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About the Authors

January 2007:“Knowing the Church”

byRev Dr Jeffrey Khoo

February and March 2007:“Colossians”

byRev Edward Paauwe

Rev Edward Paauwe and hiswife Lehia have served theLord as missionaries since1969, ministering in Singapore,South Korea, USA, andAustralia. The Paauwes serveunder PresbyterianMissionary Union, themissions board of the BiblePresbyterian Church in theUSA. Rev Paauwe is presentlythe pastor of Bible-Presbyterian Church of WA inPerth, Western Australia, andthe principal of Evangel BibleInstitute.

Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo isLibrarian, Academic Dean andLecturer in New Testament atthe Far Eastern Bible College.Himself a graduate fromFEBC, Dr Khoo also holdsdegrees from GraceTheological Seminary, BiblicalTheological Seminary andTrinity Theological Seminary.The Editor of The BurningBush, the theological journalof FEBC, he is author ofseveral books including“Charismatism: Q & A,” “KeptPure in all Ages” and “KJVQuestions and Answers.”

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MONDAY, JANUARY 1MATTHEW 16:13–181 PETER 2:9–10

"Upon this rock I will

build my church.”

THE MEANING OF“CHURCH”

The English word “church,” like theGerman kirche and the Scotch kirk,is derived from the Greek adjective,kyriakon, which means “the Lord’s.”It may refer to the Lord’s people ingeneral, to any particular group ofthe Lord’s people, or to the buildingin which the Lord’s people worship(1 Cor 11:20, Rev 1:10).

The word translated “church” in theNew Testament is ekklesia. Thisnoun is related to the verb ekkaleowhich means “to call out.” Althoughthe term is used for a secularassembly (Acts 19:32, 41), in aspecialised ecclesiastical sense, itrefers to an assembly or a body ofcalled-out people, separated untoGod.

According to the WestminsterConfession of Faith, “The catholicor universal church which isinvisible, consists of the wholenumber of the elect that have been,are, or shall be gathered into one,under Christ the Head thereof ; andis the spouse, the body, the fullnessof Him that filleth all in all” (XXV:1).

The church is sometimes referred toin the Scriptures without the use ofthe word itself. Peter writes to theChristians in the wide area of whatwe now call Asia Minor, “But ye area chosen generation, a royalpriesthood, an holy nation, apeculiar people; that ye shouldshew forth the praises of him whohath called you out of darkness intohis marvellous light: Which in timepast were not a people, but are nowthe people of God: which had notobtained mercy, but now haveobtained mercy” (1 Pet 2:9–10).

In writing to the CorinthianChristians, Paul classes themtogether with the entire invisiblechurch (1 Cor 1:2). It is this invisiblechurch as an entirety to which Paulrefers when he writes, “[I] nowrejoice in my sufferings for you, andfill up that which is behind of theafflictions of Christ in my flesh forhis body’s sake, which is thechurch” (Col 1:24).

THOUGHT: Is the Church a buildingor a people?PRAYER: I love Your Church, OLord.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 CORINTHIANS 11:2–3EPHESIANS 5:21–32

“I have espoused you

to one husband.”

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST (I)

There is a mystical union betweenbelievers and Christ. This union isentered into when a person is bornagain. This mystical union is morethan mere natural fellowship. It is aunion of a supernatural order in theHoly Spirit. That is why in theScriptures the true church is knownas (1) the bride of Christ, and (2) thebody of Christ.

Throughout the Scriptures themarriage relationship is usedmetaphorically to signify therelationship between God and Hispeople. In the Old Testament, Israel,as the people of God, are comparedwith a wife, and idolatry is frequentlyreferred to as unfaithfulness to themarriage relationship. See especiallythe first three chapters of theprophecy of Hosea.

In a similar figure, Paul writes to theChurch of Corinth, “For I am jealousover you with godly jealousy: for Ihave espoused you to one husband,that I may present you as a chastevirgin to Christ. But I fear, lest byany means, as the serpent beguiledEve through his subtilty, so yourminds should be corrupted from thesimplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor11:2–3).

The marriage relationship betweenChrist and His Church is describedextensively in Ephesians 5:21-32. (Seealso 1 Cor 7; 1 Cor 11:1-16; 14:34, 35;1 Tim 2:9-15; 3:11, 12; Tit 1:6; 2:5; 1Pet 3:7.)

Ephesians 5:21 emphasizes the needfor Christians to submit ourselvesone to another in the fear of God. Hethen introduces the discussion of themarriage relationship with theexhortation in verses 22 and 23.

Peter gives a similar injunction in 1Peter 3:1 and 2.

Paul continues his analogy,“Therefore as the church is subjectunto Christ, so let the wives be totheir own husbands in every thing.Husbands, love your wives, even asChrist also loved the church, andgave himself for it” (Eph 5:24-25).

THOUGHT: Have I been faithful tomy spouse?PRAYER: Lord, I want to be faithfulunto You, and worship only You.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3EPHESIANS 5:21–32COLOSSIANS 3:18–19

“So ought men to love their wives

as their own bodies.”

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST (II)

Certainly the analogy of the Churchin relation to Christ is the analogy ofthe response of love. Such a lovingmarriage relationship is described byPaul in Colossians 3:18 and 19.

As it is natural that the husbandshould be the initiator in weddedlove, so in the love between Christand the Church, “We love himbecause he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).Just as one naturally is grieved whenlove is not met with responsiveness,but rather with coldness, so Christ isgrieved by spiritual indifference. TheChurch by the promptings of theHoly Spirit must respond in love tothe love of Christ. The whole contextshows that the kind of submissionand subjection which is here referredto is that of mutual love. Christdisplays loving headship, and theChurch responds with lovingsubmission.

The purpose of the subjection oflove in the Church to the love ofChrist is further stated, “That hemight sanctify and cleanse it withthe washing of water by the word,That he might present it to himself aglorious church, not having spot,or wrinkle, or any such thing; butthat it should be holy and withoutblemish” (Eph 5:26–27).

The love of Christ in the mysticalunion between Christ and the Churchfinds a vivid expression in thefollowing words, “So ought men tolove their wives as their own bodies.He that loveth his wife lovethhimself. For no man ever yet hatedhis own flesh; but nourisheth andcherisheth it, even as the Lord thechurch: For we are members of hisbody, of his flesh, and of his bones.For this cause shall a man leave hisfather and mother, and shall bejoined unto his wife, and they twoshall be one flesh [Gen 2:24; Matt19:5]. This is a great mystery: but Ispeak concerning Christ and thechurch. Nevertheless let every oneof you in particular so love his wifeeven as himself; and the wife see thatshe reverence her husband” (Eph5:28–33).

THOUGHT: Have I been loving tomy wife?PRAYER: More love to Thee, OLord!

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4EPHESIANS 5:25–33REVELATION 19:6–9

“The marriage supper

of the Lamb is come.”

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OFTHE LAMB

Nowhere in Scripture is the love ofChrist for His Church put in strongeror more moving terms than inEphesians 5:25 to 33. “Love” here isnot philia, the love of friendship, noris it eros, the classical Greek wordfor love between husband and wife.It is agape, the deep, strong, broad,ethical, spiritual word for the love ofGod (Rom 5:5). This love is to befound not only in the individual, butalso in the true Church, which, as abody, is bound up in mystical unionwith Christ.

The consummation of this marriagerelationship between Christ and HisChurch is predicted in Revelation19:6 to 9, “And I heard as it were thevoice of a great multitude, and asthe voice of many waters, and as thevoice of mighty thunderings, saying,Alleluia: for the Lord Godomnipotent reigneth. Let us be gladand rejoice, and give honour to him:for the marriage of the Lamb iscome, and his wife hath made herselfready. And to her was granted thatshe should be arrayed in fine linen,clean and white: for the fine linen isthe righteousness of saints. And hesaith unto me, Write, Blessed are theywhich are called unto the marriagesupper of the Lamb.” This marriagesupper of the Lamb will be held afterthe rapture of the church, and justbefore the final battle ofArmageddon.

After the millennial reign of Christon earth, after the final rebellion ofGog and Magog, after the finaljudgment of the Great White Throne,after the present universe isdestroyed by fire, and after thecreation of a new heaven and a newearth, will come the New Jerusalemfrom heaven upon the new earth,“having the glory of God.” “Andthere came unto me one of the sevenangels… and talked with me,saying, Come hither, I will shew theethe bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev21:9). John had the first glimpse ofthe holy and heavenly city, the NewJerusalem, “prepared as a brideadorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2,10, 11).

THOUGHT: The best weddingdinner is yet to be!PRAYER: Lord, may You clothe mein the fine linen of Yourrighteousness, clean and white, sothat I might be worthy to partake ofthe marriage supper of the Lamb.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 5EPHESIANS 4:1–13EPHESIANS 5:21–33

“For the edifying of the

body of Christ.”

THE BODY OF CHRIST

As the bride of Christ, the Church isalso His body. The bride and bodymetaphors are really one. Severaltimes in Ephesians 5:21 to 33, Paulmentions the two metaphorstogether. In verse 23, he says thatChrist is “the saviour of the body”in His relationship as the Husbandof the Church. Again in verse 28, thehusband who loves his wife, loves“his own body.” Verse 30 remindsus that “we are members of hisbody,” and verse 31 quotes Genesis2:24 as regards the marriage union.

The great spiritual lesson taught bythe metaphor of the bride is thelesson of the purifying influence ofthe love of God in our hearts. Perhapsthe strongest lesson taught by themetaphor of the body is the lessonof the mystical spiritual unity ofbelievers, as members of the body ofChrist (Rom 12:5; Eph 4:25).

The unity of believers in the body ofChrist is strongly emphasized byPaul: “And hath put all things underhis feet, and gave him to be the headover all things to the church, Whichis his body, the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all” (Eph 1:22–23, cf.Col 1:18); “With all lowliness andmeekness, with longsuffering,forbearing one another in love;Endeavouring to keep the unity ofthe Spirit in the bond of peace. Thereis one body, and one Spirit, even asye are called in one hope of yourcalling; One Lord, one faith, onebaptism, one God and Father of all,who is above all, and through all,and in you all” (Eph 4:2-6).

The purpose of the several giftswhich Christ has given to differentmembers of His body is “For theperfecting of the saints, for the workof the ministry, for the edifying ofthe body of Christ: Till we all comein the unity of the faith, and of theknowledge of the Son of God, untoa perfect man, unto the measure ofthe stature of the fulness of Christ”(Eph 4:12–13).

THOUGHT: Can the Church, thebody of Christ, be sinlessly perfectin this present age?PRAYER: Father, help me to grow inChristlikeness each day until I reachsinless perfection in the day ofChrist’s return.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 6COLOSSIANS 3:1–151 CORINTHIANS 6:13–20

“Your body is the temple of the

Holy Ghost.”

THE UNITY OF THE BODYOF CHRIST

The unity of the body of Christmeans Christian peace (Col 3:15).What a glorious thought, the peaceof Christ, that calm and poise of heartand mind which rest with aconscience completely yielded toGod’s will!

However, this does not mean that thebeliever will not face any problemsin his life. Paul for instanceexperienced great anxiety in Troas (2Cor 2:12–13) and in Macedonia (2Cor 7:5–6). Nevertheless, God willbless His people with His peace thatonly He can give when they live alife that is in complete harmony withthe will of Christ.

The unity of the body of Christ thuscalls for the purity of the members. Ifwe are personally members of themystical body of Christ, it followsthat our entire being, including ourphysical bodies, are members ofChrist. And we must take care neverto use our bodily parts as instrumentsof sin. Paul says, “Meats for the belly,and the belly for meats: but Godshall destroy both it and them. Nowthe body is not for fornication, butfor the Lord; and the Lord for thebody. And God hath both raised upthe Lord, and will also raise up usby his own power. Know ye not thatyour bodies are the members ofChrist? Shall I then take themembers of Christ, and make themthe members of an harlot? Godforbid. What? know ye not that hewhich is joined to an harlot is onebody? for two, saith he, shall be oneflesh. But he that is joined unto theLord is one spirit. Flee fornication.Every sin that a man doeth iswithout the body; but he thatcommitteth fornication sinnethagainst his own body. What? knowye not that your body is the templeof the Holy Ghost which is in you,which ye have of God, and ye arenot your own? For ye are boughtwith a price: therefore glorify Godin your body, and in your spirit,which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:13-20).

THOUGHT: Can the ProtestantChurch which believes in salvationby grace through faith alone, inChrist alone, be united with theRoman Church which believes insalvation by works, which worshipsMary and the saints?PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I wantto use the members of my body toglorify Christ and not to shame Him.

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LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 71 CORINTHIANS 12:12–27ROMANS 12:3–11

“One body in Christ, and every one

members one of another.”

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OFTHE MEMBERS OF THE

BODY OF CHRIST

Paul twice says that we, as membersof the body of Christ, are “membersone of another” (Rom 12:5; Eph 4:25).The most extended passage ofScripture dealing with the mutualinterdependence of the members ofthe body of Christ is 1 Corinthians12:12 to 27.

For the Church to function and growharmoniously, every member of theChurch must recognise that he needsother church members to grow in theLord. No member in the body ofChrist is dispensable or is moreimportant than the other. Everybeliever has a special gift and aspecial function within the body ofChrist. Paul thus argued, “If the footshall say, because I am not the hand,I am not of the body; is it thereforenot of the body? And if the ear shallsay, because I am not the eye, I amnot of the body; is it therefore not ofthe body? If the whole body were aneye, where were the hearing? If thewhole were hearing, where were thesmelling? But now hath God set themembers every one of them in thebody, as it hath pleased him. And ifthey were all one member, wherewere the body? But now are theymany members, yet but one body. Andthe eye cannot say unto the hand, Ihave no need of thee: nor again thehead to the feet, I have no need ofyou. Nay, much more those membersof the body, which seem to be morefeeble, are necessary: And thosemembers of the body, which we thinkto be less honourable, upon thesewe bestow more abundant honour;and our uncomely parts have moreabundant comeliness. For ourcomely parts have no need: but Godhath tempered the body together,having given more abundanthonour to that part which lacked:That there should be no schism inthe body; but that the membersshould have the same care one foranother. And whether one membersuffer, all the members suffer with it;or one member be honoured, all themembers rejoice with it. Now ye arethe body of Christ, and members inparticular” (1 Cor 12:15-27).

THOUGHT: It takes two hands toclap.PRAYER: Lord, help me be a teamplayer in the body of Christ.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 81 CORINTHIANS 12:4–11EPHESIANS 4:11–12

“For the edifying of the

body of Christ.”

SPIRITUAL GIFTS FORCHURCH GROWTH (I)

There are spiritual gifts for all theindividual members of the body ofChrist (Rom 12:6). Each believer hashis own gift from God, one of onekind and another of another (1 Cor12:6–8, Eph 4:7–8).

There are four lists of spiritual giftsin the New Testament. Thedifferences in these lists, and themanner in which each is given,suggest that no list is intended to beexhaustive, and that the giftsenumerated are not necessarilyconnected with particular offices oroccupations.

The list in Romans 12:4 to 8 is asfollows: (1) prophecy, (2) ministry (avery general term for service), (3)teaching, (4) exhorting (orconsoling), (5) giving, (6) leadership,(7) showing mercy.

The list in 1 Corinthians 12:4 to 11 is:(1) wisdom, (2) knowledge, (3) faith,(4) healing, (5) powers (probablymeaning miracles), (6) prophecy, (7)discerning spirits, (8) languages(“tongues”), (9) translation oflanguages.

In 1 Corinthians 12:28 to 31 there is adouble list. In the first covering ofthe ground we have (1) apostles, (2)prophets, (3) teachers, (4) powers(miracles), (5) healing, (6) helps, (7)governors, (8) languages(“tongues”). As Paul goes over theground again, we have no mentionof “helps” or “governors” but wehave the additional item of“translation.” It is thought that“helps” probably refers to severalkinds of minor offices or ministrieswhich developed in the early church.“Governors” is thought to indicatea differentiation in the eldership asbetween teaching elders (1 Tim 5:17)and ruling elders or governors of thechurch.

The list found in Ephesians 4:11 isvery brief: (1) apostles, (2) prophets,(3) evangelists, (4) pastors andteachers. Each of these could beregarded as a special occupation oroffice.

THOUGHT: “The gifts of the Spiritare not the gifts of nature.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, help me discover myspiritual gift so that I might use it forthe edification of the saints and tothe glory of Your name.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 91 CORINTHIANS 12:28–311 CORINTHIANS 3:6–9

“We are labourers

together with God.”

SPIRITUAL GIFTS FORCHURCH GROWTH (II)

Prophecy is the only spiritual giftfound in all four lists. Apostles arementioned in two of the lists (1 Cor12:28–29; Eph 4:11). The gift oflanguages (“tongues”) and the giftof translation and healing arementioned in the two lists found in 1Corinthians 12. Teaching is found inthe list in Romans 12, and in thesecond list in 1 Corinthians 12. InEphesians 4:11 we find the gift called“pastors and teachers.” These twofunctions of shepherding andteaching are to be considered as onegift. Every pastor (shepherd) oughtto be a teacher and every teacherought to be a shepherd.

The office of the apostles is a veryspecial one and is not perpetuatedin the Church. There were only 12Apostles involved in establishing theNT Church, and the writing of theNT Scripture. There is no longer anyneed for apostles today since theChurch is already establishedworldwide, and the Scriptures arealready completed and canonised.Apart from the office of apostleship,“ministry” (Rom 12:7) might beconsidered a reference to the officeof deacon. “Governments” or“governors” (1 Cor 12:28) could bea reference to ruling elders.

