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Colossians 4:16–18 ¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷ Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” ¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

While the letters of St. Paul were addressed to a certain city or individual, they were meant to be shared with others. He makes that clear at the end of this epistle.

“After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.”

 The letters Paul wrote, while addressing issues in a given situation, were beneficial for others to read, including those of us removed by 2000 years. They speak to problems we still encounter today. And they point us to the timeless solution to sin: Jesus. His life was lived in conformity to God’s will. That perfect life was then sacrificed for the sin of the world. And He rose to conquer death for everyone. That is the message all need to hear, and what Paul was trying to do through his life and ministry. Writing letters was part of that.

When he mentions the letter from Laodicea, that could have been another letter he wrote that is lost to us, or it could have been the one he sent to Ephesus, which then made its way to Laodicea, and now was coming to Colosse.

Paul mentions Archippus, a coworker he call a “fellow soldier” in his letter to Philemon. His encouragement to him was to stay the course, remain faithful and do you work. He then tells the people that they should recognize that he had personally written the end of this letter. Most of the letters were written dictated and written down by his helpers.

As he concludes, he again requests prayers. He is under house arrest as he writes this letter, and hopes to be set free to continue spreading the Good News about Jesus.

I think the concluding phrase is terribly important: “Grace be with you.”   Paul was all about sharing the grace of God. Grace is the undeserved love of God that gives us what we did not earn and does not give us what our sins deserve. It is an underlying theme in all of his writings and messages. Sure, he speaks the Law as necessary because it is also God’s Word. But the predominant message that comes through Paul is God’s grace. It is what we all need to hear.

I leave you with these passages for your pondering today.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:21  “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Ephesians 2:8–9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Colossians 3:18–4:1 ¹⁸ Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. ²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. ¹ Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Paul wrote similar words to this passage in his letter to the Ephesians (5:22 ff.). They give some good instructions for how we should live no matter what our station in life is. We remember that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and that status should be the motivation for how we live our lives.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Remembering who we are in Christ and what we have received from Him makes all the difference. When you see those around you as people for whom Jesus died, that influences how you treat them.

All too often we forget this. That is when we let our anger and selfish desires take over, and our actions are less than pleasing to God. That is why Paul repeatedly encourages us to remember who we are.

It is possible for us to live this way when we live by faith in the one who gave Himself up for us (Gal 2:20), our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:15–17 ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I have read and commented on these verses many times throughout my ministry. There is so much wisdom and encouragement and practical application for our lives in this passage. Today I just want you to consider a few of the phrases

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

When you have the peace that comes from knowing who you are in Christ Jesus, you have freedom and comfort in your life. You know He has won the victory and given it to you. You know you are His now and His forever. You will one day be in His presence. That confidence changes who you are and how you live.

And be thankful.

I don’t pray many prayers anymore that don’t tell God how grateful I am for all He has done for me. I recognize the blessings I have in my wife and family. I have more material blessings than I ever thought I would have. I have been blessed with travel and experiences that have enriched my life. And most of all, I know I have a Savior who did everything I needed to have forgiveness and life everlasting. I am grateful. I should not have to be reminded to “say thank you,” but I don’t mind the reminder. It needs to be part of my daily routine.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in your richly

 Having a Bible or a Bible app is not enough. You need to Be in the Word so that the Word is in you. That is why I always required memory work when I taught confirmation class, and frequently suggested it when I taught Adult Bible Class. If the Word is not in you, it cannot come out of you. God Himself has revealed Himself, His grace, His salvation, and His Will for you in His Word. That is why Peter encourages us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). That happens through the Word.

Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus

 When you strive to live in the name of Jesus, you are striving to do His Will. Followers of Jesus will not sin and try to act as though that is His will. Those who live that way are not following Jesus. We know that we should endeavor to do His will in all things as a part of expressing our thanks to Him for being our Savior.

Colossians 3:12–14 ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Remember who you are. When you have faith in Jesus, you can be certain that you are part of God’s chosen people. He calls you “holy and dearly loved.” By the grace of God, through faith, you are as much a part of God’s chosen people as Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Joseph, David, Solomon, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary. God has put His name on you and brought you into His family. Remember who you are.

