Colossae
to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving
(4:2). And with this exhortation, comes a number of incentives and motivations—including
being told to do so with confidence, the assurance of being heard and answered,
finding grace and mercy in time of need etc. However, prayer still remains as
one of the greatest struggles for most Christians. And if this is true, then praying
for other believers is even a greater struggle. Yet for the Apostle Paul, this was
his priority—whether in prison or in the mission field. In this verse, he will
teach us on how frequently we ought to pray for fellow believers and what to
pray for even if we don’t know them personally.
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled
with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” (ESV). Observe two
lessons from this prayer: -
1)
The PERSISTENCE of the Prayer.
Although the Apostle had probably never personally met some
or many of the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ at Colossae (as
suggested by 2:1), he assures them that, “we have not ceased to pray for
you.” The NIV translators render it as “we have not stopped
praying for you.” In other words, he is telling them that together with
his companions like Timothy and others (see 1:1 and 4:7ff), they have devoted
themselves to persistently interceding on their behalf. As Carson explains, “this
does not mean that Paul's praying was an incessant mystical experience, or that
his claim is a rather exaggerated and extravagant use of language. Rather, however
much Paul maintained a spirit of prayer as he pursued his normal rounds of activities,
he maintained set times for prayer (as Rom. 1:9-10 suggests).”[1]
With such an assurance, we are able to appreciate that the Apostle was a man of
prayer. He constantly prayed for these Gentile believers, including the ones he
had never met (see also Romans 1:9-10 & 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3). Such an incessant
or persistent prayer is a prayer made in and out of season—in difficult times
and better times; in chains or in freedom. Further, in order to appreciate the
persistence of this prayer, we need to ask ourselves an important question: for
how long has the Apostle and his companions been praying for these brothers and
sisters? To which he responds, “from the day we heard.” That is,
from the day we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you
have for all the saints (see verse 4). It is such a great privilege and
encouragement to know that a dear brother, sister, family or church has been
praying for you for so long. It is needless to say that many times believers
experience the rising and falling tides of the Christian walk. The many challenges
facing a believer take him or her through a rollercoaster sort of experience in
his walk with the Lord. There is not a believer I know of who has never plodded
down the paths of discouragement in life, and there is not a believer I know of
who has never heavily relied on the prayers of other saints.
Practically speaking, why should we pray persistently
for other believers?
Persistently praying for other believers is a practical way
of expressing our love for them. It is a demonstration that fellow believers
are always in your thoughts; that we are concerned about their welfare—both spiritually
and physically. It is a remedy for self-centredness. It helps us to die to self
and live for Christ—loving Him and His people. We are generally disposed towards
asking God for things that only meet our own needs and those of our families and
local churches.
2)
The PETITION of the Prayer.
Having seen how frequently the Apostle prays for this
congregation, we now turn to what exactly he is praying for. He writes, “asking
that you may be filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will.” It is
important to note that the Apostle isn’t simply praying that they may know God’s
will. He is actually praying that they may be filled with it. These
are two different things. You may know God’s will but lack the power to
accomplish it. But to be filled with the knowledge means to be granted the
power to do it. Therefore, the Apostle is asking for better and higher things
on behalf of the Colossians. The language of being “filled with”
occurs in many places including Ephesians 5:18 where being filled with the Spirit
is contrasted to being drunk with wine. It is a language of being under the “control
or influence” of something. Thus, to be “filled
with the knowledge of God’s will” can be rendered to mean to be absolutely
and completely dominated and controlled by God’s will. It means to be totally under
the influence of God’s will. The result is that your actions, attitudes, and
affections are in harmony with God’s will. This is what the Apostle and his
companions persistently intercede for on behalf of the saints at Colossae from
the time of their conversion. It is the same prayer, the Apostle writes, that Epaphras
has been struggling to present before God on behalf of these saints (4:12). That
this filling is sufficient is expressed by the phrase “in all
spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The Apostle prays that these
saints may not lack better and higher experiences from God. The word spiritual
emphasises the fact that the Holy Spirit is the source of the wisdom and
understanding being interceded for as opposed to human and earthly wisdom. In this
case, the NIV rendering is more helpful when it says, “all the wisdom and
understanding that the Spirit gives.” (see also Ephesians 1:15-17 & Isaiah
11:2).
Practically speaking, why the wisdom &
understanding from the Spirit and not from men?
n
The Apostle contends that human wisdom, as practical
as it may appear, has no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh (2:20-23).
We don’t deal with sin by submitting to regulations such as, “do not handle, do
not taste, do not touch” but by submitting to the leading of the Spirit—being under
the influence and control of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16). Sin is not a
physical problem that can be dealt with using physical means. It is a spiritual
problem that must be dealt with spiritually. The wisdom believers require in dealing
with the sinful nature comes from the Spirit.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Walking In A Manner Worthy Of The Lord (Colossians 1:10)
Colossians 1:10
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to
him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God;” (ESV).
Paul’s prayer for the saints and faithful brothers and sisters
in Christ at Colossae is that their knowledge of God’s will may have a Christ-centred
impact on their conduct (v. 9). He is praying that the Holy Spirit may grant
them all wisdom and understanding to enable them live a life whose goal is to
fully please the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, simply put, a life lived in
all spiritual wisdom and understanding is a Christ-centred life. In this verse,
there are two questions we ought to grapple with as we seek to draw lessons for
our spiritual encouragement: -
1)
What is the MEANING of walking in a
manner worthy of the Lord?
Similar expressions occur in passages like Ephesians 4:1, 1
Thessalonians 2:12, and Philippians 1:27. The key phrase in this verse is “worthy
of the Lord” since it encapsulates the goal of being filled with the knowledge
of God’s will. The word “worthy” is the Greek word axios,
which is the root word for a weighing balance. A weighing scale/balance is
used to match the value of two items on either side of the pivot. In a similar
manner, the word “worthy” can be rendered to mean assigning a matching/corresponding/equal
value or worth. Therefore, when John the Baptist says concerning Christ Jesus that,
“he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie”,
he is saying in other terms that “I am not Jesus’ match” (John 1:27). In
Romans 16:1-2, the Apostle Paul commends Phoebe to the saints in Rome, urging
them to “welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints.”
The Apostle is in other terms urging them to welcome her in the Lord in a manner
befitting or commensurate with her status amongst them as a saint. The emphasis
in all these occurrences of the word is the “correspondence.” Therefore,
with the same import, we can say that “walking in a manner worthy of the
Lord” means living a life that faithfully corresponds with or reflects
or mirrors the true value, worth, honour and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in
both His Person and Work. It is a life that faithfully reflects the sufficiency
& supremacy of Christ Jesus in your life. It is a life that reflects the
efficacy of His work of atonement in your life. It is a life that reflects the
pre-eminence and prevenience of Christ in all things. It is a life whose motto
is: “Christ is all and in all.” Such a life, the Apostle prays,
can only be demonstrated by the help of the Spirit who grants the saints all wisdom
and understanding (v. 9). Such a life is necessary since our conduct
both among the unbelievers and within the believing community is a reflection
of or witness to what we believe about Christ Jesus, who
He is to us, and what He has accomplished in us and for us. We are the mirror
of Christ in a sinful and unbelieving world. We are the mirror of Christ at
home, work, and in the church. We therefore, have a solemn duty reflect
Christ faithfully. We have a duty not to distort,
or dim, or blur the glory of the Person and Work of Christ in the world by the
way we conduct ourselves but to unleash its full glare among all people. That such
as life fully pleases him emphasises the fact that the Lord Jesus
is both the focus and motivation of the Christian life. It is a life that
redirects and deflects the glory to whom glory and honour and worth is due—the Lord
Jesus Christ.
2)
What are the practical MARKS that
you are walking in a manner worthy of the Lord?
a.
Bearing fruit in every good
work.