The gifts of the Spirit are manifold.We are not intended to have acomplete list. The Spirit breatheswhere He chooses (John 3:8). Thesign gifts such as apostleship,miracles, tongues, healing, etc areevidently not for all times and placesin the Church. Each member of theChurch is given some gift asevidence of the indwelling presenceof the Holy Spirit (see Rom 12:6; 1Cor 7:7; 12:7; Eph 4:7). Themanifestation of the Holy Spirit inthe life of the redeemed individual isreferred to as a “seal” (Eph 1:13; 4:30;2 Cor 1:22), a distinctive mark ofgenuineness as a member of thebody. The spiritual gifts are not tobe used in isolation. Paul says ofhimself and Apollos, “we arelabourers together with God” (1Cor 3:9). The gifts are for “theperfecting of the saints, for the workof the ministry, for the edifying ofthe body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).

THOUGHT: “The gifts of the Spiritare distributed by him at his owngood pleasure.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, thank You formaking me useful in Your church.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10JOHN 6:51–69JOHN 14:15–17

"He that believeth on me hath

everlasting life.”

THE SACRAMENTS OF THECHURCH (I)

In the Westminster ShorterCatechism the two sacraments,baptism and the Lord’s Supper, arepresented under the general headingof “the means of grace.” WSC Qn88: “What are the outward meanswhereby Christ communicateth to usthe benefits of redemption? Theoutward and ordinary meanswhereby Christ communicateth to usthe benefits of redemption, are Hisordinances, especially the Word,sacraments, and prayer; all which aremade effectual to the elect forsalvation.”

The outward formal and physical actof baptism and the Lord’s Supper donot convey any spiritual blessing orbenefit. There is nothing magicalabout the ceremonies of waterbaptism and the Lord’s Supper.

One proof that the sacraments arenot held to be external instrumentsin themselves for the conveying ofthe grace of God is the fact that theWord and prayer are also said to be“outward and ordinary means” in thesame sense as the sacraments. WSCQns 89 and 90: “How is the Wordmade effectual to salvation? TheSpirit of God maketh the reading, butespecially the preaching of the Word,an effectual means of convincing andconverting sinners, and of buildingthem up in holiness and comfort,through faith unto salvation. How isthe Word to be read and heard, thatit may become effectual to salvation?That the word may become effectualto salvation, we must attendthereunto with diligence,preparation, and prayer; receive itwith faith and love, lay it up in ourhearts, and practise it in our lives.”

It is not the act of carrying the Biblethat shows that one is saved.Salvation comes not by a possessionof the Bible, but by understandingand obeying its divinely inspiredwords with the help of the Holy Spirit.

With reference to the sacraments, theWSC Qn 91 teaches, “Thesacraments become effectual meansof salvation, not from any virtue inthem, or in him that doth administerthem; but only by the blessing ofChrist, and the working of His spiritin them that by faith receive them.”

THOUGHT: The sacraments areoutward signs of an inward grace.PRAYER: Lord, help me to live byfaith and not by sight.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 111 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26TITUS 3:5

“This do in remembrance

of me.”

THE SACRAMENTS OF THECHURCH (II)

There are two specific manners inwhich the sacrament of the Lord’sSupper is a “means of grace.” Jesussaid, “this do in remembrance of me”(1 Cor 11:24–25), with reference toboth the bread and the cup. Pauladds, “As often as ye eat this bread,and drink this cup, ye do shew theLord’s death till he come” (v.26). Sothe Lord’s Supper is a “means ofgrace” in reminding thecommunicants of Christ, and inshowing forth to outsiders the factof His death on the cross. It is to beperpetuated in the world until Christcomes again.

The sacraments are not necessaryfor salvation, but are useful (1) asvisual aids to assist human minds toknow what is taught in the HolyScriptures, and (2) as a publictestimony to the outside world of themeaning of faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, the phrase, “means of grace,”must not be mechanically interpretedto mean that the sacramentsthemselves impart salvation. It mustbe emphasized that Independent,Baptist and Presbyterian churchesdo not agree with the Roman Catholicerror of salvation by works throughthe mechanical keeping of baptismand the mass.

So, what is a sacrament? A Christiansacrament is defined as “an holyordinance instituted by Christ,wherein, by sensible [sensory] signsChrist, and the benefits of the newcovenant, are represented, sealed,and applied to believers” (WSC Q92). This definition, adhered toofficially by Presbyterian bodies, hasno peculiar denominationalemphasis, but expresses the ideacommon to all Protestant bodies. Infact, as a mere definition, it is notunacceptable to Roman Catholics.

The chief points of emphasis in thedefinition are (1) that the sacramentsare holy ordinances instituted byChrist, and (2) that the sacramentsare effective in certain ways.

THOUGHT: The sacraments are“mirrors in which we maycontemplate the riches of gracewhich God imparts to us.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, teach me thespiritual truths of Your Wordthrough the visible signs of Yourholy sacraments.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 12ROMANS 4:1–11GENESIS 17:1–11

“He received the sign

of circumcision.”

THE SACRAMENTS ASSEALS (I)

The Sacraments are seals of theCovenant of Grace. The word, “seal,”designates a visible mark that provesthe validity of the arrangement,covenant, or promise, which it isunderstood to signify (see Gen 38:18,25; Exod 28:11; cf. 1 Kgs 21:8; Neh9:38; Esth 8:8; Job 38:14; Jer 22:24;32:10, 44; Dan 6:17). Even in ourmodern culture, an official seal isoften used to authenticate anagreement or a testimony.

In the New Testament the word“seal” is used metaphorically for afirm testimony (John 3:33). Christreferred to the evidence of thegenuineness of His claims as the“seal” of the Father upon Him (John6:27). The stone at the door of thetomb where Christ was buried wasliterally “sealed” with the officialRoman seal (Matt 27:66). Thestatement that “The Lord will showwho are his” (Num 16:5), is said tobe the “seal” upon the foundationof the truth of God (2 Tim 2:19). TheCorinthian Christians are the “seal”of Paul’s apostleship (1 Cor 9:2). Themissionary offering collected fromthe Gentile churches is the tangibleevidence (a “seal”) of thegenuineness of their faith (Rom15:28). The manifest presence of theHoly Spirit in the lives of believers isthe “seal” or evidence of theirregeneration (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor1:22).

The custom of speaking of thesacraments as the seal of “Christ andthe benefits of the new covenant,”is based upon the fact that Paul refersto the sign of circumcision as the“seal” of the justification by faithwhich Abraham had when he was stillin the state of uncircumcision (Rom4:11). Paul refers to baptism as“Christian circumcision” (Col 2:11–12). The Lord’s Supper is equally anoutward act of testimony, “showingforth the Lord’s death” (1 Cor 11:26).The sacraments are therefore the“seal” or outward sign of ourrelationship with Christ inregeneration.

THOUGHT: A sign does not save, itmerely points to the Saviour.PRAYER: (Praise the Lord for howHe has saved you from your sins.)

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13COLOSSIANS 2:6-12EPHESIANS 1:3-14

“Ye were sealed with the

holy Spirit of promise.”

THE SACRAMENTS ASSEALS (II)

It should be noted that in no casedoes a seal in itself serve as theefficient creditable cause of thevalidity of the arrangement, orpromise or contract which itrepresents. Lawyers explain to us thata seal affixed to a document is“presumptive evidence” that thedocument is valid and to be taken atface value. By way of illustration, thediploma of the Far Eastern BibleCollege bears a golden seal. Beforethe diploma is awarded, the seal maybe attached to the diploma at anytime when it is presumed by thecustodians of the seal that thestudent will complete or hascompleted his studies, and that thediploma will eventually be validated.

The seal of a diploma illustrates howthe sacraments can truly be regardedas seals of our standing in Christ.No sacrament occurs at precisely thesame time in which the individualbelieves and is justified. In the caseof infant baptism, the seal is appliedin the confident expectation andhope that the child will believe andbe born again. In the case of thosewho come into the Christian faith asadults, not having been brought upin Christian nurture, and not havingbeen baptized as infants, and in thecase of all who partake of the Lord’sSupper, subsequent to the requisiteself-examination (1 Cor 11:28), theseal is applied subsequent to the timewhen the individual is presumed tobe born again. In no case does theseal accomplish that of which it is asign, but in all these cases the seal isapplied in obedience to the commandof Christ, as an outward sign of theinward grace which is confidentlyexpected in the case of infants, orbelieved to be actually received inthe case of adults.

Since a sacrament is a sign wherein“Christ and the benefits of the newcovenant, are represented, sealed,and applied to believers,” there isthus no dispute about the fact thatthe sacraments represent that whichaccomplishes our salvation.

THOUGHT: “All signs are as it weredead, except life is given them by theword.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, let my life outwardlymanifest the inward reality of atransformed heart and mind in JesusChrist.

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LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 14MATTHEW 26:26–28MARK 14:22–24

“Jesus took bread, and blessed,

and brake it.”

MEANING OF THE LORD’SSUPPER (I)

The Lord’s Supper is called the Lord’sSupper because it was instituted bythe Lord Himself just before Hisdeath. The Lord’s Supper like WaterBaptism is an outward sign of aninward grace. It is the external visibledisplay of an internal invisible realityof our salvation. For example, whenwe go through the waters of baptism,we are publicly declaring what hasalready happened in our heart,namely, the washing away of sins,our new life in Christ, etc.

It is a symbolic act. By way ofillustration, the wedding rings whicha married couple wear are signs andseals of an earlier exchange — theexchange of marriage vows. Asforgetful people, the rings are needfulreminders of the marriage vows thathave been taken.

Note that water baptism and theLord’s Supper do not save. They arejust outward symbols of an inwardreality. Just like the wedding ring. Aring does not make a person married.The vow to each other did.

According to the WestminsterShorter Catechism, “The Lord’sSupper is a sacrament, wherein, bygiving and receiving bread and wine,according to Christ’s appointment,his death showed forth; and theworthy receivers are, not after acorporal and carnal, but by faith,made partakers of his body and blood,with all his benefits, to their spiritualnourishment and growth in grace.”

The institution of the Lord’s Supperis recorded in all 3 synoptic gospelsin Matthew 26:26 to 28, Mark 14:22to 24, and Luke 22:19 to 20. When wepartake of the Lord’s Supper, weremember the Lord’s atoning workon the cross, and when we partakeof it by faith, we receive spiritual helpand blessing to live the Christian life.

THOUGHT: “The sacraments’ onlyaim is to make us look to Christ foreverything requisite to oursalvation.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, may You draw mecloser to Yourself as I observe thesacraments that You have instituted.

17

MONDAY, JANUARY 15JOHN 6:51–58HEBREWS 7:27

“My flesh…

I will give for the life of the world.”

MEANING OF THE LORD’SSUPPER (II)

There are 4 views of the Lord’ssupper: (1) Transubstantiation, (2)Consubstantiation, (3) Symbolical,and (4) Spiritual Presence.

Transubstantiation is the RomanCatholic view. It says that the breadand cup literally become the bodyand blood of Christ. When the priestutters the words of Christ, “This ismy body” and “This is my blood,”the bread and the wine magicallybecome the actual body and bloodof Christ. So you are actually eatingreal flesh and drinking real blood.Sometimes they put the wafer into amonstrance (a little glass showcasewith a stand that can be carriedaround) to be worshipped as God.The wafer becomes God. This isidolatry. They also say that each timethe Holy Communion is observed,Christ is crucified all over again. Thisgoes against Hebrews 7:27 whichtells us that Christ offered Himselfonce for all. His death is notrepeatable.

In John 6:53, Jesus told the disciplesto eat His flesh and drink His blood.When He said this He did not meana literal eating of His actual flesh andliteral drinking of His actual blood.The context clearly tells us that theeating of His flesh and drinking ofHis blood is to be taken spiritually. Itis a spiritual feeding. His sinlessbody will be crucified and His bloodwill be shed. Jesus was telling thepeople in John 6:53 to believe on Him— to partake of Him spiritually. Thebody and blood point to Christ’swork on the cross. When we believeall that Jesus has done for us on thecross, His shed blood and Hisresurrection from the dead, we shallbe saved.

The Roman Catholic view oftransubstantiation is thus idolatrous,superstitious, and blasphemous, andmust be rejected.

THOUGHT: “The first object of thesacraments is to assist our faithtowards God; the second, to testifyour confession before men.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, I want to testifybefore my family and friends that Youare my Lord and my Saviour.

18

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16JOHN 6:51–58HEBREWS 7:27

“this do in remembrance of Me.”

MEANING OF THE LORD’SSUPPER (III)

The Lutheran view of the Lord’sSupper comes from Martin Luther.Before his salvation, Luther was avery devout Roman Catholic monk.He said, “I was indeed a pious monk,and followed the rules of my ordermore strictly than I can express. Ifever a monk could obtain heaven byhis monkish works, I should certainlyhave been entitled to it.” By the graceof God, Luther came to realise thatsalvation is purely by faith and notworks. He broke away from theRoman Catholic Church and startedthe Protestant movement preachingthe good news of salvation by gracealone, through faith alone, and inChrist alone.

Although Luther rejected the RomanCatholic view of salvation, he did notreject the Roman Catholic view oftransubstantiation totally. Althoughhe denied that the bread and cupliterally and magically turned into theflesh and blood of Christ (to him thebread was still bread, and the winewas still wine), he believed that thebody and blood of Christ werepresent “in, with, and under” thebread and wine.

Luther’s view is calledconsubstantiation. Luther used aniron bar heated with fire as anillustration. The iron after it is heatedremains iron, but now there is theelement of heat, and the heat is inthe iron itself, is with the iron, and isaround the iron.

Luther like the Roman Catholicsfailed to understand that the bodyand blood are to be takenfiguratively and spiritually. Christ isnot physically present in the breadand the wine. As such, his view ofconsubstantiation which is similar totransubstantiation ought to berejected as unbiblical as well.

THOUGHT: “The sacraments areaids of our faith and appendices ofdoctrine.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Yoursacraments that assist me inunderstanding what You have doneto save me from my sins.

19

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 171 CORINTHIANS 11:23–34REVELATION 19:7–9

“Ye do shew the Lord’s death

till he come.”

MEANING OF THE LORD’SSUPPER (IV)

Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss Reformerwho taught that the Lord’s Supperwas simply a symboliccommemoration of the Lord’s workon the cross. He based it on thewords of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 11:24,“this do in remembrance of me.”Zwingli said that the bread and cupmerely represent the body and bloodof Christ. However, there is oneshortcoming in his view: He failed tosee the spiritual presence of Christin the elements which was taught byCalvin.

Calvin agreed with Zwingli that theelements represent the body andblood of Christ. Calvin used thewords “symbols,” “signs,” and“images,” to explain the meaning ofthe bread and cup. Calvin also taughtthat the Lord’s Supper is also acommemoration service. We do it toremember Christ and His work on thecross.

However, Calvin taught an additionalsignificance. It is also a spiritualexercise. The whole ceremony is asacred affair. All participants musttake part in it in a reverential manner.There is no place for frivolity. It mustbe observed with a worshipfulattitude. We must search our hearts,confess our sins, and renew ourcommitment to Christ. Those who donot partake in a worthy manner areliable to be chastised by God. Thepunishment could come in the formof an illness or even death.

If we come before the Lord’s tablehumbly, sincerely, reverentially, andpartake of the bread and cup by faith,we will receive a special blessing fromheaven. Such benefits, Calvin said,cannot be explained but experienced.Hence, the Lord’s Supper is not justa commemoration; it is also a spiritualexercise.

Of the 4 views on the Lord’s Supper,Calvin’s view is the biblical view.

THOUGHT: “Our sacramentscontain that Yea and Amen of all thepromises of God.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Yourpromises are always true.

20

THURSDAY, JANUARY 181 CORINTHIANS 10:14–221 CORINTHIANS 11:23–24

“Flee from idolatry.”

PURITY OF THECOMMUNION TABLE

The purity of the sacrament is vividlyset forth in Paul’s injunction (1 Cor10:14-22). What born-again Christianhas not felt the very presence of theHoly Spirit of God in the mysticalunion of believers together withChrist at the communion table?

Paul emphasizes that the Lord’s tabledemands purity of faith and life. Hedraws the analogy, “Behold Israelafter the flesh [i.e. historically]: arenot they which eat of the sacrificespartakers of the altar? What say Ithen? that the idol is any thing, orthat which is offered in sacrifice toidols is any thing? But I say, thatthe things which the Gentiles [i.e.communicants of false religions]sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, andnot to God.” Paul was, of course,referring to literal idolatry, butanything which comes between usand God is, spiritually, an idol. Anyfalse doctrine which amounts to thedenial of salvation through the bloodof Christ, is a form of idolatry.“Modernism” is not a form ofChristianity, it is another religion; itis idolatry.

Paul continues, “I would not that yeshould have fellowship with devils.Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,and the cup of devils: ye cannot bepartakers of the Lord’s table, and ofthe table of devils.” The two cannotbe commingled. If it is the table offalse religion, it is not the Lord’stable.

Alluding to the metaphor of themarriage relationship, the metaphorwhich speaks of idolatry asunfaithfulness, Paul concludes, “Dowe provoke the Lord to jealousy?Are we stronger than He?”