You have this status only because of God’s great love for you, love that led Him to come down here and pay for all you sin so that you could be brought back into His fold, so that you could have a loving relationship with your Creator instead of being separated from Him for eternity. He did that. He made it all possible.

When you recognize what God has done and who He has made you in Christ, you have the desire and the motivation to live the way He wants you to live.

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

How often is our “wardrobe” the exact opposite? We forget who we are and what God has done for us. Our “garments” are more like anger and resentment and pride and harsh words and impatience! This seems to be even more pronounced as election season is upon us. Christians, remember who you are.

Remember that you can disagree with someone without being harsh and unkind. And when you are mistreated, follow the example of Jesus. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

And over all these virtues put on love

That is how Jesus lived. He loved people. He showed love to all those He encountered, even those who opposed Him. And He showed the full extent of His love in letting Himself be the sacrifice to pay for the sin of the world.

Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love;”

Remember who you are. A dearly loved child of God who has been called to respond to His love by loving you neighbor.

Colossians 3:5–11 ⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.       

In the previous verses we were encouraged to set our hearts and minds on things above. The reason for this becomes clearer when Paul enumerates the things that belong to the earthly nature. It is a list of things that come from our fallen, sinful condition, doing things contrary to what God would have His people do.

We have all taken notice of these things all around us in the world. There seems to be more and more anger in the world every day. Filthy language is all around us. On our cruise, we heard expletives coming from the mouths of people of all ages with no regard for the people around, including families with small children. Lies are so commonplace that you don’t think you can believe what anyone tells you, especially not politicians.

Those without Christ in their lives live this way. Those who follow Jesus should not.

“You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these…”

When you have been led to faith in your Savior, it changes things. The certainty of sin forgiven and life eternal gives you the motivation to live the new life to which Jesus calls you. You want to express the profound gratitude that you have by living as his loved, obedient child. Knowing He died in your place, paid the consequences your sin deserved, and delivered you from damnation makes a huge difference in who you are and how you should live. You also know that saying “thank you” does not earn your forgiveness and salvation. Rather, you live lives of gratitude knowing you already have these things for Jesus’ sake.

Colossians 3:1–4 ¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

How do you “set your hearts on things above” and “set your minds on this above, not earthly things?” Is this an encouragement to forsake the world and everything in it and focus only on spiritual things? That is how the monastic orders came about. People would seek to insulate themselves from the world around them in order to live a life pleasing to God. But I don’t think that is what God had in mind. He told us to love one another, and we cannot do that if we do not interact with our neighbors.

Cheryl and I just returned from a cruise to Alaska, something we talked about doing for a long time. It was a new experience for us and we enjoyed it. Those of you who have been on cruises know that the dining is quite nice. We had the same servers, Vishal and Aaron, every evening. As is our custom, we told them we were going to ask God to bless our meal and we would be praying for them as well. They were happy to both stand at the table while we prayed. Vishal was from Mumbai and Aaron was from the Philippines. After the first night we prayed together, Vishal said, “Aaron is a Catholic, and I love Jesus, too!”

On one of the subsequent evenings, Vishal told us how happy he was that we talked with the two of them. He said many of the cruisers did not want to speak with him. He seemed genuinely pleased that we not only prayed with him, but asked him about his life and his family. If we had not taken the time to converse with him, would we really be doing what God would have us do as His followers?

When you set your mind and heart on things above, you focus on Jesus and serving Him. We do that best when we follow His example of showing love and care and concern for our neighbor. We share God’s love with those we encounter every day in the hope that they will also come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, too. If they already know, praise God. If they have not yet come to faith, the Spirit will work through our witness. We want them to join us in looking to spiritual things and not viewing this fallen world as “all that there is.”

Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. He is in control. He rules for us. When He returns, He will bring us to the fulness of life and we will join Him in glory, the glory He earned for us through His payment for our sin.

Colossians 2:20–23 ²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Paul continues with his warnings here, some of which I addressed yesterday. There were false teachers in Colosse trying to tell people to obey a set of rules and regulations they developed to try to earn God’s favor. Notice I wrote “they developed.” They were not teaching Scripture here, but their own ideas. And Paul points out how worthless they are: Not only will they NOT save you, but they don’t even help you avoid sin!

