The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 1:3,
"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus..."
Paul was thankful to God in hearing of the Colossian's faith in Jesus Christ. The folks in Colossae heard the gospel message through Epaphras. Paul came to hear of the response the gospel had in Colossae and so he wrote this letter, letting these Colossian believers know of his prayers for them and providing them guidance in their new-found faith. This short four-chapter letter is full of good, solid apostolic teaching.
I note the Colossian's faith was in Jesus Christ. God the Son. The One who paid the price for their sins. Their faith was not in a church. Their faith was not in a denomination. Their faith was not in a pastor, a priest, a rabbi, a guru or a shaman. Their faith was not in anyone's doctrinal distinctive. Their faith was not in a church-building program, a youth ministry or a Sunday school. There faith was in Jesus Christ.
Many find excuses to avoid the issue of embracing Jesus Christ in faith. They look at the money-grubbing TV evangelists looking to ensnare viewers into their scams and shut out any notion of embracing Jesus Christ in faith. They look at "Christians" who seem to be hot for the Lord on Sunday, and then hot for other things the rest of the week. As they view the hypocrisy, they shut out any notion of embracing Jesus Christ in faith. They may visit a church, and when the pastor is done begging for donations for the new church building fund, they shut out any notion of embracing Jesus Christ in faith. They see church leaders who lecture the rest of us about gambling, sexual immorality, drinking, drugs, tobacco and pornography and then witness these same church leaders ensnared with someone else's wife or the other things they lectured us about. They shut out any notion of embracing Jesus Christ in faith.
The gospel message is not about placing our faith in scam artists, hypocritical do-gooders, misguided churches and all the rest who would claim to be representatives of Jesus Christ. The gospel is about Jesus Christ, his payment for our sins that we might be forgiven them, and his invitation to us to join his kingdom, his family. It is about placing our trust in him, our sinless Savior, the God-man who is without stain or wrinkle, the perfect One who loves us.
No one will be granted a "pass" in God's court for mistakenly looking to others as a reason not to embrace Jesus Christ. No amount of belly-aching over some pastor caught in adultery will prevent an unbeliever from being cast into that horrible fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Something to think about... we all believe in something. Even if it might be our own judgment to reject the gospel. What (who) do you trust in?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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