Calvin, in his Institutes, draws thedistinction between a true Churchand that which is not a Church, inthat a true Church, preaching the trueGospel, maintains the purity of thesacraments.

THOUGHT: “We cannot obtain thegrace offered in the Sacraments,unless we are capacitated by faith.”(Calvin, Antidote to the Council ofTrent)PRAYER: Lord, I observe Yoursacraments by faith, and not as worknor as routine.

21

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19HEBREWS 8:1–13COLOSSIANS 2:16–17

“Which are a shadow

of things to come.”

SACRIFICES ANDSACRAMENTS

The OT sacrifices were “sacraments”in that they were fully equivalent tothe New Testament sacraments intheir spiritual efficacy. “Thesacraments of the Old Testament, inregard of the spiritual things therebysignified and exhibited, were, forsubstance, the same with those ofthe New” (Westminster Confession27:5). In and of themselves asoutward actions, the OT sacrificesaccomplished nothing, but in theirsignificance they represented theatonement which Christ was toaccomplish on the cross. They aredescribed as “shadows” (Col 2:17).

The OT sacrifices are called the“copy” and “shadow” and “pattern.”The OT priests are said to “serveunto the example [copy] andshadow of heavenly things, asMoses was admonished of Godwhen he was about to make thetabernacle: for, See, saith he, thatthou make all things according tothe pattern shewed to thee in themount” (Heb 8:5). The OT sacrificesare the “copy” of the things in theheavens, and the atonementaccomplished by Christ on the crossis said to be the actual sacrificepertaining to the heavenly realityitself (Heb 9:23).

There is a clear analogy between theOT and NT “sacrifices” or“sacraments.” Paul himself madesuch a comparison in 1 Corinthians5:7 to 8. And it is the same analogyof the OT ritual to the NT sacramentswhich Paul has in mind when hewrites, “ye are circumcised… by thecircumcision of Christ [or Christiancircumcision]: Buried with him inbaptism” (Col 2:11–12).

We must conclude then that in theChurch, since the incarnation and thehistorical accomplishment of theatonement, there are but twosacraments, baptism and the Lord’sSupper, and that these twosacraments embody all the meaningand all the efficacy of the divinelyordered system of worshippreviously ordained by the Lord.

THOUGHT: Which is better — aphoto or the person himself?PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thankYou for Your Son who came inperson, in the flesh, to fulfill the OldTestament types and prophecies.

22

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20NUMBERS 19:1–22LEVITICUS 4:6

“The priest shall dip his finger…

and sprinkle of the blood.”

WATER BAPTISM (I)

According to the Reformedtheology, the word for baptism whenused literally does not always implysubmerging or immersing. As a matterof fact, the meaning most common inthe NT is the action of dipping andpouring or dipping and sprinkling.There is no objection to the thoughtthat baptism may properly beperformed by immersion, but we donot find in the NT even one instancein which it is clear that immersion wasthe mode used, nor do we find in theOT ceremonial washings oneinstance in which immersion isimplied.

In the OT, the word “baptize” is usedin the sense of dipping for thepurpose of sprinkling. “And thepriest shall dip (baptize) his fingerin the blood, and sprinkle of theblood seven times before the LORD,before the vail of the sanctuary” (Lev4:6, 9:9, 14:16). The dipping (notimmersing) is tied to the act ofsprinkling. Another example ofdipping and sprinkling is found inNumbers 19, especially verses 7, 10,13, 18 and 20 which give elaboratedirections for the “water ofsprinkling.”

When we read in Daniel 4:33 and 5:21,that Nebuchadnezzar “was wet withthe dew of heaven,” the verb isbapto. Certainly the word does notmean that he was immersed.

From the above study of the OT, wesee that baptism does notnecessarily mean immersion. What aword means is determined by how itis used in its context. In the OTcontext of ceremonial or ritualcleansing, baptism is connected withthe act of dipping and sprinkling.

THOUGHT: “Baptism testifies to usour purgation and ablution; theLord’s Supper testifies ourredemption. Water is a figure ofablution, and blood of satisfaction.”(Calvin)PRAYER: Father in heaven, thankYou for cleansing me of all my sinsthrough the precious blood Yourbeloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

23

LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 21MARK 7:1–7LUKE 11:38

“By the washing of regeneration,

and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

WATER BAPTISM (II)

There is no instance of baptismrecorded in the New Testament inwhich it is clear that immersion wasthe method used. There are severalinstances in which immersion is quiteexcluded by the context. In Luke 11:38we read that “when the Pharisee sawit, he marvelled that he had not firstwashed [literally ‘baptized’] beforedinner.” It was customary for theJews to wash, that is to baptize,themselves before their meals. A fullerexplanation is found in Mark 7:1 to 7.When the Pharisees saw that someof Jesus’ disciples ate withunwashed hands, they wereastonished. Mark explains, “thePharisees, and all the Jews, exceptthey wash their hands oft, eat not,holding the tradition of the elders.And when they come from themarket, except they wash [or ‘baptizethemselves’], they eat not. And manyother things there be, which theyhave received to hold, as thewashing [baptism] of cups, and pots,brasen vessels, and of tables.” Towash a table by immersion would beproblematical, to say the least.

We know from other Scriptures howthe ancients were accustomed towashing their hands (eg: 2 Kgs 3:11;Jn 2:1–11). The water for washingwas kept in jars. A servant’s duty wasto dip and pour on his master’s hands(2 Kgs 3:11) and feet also (Lk 7:44).When the Jews came from the marketplace it was their custom to washthemselves, and for this act Lukeuses the word “baptize” (Lk 11:38).

It is abundantly evident from Luke11:38 and Mark 7:1 to 6 that the word“baptize” did not necessarily implyimmersion.

THOUGHT: Quoting John Sung onthe baptism question: “More faithless water, less faith more water.”PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Youhave washed and have cleansed mespiritually from all my sins throughYour Word and Your Blood.

24

MONDAY, JANUARY 22ACTS 8:26–39ISAIAH 52:15–53:9

"So shall he sprinkle

many nations.”

WATER BAPTISM (III)

In Acts 8:26 to 39, Philip preachedthe good news of Jesus Christ to theEthiopian eunuch from Isaiah 53:7ff.What was the water which they sawas they drove along? The regionalong that road is desert country(Acts 8:26) and there is no naturalbody of water available forimmersion. Tertullian in his treatise,“On Baptism,” refers to “the eunuchwhom Philip baptized in the midst ofhis journey with chance water.” Thepresumption is that it was a shallowpool beside the road such as is oftenseen in desert country after a shower.

But what made the Ethiopian thinkof baptism? As Philip met him he wasreading Isaiah 53:7 to 8, but we mustremember that there were no chapterdivisions in the ancient scrolls. Hehad doubtless just read the words ofIsaiah 52:15, “So shall he sprinklemany nations.” He probably wasfamiliar with Ezekiel 36:25, “Then willI sprinkle clean water upon you, andye shall be clean: from all yourfilthiness, and from all your idols,will I cleanse you. A new heart alsowill I give you, and a new spirit willI put within you: and I will takeaway the stony heart out of yourflesh, and I will give you an heart offlesh. And I will put my spirit withinyou, and cause you to walk in mystatutes, and ye shall keep myjudgments, and do them” (Ezek36:25–27). And the Ethiopian knewthe Old Testament idea of ceremonialcleansing by the sprinkling of water.It is thus quite easy to see whatcaused the Ethiopian to ask forbaptism.

The going down into the water wasnot a part of the baptizing for both ofthem went down into the water.Neither did the coming up out of thewater constitute any part of thebaptizing, for they both came up outof the water. The baptizing was anact quite distinct from going downand coming up. Wearing sandals (thecustom then), they doubtlessstepped down into the water (it mayhave been a few inches deep) andPhilip baptized the eunuch,doubtless by dipping and pouringor sprinkling, as suggested bynumerous OT references.

THOUGHT: “Baptism is a pledge ofeternal life before God, an outwardsign of faith before men.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, I want to confessmy faith before men in water baptism.

25

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23ACTS 2:37–41ACTS 9:18–19

“And arose,

and was baptised.”

WATER BAPTISM (IV)

There is not one instance in the NewTestament in which baptism itself issaid to involve the going down intothe water, or a coming up out of thewater. In cases where movement toor from the water is mentioned,without exception, the baptism is anentirely separate action.

There are indeed in the NewTestament a number of instances ofbaptism in which it seems highlyimprobable if not impossible, thatimmersion was the practice. On theday of Pentecost, “they that gladlyreceived his word were baptized:and the same day there were addedunto them about three thousandsouls” (Acts 2:41). In this case atleast, baptism by immersion, with thelimited water resources at hand,would have been extremely difficultfor the apostles. On the other hand,baptism by sprinkling, after themanner of the Old Testamentpurifying ceremonies, would havebeen quite feasible.

In the conversion of Saul, and hissubsequent baptism by Ananias, inDamascus, when his sight wasrestored after Ananias’ prayer, he“arose, and was baptized. And whenhe had received meat, he wasstrengthened” (Acts 9:18–19). Nowwhereas the word, he “arose,” neednot be taken in a very limited sense,yet in the context, the most naturalmeaning is, he “stood up and wasbaptized.” If the baptism had requiredhis going to some place whereimmersion could be performed, mostnaturally he would have partaken offood, on account of his weakenedcondition, before going out. Thusagain baptism by sprinkling,according to the Old Testamentpattern, is the most natural meaning.

In the baptism of the household ofCornelius, as soon as Peter perceivedthat the Holy Spirit was manifestlypresent in their lives, he said, “Canany man forbid water, that theseshould not be baptized, which havereceived the Holy Ghost as well aswe?” (Acts 10:47). It was no questionof going out to some pool or lake orriver, it was simply a question ofsomeone bringing in water for thebaptismal service.

THOUGHT: “Water more or less, thegospel is the best” (T.Tow).PRAYER: Lord, thank You for thegood news of Jesus Christ that hassaved me from my sins.

26

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24ROMANS 6:1–51 CORINTHIANS 15:1–4

“Buried with him in baptism.”

WATER BAPTISM (V)

The significance of the sacrament ofbaptism is stated plainly in Romans6:1 to 5. Christian baptism representsthe death, burial and resurrection ofChrist. It is through the Gospel ofHis death, burial and resurrection thatwe have the cleansing of our sinsand the newness of life imparted tous in regeneration (1 Cor 15:1–4).

In Romans 6:1 to 5, when Jesus was“buried” (v 4), He was not put downin the ground and covered up. Hisbody was carried into a rock-hewnsepulchre and, doubtless, laid upona niche or shelf as the custom was.The physical nature of His burial inno way resembled immersion inwater. The word “planted” (v 5) doesnot mean to plant by putting into theground, but the word is from phuo,to sprout forth. The beginning of ourChristian life, its germination, was inthe acceptance of the death of Christon the cross.

Baptism directly signifies ouracceptance of the atonement of Christaccomplished on the cross. But sinceit is through the atonement that sinis remitted, or cleansed away, it isentirely appropriate that baptismshould be referred to as a “cleansing”or a “washing.” Peter said on the dayof Pentecost: “Repent, and bebaptized every one of you in thename of Jesus Christ for theremission of sins, and ye shallreceive the gift of the Holy Ghost”(Acts 2:38). Baptism signifies theremission of sins through theatonement which Christaccomplished as that atone-ment isapplied to us by the Holy Spirit (cf.Acts 22:16, 1 Jn 1:7).

THOUGHT: Whether immersion orsprinkling, Baptist or Presbyterian,let there be no division over themode of baptism, but a mutual loveand respect for one another in theLord.PRAYER: Lord, teach me Your truthand Your way.

27

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25PSALM 103:17–18PROVERBS 22:6

“His righteousness

unto children’s children.”

INFANT BAPTISM (I)

Children are God’s gift to us (Ps127:3). God Himself is interested inthe physical and spiritualdevelopment of our children. His wayof reminding us of His concern is inthe ceremony of water baptismwhich is a sign and seal of thecovenant of grace. Children ofChristian parents are also recipientsof this covenant sign and seal.Christian parents ought to have theirbabies baptised as soon as possible.God is pleased with this act, and willbless both parent and childaccordingly.

This is where a proper understandingof God’s Covenant of Grace comesin. This Covenant of Grace is dividedinto 2 periods: (1) OT and (2) NT.The central Figure of bothTestaments is Jesus Christ. Thepeople in the OT were saved bylooking forward to the cross (Jn 8:56),and we in the NT are saved bylooking back at the cross. In the OT,the ceremonies that identified thenation of Israel to God were thepassover and circumcision. In theNT, since Christ is the fulfillment ofthe OT, the passover andcircumcision have been replaced bythe Lord’s supper and water baptismrespectively (Lk 22:14–20, Col 2:11–12).

The OT rite of circumcision and theNT rite of baptism are quite similar.Paul in Colossians 2:11 to 12 callswater baptism “the circumcision ofChrist.” Water baptism is Christiancircumcision. When a Jew iscircumcised, he is telling people thathe believes in Jehovah, and that heis a member of the nation of Israel.When a believer goes through waterbaptism, he is telling everyone thathe believes in Christ, and that he is amember of the Church. In the OT,male babies when they reach 8 daysold are circumcised. Likewise in theNT, we baptise our babies as earlyas possible. They are within God’scovenant promises.

THOUGHT: The Biblical view ofinfant baptism (as opposed to theRoman Catholic) is not baptismalregeneration. Water Baptism simplydoes not save, whether it is adultbaptism or infant baptism.PRAYER: Lord, my heart isencouraged to know that You have akeen interest in my children, that theyshould know You and Your salvation.

28

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26GENESIS 17:7–14ACTS 2:38–39

“The promise is unto you,

and to your children.”

INFANT BAPTISM (II)

Why were Jewish babiescircumcised? And why are babiesborn to Christian parents baptised?It is because God is interested in thefamily unit. When God saves one inthe family, He also desires to saveall. God’s covenant promises aregiven not only to the individual butalso to those who are part of hishousehold (Gen 17:7-14). Thishousehold concept is veryimportant.

In the OT we find the followinginstances where God saved not onlya person, but also his family fromdestruction. Consider the OTteaching on household salvation asfound in the case of Noah (Gen 7:1),of Abraham (Gen 17:12-13, 23, 27),and of Lot (Gen 19:16). God includedtheir respective families in His workof salvation or deliverance.

The same household salvationteaching is found in the NT. WhenPeter and Paul preached the gospel,they called not only individuals tosalvation but also their familymembers (Acts 2:38-39; Acts 16:31).Consider the following examples ofhousehold salvation: (1) Martha,Mary and Lazarus of Bethany (John11:1), (2) Cornelius and his family(Acts 10:44-48, 11:14-16), (3) Lydiaand her family (Acts 16:14-15), (4) thePhilippian jailor and his family (Acts16:31-33).

It must be said that salvation is notautomatic. It does not mean that ifone member of the family becomessaved, the rest automatically becomesaved. Each person of age mustconfess and believe in Christ forsalvation. When we talk abouthousehold salvation, we are sayingthat God is deeply interested in theeternal destiny of our dear ones. Wehave a moral responsibility to preachthe Gospel to them, and bear aChristlike testimony at home. Whenwe prayerfully and diligently do ourpart, God will be faithful to do Hispart to bring them eventually to asaving knowledge of Himself.

THOUGHT: “Those who arebaptized when mere infants, Godregenerates in childhood oradolescence, occasionally even inold age.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Yourcovenant promises to me and mychildren.

29

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27EXODUS 20:8–11MARK 2:23–28

“Remember the sabbath day,

to keep it holy.”

KEEPING THE SABBATH (I)

The Sabbath command is a good lawthat comes from a good God. Godrequires of man to set aside one daya week for physical respite andspiritual refreshment. When we cometo worship the Lord on Sunday, dowe not find our bodies and spiritsrecharged for a new week of physicalwork and spiritual battle? TheSabbath is not to be a burden but adelight. It is not a holiday but a holyday (Isa 58:13–14).

Today, we keep the Sabbath onSunday, the Lord’s Day (Rev 1:10,Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 16:2) commemoratingChrist’s resurrection. On this day, wegather for worship, fellowship, Biblestudy and evangelism.

While keeping the Sabbath, we donot keep it with a Pharisaical attitude.In Mark 2:23 to 24, the Phariseescharged Jesus and His disciples forbreaking the sabbath. According tothe Pharisees, the sabbath law wasbroken when the disciples pluckedand rubbed the wheat grains in theirhands. In their extra-biblicalrabbinical laws, they listed thefollowing as work forbidden on thesabbath: “The main classes of workare forty save one: sowing,ploughing, reaping, binding sheaves,threshing, winnowing, cleansingcrops, grinding, sifting, kneading,baking, shearing wool, washing orbeating or dyeing it, spinning,weaving, making two loops, weavingtwo threads, separating two threads,tying [a knot], loosening [a knot],sewing two stitches, tearing in orderto sew two stitches, hunting a gazelle,slaughtering or flaying or salting itor curing its skin, scraping it orcutting it up, writing two letters,erasing in order to write two letters,building, pulling down, putting outa fire, lighting a fire, striking with ahammer and taking our aught fromone domain into another. These arethe main classes of work: forty saveone” (Mishnah, Shabbath 7.2). Thedisciples were considered to havedone #3 and #5 of the 39 activities.Jesus was culpable because He didnot stop His hungry disciples. Wasthe Master wrong?

Jesus and His disciples did notviolate the Sabbath law. What theyviolated were the extra-biblical, man-made, foolish laws of the Pharisees.

THOUGHT: The Lord God is not aslave-driver, but a loving Master.PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Yourgood law of rest on the Sabbath.

30

LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 28MARK 2:23–281 SAMUEL 21:1–6

“The Son of man

is Lord also of the sabbath.”

KEEPING THE SABBATH (II)

In Mark 2:25 to 28, Jesus rebuttedthe accusations of the Pharisees byciting the example of David who ateof the shewbread that only thepriests were allowed to eat. Davidwas hungry, and Ahimelech thepriest, knowing the law for sure, didnot forbid David and his men to filltheir stomachs (1 Sam 21:1–6 cf. Lev24:9). Ahimelech “broke” theceremonial law of Leviticus 24:9, butwas blameless. David likewise“broke” that law by eating of theceremonial bread, and was guiltlessas well. If Ahimelech and David wereinnocent, how could Jesus be guilty?Moreover, Jesus Himself is the Lordof the Sabbath! The higher law ofnecessity overrides the lower law ofceremony. It ought to be noted thatJesus in this particular instance didnot even depart from a God-givenceremonial law, but a man-maderabbinical tradition. The charges ofthe Pharisees were totally baselessand without merit. Jesus did notbreak the law but kept it perfectly —His active obedience.

Jesus laid down a wonderful principlefor Sabbath-keeping when He said,“The sabbath was made for man, andnot man for the sabbath” (Mk 2:27).The Sabbath was instituted not as aburden but as a benefit to man. Thusany legalistic application of theSabbath law contradicts its God-given role for man (cf. Lk 11:46).

The puritans, in their overemphasison the doctrine of sanctification,became legalistic. Instead ofstressing on the spirit of the law, theyput an undue emphasis on the letterof the law. Calvin has rightlycommented, “The point of it is that itis wrong to turn the sabbath to man’sdestruction, since God instituted itfor his sake. The Pharisees sawChrist’s disciples busy in a holywork, they saw them exhausted andfamished by their journey, yet theywere angry that these hungry menshould refresh their weary bodieswith a few grains of corn. Is it not anignorant perversion of God’s will todemand the observance of thesabbath to man’s hurt when Godintended it to help him?” (NewTranslation, Harmony, 2:30). Whatinsight and wisdom!

THOUGHT: Sabbath is a day ofworship.PRAYER: Lord, may I be found inYour house every Lord’s Day.

31

MONDAY, JANUARY 29DEUTERONOMY 5:12–15JOHN 4:21–24

“True worshippersshall worship the Father

in spirit and in truth.”

KEEPING THE SABBATH (III)

How do we keep the ChristianSabbath, which is the Lord’s Day,holy? Here are instructions from theWestminster Larger Catechism:

Q 116: What is required in the fourthcommandment?

A: The fourth commandmentrequires of all men the sanctifying orkeeping holy to God such set timesas he has appointed in his Word,expressly one whole day in seven;which was the seventh from thebeginning of the world to theresurrection of Christ, and the firstday of the week ever since, and so tocontinue to the end of the world;which is the Christian Sabbath, andin the New Testament called theLord’s day.

Q 117: How is the Sabbath or theLord’s day to be sanctified?

A: The Sabbath or Lord’s day is tobe sanctified by an holy resting allthe day, not only from such works asare at all times sinful, but even fromsuch worldly employments andrecreations as are on other dayslawful; and making it our delight tospend the whole time (except somuch of it as is to be taken up inworks of necessity and mercy) in thepublic and private exercises of God’sworship: and, to that end, we are toprepare our hearts, and with suchforesight, diligence, and moderation,to dispose and seasonably todespatch our worldly business, thatwe may be the more free and fit forthe duties of that day.

(As Christians, we should not beworking on the Lord’s Day unlessthey are works of necessity, eg,doctor, nurse, policeman, fireman,soldier. A gynaecologist cannot tellhis patient: “Please do not go intolabour on Sunday!”)

THOUGHT: In certain countries,their “Sabbath” is on a Friday. Is Godangry at His people if they were toworship on a Friday?PRAYER: Lord, grant me aworshipful spirit every day of theweek.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 30ISAIAH 58:13–14ROMANS 14:4–8

“Call the Sabbath a delight.”

KEEPING THE SABBATH (IV)

Q 118: Why is the charge of keepingthe Sabbath more specially directedto governors of families, and othersuperiors?

A: The charge of keeping theSabbath is more specially directedto governors of families, and othersuperiors, because they are boundnot only to keep it themselves, butto see that it be observed by all thosethat are under their charge; andbecause they are prone ofttimes tohinder them by employments of theirown.

Q 119: What are the sins forbiddenin the fourth commandment?

A: The sins forbidden in the fourthcommandment are, all omissions ofthe duties required, all careless,negligent, and unprofitableperforming of them, and being wearyof them; all profaning the day byidleness, and doing that which is initself sinful; and by all needlessworks, words, and thoughts, aboutour worldly employments andrecreations.

It is interesting to note that theWestminster theologians did notgive a list of specific do’s and don’tsin their exposition of the Sabbathcommand, but laid down a list ofbiblical principles we might apply toensure that we keep the Sabbathholy and wholly:

1. Put God first (Isa 58:13, Matt6:33). “Worship is the mother ofall virtues.”

2. The Sabbath is made for thebenefit of man (Mk 2:27). Allowedon the Sabbath are the works ofnecessity, of mercy, of service toGod.

3. Christian freedom and non-judgmentalism (Rom 14:4–8, Jn4:21–24). Sanctifying theSabbath is an attitude or a spiritwe must cultivate. A spirit ofdesiring to please God in all thatwe do, and be a good testimonyfor Him on the Lord’s Day, andevery day of the week.

THOUGHT: “The Sabbath was notprescribed as a day of idleness, buta season when we should collectour whole energies for meditationupon the works of God.” (Calvin)PRAYER: Lord, may I worship andserve You with all my heart, soul,mind and strength on the Sabbathday.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31LEVITICUS 10:1–21 CORINTHIANS 14:33, 40

“Let all things be done

decently and in order.”

REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE OFWORSHIP

The worship of God in His housemust be done in God’s way. “Theacceptable way of worshipping thetrue God is instituted by Himself, andso limited by His own revealed will,that He may not be worshippedaccording to the imaginations anddevices of men, or the suggestionsof Satan, under any visiblerepresentation, or any other way notprescribed in the holy Scripture”(WCF 21.1).

God requires us to worship Him inHis way. Any worship not institutedby God will not be accepted. Forexample, Nadab and Abihu werepunished by God because they“offered strange fire... which hecommanded them not” (Lev 10:1).God does not allow us to worshipHim according to our whim andfancy. He requires us to worship Himaccording to the principles ofworship He has set forth in theScriptures.

The regulative principle involves twovital doctrines of the Christian faith.The first is the doctrine of God’snature. 1 Corinthians 14:33 and 40tells us that the God we worship is aGod of decency and order, and notconfusion. God is not pleased withany form of worship that is chaotic,wild, and uncontrolled. Spiritualmaturity is an important element.The more spiritually minded we are,the more sensitive we will be to theholiness of God. It is not so much amatter of rules and regulations, butof spirituality. If our hearts and mindsare biblically tuned to God and HisWord, we do not need any one togive us a list of do’s and don’ts, wewill automatically know what Godwants us to be and what He wantsus to do. We will naturally desirewhat God desires. Read 1 Corinthians2:15 to 16.

The regulative principle alsoinvolves the doctrine of separation.This principle is taught in Romans12:1 to 2. Although the Church is inthe world, she must not be of theworld, and that includes her form ofworship.

THOUGHT: Say “No” toContemporary Christian Music(CCM).PRAYER: Lord, may I always renderto You acceptable and spiritualworship.

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INTRODUCTION TOCOLOSSIANS

In Colossians we find “one of themost exalted presentations of thecharacter of the Lord Jesus Christthat can be found anywhere inScripture. He is the image of theinvisible God; He is the Creator ofall things, human and angelic; He isthe Sustainer of all things; He is theHead of the church, which is Hisbody; in Him all the fulness of Deitydwells. The believer must keepreminding himself that the LordJesus Christ is the answer to everyproblem that he finds himself facing.It is His power that triumphs; it isHis grace that sustains. Thesoulwinner must go forth with morefervent zeal and a more determinedfaith that the Lord Jesus Christ canmeet every man’s need. Theexpositor must continue unfoldingthe treasures of His Person so thatthe needs of every heart, saved orunsaved, may be met. Every believershould set his affections on thatexalted Person, and look forward tothe day when he sees Him face toface.” — BV.

About one hundred years ago, Dr HSinclair Paterson said that the mainpurpose of Paul’s Epistle to theColossians is “strongly to set forththe supremacy and sufficiency ofChrist, the Head of the body.” Aswe study the Book of Colossianstogether, may the Holy Spirit awakenin each of us a deeper love andappreciation for our blessed Lord.May we keep looking unto Jesus,the Author and Finisher of our faith,and may He receive all praise andhonour and glory and blessing!Note: Among the commentaries usedto prepare these RPG notes, “Focuson Colossians”, the April 1979 issueof Biblical Viewpoint, by the facultyof the School of Religion, Bob JonesUniversity, has been very helpful.Quotations from this work, indicatedby BV, are used with permission.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1COLOSSIANS 1:1-2EPHESIANS 1:1-12

“And the peace of God, which passethall understanding, shall keep your hearts

and minds through Christ Jesus.”

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS

Paul, who was called by God to bean apostle of Jesus Christ, i.e. onesent with a special message, wrotethis Epistle to the believers inColosse. His companion at that timewas Timothy, a brother in Christ.The believers in Colosse are highlycommended by Paul; he calls themsaints and faithful brethren inChrist.

Every born again believer is a saint!Literally, a saint is a separatedperson, one who is set apart,separated unto God and separatedfrom sin and worldliness. The saintsof Colosse glorified God by livingpure lives through the power of theHoly Spirit. We too should glorifyGod by living pure and holy livesthrough the power of the Holy Spirit.

The phrase faithful brethren inChrist indicates that the believersin Colosse had responded to thedivine call and had continuallysought to fulfil God’s purpose fortheir lives as individuals and as abelieving community. They certainlyshowed the faithfulness of whichPaul speaks in 1 Corinthians 4:2,Moreover it is required in stewards,that a man be found faithful. Are wefaithful in our Christian lives andservice?

After identifying himself as theauthor, and the believers in Colosseas the recipients of this letter, theApostle Paul sends greetings to theColossians — grace and peace beto you from God the Father and Godthe Son.

Grace is unmerited favour, freelybestowed by God. The word as usedhere is much more than a meregreeting; it is a prayer that theymight enjoy the blessings of GodHimself. Peace speaks of the healthycondition of the life experienced bythe man who enjoys God’s favour.Grace and peace come from God theFather and His only begotten Son,the Lord Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11mentions the grace of God, whileRomans 5:1 tells us that beingjustified by faith, believers havepeace with God through our LordJesus Christ.

THOUGHT: The believers inColosse and Rome had peace withGod through the Lord Jesus Christ.Do I have this peace?PRAYER: Lord, grant me Your peacethroughout my earthly life.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2COLOSSIANS 1:3-61 THESSALONIANS 1:1-10

“Love is the fulfilling of the law.”

FAITH, LOVE, AND HOPE

“The Apostle rejoiced because ofwhat he knew about these believers.Likewise we also ought to live in amanner that would bring joy to theheart of ‘the Apostle and High Priestof our profession, Christ Jesus’ (Heb3:1). Paul gave thanks to God andthen prayed for God’s children.Thanksgiving precedes prayer,because only hopeful attitudes canpromote helpful activities. Histhanksgiving is discussed in versesthree through eight…and his prayeris disclosed in verses nine throughfourteen.” — BV.

Three attributes in the spiritual livesof these believers gave reason forPaul’s exultation: faith, love, andhope. These three indispensablequalities are perfect complementsand form the very heart of a vibrant,productive Christian life. These threequalities are also mentioned in 1Corinthians 13:13—And nowabideth faith, hope, charity, thesethree; but the greatest of these ischarity.

F W Farrar says there are variousreasons why love (charity) is thegreatest and best of the three. Oneof these reasons is that “love is thegreatest because faith and hope canonly work by love, and only showthemselves by love. Thus love is asthe undivided perfection ofsevenfold light. Faith and hope areprecious stones of one colour, as aruby and a sapphire; but love, as hehas been showing us throughoutthe chapter, is a diamond of manyfacets.”

The following comparison (from BV)may help to characterise faith, love,and hope:—1. Faith in Christ is based on thepast and results in salvation (howye turned to God from idols — 1Thess 1:9).2. Love for the saints operates in thepresent and results in service (toserve the living and true God — 1Thess 1:9).3. Hope of heaven looks to the futureand results in sanctification (to waitfor his Son from heaven — 1 Thess1:10).

THOUGHT: Do I manifest faith,love, and hope in my life?PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help meto love and serve You more.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3COLOSSIANS 1:7-8MARK 10:35-45

“Moreover it is required in stewards,

that a man be found faithful.”

FAITHFUL EPAPHRAS

Epaphras is mentioned only threetimes in the Bible—in Colossians 1:7-8 and 4:12-13, and in Philemon 23.Brought up in Colosse, he wasprobably converted in Ephesusduring Paul’s stay there. Like others,he must have been taught by Paulduring his daily ministry.

Epaphras was with Paul during partof Paul’s first Roman imprisonment— Paul calls him my fellow prisonerin Christ Jesus (Phm 23). Towardsthe end of Paul’s ministry inEphesus, Epaphras went out as amissionary to Colosse, where he laidthe foundation for that church, andapparently also for those in theneighbouring cities of Laodicea andHierapolis. Later, when heresy arosewhich he could not successfullycombat, he took the matter to Paulwho was at that time a prisoner inRome. (R Sturz)

Paul’s high regard for Epaphras isshown by his designating him:1. Our dear fellow servant (1:7), i.e.a fellow bond-slave. A slave was onewithout a will of his own, only thewill of his master. It was not his toreason why, it was only his to do ordie.2. A faithful minister of Christ (1:7).The word for minister is the sameword as is used in Mark 10:45. Itrefers to a voluntary servant, who isdoing service for the benefit ofothers.3. A servant of Christ (4:12). Pauluses the phrase servant of Christseveral times of himself, but onlytwice of others—here of Epaphrasand in Philippians 1:1 of Timothy.

Paul assured the Colossians thatEpaphras’ teaching was sanctionedby divine authority. Also, it wasEpaphras who brought Paul thegood news of the spiritual growthof the Colossians, i.e. who told himof their faith, love, and hope. He alsoprayed fervently for them (4:12).Epaphras’ faithfulness was aspiritual asset to the Colossians. Heserved faithfully in the Gospel ofChrist.

THOUGHT: Epaphras’ example is anencouragement to me.PRAYER: Lord, help me to be afaithful minister of Christ.

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LORD’S DAY, FEBRUARY 4COLOSSIANS 1:9-14PSALM 66:16-20

“Pray without ceasing.”

PAUL’S PRAYER

The Apostle Paul was a man ofprayer. Andrew Murray (1828-1917)points out that:

1. Paul was a minister who prayedmuch for his congregation. (re: Rom1:9-11, 10:1, Eph 1:15-19, 3:14-19, 1Thess 3:10-13, 5:23.)

“What a study for the inner chamber!These passages teach us thatunceasing prayer formed a large partof Paul’s service in the Gospel. Wesee the high spiritual aim which heset before himself in his work onbehalf of believers, and the tenderand self-sacrificing love with whichhe ever continued to think of thechurch and its needs. Let us ask Godto bring each one of us, and all theministers of His Word, to a life ofwhich such prayer is the healthy andnatural outflow. We shall need toturn again and again to these pagesif we would really be brought by theSpirit to the apostolic life which Godhas given us as an example.”

2. Paul was a minister who askedhis congregation to pray much. (re:Rom 15:30-31, 2 Cor 1:9-11, Eph 6:18-20, Phil 1:19, Col 4:2-4, 2 Thess 3:1.)

“What a deep insight Paul had as tothe unity of the Body of Christ andthe relation of the members one toanother! … Let us learn the lessonand beseech God that ministers andcongregations together may grow inthe grace of prayer, so that theirentire service and Christian life maywitness that the Spirit of prayer rulesthem. Then we may be confident thatGod will avenge His own elect whichcry out day and night unto Him.”

Let us note also that the six-foldpetition of Colossians 1:9-14, was notmade for the Colossians only. Paul’sdesire was for the spiritual well-beingof all Christians. It thus becomes anexemplary statement of what Godwants for us and of what we shouldwant for others.

THOUGHT: “Persevering andbelieving prayer means a strong andan abundant life.” (A. Murray)PRAYER: Lord, teach us to pray (Lk11:1).

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5COLOSSIANS 1:9PSALM 40:5-10

“Be ye doers of the word, and not

hearers only.”

THE KNOWLEDGE OFGOD’S WILL

In the first of the six petitionsmentioned in Colossians 1:9-14, Paulprays that the Colossians might befilled with the knowledge of [God’s]will in all wisdom and spiritualunderstanding.

What Paul desired for the Colossianswas a complete knowledge of the willof God. Every Christian shoulddesire to know God’s perfect will forhis life (Rom 12:2).