Here is the danger:  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom.  These guys sounded like they knew what they are talking about. They spoke with such certainty and conviction that people would listen and think, “They must be right!”they

We have again witnessed the political party conventions in this nation. One party speaks with power and conviction on one side of an issue and some people are convinced they are correct. The other party speaks with power and conviction on the other side of the issue and others are convinced that is the proper position. Each of you has the ability to make your voice heard in the general election, and I hope that you will take advantage of that right. Followers of Jesus need to be citizens who are involved in the affairs of this world.

My encouragement to you is that when it comes to spiritual matters, don’t let persuasive speeches and the appearance of wisdom persuade you. Let your conscience be led by the Word of God. That must be your final authority for all matters of faith. It is the Word that tells you God has forgiven you for Jesus’ sake so that you can have the certainty of forgiveness and life eternal. Don’t let anyone lead you away from that.

Colossians 2:16–19 ¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹ He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Paul is warning us here about confusing cause and effect. Those who have been led to faith in the Son of God know who He is and what He has done. He already earned our salvation. His perfect life was the payment for the sins of world, a payment that was willingly offered on the cross at Calvary. He did everything we needed to have the certainty of eternal life. That is the reality we have in Christ.

Our lives are then to be changed. We are called to live a new way. Many of the things followers of Jesus do in response to God’s love in Christ come right from the Bible. Other things are traditions that have developed over the years in the community of faith. But none of what we do (or fail to do) is what gains our forgiveness. Our actions (or lack thereof) do not qualify us for heaven. Jesus did all that.

Sometimes people will try to judge you by the lives you live, the things you do outside of God’s will, your failures and your mistakes. They will say they are living lives more pleasing to God than you are, and they may be correct. But they don’t get to judge you. God does. And you will not be judged by your Maker by your works, but by whether or not you have faith in Jesus. John 3:16 states that rather plainly. And Romans 3:28 reminds us that we are saved by faith and not by our actions. Actually, if you read Scripture for yourself, you will find that is the overall message God wants you to know.

Paul tells you not to be concerned about trying to please misguided individuals who have taken their focus off of Jesus and put it on themselves. He also wrote about that to the Galatians:

Galatians 1:10  Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

You need to stay connected to Jesus in this faith relationship. That will be your motivation to live for Him. And that is how you grow in your faith until the day you will see Him face to face.

EPHESIANS 6:10-20   Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

When I hear this passage on THE ARMOR OF GOD, I often think of that hymn ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS. I think that is appropriate, if we remember what a soldier is. An armor is basically defensive, but a soldier is not just someone who defends himself. He also takes the offensive, going to battle to defeat his enemy. And in this listing, we are told that we have offensive weapons for our struggle. The sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, is one of our weapons. And although Paul does not describe it as such here, he lists another weapon: PRAYER.

Prayer is a powerful weapon, but like any other weapon, it is powerless if you do not use it. Paul urges us to offer all kinds of prayers and requests. We are to pray on all occasions, for all the saints, for the proclamation of the Gospel. We can pray and ask God to help us in all things, including our endeavor to live up to His commands.

The problem is that many Christians seem to think of God as a spare tire. It is something that lies in the trunk of your car, going unnoticed for months at a time, sometimes even seen as a nuisance when you are trying to put other things in the trunk. And then you have a flat on the road. Suddenly, that spare tire is the most important thing in your life. You want it to be in good condition, ready for use. We treat God that way, forgetting about Him, until there is an emergency and we run to Him for help.

That’s sad.  We have tremendous power at our disposal always. God is always there, ready to answer our prayers. We can go to Him anytime. It doesn’t have to be earthshaking to get an audience with God. Whatever is on your heart, take it to the Lord in prayer. And prayer is more than a tranquilizer. It is a powerful force.

If you are part of a praying group of believers, it will show. Your prayers keep you close to God. Others will see you and realize that you have wisdom and understanding. They can look at you and know that our God is near to you. Stop right now to bow your head in prayer, going to Him with whatever is on your minds. And while you are praying, remember to thank Him that you can come to Him with your prayers.