These devotionals will serve as a guide for your time with the Lord
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Opening Prayer
-- Song: "Lord I Life Your Name On High"
Devotional #37: "Walk in the Lord"
Scripture
Colossians 2:6-13 (ESV)
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, Devotional #37: "Walk in the Lord"
Death is primarily a spiritual state and not a physical one. Paul speaks of the unbeliever of being “dead in our sins” (Romans 6:11, Ephesians 2:13). Death is ultimately a separation of relationship. In the Apostle’s Creed it states that Jesus was “crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell;” Did Jesus really go to hell? When people die, they are waiting for judgment day; either the judgment of righteousness, in which case they wait in heaven, or the judgment of punishment, in which case they wait in hell. At the very least, hell is a place where one is separated from God. Jesus’ experience of death is not simply the death on the cross but being separated from God for the first time in His eternal existence—a devastating curse.
Humanity’s purpose is to be in covenant with God—to love Him and be loved by Him. Paul says in Colossians 2:6 that we are to “walk in him.” In other words, we have been made alive in Jesus! When we received him, we were born again! We are no longer dead, but now we can walk! We are to use our spiritual legs to follow Jesus! Everything that we have been taught, we follow with thanksgiving, fixing our eyes on Him to be like Him. Questions
Devotional #28: "Jesus Is The Answer"
Scripture
Colossians 2:6-23 (ESV)
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.[c] 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,[d] puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Devotional #38: "Jesus Is The Answer"
One of the reasons Epaphras went to visit Paul was because of the false teachings that were circulating in the church at Colossae. Paul states “see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). We can imagine all sorts of crazy things being taught. Paul does not go into great detail defending his position against these philosophies, but instead reiterates the preeminence of Christ in all things! Can we find wisdom somewhere else? No, Christ is the source of all wisdom. Do we need to follow the laws of Moses to be more acceptable to God? No, in Christ, we are acceptable to God. Do we need to beat our bodies to fight sin? No, in Christ, we can fight sin. Our relationship with Jesus is the answer to every question of who we are and how we should live. Let us not stray from Him but walk with confidence in His path.
Questions
Devotional #39: "Appearance of Wisdom"
Scripture
Colossians 2:6-23 (ESV)
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.[c] 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,[d] puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Devotional #39: "Appearance of Wisdom"
“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (Colossians 2:21). Aphorisms or pithy sayings that are meant to reveal wisdom are no more than false teaching. Paul argues that these “elemental spirits (or principles)” are not of Christ. First, we can either follow the ways of this world or the way of Jesus. Paul says that we have “died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations” (Colossians 2:21). We are no longer captive by the teachings of this world. Rather, we belong to Jesus.
Second, these elemental principles have an appearance of wisdom (Colossians 2:23). When we listen to podcasts on self-help they seem to help us to succeed in living the good life. However, they are man-made, self-centered, and self-glorifying philosophies. No longer are we focused upon Christ, but we seek to better ourselves alone. This idolatry leads to an attitude of judgment—against others and ourselves! We measure our success and our failures on our ability to follow these regulations. Third, in the end they are “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23).” Have you ever noticed that all this pop psychology and self-help are just iterations of what has been said before? We hear today’s gurus quoting ancient philosophers or other religious traditions as if they discovered something new! But they failed to tame the sinful heart in the past and so they will fail again today. Questions
Prayer Time
(Closing prayer by head of household) -- Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
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