Author: goodshepherd

This week we finish our series in Paul's Prison Letters by looking at his letter to Philemon. And while this was a very personal letter written to a specific man in a specific situation, we can glean much from its contents. Through this letter, we see the difference between being compelled by the Law from the outside and being compelled by the Gospel from the inside. Because we have been forgiven by and reconciled to God, we are then to forgive and reconcile with our brothers and sisters. Come hear how it's all possible!

As we gather together on the last Sunday of March, we are going to finish Paul's Letter to the Colossians. And as he concludes his letter, Paul reminds his readers, both in Colossae and in Fergus Falls, that we have a purpose for being here - to proclaim the mystery of Christ! Come and be reminded that we are called to be a witness through our prayers; through our words; through our deeds; and through our community.

In our text for this Sunday, we are going to look at how being in Christ transforms every aspect of life. Paul calls believers to put off the old self and live out their faith in their marriages, families, and work. Ultimately, the passage urges believers to recognize that their secure relationship with God (vertical) shapes and changes their interactions with others (horizontal), doing all things as unto the Lord.

This Sunday we turn a corner in the book of Colossians. Paul goes from talking about doctrine to talking about duty; from talking about belief to talking about behavior; and from talking about the declaration of our faith to talking about the demonstration of our faith. But, as he begins to show how we are to live, he doesn't let us forget the reason. We don't live godly lives FOR our salvation. We live godly lives FROM our salvation.

Christians are free in Christ, but we tend to not live in that freedom. We often find ways to make ourselves more holy, more righteous, and more spiritual. It can be easy to forget that Jesus Christ is enough. In Christ we are free from self-made religious practices. We are not righteous by what we do or what we do not do. We are righteous by faith in what Christ has done. In this freedom we can humbly do religious practices that help us to see our need for Christ and how much God has given us.

In our text for this Sunday, Paul begins arguing against the specific false teachings that were threatening the Colossian church. Although they were faithfully taught the truths of Scripture, the people there were being encouraged to add to Christ and His Gospel in order to get to higher levels of the Christian life. Join us this Sunday as we are reminded that when we have Jesus, we have everything we need. And when we try to add to the Gospel, we actually diminish it.

In our text for this Sunday, Paul confronts the Jewish-gnostic heresy with the truth that the mysterious knowledge has been revealed in Christ. It is not an exclusive knowledge reserved for some elite group, rather it is for the whole world. Also, Christ is not far off from this world, rather he dwells in us, the Church. Today, God calls the Church to continue the mission of Christ to reveal the mysteries of God, which is to point to Christ and the cross. Like Paul, and namely Christ, the Church experiences suffering as it toils to make Christ known. This is the way of the cross.

As the Apostle Paul continues in his warning against the "Colossian Heresy", he writes one of the most theologically rich and Christologically dense descriptions of Jesus in all of the Bible. And through these amazing words, we not only get a crystal clear picture of who Christ is, but we also get a crystal clear picture of who we are without him. Come and see the image of the invisible God!