In verse 6, the Apostle acknowledges that the gospel that
came to Colossae through Epaphras’ ministry is already bearing fruit and
increasing among the Colossian saints. And one of the marks of this fruit is love
in the Spirit for all the saints (vv. 4,8). So, Paul is now praying for
increased productivity of the gospel among these saints on a wider scale. That is,
“in every good work”—both spiritual and material. In other
passages like Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:14, the Apostle draws the connection
between salvation and good works. His emphasis is that the effect
of the gospel in one’s life is practical Christian living. He contends in Ephesians
2:8-10 that we are saved, not as a result of our own works, but by God’s grace
through faith in Christ Jesus, and that this isn’t our own doing but rather, it
is the gift of God so that no one may boast. But then he goes on in verse 10 to
draw the connection between this “by grace alone” salvation and “good works” when
he says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. A similar
connection is seen in Titus 2:11-14 when Paul says in verse 14 that “Christ
gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself
a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” The
point being made in these passages is that we are saved to walk in a specific path
carved out beforehand for us by God—a path leading to glory. What is entailed
in walking in this path is doing good works that God has prepared for us beforehand
to accomplish. When this happens, the Lord Christ Jesus who saved us is fully
pleased. The Apostle renders the phrase “bearing fruit” in continuous
tense to emphasise that we are to produce the fruit of the gospel throughout—in
and out of the season. This differentiates us from the natural trees like
mangoes and oranges that are seasonal in bearing fruit. The Lord Himself says
the same thing about the need to bear fruit in John 15:1-8. At least three things
are emphasised in this discourse (1) Increased productivity necessitates
pruning (v. 2); (2) Fruitfulness necessitates remaining/abiding
in Christ (vv. 4-6); and (3) Fruitfulness glorifies God the
Father who is the vinedresser/gardener (v. 8). We ought to remember that fruit-bearing to
which we are called is a direct result of being filled with the knowledge of
God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9). The Colossian saints
are already manifesting the fruit that binds everything together in perfect
harmony—love for all the saints. The Apostle is now praying for them to manifest
the fruit in all its facets (see Galatians 5:22-23). One of the most fascinating
things about the fruit of the Spirit is their interdependence. For instance, patience
isn’t devoid of love and love isn’t devoid of kindness etc. The Apostle teaches
us to understand that we please the Lord when we are fruitful and
not when we are spiritually barren.
b.
Increasing in the
knowledge of God.
Another mark of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord is
growing in the knowledge of God. The phrase “increasing in”
implies that there is some knowledge of God that the Colossians already have
that led to their salvation, having been taught by Epaphras (v. 7). Our salvation
marks the beginning of a life-long journey of discipleship that never leads to
graduation. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, who was entrusted with great mysteries
of Christ (see for example Ephesians 3:1-6), says elsewhere that he wants to “know
him [Christ Jesus] and the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). He doesn’t want
to graduate from God’s school of theology although he is a graduate of the
infamous Gamalelian seminary. It is this very continuous growth in learning
that the Apostle Peter calls his readers' attention to when he tells them to “grow in
the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).
The phrase “knowledge of God” lays emphasis on the course outline
of the study—God. It is this very understanding that shaped the minds of the
drafters of the Historic Confessions of Faith like the Westminster Confession
and the 1689 Baptist Confession when writing the early chapters of these documents.
They all begin with God and His Word at the prologue of these documents. They knew
exactly from where to begin—theology. The rest of the chapters explicate the application
of theology in all realms of life. All other doctrines—the doctrine of man,
salvation, creation, etc., all make sense only when we truly know who God is. For
instance, it is until the prophet Isaiah beholds the ineffable holiness of God
that he understands who he is, relative to God—a sinner whose sins must be atoned
for (Isaiah 6:1-7). This means that you should seek to attend a church where the
knowledge of God is the focus of preaching and teaching; a church where men’s and
women’s fellowships and small study groups are imbued with the knowledge of God;
a church where children are nurtured in the knowledge God; a church where
singing is God-centred. Motivational speaking on the other hand, works well in the
setup of “Summits” such as the one that was held by T.D. Jakes in Kenya last
year, 2019 where you were to part with KES 75,000 to attend. A church is a community
of believers seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand
of God; a community of saints who daily set their minds on things that are
above, not on things that are on earth (Col. 3:1-4). It also means that both at
an individual and family level, you should aim at growing in the knowledge of God
above everything else. Growth in the knowledge of God is organic rather than
static. It is like a freshwater lake with both inlets and outlets. The inlets
bring in wanted knowledge while the outlets remove the unwanted knowledge. We grow
in the knowledge of God both by learning and unlearning. This growth is both
quantitative and qualitative. It is a growth in both depth and breadth. For example,
at conversion, we learn the simple truth that we are saved because of the love
of God (John 3:16). But as we grow in our knowledge of God, we begin to comprehend
that this love also entails fatherly discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11). In this case,
the depth of our knowledge of God’s love has increased. At the same time, we
broaden our knowledge of God by studying His other attributes such as His
holiness. All these require diligence in appropriating the means of grace such
as God’s word and at the same time experiencing God’s power in our lives daily
as we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God. Job, towards the end of the Book, exclaims,
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you”
(Job 42:5). This is the cry of someone whose knowledge of God’s sovereignty has tremendously grown—both in terms of what He knows about God and what he has experienced about God in his own personal life.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Remember Jesus Christ!
Remember Jesus Christ!
Believers around the world are in different situations right
now. Some are being persecuted because of their faith in Christ Jesus. In
Nigeria for example, we have heard of those who have been killed because of their
faith in Christ Jesus[1].
The situation is not any different in the Middle East and China[2].
Many believers around the globe are experiencing trials and sufferings of
various kinds and in varying degrees. Many Kenyans have in the recent past made
several trips overseas to seek treatment for cancer. There is so much distress
and desperation both locally and globally now since most countries are
currently battling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 virus is undoubtedly
deadly, dreadful, disastrous, and devastating. Its effects in the world today
are far reaching. In Kenya for example, the situation is getting tougher as
more cases are daily being reported. Schools have been closed, those culpable
of misdemeanor are no longer being taken to prison, a number of urban churches have
taken their services online in adherence to the government and WHO guidelines, there
are cases where landlords are reported to have evicted some of their tenants on
grounds of defaulting on rent, families have literally been seen scrambling for
food and other items at the shopping malls, borders have been closed, no
passenger flight is operating, a number of businesses have been closed, just to
mention a few. So, what hope do you have as a believer and what should you do
in the midst of all these? My encouragement to you is simple: “Remember
Jesus Christ!” Rivet your gaze upon Him. These are the very words of Paul
to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the
dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel…”[3]
Paul, the dying man, has known what it means to endure suffering (vv. 9-10)
and is calling upon Timothy not to shrink back either (v. 3; cf. 1:8). His exhortation
in this passage is to remember who Jesus Christ is—the glorified and so highly
exalted Lord. Two things stand out from this passage as we remember Jesus
Christ; (1) He is risen from the dead, and (2) He is the offspring of David.
Let’s consider them, one at a time.
1. Remember the RISEN Jesus Christ.
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…as preached
in my gospel…?” Observe two profound truths in this exhortation.
a.
That Jesus Christ is risen from the dead
implies that He died but is now alive.
The fact of Christ’s death is implied in the phrase “risen
from the dead.” For it is needless to say that to rise from the dead means
you must have died in the first place. However, Paul’s focus is not on Christ’s
death but on His resurrection. We know from several passages that his gospel message
was not restricted to the resurrection of Jesus Christ alone. On the contrary it
was deeply rooted in the message of the cross. He preached the whole of
Christ—both His humiliation and exaltation. For instance, in Corinth, he
decided to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). In
Galatia, he publicly portrayed Jesus Christ as crucified (Gal. 3:1). So, what
does he mean when he says, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…as
preached in my gospel?” Why does he specifically focus on Christ’s
exaltation and not His humiliation? The answer is that Christ’s resurrection
has a specific application to Timothy within the context of suffering for the sake
of the gospel. We will consider this in the next point. The major point that Paul
is making here is that Christ is alive. This is the thrust of the exhortation to
remember Jesus Christ. Both Paul and Stephen see the risen Lord after His
ascension in His sublime glory; a clear proof that He is truly alive (Acts
7:55-56; 9:3ff). In his tremendous vision of the majestic Christ, the apostle
John hears Him [Christ] saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the
last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Rev. 1:17-18). Although it
is true that Christ died, He declares, with the voice like the roar of many
waters, that He is alive never to die again and has power over death.
Therefore, the risen Jesus is triumphant over death. God raised Him up, loosing
the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it (Acts
2:24).
b.
That Jesus Christ is risen from the dead implies
that when you die in Christ, you will live again.