“True understanding is not simply atheoretical appreciation for theperson of God but a practicalapplication of the purposes of God.Spiritual wisdom involves not onlywhat we know of Christ, but whatwe do for Him. It is doctrine thatpromotes duty. Right thoughts andright deeds are yoked together asthey pull the cart of spiritualresponsibility along the road of life;if either one stops pulling, the cartgets nowhere and is in danger ofbeing upset.” — BV.

In other words, while we must knowGod’s will for our lives, we must alsodo it! (Jas 1:22). Yet, how can weknow God’s will for our lives? F BMeyer: “When we want to knowGod’s will, there are three thingswhich always concur: the inwardimpulse, the Word of God and thetrend of circumstances!

“God in the heart, impelling youforward; God in His Book,corroborating whatever He says inthe heart; and God incircumstances, which are alwaysindicative of His will. Never actuntil these three things agree.”

THOUGHT: “I had rather be in theheart of Africa in the will of God thanon the throne of England out of thewill of God.” (David Livingstone)PRAYER: Lord, grant me a heartready to do Your will.

40

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6COLOSSIANS 1:10PSALM 119:105-112

“For to me to live is Christ.”

WALK WORTHY OF THELORD

In the second of the six petitionsmentioned in Colossians 1:9-14, Paulprays that the believers in Colossemight walk worthy of the Lord untoall pleasing.

The verb walk is very expressive. Itis used by Paul 32 times to refer tothe Christian’s pilgrimage throughthis world (e.g. Eph 5:8 and 2 Cor10:2). In Colossians 3:7, it is equal tolive.

Observe that our Christian walk isto be unto all pleasing. This doesnot mean pleasing everybody, butpleasing God in everything, in everyway, and all the time. God wants Hischildren to walk worthy of Him; tobe a credit to Christ, to live inconformity with His purpose for ourlives. Our lives should be Christ-centred, daily. See Galatians 2:20.

To walk worthy of the Lord goesmuch deeper than the averagebeliever thinks. Most believers livea very shallow Christian life.

To walk worthy of the Lord is toliterally feel the bond of Hisredeeming blood; to feel the pain Hesuffered when He shed His bloodfor the remission of sins.

To walk worthy of the Lord is to solove, cherish, and worship Him thatHis very image is continually beforeus.

To walk worthy of the Lord is to soyield to His Spirit and to walk in suchharmony with the Spirit that we willexhibit His purity, His piety, Hishumility, His love, and His very life.We are to walk in His steps; we areto get into the yoke with Jesus andwalk beside Him.

THOUGHT: God’s purpose for mylife is Christlikeness—“not I, butChrist” (Gal 2:20).PRAYER: Lord, help me to live mylife in such a way that man mayglorify You. (re: Matthew 5:16)

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7COLOSSIANS 1:10GALATIANS 5:22-23

“By their fruits ye shall know them.”

BEAR SPIRITUAL FRUIT (I)

In the third of the six petitions inColossians 1:9-14, Paul prays thatthe believers in Colosse might befruitful in every good work.

Spiritual fruit is the first proof ofspiritual life within. James says thatfaith, if it hath not works, is dead,being alone. Yea, a man may say,Thou hast faith, and I have works:shew me thy faith without thy works,and I will shew thee my faith by myworks … faith without works is dead(Jas 2:17-20).

In other words, Christians are to beperennial fruit-bearers, manifestinggood works as evidence of their rightrelationship with the Lord JesusChrist. Sometimes Christiansemphasize so much that works haveno place in their salvation, that theyforget they are saved to do goodworks — believers are created inChrist Jesus unto good works,which God hath before ordainedthat we should walk in them (Eph2:10).

In writing to the Galatians, theapostle Paul pointed out thatspiritual fruit is the proper result ofright conduct, given as a blessingof God through the Holy Spirit: Thefruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,longsuffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, meekness,temperance: against such there isno law (Gal 5:22-23).

It is not the works of the flesh, butthe fruit of the Spirit — not one ofthe Spirit-fruit named in Galatians5:22-23 can be bought, earned, orsecured through human effort. Nomatter how much we try to do good,be good, or live good, we will fail tobear the fruit of the Spirit. We canonly have it if we live in the Spirit… walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Wecannot buy love, joy, or peace —they are the gracious gifts of Godthrough the Holy Spirit. Let us thankHim for His gifts.

THOUGHT: Good works follow—they do not precede—salvation.PRAYER: “O Lord, let us not live tobe useless, for Christ’s sake.” (JohnWesley)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8MATTHEW 7:15-20JOHN 15:1-6

“He that abideth in me, and I in him,the same bringeth forth much fruit.”

BEAR SPIRITUAL FRUIT (II)

When we talk about bearing spiritualfruit, we should also consider theserious words of warning by theLord Jesus Christ in our readings inMatthew and John.

Good trees bear good fruit andcorrupt trees yield corrupt fruit. OurLord says, By their fruits ye shallknow them (Matt 7:20). Furthermore,some trees appear healthy, yet theydo not bear any fruit; for that reasonthey will have to bear Christ’s curse(Matt 21:18-20; John 15:1-6).

An old preacher, now with the Lord,has written:— “The axe and the fireawait the ungodly, however finethey may appear in this life. Asrepresentative of trees, they maybear beautiful leaves, abundantfoliage—but leaves do not produceincome. Leaves make forcomfortable shade, but shade treeshave a tendency to cause men to belazy. Jesus is looking for trees thatbear fruit (John 15:1-16), and whenHe comes to judge in righteousnessHe will separate the true from thefalse.

“It might be well to consider herethat it is not only those who sowseeds of poison who will be cutdown, but also those who are‘neutral’—those who bear no fruitat all. From the spiritual aspect it isjust as deadly to hear the truth butrefuse to obey it as it is to know thetruth and yet preach error or falsedoctrine. Men will be judged by theRighteous Judge, not only for whatthey do, but for what they couldhave done and failed to do. Theperson who has had opportunitiesto be born again, but refused thoseopportunities, will be judged for theopportunities he rejected.”

THOUGHT: (Read Matthew 3:8.)PRAYER: Lord, may my life bringforth the fruit of the Spirit, in everygood work.

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FRIDAY,FEBRUARY 9COLOSSIANS 1:102 PETER 3:18

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,and a light unto my path.”

INCREASE IN THEKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

In the fourth of the six petitionsmentioned in Colossians 1:9-14, theapostle Paul prays that the believersin Colosse might increase in theknowledge of God. Two questionscome immediately to mind: (1) Whyshould we increase in the knowledgeof God? (2) How should we increasein the knowledge of God?

1. Why should we increase in theknowledge of God? Note thesewords of one dear saint of God:“True knowledge of God is the onlyfood that will bring about spiritualgrowth…. The more we learn aboutour God the more we know of Hislove, His power, His longsuffering,His grace and His majesty. The morewe trust Him the more confidencewe will have in Him, and the moreconfidently we will rest our life—past, present and future—in Hishands. The more we know of Himthe deeper our own experience withHim will be. We will lean upon Hisarm in the time of need for strength.We will rest upon His bosom andconfide in Him in every phase of life.The more we know of Him the morewe will love and trust Him, the morewe will grow in things spiritual andthe more we will enjoy our spirituallife.”

2. How should we increase in theknowledge of God? There is nobetter way to answer that questionthan by quoting the RPG Anthem:

Read your Bible, pray every day,Pray all the way,

pray night and day!Read your Bible, pray every day,

That’s the way to grow!More of Christ to know,More His grace to show;

Read your Bible, pray every day,That’s the way to grow!

THOUGHT: 15 minutes each day tolisten to God talking to me; 15minutes each day to talk to God; 15minutes each day to talk to othersabout God. If I do, I’ll increase in theknowledge of God!PRAYER: Lord, help me to read theBible and pray faithfully every day.

44

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10COLOSSIANS 1:112 KINGS 2:9-15

“The joy of the LORD

is your strength.”

BE STRENGTHENED BY THEPOWER OF GOD

In the fifth of the six petitionsmentioned in Colossians 1:9-14, theapostle Paul prays that the believersin Colosse might be strengthenedby the power of God.

As the power of the ascending Elijahfell upon Elisha, so the mantle ofChrist’s power fell first upon theeleven apostles and finally upon allwho love and obey Him (cf John 14,Acts 1,2). We are not given the powerof God to accomplish any selfishpurpose, for it is the power of hisglory and must be used only to exaltHim; yet it is a power unto allpatience and longsuffering withjoyfulness. These two synonymsshould be distinguished when theyare used together.

Bishop Lightfoot comments, “Thedifference of meaning is best seenin their opposites. While [patience]is the temper which does not easilysuccumb under suffering,[longsuffering] is the self-restraintwhich does not hastily retaliate awrong. The one is opposed tocowardice or despondency, theother to wrath or revenge…. While[patience] is closely allied to hope…,[longsuffering] is commonlyconnected with mercy.”

“It should be noted that while theChristian perseveres under thepressures of the work of God andendures the encroachments in thewill of God, he does so with joythrough the worship of God. Somemen may have strength enough todisallow discouragement and refuserevenge, but no human power is ableto pass that way with joy. That is agift only God can give to Hispeople.” — BV.

C H Spurgeon puts it this way: “Youcannot glorify God better than by acalm, joyous life. Let the world knowthat you serve a good Master! If youare in trouble, do not let anyone seethat the trouble touches your spirit.Nay, more, do not let it trouble yourspirit! Rest in God, and keep onpraising Him!”

THOUGHT: Joy is something thatis multiplied when it is divided.PRAYER: Lord, help me to rejoice inYou always.

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LORD’S DAY, FEBRUARY 11COLOSSIANS 1:12-14PSALM 103:1-22

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits.”

GIVE THANKS TO THEFATHER

In the last of the six petitionsmentioned in Colossians 1:9-14, theapostle Paul prays that the believersin Colosse will give thanks unto theFather.

Thanksgiving should be a part ofevery prayer and prayer a part ofevery activity of every Christian. Inevery thing give thanks: for this isthe will of God in Christ Jesusconcerning you (1 Thess 5:18).“Giving thanks is an action thatsprings spontaneously from oursouls, the natural response to Godfor His gifts. Just as we appreciate ashow of gratitude on the part of thosewhom we help, so God is pleasedwhen our words and deeds show weare grateful. Though entitled to bothlove and gratitude God forces neitherfrom us. We should be ashamed howlittle we feel and show ourappreciation.” — R Sturz.

The apostle Paul gives threereasons why the believer shouldcontinually give thanks to theFather:

1. The believer is what he is only bythe grace of God and his sufficiencyis from God alone — he cannot thinkotherwise. v 12.

2. God has rescued us from beingunder the dark authority of Satan andhas transferred us into the peacefulKingdom of light and love where theLord Jesus Christ reigns. v 13.

3. He gave His only begotten andwell-beloved Son to die on Calvary’scross, shedding His precious bloodas the ransom price necessary to setus free from sin. v 14. (Adapted fromBV.)

Indeed, there is much, very much,for which we should be thankful!When D L Moody was once readingPsalm 103, and came to the verseBless the LORD, O my soul, andforget not all his benefits (v 2), hestopped short in his inimitable way,and said, “You can’t remember ’emall, of course, but don’t forget ’emall. Remember some of ’em.”

THOUGHT: Count your blessings… name them by the score.PRAYER: Father, thank You for allYour daily blessings.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12COLOSSIANS 1:15-22JOHN 1:6-14

“In [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of

the Godhead bodily.”

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIPTO THE FATHER

“In this passage Paul strikes thekeynote of the entire message as hegives perhaps the finest singleChristological statement in Scripture.The apostle did not know thesepeople; and yet, interestingly, Godused him to give them the mostprofound truths about Christ thatwords can convey to humanunderstanding. Perhaps we, whoalso do not have an apostle presentto minister personally to us, canthereby more easily accept the sametruths today; for we know that truthis made effective only by the HolySpirit Himself whether His humaninstrument is near or far.” — BV.

In these verses, the apostle Pauldeclares the person and work of theLord Jesus Christ in four categoriesof descending relationship. Todaywe shall consider the first of thesecategories; the others will bediscussed in our next three readings.

Christ’s relationship to the Father isseen in verses 15a and 19:1. He is the image of the invisibleGod. Heb 1:3. The word imageimplies the idea of derivation. TheLord Jesus is the derived image, onejust exactly the same as the One Heis derived from.

Just as the image on a coin is a truecopy of the head of the sovereign,or just as a child shows a markedlikeness to a parent, so Christ in adeeper way is the perfect revelationto man of the invisible God.

2. In him dwelleth all the fulness ofthe Godhead bodily. Col 2:9. JesusChrist is God in human flesh, with allHis personality, power, andprerogatives. There is in Christ allthat there is of God. He is the eternalWord made flesh (John 1:14), the fullradiance of God’s glory and theperfect representative of His person(Heb 1:3).

THOUGHT: Christ is over and aboveall because He is inhabited by all theattributes, and hence the very personof God.PRAYER: Father, thank You for theLord Jesus Christ, who “loved us,and washed us from our sins in hisown blood” (Rev 1:5).

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13COLOSSIANS 1:15-17JOHN 1:1-5

“O LORD, thou preserved

man and beast.”

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIPTO THE UNIVERSE

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is thefirstborn of every creature. v 15b.The word firstborn does not meanthat Christ had a beginning. It meansthat He was first in existence, i.e. Heexisted before the world was created.He is the sovereign Lord of allCreation, or more simply Creatorof all.

The fact that He had no beginningis underscored by the words and heis before all things (v 17a). This isalso seen in such passages as Isaiah9:6, where He is called Theeverlasting Father, and Hebrews13:8 — Jesus Christ the sameyesterday, and today, and for ever.

2. The Lord Jesus Christ is Creatorof all things. v 16. It is difficult forthe finite mind to grasp this, but it istrue: Every kind of matter, whether itbe of man or beast, every beingaround us, above us, beneath us,the splendour of the mansions in theFather’s house, and the hillsides ofearth with streams and beautifulflowers in the meadow, are theproduct of the firstborn of everycreature. For by him were all thingscreated — and when God says allthings, He means ALL THINGS …all things in heaven, all things inearth, all things visible or invisible.ALL CREATION owes its origin tothe Son of God! (This section isselected and adapted.)

3. The Lord Jesus Christ is theSustainer of all things. v 17b. He isthe One who maintains absolutecontrol over all His creation. In Hisprovidence He continuously orders,guides, regulates, and stimulateswhat He has made. He is the God ofrighteous providence Who from thebeginning has been unerringlyupholding all things by the word ofhis power (Heb 1:3). Shall we fear tolet Him order our lives?

THOUGHT: “Thou hast madeheaven … the earth, and all thingsthat are therein … and thoupreservest them all.” — Nehemiah9:6.PRAYER: Thank You, Father, for theLord Jesus Christ, the Creator andSustainer of the universe.

48

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14COLOSSIANS 1:18-19EPHESIANS 1:15-23

“Christ is the head of the church.”

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIPTO THE CHURCH

Head of the Body describes theSaviour as the One who purposes,directs, motivates and givesexpression to this spiritual organism,the Church. A head without its bodyor a body without its head is ananomaly; so also would be Christwithout His Church or the Churchwithout Christ. This image illustratesthe blessed reality of ourrelationship with Christ Himself andexemplifies our proper submissionto His will and our loving attentiontoward Him. God views the Headdirectly and knows the Body in termsof Him; the world views the Bodydirectly and knows the Head in termsof it. Christ has brought His glory tothe Church; do you, a member of thatBody, glorify Him?

Origin of its life. As Head of theBody, Christ is presented as thecentre of the life of the Church; andas the pre-eminent one, He ispresented as the object of its life. Inbetween these two portrayals is atwo-fold statement concerning Hisbeing the origin of its life.

First, Christ is called the beginningbecause He is the foundation of theChurch’s existence and gives itpurpose for being what it is.

Second, He is called the firstbornfrom the dead because He is thefoundation of the Church’s essenceand gives it power for becomingwhat it should be. The first unitesthe Church to the person of Christas the incarnate Son of God; thesecond unites the Church to the workof Christ as the resurrected andexalted Son of Man. Both aspectsare necessary and perfectlycomplementary. (Adapted from BV.)

The Church is to give her RedeemerHis rightful place — first place. Letus remember that God put all thingsunder his feet, and gave him to bethe head over all things to thechurch, Which is his body, thefulness of him that filleth all in all(Eph 1:22-23).

THOUGHT: Just as the bodyphysically is subject to the head, sothe Church is to obey the commandsit receives from Jesus.PRAYER: Lord, help me always tobe obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ,the Head of the Church.

49

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15COLOSSIANS 1:20-22ROMANS 5:1-10

“We pray you in Christ’s stead,be ye reconciled to God.”

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIPTO THE INDIVIDUAL

“This is fourth in order ofrelationship, but as such it is not tobe regarded as less important thanthe others. The order is one of logicalsuccession and dependence;Christ’s relationship to His Fathertakes logical priority over Hisrelationship to the universe, and thatto the universe over that to theChurch, and that to the Church overthat to the individual. The nature ofthe first relationship necessarilydemands the second, and so on inthe progression. There is a temporalelement in this order as well; for Hisrelationship to the Father was frometernity, that to the universe beganat the creation of all things, that tothe Church began when He calledmen out of the world system untoHis spiritual rule, and that to theindividual begins as each isreconciled to God.” — BV.

One principal idea is representedhere in describing Christ’srelationship to the individual —reconciliation. Its basic meaning isto bring into harmony, implying thata previous opposition existedbetween the two parties involved.

