Good News For All || Colossians 1:27-28 || Manna for the Mind #47

Welcome to Day 47 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds understanding through its context and connecting scripture. This helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us.

Colossians 1:27-28

27          For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

28          So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.

The Colossian church was grappling with false teachers, individuals who were misguiding and distorting the essence of the Gospels and the Bible. These false teachers propagated the belief that spiritual perfection was a clandestine plan, accessible only to a select few. However, Paul, in his wisdom, declared that he was proclaiming a comprehensive message of God, not a fragment of the plan. Through Christ, this message was open to all, regardless of their background. This was a revolutionary concept at the time. The Jewish audience, who were followers of Christ, believed that this message was exclusively for them as they were God’s chosen people. They adhered to the laws in the Torah, participated in the proper sacrificial rituals, and so on. However, the message of Christ: to love God with all aspects of your being and to love others as Christ loved you, was for all people, transcending all boundaries.

They believed the “secret” plan was simple: “Christ lives in you.” God had planned to have Jesus live in all believers’ hearts – even the Gentiles. Even those who are different than us. Even those who live differently than us. Even those who look different from us. All will be perfect in their relationship with Jesus. “Perfect” in this context doesn’t mean “flawless.” It means to be “mature” or “complete.” Paul’s goal was to see each person become spiritually mature. We get to work on it diligently and persistently, like an athlete. Yet, we need to ensure we’re not working on this alone.

Spiritual maturity is not a journey we undertake alone. It is a path we tread in partnership with God’s Spirit. We must harness the wisdom and strength of God’s Spirit, which resides within us, to learn and grow, driven by love each day. God has not bestowed upon us a Spirit of fear or pride but a Spirit of power, love, and sound mind. We must always remember that Christ is the source of energy that enables us to become all that God intends us to be. This source is available to all. Wherever Paul and Timothy, his protégé, went, they shared the good news with all who would listen. The ideal presentation of the Bible involves both teaching and warning. We teach about the love of Christ and warn about the consequences of a lack of relationship with Him. As Jesus continues to work within you, share that work with others so they can comprehend and witness the essence of God.

This work is shown best in Ephesians 4:13.

Ephesians 4:13

13          This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard.

God has given his church, all of us Christians, a massive responsibility: make disciples in every nation. We can do this through preaching, teaching, healing, nurturing, giving, administering, building, among many other spiritual gifts. If you’re curious about what would be best for you, consider taking a Spiritual Gifts assessment. See what gifts are substantial within you and pray about them. Listen to ways God can allow you to use your gifts to build his kingdom.

If we had to do this alone, we might as well give up without trying – it’s impossible. Yet, God calls us to do this as a community. Some of us can do one thing well, but we may need others to help pick up the areas that we’re weak in. Someone else may be struggling, too, and you can go help them and pick up where they’re struggling. Together, we have the power to do more than what we can do by ourselves. It’s a difficult thing to do, though, to allow others to help us and admit our weaknesses. It’s human nature to overestimate what we can do by ourselves and underestimate what we can do together. The body of Christ is so massive and can accomplish almost anything. By working together, the church can express more fully the love and identity of who Christ is. Who can you partner up with today?

Father God, thank you for the Good News of Christ. Thank you for the home you provided for him in our hearts. Thank you to all of us who were able to receive this news. Help us go out into the world and share this news with everyone. Please help us to show them the benefits of receiving this news truthfully and wisely. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.