By saying “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…as
preached in my gospel”, Paul is not instructing Timothy on what to preach
(although Timothy is to preach the resurrection of Christ as central to the
gospel). He is rather, telling him to apply the gospel message of Christ’s resurrection
in his own life situation—suffering for the gospel. This is what “remembering”
here means. It is not a mere mental exercise. His primary focus is to exhort
Timothy to shift his focus from the present circumstances and to fix his gaze
upon the glorified Christ. He is to fix his eyes on the Christ who is
triumphant over death. This in turn will motivate him in his suffering for the
gospel as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (v. 2; cf. 1:8). The fact that Christ
is risen from the dead and is alive today means that if suffering for the
gospel should lead to death, then there is hope of life beyond the grave for
Timothy. This is also Paul’s hope as a dying man who has endured much suffering
for the sake of the gospel (4:6-8). He makes it crystal clear that for a
believer, to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord, which is far
better (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). But this will only be possible because He [the
Lord] is alive forever to receive your spirit at death (Acts 7:59). Therefore,
put differently, death to a believer is not pain but gain (Phil. 1:21). But what
is the basis of this hope of life after death? Paul had said earlier that Christ
[by His triumphantly glorious resurrection] abolished death and brought life
and immortality (1:10). We will live after death because Christ lives. Paul
says elsewhere that “For as by a man came death, by a man has come
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:21-22). This is the Christian
hope! This is the hope of those who die in the Lord; whether their death is
caused by cancer or COVID-19 or persecution or road carnage.
2. Remember the REIGNING Jesus Christ.
“Remember Jesus
Christ…the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel...” Again, let’s
observe two truths apparent in this exhortation.
a. That Jesus Christ the offspring of David
is risen from the dead implies the perpetuity of His reign.
The phrase “the offspring of David” implies Christ’s
incarnation, although that’s not its main focus at this point. The fact of His
incarnation and its connection with being David’s offspring/seed is explicit for
example, in Romans 1:3 where Paul says [referring to the gospel of God] “concerning
his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh.” Paul’s
burden at this point however, is to exhort Timothy to fix his gaze upon the
regal Jesus Christ; to remember that He is risen from the dead and is now sitting
on the throne of His father David, reigning. Unlike David, His father, who died
and was buried to this day, Christ Jesus wasn’t abandoned to Hades, nor did His
flesh see corruption (Acts 2:29-31). This means He was raised from the dead to reign
forever. He is the greater son of David who would come and occupy the Davidic
throne forever according to the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:12-16). This
covenant is fulfilled in the words of the angel to the virgin Mary, “And
behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name
Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His
kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:31-33). Similar words are spoken by the
prophet Isaiah in his prophecy years before the incarnation of Christ (Isa.
9:7). Thus, although David’s reign over Israel was cut short by death, and thus,
he had to be succeeded by his son Solomon, Christ’s reign is perpetual—without
succession. David and his earthly sons reigned as mortal kings, but Christ, the
greater son of David, risen from the dead, reigns as the immortal king. He is
transcendently exalted as the king immortal (Phil. 2:9-11).
b. That Jesus Christ is reigning means that
He is the king over our lives.
The blessed news about remembering Jesus Christ (fixing our
gaze upon Him) is that He is gloriously reigning over us. This is Paul’s
exhortation to Timothy if he is to suffer for the sake of the gospel, even to
the point of death. As our king, He is sovereign over our lives and not even a
single one of our life circumstances catches Him by surprise. He is not unaware
of the COVID-19 that is presently causing panic and death. He knows everything
we are going through. We are His subject after the pattern of the nation of
Israel under the reign of David. For we have been delivered from the domain of
darkness and transferred to His kingdom (Col. 1:13). And as our sovereign king,
He knows our troubles, worries, and needs. He knows those who are being
persecuted for His name’s sake and cares for them. Should they be overtaken by
persecution [and suffer martyrdom], is waiting to receive their spirits like He
did to Stephen (Acts 7:59). He knows all our sufferings—including pestilences
and pandemics like cancer and COVID-19—and cares about us the way David cared
for the people of Israel. His reign over us however, is far better and greater
than that of David. He reigns eternally—now and forever. And His return will
gloriously bring the full realization of this perpetual reign. A reign where
death shall be no more. A reign where there shall be no more mourning or crying
or pain (Rev. 21:4). As our king, He conquers all His enemies and ours. The
last enemy that He will vanquish when he comes is death (1 Cor. 15:25-26). He
is our David who goes to war and conquers all our enemies and brings to nothing
the taunting of Goliath by one stone. Believers are on the side of victory! David
killed tens of thousands but our perpetual king has slain all!
Therefore, when Paul says, “Remember Jesus
Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as
preached in my gospel…” [emphasis added], he is letting us
experience the Jesus Christ that was the thrust of his preaching. The Jesus
Christ of the gospel is not sissified but lofty and transcendent. He is the
ever-living and -ever-reigning Lord over all! This is why the gospel is good
news!
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