1. Preparation for reconciliation. vv20a, 22a. Reconciliation alwaysinvolves some kind of payment orsacrifice. The price of spiritual peacewas no less than the sacrificial deathof the only begotten Son of God.

2. Progress of reconciliation. vv 20b-21. The death, burial, andresurrection of Jesus are history.Nothing can change the facts. Theacceptable sacrifice of Calvary’sLamb has made God peaceablydisposed towards a lost world.Reconciliation is possible onlythrough Jesus.

3. Purpose in reconciliation. v 20b.The person who is now reconciledto God will one day be presented toHim. But such a presentationrequires a preparation; and what thebeliever will perfectly be in Heavensome day, he must progressivelybecome on earth today.

THOUGHT: Have I been reconciledto God?PRAYER: “Lord, I believe; helpthou mine unbelief.”

50

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16COLOSSIANS 1:15-22JOHN 8:51-58

“I know that my redeemer liveth.”

THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERYCREATURE

In our last four readings, we haveconsidered the relationship of theLord Jesus Christ to His HeavenlyFather, to the created universe, tothe Church, and to the individualbeliever. Through it all we continueto see the pre-eminence of theSaviour. How sad it is that somepeople continue to question theperson and work of the Lord JesusChrist.

A Christian minister once had amember of the Jehovah’s Witnesscult in his audience who constantlyinterrupted the meeting by shoutingand heckling. “You cannot provethat Jesus is the eternal Son of God,”he said. “He was the FIRST-BORNof every creature; so He could notbe deity. The eternal Father musttherefore be older than His Son; andif Christ is not as old as His father,then He is not eternal; if He is noteternal, He cannot be God.”

The preacher carefully consideredthe statement, “A father must beolder than his son”; then he gavethis withering reply: “While youmight make such a point concerningan earthly parent, it certainly doesnot apply when we speak of God. Iwill prove that to you by your ownwords.

“You have just called God the eternalFather. But how can God be theeternal FATHER (not just God)without having an eternal Son?Eternal FATHERHOOD demandseternal SONSHIP! When did yourown paternal parent begin to be yourfather? At the very moment youbecame his son, and not before!While time must elapse before onecan become a human father, this isnot true of God. He is the eternalFather, and therefore He must havean eternal Son!” The critic fell silentas he pondered the preacher’swords.

THOUGHT: “Jesus whom I know asmy Redeemer cannot be less thanGod!” — Athanasius.PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thankYou that the Lord Jesus Christ is “thesame yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).

51

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17COLOSSIANS 1:20-23HEBREWS 11:1-6

“Through faith we understand.”

CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

In view of all that has been writtenby Paul up to this point, there is onlyone thing left to add — one vitalnecessity, one heavenly mandate,one absolute condition on our part:If ye continue in the faith groundedand settled, and be not moved awayfrom the hope of the gospel, whichye have heard…. This simplyrequires a living faith, which yieldsobedience to the God of all grace.

The statement if ye continue in thefaith does not suggest doubt, or thatthe Colossians may fall away fromthe faith (see Col 2:5). Paul isadmonishing the Colossianbelievers to be grounded andsettled, i.e. to be firm, in the faith —the faith, which Jude tells us wasonce delivered unto the saints (Jude3).

One pastor put it this way: “A life oftrue faith in the finished work ofJesus Christ, instead of faith in one’sown ability or in some religion, is alife of hope — and leads to glory.True faith in the finished work ofJesus has a conservative power.Such faith keeps the justified,secures the one who is hid withChrist in God (Col 3:3) and who iscontinually cleansed by theprecious blood of the Lamb (1 John1:7). The true Bible fact that thebeliever is kept by the power of God— yea, kept by God Himself — doesnot cause the believer to live acareless life, but rather makes himdistrustful of himself and totallydependent upon God. The believerknows the truth of the warning, Lethim that thinketh he standeth takeheed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12).”

My dear readers, how important it isfor believers to continue in the faith!Don’t be a drop out; don’t be abackslider! Will you continuefaithfully in the faith?

THOUGHT: Martin Luther said,“Reason is the greatest enemy thatfaith has.” Do you agree?PRAYER: Lord, by Your grace andwith Your help, may I continue inthe faith once delivered unto thesaints.

52

LORD’S DAY, FEBRUARY 18COLOSSIANS 1:242 CORINTHIANS 11:21-33

“Rejoice in the Lord alway:and again I say, Rejoice.”

JOY IN SUFFERING

Paul states it very clearly: [I] rejoicein my sufferings for you. Not onlydid he rejoice in his own sufferings,he told Timothy that all true believersshould expect sufferings (2 Tim 3:12).And the Lord Jesus Christ says,Blessed are ye, when men shall revileyou, and persecute you, and shallsay all manner of evil against youfalsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and beexceeding glad: for great is yourreward in heaven: for so persecutedthey the prophets which were beforeyou (Matt 5:11-12).

Many believers throughout thehistory of the Church have sufferedfor their faith. Yet, the Church hascontinued to grow. As a matter offact, “The blood of the martyrs isthe seed of the church.”

Fox’s Book of Martyrs, which is ahistory of the lives, sufferings andtriumphant deaths of the earlyChristian and Protestant martyrs,tells of the persecution of thousandsof believers. One of these saints wasPolycarp, bishop of Smyrna. Foxtells us that Polycarp was “carriedbefore the proconsul, condemned,and burnt in the market place.“The proconcul then urged him,saying, ‘Swear, and I will releasethee;— reproach Christ.’

“Polycarp answered, ‘Eighty and sixyears have I served him, and he neveronce wronged me; how then shall Iblaspheme my King, Who hathsaved me?’ At the stake, to which hewas only tied, but not nailed asusual, as he assured them he shouldstand immovable, the flames, on theirkindling the fagots, encircled hisbody, like an arch, without touchinghim; and the executioner, on seeingthis, was ordered to pierce him witha sword, when so great a quantity ofblood flowed out as extinguishedthe fire. But his body, at theinstigation of the enemies of theGospel, especially Jews, was orderedto be consumed in the pile ….” Sodied another martyr for his faith inthe Lord Jesus Christ.

THOUGHT: Should persecutioncome, will I be faithful to the Lord?PRAYER: Lord, help me to rejoice inYou always, even in times ofpersecution.

53

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19COLOSSIANS 1:25-272 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18

“Therefore being justified by faith,we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPEOF GLORY

The apostle Paul was made aminister of the Church; his ministrywas that of an administrator in orderto fulfil, i.e. complete, the word ofGod. v 25. In verse 26, Paul describeshis fulfilment of the Word of God asa mystery which hath been hid fromages and from generations. Amystery is any truth unknowableexcept by divine revelation and Paulhad been commissioned to revealthat mystery. What is that mystery?— CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OFGLORY!

Paul is not declaring that Christindwells the believer for the first timein human history, but rather he isunveiling the truth that Christ is theone who does indwell the believer.He is that Spirit found in the OldTestament.

The revelation that salvation isChrist in the believer means greaterblessing in this life and also greaterresponsibility. The knowledge thatChrist indwells the believer providesassurance of salvation based on theaccomplished facts of Christ’s deathand resurrection. Furthermore,communion and fellowship with theLord are heightened through therevelation of the mystery.

The final glory of believers is yet tocome, but it is as sure to come asGod is God. Believers are strangersand pilgrims on earth. What truebelievers earnestly pray for and longfor, and what they labour to possess,shall be revealed in glory far beyondour anticipation. In the final glory,because of the grace of the LordJesus Christ, we will be deliveredfrom all evil. We will possess all good… all the good that God can provide.What we have partially enjoyed here,we will fully enjoy and possess inheaven—yea, “All things”! Whathas seemed glory in this life will befeeble as compared to a far moreexceeding and eternal weight ofglory (2 Cor 4:17b).

THOUGHT: When we receive theLord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, thehope of glory is ours. Is He mySaviour?PRAYER: Lord, thank You that YourHoly Spirit indwells all believers.

54

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20COLOSSIANS 1:28-292 TIMOTHY 4:1-5

“The Son of man came ...

to minister.”

PAUL — A MINISTER OFCHRIST

1. The Methods of Paul’s Ministry. v28a. (a) Preaching. Paul preachedChrist — crucified, buried, risen, andcoming again. Acts 17:3, 1 Cor 1:17,15:3,4, etc. (b) Warning every man.Paul’s message was to all men,regardless of race, colour, or creed.He warned the sinner to repent,believe, trust, otherwise he standsbefore God alone — condemned,helpless, hopeless, and hell-bound.He warned the Christian to presenthis body a living sacrifice, hismembers as instruments ofrighteousness unto God, andwhether eating, drinking, orwhatsoever the believer should do,all should be done to the glory ofGod. (c) Teaching every man in allwisdom. Paul sought to train menand women to carry on the ministry.2 Tim 2:2. Paul’s message was notmodelled after the wisdom of men; itwas of God. 1 Cor 1:18-24, 30.

2. The Object of Paul’s Ministry. v28b. To present every man perfectin Christ Jesus. The perfection ofthe believer includes more than theinitiation of salvation found inChrist. Consequently, Paul expectedthe new converts to grow spirituallyand demonstrate a maturity of faiththat is only found in Christ.

3. The Accompaniments of Paul’sMinistry. v 29. (a) Paul had spokenof the object of his ministry, but hemust add from his own experiencethat such an object is not easilyachieved by the preacher of theGospel. He had to labour — this wordmeans to work hard, to toil, tostruggle. Paul was a hard worker forthe Lord. He had to strive — that is,to agonise. It means to strive like anathlete to win the prize, win the race,take first place. (b) Paul did not strivein his own strength, but it was Godwho worked in him and through him.It was the Holy Spirit who energisedhim. (c) Servants of God will have allsorts of problems in their Christianservice, but God always gives theanswer in His Word and energythrough His Word to solve theseproblems.

THOUGHT: Only a burdened heartcan lead to fruitful service.PRAYER: Lord, grant me a heartburdened for the lost and bless myministry for You.

55

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21COLOSSIANS 2:1-2REVELATION 3:14-22

“The God of all comfort ...comforteth us...

that we may be able to comfort...”

PAUL’S INNER CONFLICT

The apostle Paul tells the believersin Colosse that he has a greatconflict for them; his heart is heavybecause of the possibility that someof the recent converts — babes inChrist — might be led astray by falseteachers. Paul was alwaysconcerned that right doctrine betaught and preached. 1 Tim 4:16, 2Tim 3:16, etc. He was also concernedabout right living; indeed, doctrinepromotes duty.

Not only is Paul concerned aboutthe believers in Colosse, he alsoexpresses concern for the believersin Laodicea and for other believersthroughout that part of Asia-Minor— even believers he had never metbefore! Laodicea was only 17 or 18km away from Colosse and was alarger and more prosperous city. Theapostle John, writing about 96 AD,in Revelation 3:14-22, gives quite adescription of the Church inLaodicea, but it appears that at thetime Paul wrote Colossians (about62 AD), the Church was still a goodone.

The reason for Paul’s inner conflictis seen in verse 2 — that their heartsmight be comforted and knittogether in love. Paul prays forbelievers he had never seen, as wellas for believers in Colosse andLaodicea, that they would becomforted by knowing how much heis concerned about their welfare. Healso prays for their growth in spiritualunderstanding, desiring that thesebelievers would be united in love.The apostle Paul had a true pastor’sheart — he was concerned about theflock of God, praying for them andencouraging them — even thoughhe himself was in prison. What anexample for us! May we, in spite ofdifficulties and struggles in ourChristian lives, pray for fellow-believers, trusting that God willcomfort them through the assuranceof our concern for them.

THOUGHT: How concerned am I formy fellow-believers? Do I pray forthem?PRAYER: Lord, help me to show mylove for my fellow-believers byregularly praying for them.

56

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22COLOSSIANS 2:3PROVERBS 9:1-12

“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that iswisdom; and to depart from evil is

understanding.”

THE FOUNTAIN OF WISDOMAND KNOWLEDGE

What Paul is saying to believers isthis: You need not go in search ofhigher truth and loftier science, forin Christ is found all wisdom and allknowledge. In this mystery, hiddenthroughout the ages until it wasrevealed to him, is stored up all thetreasures of wisdom and knowledge— not partial wisdom, not a fewfragments of knowledge — but ALLknowledge and ALL wisdom. Christis made unto us wisdom,righteousness, sanctification, andredemption.

Regardless of how many universitiesone may have attended, regardlessof the degrees he may have earned,no man has true knowledge until hefears God (Prov 1:7) and accepts theWord of God as the final authorityon all things, whether spiritual orsecular. The Word of God plainlydeclares that Christ was God in theflesh — and that settles it. The Wordof God clearly declares that withoutthe shedding of blood is noremission of sins — and that settlesit. Jesus says, No man cometh untothe Father, but by me (John 14:6),and that is final, regardless of whatmen teach or preach.

Thousands of men have spent theirlives in search of how this earthbecame earth; they have given theirlives in laboratories and places oflearning, searching for an answer asto how the planets and solar systemswere formed, where man came from,how he “evolved” to his presentposition; but the answers are foundonly in the Word of God. If thosemen would accept the Word of Godthey would have the answers to themystery of man’s origin, the mysteryof nature, and the mystery of destiny.ALL mystery clears up in Christ,because in Him is found all fullness;in Him are hidden all the treasuresof wisdom and knowledge.

THOUGHT: “The fear of the LORDis the beginning of knowledge”(Prov 1:7). “The fear of the LORD isthe beginning of wisdom” (Prov9:10).PRAYER: Lord, thank You that inthe Lord Jesus Christ are hid all thetreasures of wisdom andknowledge.

57

FRIDAY,FEBRUARY 23COLOSSIANS 2:41 JOHN 4:1-4

“Let no man deceive you.”

WARNING: ENTICINGWORDS

Enticing words have been describedas attractive arguments, persuasiverhetoric, plausible speech, fast talk,and a smooth line. The word beguilemeans to deceive by false reasoning.Paul has given the believers inColosse the truth about Christ andexpects them to be able to hold theirown with the false teachers. He says,Don’t let anyone deceive you withattractive arguments and fast talk;just because a person is a good talkerdoesn’t mean he is telling the truth.I have given you the truth aboutChrist; stay true to the truth!

Just as the presence of false teachersthreatened the life of the youngchurch at Colosse, false teacherstoday threaten the life of ourchurches. Therefore, we shouldalways be on the alert for falseteachers. Note also that moderncults, like the Mormons, Jehovah’sWitnesses, Christadelphians, etc,use the same devices that theancient ones used — they deny thedeity of Christ and devalue His work.

In this regard, the words of Jeremiah6:16 may prove helpful:— Thus saiththe LORD, Stand ye in the ways, andsee, and ask for the old paths, whereis the good way, and walk therein,and ye shall find rest for your souls.The old paths — the historicChristian faith — is what we standupon. No newfangled theology, forthere is no new thing under the sun(Eccl 1:9). Many of the heresies ofthe past have returned in our ownday with only slight variations. Forexample, the false teachings ofArianism in the fourth century, whichdenies that the Lord Jesus Christ istruly God and denies that He iseternal, has returned in the teachingsof the Jehovah’s Witnesses and theChristadelphians.Believer, beware!

THOUGHT: To maintain truth andexpose error we must not be satisfiedwith just a trained ministry; the manin the pew must also be well taughtin the truth.PRAYER: Lord, help me to see thedifference between the truth of YourWord and the false teachings ofthose who deny, add to, or subtractfrom the Bible.

58

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24COLOSSIANS 2:51 THESSALONIANS 2:17-20

“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sins.”

PRESENT IN SPIRIT

When God’s minister takes a deepinterest in a church or a group ofbelievers and has in his heart a deeplove for them, he is ever with them inspirit. In his heart he is there —loving them, serving them, sufferingwith them. He is not there in body,he may not even be in their locality;but in his heart he walks with them,talks with them, and dwells withthem. He is a guest at their serviceseven though he is not physicallypresent.

So it was with Paul. He was in prisonin Rome when he wrote this epistleto the Colossians — but his heartwas in Colosse. He was absent inbody, but present in heart and spirit.

Although imprisoned in body,mentally he was present with thebelievers at Colosse, rejoicing withthem because of their love for allsaints, because of their stewardship,and because of their order. Hisspiritual presence with them was adeep source of joy even though hewas behind bars, and this joy in thespirit enabled him to rejoice becauseof the consistency of the believersin the church at Colosse. (Thissection is selected and adapted.)

While Paul could properly sayabsent in the flesh … with you inthe spirit, we sometimes use thephrase with you in the spirit tooeasily. Rather than making a sincereeffort to attend church functionssuch as Bible Study and PrayerMeeting, we simply sit at home,claiming to be too tired to go (nottoo tired to read the newspaper or towatch television, however!) andjustify our absence by saying, “Well,I’m with you in the spirit.” This is,of course, a misuse of these wordsof the apostle Paul.

Let us not be guilty of misapplyingthe Word of God to our lives or byjustifying improper behaviour.

THOUGHT: Have I ever used thephrase present in spirit when I reallyshould have been present in person?PRAYER: O Lord, forgive me of mysins.

59

LORD’S DAY MORNING,FEBRUARY 25COLOSSIANS 2:6-71 CORINTHIANS 3:9-17

“Walk worthy of the Lord.”

WALK IN CHRIST

Paul’s exhortation is addressed tobelievers in Christ, for they only arethe ones who have received ChristJesus the Lord. Paul encouragesthem to walk in Christ. As we haveobserved earlier, in Colossians 1:10,the word walk refers to manner ofliving.

