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 1:3-6,
"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 and of the love you have for all God's people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace."
I note that Paul's assurance of the salvation of these Colossian believers rested in his observation of something recognizable and specific: their faith and love which sprang from their hope in the gospel. Paul was not recognizing they had had some kind of religious episode expressed in their own way. He was not acknowledging some subjective expression of theirs as any kind of authentication they had come to know Jesus Christ. He acknowledged that which was consistent with all folks who embrace Jesus Christ in faith.
Paul's assurance of the Ephesian believers was rooted in their expression of the very same things, "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:15-16. These are the very things that caused Paul's thankfulness to God as he recognized the credentials of the Thessalonian believers: their faith, love and hope. 1 Thessalonians 1:3. In verses 4 and 5 he goes on to speak of that which was recognizable to him that they were among God's "elect". In his observations of believers, his recognition of their salvation lay not in some kind of "subjective interpretation" of a religious experience, but in what Paul found to be recognizable as that which the Holy Spirit wrought in the hearts and lives of believers. The genuine expression of faith always reflected that which the Holy Spirit manifested in their lives, not the other way around.
The notion of people defining for themselves what salvation looks, feels and smells like is foreign to the Scriptures. We live in a day where there are countless counterfeits claiming theirs is the genuine expression of salvation as they promote some subjectively unique, and at times bizarre, expression as their validation of the spiritual.
I also note in our above passage that the Colossian believers had to hear and understand the message of God's grace. This is not a message that is unique and different for each. The notion of "finding our own way", making our own path, defining "who God is for me" does not pass muster with the Scriptures.
God is ultimately real and objective. He doesn't pass himself off as a willing participant to be defined by someone's imagination or proclivity. Although God pursues us and wants us, we have to embrace him, not some passing fancy we may make of him.
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!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment