July 17 2022
July 17th 2022
Old Testament: Genesis 18:1-10a (10b-14)
Psalm: Psalm 27:1-14
Epistle: Colossians 1:21-29
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
Sermon Text: Colossians 1:21-29
Sermon Title: “Continue in the Faith”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Paul is here concluding his section on the supremacy of Christ; (which was skipped in the lectionary readings for now, though it comes up later in the year), which went from verse 14 to verse 20, the beginning of our text today. There, Christ is extoled as true God, for “in Him were all things created … He is before all things and in Him all things hold together”. (Colossians 1:16-17) Christ has also “reconciled all things to Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross”. (Colossians 1:20)
In refuting the false teaching that had made its way into the churches there, Paul makes explicitly clear in these first two chapters, that Jesus is both true man who by His death on the cross atoned for the sins of the world and also true God; creator of all that exists; things visible and invisible. He did not start the church in Colossae, a man from there named Epaphras, “a faithful minister of Christ” (Colossians 1:7b) who was converted through the preaching of Paul, founded the churches there.
Paul begins our text today, “And you who once were alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled (this means past tense, it is already accomplished) in the body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him; if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel, which you hear, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I Paul, became a minister”. (Colossians 1:21-23) We all were once enemies of God as Scripture declares, “while we were enemies (of God) we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”. (Romans 5:10a)
The words, “If indeed you continue in the faith … not shifting from the hope of the Gospel” (Colossians 1:23a) serve as a warning to us also not to neglect the means by which God continues to strengthen our faith; the Word and Sacraments. So, Jesus also declares “If you abide (meaning to remain, continue) in My Word, you are truly My disciples”. (John 8:31b) For we know from Scripture that many walked away from Jesus when He began to bear witness to Himself saying, “this is a hard saying, who can listen to it … many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him”. (John 6:60b, 66)
Paul continues, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, (Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter) and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, that is, the church”. (Colossians 1:24) Paul is not saying that he is filling in something that our Lord is lacking, for Christ’s death has atoned for all the sins ever committed; but in one way or another, all Christians share in suffering for the sake of Christ; because they are Christians. God’s Word declares, “we should “not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon us” (1st Peter 4:12a) and “we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too”. (2nd Corinthians 1:5)
Paul is able to rejoice, even in suffering, for the sake of the church; “Of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the Word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for the ages and generations, but now revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:25-26) through His Word and the preaching of the Gospel. Again suffering for our faith is the norm, but as Paul said elsewhere, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”. (Romans 8:18)
As a steward of Christ’s Word, Paul and all other pastors and ministers, are to make the message of God’s Word as clear as possible; including refuting false teaching. As Paul said in one of his letters to Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness … I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus … preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience”. (2nd Timothy 3:16, 4:2) God speaks and teaches His people through His holy, precious, inerrant, infallible Word.
Unfortunately, most do not want to hear it. The word spiritual or spirituality is used frequently today, as in the commonly heard phrase, “I’m spiritual, but not religious”. You hear it all the time, maybe even see it on a bumper sticker; everyone wants to be “spiritual”, but no one wants to be “religious”. Perhaps you are asking, what is the difference between these two terms?
To put it quite bluntly, to be “spiritual but not religious, is to have a god that is silent, a god that lets you do and believe whatever you want. But as soon as God opens His mouth (as He has done in the Word) there is religion, doctrines, and assertions. As soon as God speaks there is truth, and the truth is always distinguished from error. The desire for spirituality without religion is idolatry (breaking the 1st Commandment), it is the longing of the sinful heart for a god that doesn’t speak”. (Brian Wolfmueller, “Has American Christianity Failed”?)
“To them (the saints) God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. (Colossians 1:27) We have the confident hope of glory only because of what Christ has done for us in His atoning death on the cross and His bodily resurrection on the third day. He has given us His righteousness as a gift in our baptism where;
“we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we might walk in newness of life … our old self was crucified with Him … so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin … So, you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 6:4, 6, 11)
Paul continues, “Him (only) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ”. (Colossians 1:28) This wisdom involves preaching the whole counsel of God, or what we refer to as rightly dividing law and gospel; “proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. (1st Corinthians 2:2b) Growing and maturing believers in Christ need thorough and ongoing instruction in God’s Word.
And even though we struggle with the sinful nature, the new nature in us wants to hear that Word, even when it rebukes us, as David declared “Search me, O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. (Psalm 139:23-24)
“For this I toil, struggling with all His energy, that He powerfully works within me”. (Colossians 1:29) Paul (and we) “toil … struggle” in this life, “because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people … who believe”. (1st Timothy 4:10) We strive against sin, knowing “we are not under the law, but under grace”. (Romans 6:14b) So, we “continue in the faith” (Colossians 1:23a) “once for all delivered to the saints”. (Jude 3b).
As the Psalmist proclaimed, “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord; who meditates on His law, day and night”. (Psalm 1:1a, 2) “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is he stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? … One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple … Teach me Your way, O Lord … Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Wait for the Lord”. (Psalm 27:1, 4, 11a, 14)
“The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:7) Amen.