Incidentally, the phrase Christ Jesusthe Lord is a very descriptive one,for it declares His deity (Christ —Matt 16:16, 20), His humanity (Jesus— Matt 1:21), and His sovereignty(Lord — Rev 19:16).

By the use of two graphic metaphors,the apostle Paul describes theorganic unity the believer has withChrist:

1. A tree. The believer must be firmlyrooted in Christ. This is done oncefor all in regeneration. It is a pastact. The tree may shake in its topmostbranches, but its roots are firmbecause they grasp the solid earth.So the firmness of believers is dueto Christ (John 10:28-29), and Hemakes them fruitful (John 15:5).

2. A building. The believer must bebuilt upon Christ as the Foundation.There is no other foundation (1 Cor3:11). Not only is the believer beingcontinually built up, but he is alsobeing continually established in thefaith. Christ is both the foundationand the binding element that holdsall together.

Once the believer walks in Christ,rooted and built up in him, therewill be greater faith and gratitude.The believer will be stablished in thefaith and abounding … withthanksgiving. A mature Christian,strong in the faith, will always be athankful one, for he will know moreof the goodness of God in Christ,and his own heart will be more full oflove. Therefore also the joy of thebeliever will increase with the growthof the Christian life.

THOUGHT: Am I abounding(overflowing) with thanksgiving?PRAYER: Lord, help me to be athankful Christian, thanking Youevery day of my life for Yourbountiful blessings.

60

LORD’S DAY EVENING,FEBRUARY 25COLOSSIANS 2:8PSALM 119:9-16

“Salvation is of the LORD.”

BEWARE!

The word beware is a call todiligence. It tells believers:— takeheed, see to it, be on your guard,keep a watchful eye open, be alert tothe imminent danger because theenemy is lurking in darkness. Thepresent tense of the verb bewaresuggests a constant watchfulnesson the part of believers, lest theyshould be led astray or spoiled.

This word spoil means carry awaycaptive, carry someone off as booty.The picture here is of kidnapping aperson for the purpose of seducinghim from faith in Christ. It is notrobbing that person of someblessings, but taking him captive; apicture of a long line of prisoners ofwar, being led away into slavery. Thefalse teachers were men stealers,entrapping and dragging men intospiritual slavery.

Philosophy (literally, love of wisdom)is man’s effort to reach andunderstand God and His universeby his own strength. Paul does notcondemn knowledge and wisdom assuch, but only this false philosophy(science falsely so called — 1 Tim6:20).

The phrase vain deceit is descriptiveof philosophy. It is empty for it isvoid of real truth. It is empty of vitalpower, for the power of the Gospelis absent. It is empty of hope, for itleads away from the light of God’spresence into the mists of man’sspeculation. It is deceitful becauseof its attractive presentation, whichseduces the minds of those who aredrawn away by it, and whichconceals its own utter barrenness.

The rudiments of the world refers tothe religious observance of certaindo’s and don’t’s (see also the noteson Col 2:20-23). It is the effort of manto reach God by self-denial and goodworks. But, these can never save;salvation is only through the LordJesus Christ.

THOUGHT: The recognition of sinis the beginning of salvation.PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thankYou that the Lord Jesus Christ is theonly mediator between God andmen.

61

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26COLOSSIANS 2:82 THESSALONIANS 2:15-3:6

“Thy word is truth.”

TRADITIONS OF MEN

Tradition refers to a group ofsayings or doctrines handed down.Traditions may be good or bad. Butthey are definitely evil when theycome into conflict with the Word ofGod—as is the case in Colossians2:8.

Protestantism and RomanCatholicism agree that the Bible isthe inspired Word of God.Protestantism holds that the Biblealone is the authoritative andsufficient rule for faith and practice,while Romanism, on the other hand,holds that the Bible must besupplemented by a great body oftradition consisting of theApocrypha, the voluminous writingsof the Greek and Latin churchfathers, and a huge collection ofchurch council pronouncementsand papal decrees as being of equalvalue and authority.

We do not reject all tradition, butrather make judicious use of it in sofar as it accords with Scripture andis founded on truth. We should, forinstance, treat with respect andstudy with care the confessions andcouncil pronouncements of thevarious churches, particularly thoseof the ancient church and ofReformation days. We should alsogive careful attention to theconfessions and council decisionsof the present day churches,scrutinising most carefully, ofcourse, those of the denominationto which we belong. But we do notgive any church the right toformulate new doctrine or to makedecisions contrary to the teachingof Scripture. The history of thechurch at large shows all too clearlythat church leaders and churchcouncils can and do make mistakes,some of them serious. Consequentlytheir decisions should have noauthority except as they are basedon Scripture. (Adapted from LBoettner.)

THOUGHT: “The traditions of thechurch fathers, the church councils,and the popes … contain manyerrors and contradictions.” (LBoettner)PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for Hisinspired, infallible, and inerrantWord.

62

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27COLOSSIANS 2:9-12GENESIS 17:1-10

“And the Word was made flesh,

and dwelt among us.”

SUFFICIENCY IN CHRIST

The Christian has no need for thephilosophies of man. Christ is theall-sufficient source of all spirituallife and the believer is inseparablyunited to Christ. Observe in theseverses:

1. The fullness of deity. v 9. In Himdwells the fullness of deity. The worddwells implies permanent residenceof the deity in Christ. Christ is thefullness of deity in His pre-incarnate,incarnate, and present state. Theword Godhead designates the veryessence of Godhood. Jesus isabsolute Deity, the essence of God(John 1:14). Fullness of spiritual lifeis possible in Christ because He isthe fullness of God.

2. Completeness in Christ. v 10.What a marvellous declaration — Yeare complete in him. The Christianis being made full in Christ (Eph3:19). There is a spiritual unionbetween Christ and His people.Christ is the Head and has authorityover all spiritual powers. TheChristian is able to receive of Hisfulness (John 1:16), thus becomingcomplete and united with Christ.

3. Participation with Christ. vv 11-12. “With the advent of NewTestament times, we know that manyOld Testament rites were done awaybecause they were fulfilled by Christ.However, we also perceive thatChrist has given two simple NewTestament ordinances to take theplace of the more complicated OldTestament ones: (1) The Lord’sSupper substitutes for the Passoverand all the blood sacrifices. (2)Baptism is given as a counterpart ofcircumcision. Col 2:11,12 callsBaptism ‘the circumcision of Christ’.If children of Abraham in the OldTestament were circumcised,children of Abraham in the NewTestament should be baptised, forbaptism is Christ’s substitute for OldTestament circumcision” (T Tow).

THOUGHT: Can I say with Paul, Iam crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, butChrist liveth in me… (Gal 2:20)?PRAYER: Thank You, Father, thatYour Son is fully God and fully man.

63

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28COLOSSIANS 2:13-151 CORINTHIANS 15:51-58

“But thanks be to God, whichgiveth us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ.”

LIFE IN CHRIST

Scripture regards the natural manapart from Christ as being dead intrespasses and sins and incapableof any spiritual comprehension. Incontrast to this natural condition,God has made those united to Christlive together with Him. The believerhas received a spiritual resurrectionfrom the dead. Verses 13-15 describehow life in Christ was accomplished.

1. Our sins are forgiven. v 13. Theforgiveness of sins is fundamentalto spiritual life. If spiritual deathresults from sin, it is necessary forthose sins to be forgiven if there isto be life. The word forgiven has asits root the word grace: indeed,grace is an essential feature offorgiveness.

2. Our sins have been cancelled. v14. The picture Paul gives involvesthe legal obligations surrounding adebt. The phrase handwriting ofordinances (literally a certificate ofdebt) refers to the contract endorsedby the debtor which records thedebt. It is his IOU. The wordordinances refers to the law of God.We have all broken that law and areunable to pay the debt. The LordJesus Christ has erased the debt.

3. Our sins have been nailed to thecross. v 14. Not only did God erasethe debt, he took it away.

4. Our enemies have been strippedof their authority and power. v 15.God declared publicly that thosepowers of evil that can hold swayover men are defeated.

5. Christ has triumphed. v 15. Theimage is of a victorious general whodivests the enemy of everything andleads them triumphantly as captives.

THOUGHT: Christ has triumphed!The devil is defeated; that is thereason he is working overtime todamn every soul he possibly can.PRAYER: Lord, help me to be faithfulin winning souls to You.

64

THURSDAY, MARCH 1COLOSSIANS 2:16-17ACTS 15:1-11

“Behold the Lamb of God,which taketh away

the sin of the world.”

WARNING AGAINST FALSETEACHING (I)

Throughout the history of theChurch, there have always beenpeople who have tried to add theirown requirements to the teachingsof the Word of God. In Acts 15, forinstance, there were some whoclaimed a person could not be savedunless he had been circumcised.Peter pointed out that it was wrongto add all these legal requirementsfrom the Old Testament law: Whydo you want to put a yoke upon theneck of the disciples, which neitherour fathers nor we were able tobear? (Acts 15:10). And he added,We believe that through the graceof the Lord Jesus Christ we shall besaved, even as they (Acts 15:11).

Paul says (Col 2:16-17) that sinceChrist has abrogated the ceremoniallaw by His death, believers inColosse must resist any attempt toensnare them in a new bondage tolegalistic requirements.

Some teach that Christians are notto eat pork, but there is no Scripturalcommand against eating pork in thisday of grace. Others teach that nomeat should be eaten on certaindays, but all such teaching is man-made dogma; there is no Scripturalbasis for it.

Paul indicates that the OT laws andsacrifices pointed to the Lord JesusChrist. The OT sacrifices, holy days,laws regarding food and drink, etcwere only a shadow of things tocome. Now, a shadow is nothing ofitself; you cannot have a shadowwithout a real object. This is a picturethat Paul uses to show that just as ashadow is nothing of itself, the OTlegal requirements, the blood ofbulls, goats, or lambs, cannot saveus from our sins. The body whichcasts the shadow is Christ; Hisblood cleanseth us from all sin (1John 1:7).

THOUGHT: “Morality may keep youout of jail, but it takes the blood ofJesus Christ to keep you out of hell.”(C H Spurgeon)PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, that ifwe confess our sins,You are faithfuland just to forgive us our sins, andto cleanse us from allunrighteousness.

65

FRIDAY, MARCH 2COLOSSIANS 2:18-192 JOHN 7-11

“God resisteth the proud, and giveth

grace to the humble.”

WARNING AGAINST FALSETEACHING (II)

The teachers of error in Colosse werecalled “Gnostics”. They professedto be men of extreme knowledge,having a special knowledge, puffedup in their minds. They did not teachthat Jesus was God in the flesh, butthat He was of the highest order ofspirits, thus robbing Him of His deity.They also exalted certain angels andgave them a part in man’s salvation.They did not teach pure grace andfullness in Christ, but supplementedJesus with angels and spirits.

Paul warns against such teachersand the warning holds good for ustoday. We need to be very careful;we need to try the spirits whetherthey are of God (1 John 4:1-4; 2 John7-11). Paul warns the Colossians thatthese false teachers advertise anartificial humility and by means ofthat humility they will attempt toentangle the believers whom theLord has set free. It is strange, yettrue, that most false religionists arevery humble in appearance andmanner. They are kind, and manytimes go out of their way todemonstrate that kindness and falsehumility.

True spiritual humbleness is a giftprovided only by the grace of God.It is blessed to be persecuted forrighteousness’ sake, but there is noglory in being persecuted becauseof inexcusable ignorance! There arethose who would wear rags and gobarefooted in order to demonstratetheir poverty and humility; theyglory in a feeling of self-annihilation,as though they have forsaken all —when in reality they have forsakennothing, because they have theirreward: They are doing what theydo to the glory of the flesh. Paul saysthey are vainly puffed up by [their]fleshly mind. Some of these peopleare proud of their “humility”!

These false teachers do not knowChrist, the Head of the Church.Neither do they have His life nor Hisfellowship, and the increase of God.A sad but real picture.

THOUGHT: He that is down needfear no fall. He that is low, no pride.He that is humble, ever shall haveGod to be his guide. (John Bunyan)PRAYER: Lord, help me to be likeChrist, meek and lowly in heart.

66

SATURDAY, MARCH 3COLOSSIANS 2:20-22ROMANS 14:11-23

“I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me.”

DEAD WITH CHRIST

When a person believes in the LordJesus Christ, he finds himself in awhole new set of relationships.Instead of being attracted to theworld and sin, he finds themdangerous and abhorrent. Insteadof being an enemy of God, he nowfinds himself a member of the familyof God; the people of God are hispeople. Not only in his theologicalviews, but also in his practicalChristian living the believer mustdemonstrate the change thatsalvation has made of him.

Paul asks, “If you have died to theworld, why are you living accordingto worldly principles?” (v 20). Whena person becomes a Christian, oldsinful relationships are permanentlyended; new relationships come inforce (2 Cor 5:17; 1 Pet 2:24). Just asdeath severs a person from thethings of this world, so the believerdies to the appeal of the things ofthis world (Rom 7:1-4). He is nowinterested in a new realm and a newLord.

The world likes to show itspiousness by having special ritualsand dietary regulations — fasting,abstaining from certain foods, etc.All these practices are man-maderegulations.

One Bible teacher has said, “A listof don’t’s is always dangerousbecause it stifles the heart, veryimperfectly takes over the convictingwork of the Holy Spirit, and is alwaysbound to omit something. New waysof living are always appearing.Those who depend on a list of do’sand don’t’s must wait for someoneto pass down a law: yes or no.”Instead of a list, let us seek basicChristian principles, such as thoselisted in 1 Corinthians 8-11 and 13and Romans 14, to guide us. Aboveall let us be consistent and Christlike(Phil 1:21).

THOUGHT: Christianity andspirituality are not based on externalceremonies nor upon thecommandments and doctrines ofmen; Christianity is not a system ofrules, regulations, or ordinances.The Christian life is Christ in you(Col 1:27)!PRAYER: Lord, help me to be morelike Jesus.

67

LORD’S DAY MORNING, MARCH 4COLOSSIANS 2:23LEVITICUS 10:1-3

“Bodily exercise profiteth little: but

godliness is profitable unto all things.”

ASCETIC PRACTICES

Asceticism refers to self-denial forthe purpose of gaining strength.Some of the early Christians wouldabstain “from wine and the marriage-bed in particular, but also from mostof the ordinary pleasures of life” (ER Pike), because they thought thatwould make them holier and morelike Christ.

“Ascetic practices impress the worldgreatly. Special diet, holy days,neglecting the body have a show ofpiousness and apparent humility,but Paul teaches that all thesepractices are simply will-worship.The heart of man’s sinfulness is hisdesire to worship God however hepleases instead of obeying theexpress will of God revealed inScripture. From the time of Cainonward men have wilfully broughtthe fruit of their labours to presentto God, rather than coming by Hisappointed, sacrificial way (Gen 4:3).The Lord God has demonstrated Hisattitude toward this will-worshipagain and again. One of the mostobvious examples is the action ofNadab and Abihu, the sons ofAaron, who offered to the Lordstrange fire that He had notcommanded. And there went out firefrom the LORD, and devoured them,and they died before the LORD (Lev10:2).” Let us be reminded of thesupreme holiness of God; Hisattitude toward will-worship hasnever changed.

“The person who offers to God hisown will-worship is showing to allthat he has not forsaken his own willand, hence, is not converted. Thereare too many people in Christendomwho claim to be ‘born again’ whoselives show that they are going toserve God any old way they please,rather than coming the blood-sprinkled way of obedience to thecross. According to Paul, they aremanifesting mere indulgence of theflesh, rather than true humility andobedience to the Lord.” — BV.

THOUGHT: “Just as water seeks tofill the lowest places, so God fills youwith His glory and power when Hefinds you empty and abased.” -Andrew Murray.PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help meto glorify You by living a pure andholy life through the power of YourHoly Spirit.

68

LORD’S DAY EVENING, MARCH 4COLOSSIANS 3:1-22 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18

“Lay up for yourselves treasures inheaven... for where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also.”

MIND HEAVENLY THINGS

The apostle “Paul now takes up thepositive side of the believer’srelationships. If ye then be risen withChrist, seek those things which areabove, where Christ sitteth on theright hand of God. Set your affectionon things above, not on things onthe earth (Col 3:1,2). If the believerdied to the things of the world, hecertainly should be alive to thethings of God. ‘Ye were raised withChrist’, Paul is saying; ‘keep onseeking the things above’. Thepersistent direction of the believer’slife should be to manifest hiscontinued seeking of the things ofGod. He should set his mind, hisaffections, and his intent on thethings above. He should keep onthinking of the Lord Jesus Christ,seated at the right hand of His Father.He above all things is our goal. Thebeliever should also set Hisaffections on that place which theLord has prepared for His own. It iswell to consider the people of Godwho are gathering there, thebeliever’s own ‘family’. Thepatriarchs, the prophets, theapostles, the saints and martyrs ofall ages are waiting for the believerin that place which the Lord Himselfhas designed for them. The desirefor a better — that is, a heavenly —country, has characterised theheroes of faith in all ages (Heb11:16).” — BV.

Are you minding heavenly things?Looking forward to heaven?

A sceptic was trying to comfort aChristian who was seriously ill. “Mypoor friend, how sorry I am,” saidthe sceptic, “that you have to leavethe land of the living.”

But the dying man, radiant, replied,“You are wrong. I’m leaving the landof the dying to go to the country ofthe living.”

