Dec 17 2024

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

In this verse, Paul tells the members of the church at Colossae that their lives should reflect who they are: the elect of God, holy and beloved. This translates into a variety of characteristics: merciful, kind, humble, meek, longsuffering (showing patience), and forgiving. They should put on these characteristics because Jesus embodied them as well. Let's break this verse apart to understand everything it is telling us.

The verse gives us a powerful description of our identity: the elect of God, holy and beloved. God has chosen each of us to walk with Him. He has decided to call each of us to Himself and, as a result, we are both holy and beloved. We are holy because the blood of Jesus has wiped us clean of our sin, and we are beloved because Jesus has declared His love for us through His death on the cross.

As a result of becoming holy and beloved, we start to become more and more like God. Because we know that we are loved and secure in His love, we are able to show mercy, kindness, and humility to other people. We realize that we have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone, and this frees us from having to seek out affirmation or approval from anyone else. This means we are able to share the love of the Lord freely with the people around us.

Indeed, as we grow in our Christian faith, we will learn to treat other people in the same way that Christ has treated us. As Paul writes, Jesus has forgiven us of much, and so we should also forgive others.

If this seems like an impossible task, we can take heart that the Lord will equip us to do everything He has commanded us to do. He does not expect us to succeed at this independently, but instead, to lean on Him for strength when it feels like we can't do the right thing. We can call out to Him and He will help us "put on" all the attributes that Paul writes about. As we continue to cling to Jesus, we will become more like Him every single day.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me freedom in Christ to be the kind of person that I was meant to be. Help me remember to go to you when it seems like I'm facing something impossible. Help me lean into your mercies when I should show mercy to someone else. Help me remember the love that you have shown me when I'm struggling to give it to someone else. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 16 2024

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. :

In this verse, Paul tells the Christians in Rome that God is like a loving father to them. We are not to be afraid or uncertain about where we stand in God's kingdom. Instead, we can be secure in the reality that we are His sons and daughters because of what Jesus has done for each of us.

Before Jesus, the Israelites had to make constant sacrifices on the altar to pay for their sins. They were in bondage to their sins; a veil separated them from the presence of the Lord because they could never be holy enough to be near to Him.

When Jesus died on the cross, however, the veil was ripped in two. The presence of God could now enter the hearts of the people—the bondage of sin had been broken. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that brought an end to the constant sacrifices on the altar of the temple. He was the spotless lamb who, once and for all, declared us holy by His blood.

Because of Jesus, we do not have a spirit of bondage or fear. Instead, we know that we are sons and daughters of the Living God. The God whom we could never dare to approach came to dwell among us, and His presence did not condemn us but instead, lifted us up that we might be His children.

Knowing that we are children of God changes the way we view everything. We are no longer tossed to and fro by a world that says our position and significance must be earned and, once earned, remains fragile. Instead, we have the concrete promise from God that He loves us as a father. He does not despise our cries for His attention and care. Instead, He comes down to meet us, His adopted and deeply beloved children.

Dear Lord, it is so hard for me to comprehend that I am your child. I feel so unworthy, but I know that you have chosen me. I thank you so much for choosing me, for deciding to love me even when everything I did rebelled against you. I thank you for your kindness and goodness. Help me to share the love that you have shown me with other people. In Jesus' name, amen.