THOUGHT: “If you read history youwill find that the Christianswho did most for the present worldwere precisely those who thoughtmost of the next. It is since Christianshave largely ceased to think of theother world that they have becomeso ineffective in this.” Do you agree?PRAYER: Lord, help me to put myaffection on things above, not onthings on the earth.

69

MONDAY, MARCH 5COLOSSIANS 3:1–2ROMANS 8:28–34

“Jesus the author and finisher of ourfaith... is set down at the right hand of

the throne of God.”

CHRIST SITTETH ON GOD’SRIGHT HAND

“Observe with care the fact that [theLord Jesus Christ] is alwaysdescribed in heaven as sitting down.This seems to me to be the onematerial argument for the salvationof the believer — Christ sits inheaven. Now, he never would sit ifthe work were not fully done. Jesus,when he was on earth, had a baptismto be baptised with, and how was hestraitened until it was accomplished!He had not time so much as to eatbread, full often, so eager was he toaccomplish all his work. And I donot, I cannot imagine that he wouldbe sitting down in heaven in theposture of ease unless he hadaccomplished all — unless ‘It isfinished!’ were to be understood inits broadest and most unlimitedsense….”

“The right hand of God is the placeof majesty, and the place of favourtoo. Now, Christ is his people’srepresentative. When he died forthem they had rest; when he roseagain for them, they had liberty;when he was received into hisFather’s favour, yet again, and sat athis own right hand, then had theyfavour, and honour, and dignity….”

“The right hand is the place ofpower. Christ at the right-hand ofGod signifies that all power is givenunto him in heaven and in earth. Now,who is he that condemns the peoplethat have such a head as this? O mysoul! what can destroy thee ifomnipotence is thy helper! If theaegis [protection, impregnabledefence] of the Almighty coversthee, what sword can smite thee? Ifthe wings of the Eternal are thyshelter, what plague can attack thee?Rest thou secure. If Jesus is thineall-prevailing king, and has troddenthine enemies beneath his feet; if sin,death, and hell, are now only partsof his empire, for he is Lord of all,and if thou art represented in him,and he is thy guarantee, thy swornsurety, it cannot be by anypossibility that thou canst becondemned.” (C H Spurgeon)

THOUGHT: “To my mind, one of thebest views of heaven is that it is aland of rest—especially to theworking man.” (C H Spurgeon)PRAYER: (Thank God that the LordJesus Christ sits at the right hand ofGod the Father, making intercessionfor us.)

70

TUESDAY, MARCH 6COLOSSIANS 3:3ROMANS 8:35–39

“No man is able to pluck them

out of my Father’s hand.”

YOUR LIFE IS HID WITHCHRIST IN GOD

Children often enjoy playing thegame “hide-and-seek.” But whenPaul says, Your life is hid with Christin God, he does not use the wordhide in the sense of something thatcannot be found. Rather, it has theforce of hiding in a safe place; itmeans that in Christ our life is secure.

Paul has told us to seek those thingswhich are above and to set [our]affection on things above. Whyshould we do that? Why should wenot consider things on the earth?The simple answer is that ye aredead. Death is separation; in thiscase separation from the world andits evil. It is the turning of our backsto our life before Christ, i.e. beforewe received Jesus Christ as Saviourand Lord of our lives (John 1:12).

In Galatians 2:20 Paul puts it thisway:— I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, butChrist liveth in me: and the lifewhich I now live in the flesh I liveby the faith of the Son of God, wholoved me, and gave himself for me.In other words, we are to considerheavenly things, for we are dead toearthly things, and our life is hidwith Christ in God.

Think of it, nothing can separate usfrom the love of God (Rom 8:35-39).Christ sitteth on the right hand ofGod (v 1), in the place of blessingand security. We are with Christ; weare complete in him (2:10). That isour relationship with our Saviourand Lord. We are joint-heirs with theSon of God; we are partakers of thedivine life; we have an inheritanceincorruptible, and undefiled, andthat fadeth not away, reserved inheaven… (1 Peter 1:4), all because… your life is hid with Christ inGod!

THOUGHT:Safe in the arms of Jesus,Safe on His gentle breast,There by His love o’er-shaded,Sweetly my soul shall rest.

Fanny J CrosbyPRAYER: Lord, I thank You that Yousafely keep me in the hollow of Yourhand and that I can never be lost.

71

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7COLOSSIANS 3:4MATTHEW 24:32–44

“Be ye also ready: for in suchan hour as ye think not the

Son of man cometh.”

JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!

Several years ago, newspapers,television and radio reports told of aKorean pastor who prophesied thatthe Lord Jesus Christ would comeagain on October 28, 1992. October28, 1992 has come and gone, but theLord Jesus Christ has not come yet.

What should be our attitude andreaction in light of all the controversysurrounding this false prophet’sclaims? Let us consider four points:

1. The second coming of Christ is asure event. Paul says in today’sreading, Christ … shall appear.Even though there shall come in thelast days scoffers, walking aftertheir own lusts, And saying, Whereis the promise of his coming? (2Peter 3:3,4). Jesus is coming again!

2. No man knows the day and hourof the Lord’s return. While Jesusindicates that by observing the signsof the times Christians can know thatHis second coming is near, even atthe doors (Matt 24:33), He alsoindicates that no man can know theexact time of His return (Matt 24:36).Therefore, anyone who sets any datefor the second coming of Christ is afalse prophet.

3. Don’t sit around doing nothingwhile waiting for the Lord to come.Paul exhorts believers: that ye studyto be quiet, and to do your ownbusiness, and to work with yourown hands, as we commanded you;That ye may walk honestly towardthem that are without, and that yemay have lack of nothing (1 Thess4:11,12).

4. Prepare yourself for the Lord’sreturn. “Mamma,” said a little child,“my Sunday School teacher tells methat this world is only a place inwhich God lets us live a while thatwe may prepare for a better world.But, mother, I do not see anybodypreparing. I see you preparing to gointo the country, and Auntie ispreparing to come here; but I don’tsee anyone preparing to go toHeaven. Why don’t they try to getready?”

THOUGHT: Have I prepared myselffor the return of the Lord JesusChrist? Am I ready if He should cometoday?PRAYER: Even so, come, LordJesus.

72

THURSDAY, MARCH 8COLOSSIANS 3:4REVELATION 20:1–6

“They lived and reigned with Christ a

thousand years.”

REIGNING WITH CHRIST

The Word of God not only teachesthat Jesus is coming again, it alsoteaches that believers shall appearwith Him in glory. 2 Timothy 2:12says, … we shall also reign withhim and Revelation 20:4-6 makes itclear that believers shall reign withhim a thousand years.

The Latin term Millennium,signifying a thousand years, hasbeen applied to the era of thatduration during which Christ, afterHis return, shall cause justice andpeace to reign on earth. The teachingof the Old Testament concerning theMillennium is so complete that theJews succeeded in developing itentirely themselves withoutpossessing the revelation given inthe New Testament. However, inRevelation 20, the apostle John givesinformation regarding theMillennium that was lacking in theOld Testament. He mentions, amongothers, the duration of the Messianicreign (1,000 years), the fact thatSatan would be bound, the firstresurrection at the beginning of thethousand years, and the secondresurrection at the end of thethousand years.

During the Millennium, Christ willsit on the throne of David and willreign over the earth (Jer 23:5). Duringthis time there will be universal peace(Ps 72:7) and universalrighteousness (Isa 11:4-5). TheChurch will reign with Christ (2 Tim2:12); it would seem that believershave individual rather than collectiveresponsibility in the Kingdom (Lk19:16-19), but for the most part thedetails connected with that reignmust be left unsettled.

Israel is to be regathered (Isa 11:10-13) and will evangelise the peoplewho will be born during theMillennium (Zech 8:13, 20-23). Satanwill be cast into the bottomless pit(Rev 20:1-3) and the nature of animalswill be changed (Isa 11:6-9). Ingeneral, it will be a time of great joyand happiness (Isa 35:10) and a timeof great material prosperity andsecurity (Mic 4:2-5).

THOUGHT: Where will I be duringthe Millennium?PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thankYou that because I am a believer inthe Lord Jesus Christ, I shall reignwith him a thousand years.

73

FRIDAY, MARCH 9COLOSSIANS 3:5–17HEBREWS 11:1–6

“But thanks be to God, whichgiveth us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ.”

A LIFE OF FAITH

The Christian life is one of faith, notworks. Christians have heard thisfact emphasised in regard tosalvation, but the principle is alsotrue in regard to the Christian’s walkafter his regeneration. Paul asks theGalatian converts, Are ye so foolish?having begun in the Spirit, are yenow made perfect by the flesh? (Gal3:3). In Colossians 3:5-17, Paulexhorts believers to put sin out oftheir lives and live righteously beforeGod and mankind, and an analysisof this passage indicates that faithis the key to accomplishing this goal.

Perhaps an illustration will make clearhow faith can transform an objectivefact into subjective reality and howa lack of faith can make an importantfact essentially ineffective. Supposea poor man is living in a broken-downhouse, slowly starving to death. Oneday a visitor appears and tells thepoor man that a wealthy benefactorhas deposited a million dollars forhim in a bank account and handsthe pauper a chequebook. If thepauper fails to believe the news, hebegins to fear that any cheque hemay write will be bad, resulting inhis arrest by the police. His unbeliefand his fear will keep him in povertythough objectively he is a millionaire.In one way he who was poor is nowrich; in another sense he is just aspoor as he always was. Since themoney is in the bank, it takes onlyfaith to make the pauper rich.

For the Christian, God had alreadydefeated sin in his life. Paul tells theRoman Christians that they are deadto sin (Romans 6:6-7). But theChristian must believe this fact; hemust live by faith and not by whathe still sees and feels (Romans 6:11).Do you believe this? (Adapted fromBV.)

THOUGHT: When Christiansconsider themselves by faith to bewhat God says they are, then theyhave victory over sin in their lives.PRAYER: Lord, I thank You thatthrough the Lord Jesus Christ I canhave victory over sin in my life.

74

SATURDAY, MARCH 10COLOSSIANS 3:5–7EPHESIANS 4:17–24

“Be content with such things

as ye have.”

PUT OFF THE OLD MAN (I)

In verse 5, Paul points out certainsins, which were prevalent inheathendom. He says that theColossians had practised these sinsbefore they became believers in theLord Jesus Christ (v 7). Now, sincethey are made alive in Christ, thesesins must be abandoned entirely.

In the vices mentioned in verse 5,“Paul proceeds from outward actsto inward attitudes: (1) illegitimatesexual intercourse, (2) moralimpurity, (3) lust or dishonorable,immoral passion, (4) evil cravings,and (5) greed for money, which is sonecessary in order for one to indulgein fleshly passions. This greed Paulcalls ‘idolatry,’ for it captures theaffections of man which properlybelong to God.” — BV.

Let us look at the last-mentionedvice — covetousness, which isidolatry — in a little more detail. OneBible scholar has written, “The desireon the part of an individual to havemore, and yet more, is idolatry. Whatone craves, he worships; and tosuch a god there is given the firstthought of the morning, the last wishof the evening, and the action ofevery waking hour. When one’smind is completely occupied ingaining ‘things,’ that person is guiltyof gross idolatry. The admonition ofJesus to His child is, Seek ye firstthe kingdom of God, and hisrighteousness; and all these thingsshall be added unto you (Matt6:33).”

“If we are in the right relationshipwith God, our first desire in themorning should be to look up andthank Him for the rest of the night.… Throughout the day we shouldlive in an attitude of prayer — Paulsays, Pray without ceasing (1 Thess5:17). Throughout the day we shouldlook up and give thanks unto Himwho is our life, who is the giver ofevery good and perfect gift. If we let‘things’ crowd Him out of ourthinking and out of our living, thenour god is whatever occupies ourmind and claims our utmostattention….”

THOUGHT: Have you put to deathyour members which are upon theearth?PRAYER: Lord, help me to put todeath my members, which are uponthe earth.

75

LORD’S DAY, MARCH 11COLOSSIANS 3:8-9EPHESIANS 4:25-32

“Put off concerning the former

conversation the old man.”

PUT OFF THE OLD MAN (II)

While Paul proceeds from outwardacts to inward attitudes in the vicesmentioned in verse 5, in today’sreading in Colossians he “beginswith the inward and works towardthe outward: (1) anger or that settledhabit of animosity whose intent isrevenge, (2) wrath or outbursts ofpassionate, temporary rage, (3)malice, the feeling of ill-will thatimpels one to seek revenge, (4)slander, the intentional spreading oflies and insults against one’sneighbor, and (5) obscene speechor ‘cussing out.’ Paul especiallywarns against lying (v 9). Thesevices represent the way Christiansused to live when they were part ofthe world (v 7). These are the kindsof things that make God angry —angry enough to bring the judgmentof hell upon the unsaved (v 6).

“The Christian must live his life inview of what will happen in eternity.If a man and a woman are engagedto be married, and the marriage isjust a matter of time, they naturallyavoid doing those things that wouldbother or annoy each other. It wouldseem very strange if the young ladystill wanted to date her old boyfriends. Obviously something iswrong if the young man wants torun around with immoral women andtells his fiancee, ‘I will have time laterto enjoy your fellowship.’ TheChristian knows that in heaven hewill have no place for these sins.There will be no malice there. Hecertainly knows that some day hemust put off every sin, and in hismind that will be wonderful. If thisremoval of sin in the future is good,then why does the Christian notconsider himself dead to these thingsnow?” — BV.

THOUGHT: Puritan writer ThomasWatson said, “Eternity to the godlyis a day that has no sunset; eternityto the wicked is a night that has nosunrise.” Do you live your life witheternity’s values in view?PRAYER:With eternity’s values in view; Lord,With eternity’s values in view;May I do each day’s work for Jesus,With eternity’s values in view.

76

MONDAY, MARCH 12COLOSSIANS 3:10–112 CORINTHANS 5:17–21

“Behold, how good and howpleasant it is for brethren to

dwell together in unity!”

FROM OLD MAN TO NEWMAN

Not only must the Christian put offthe old man, he must also havesomething to put in its place. Paulcommands the putting on of the newman. But be careful. It is not byreformation (living a better life) thata person is changed from old to new;a person can only become a new manthrough regeneration, by being bornagain.

A humble Moravian workman askedJohn Wesley before his conversion,“Do you hope to be saved?” “Yes, Ido”, replied Wesley. “On whatground do you hope for salvation?”asked the Moravian. “Because of myendeavours to serve God”, saidWesley. The Moravian made noreply. He only shook his head andwalked silently away. Wesley, inspeaking of the incident later said,“I thought him very uncharitable,saying in my heart. ‘Would he robme of my endeavours?’” Later,Wesley saw the light — thatsalvation is solely of grace, not byworks of righteousness which wehave done or can do. He saw whathis brother, Charles, saw andexpressed in these words: “Couldmy tears forever flow, Could my zealno languor know, These for sin couldnot atone; Thou must save, andThou alone: In my hand no price Ibring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.”

Observe that background,upbringing, etc have nothing to dowith all this. It doesn’t matter if youare Greek or Jew, circumcised oruncircumcised, Barbarian orScythian, bond or free. When Pauluses these terms he means all peoplewithout exception. All have sinned,and come short of the glory of God(Rom 3:23). We all need Christ andHis salvation. He has promised, …him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out (John 6:37). Christ isall, and in all. Regardless of theirbackground, all true believers are onein Christ.

THOUGHT: In Heaven there are noPresbyterians, or Methodists, orBaptists, etc. In Heaven there areonly Christians.PRAYER: (If you are a believer, thankGod for your salvation through faithin the Lord Jesus Christ. If you arenot yet saved, confess your sins tothe Lord and ask Him to save you.)

77

TUESDAY, MARCH 13COLOSSIANS 3:12–15GALATIANS 5:22–23

“But the fruit of the Spirit islove, joy, peace, longsufferung,

gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness, temperance.”

PUT ON THE NEW MAN

In verses 5-9, Paul mentioned thevices to be put off; in verses 12-17he mentions good habits, which thenew man is to cultivate:

Bowels of mercies : The heart ofcompassion.

Kindness : Our love for others mustresult in more than words.

Humbleness of mind : Concernedfor others rather than with one’s owninterests.

Meekness : Willingness to sufferwrong.

Longsuffering : The willingness toendure quietly suffering or wrong.

Forbearing one another : Puttingup with others.

Forgiving one another : To grantgrace.

Love : Genuine godly love, a lovingtemper of mind, which seeks theother person’s good.

Peace : Reconciliation to God (Rom5:1). Peace denotes a calm mind anda yielded spirit not easily upset ordisturbed by adversity.

Be ye thankful : Any person can behappy and thankful when all goeswell and when everyone speaks wellof him; but the Christian is to givethanks in ALL things (1 Thess 5:18).Matthew Henry once robbed of hispurse, wrote these words in his diary:“Let me be thankful first, because Iwas never robbed before; second,because, although they took mypurse, they did not take my life; third,because, although they took my all,it was not much; and fourth, becauseit was I who was robbed, not I whorobbed.”

THOUGHT: “When we are weak,then are we strong. When mostempty of self, we are most full ofGod.” — Charles Hodge.PRAYER: Lord, help me to manifestthe fruit of the Spirit in my life.

78

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14COLOSSIANS 3:16EPHESIANS 5:15–21

“I will sing praises unto my God.”

SING WITH THANKSGIVING

Not everyone has a beautiful voice,nor is that required. To God thebeauty consists in whether or notthe singing comes from the heart.Our singing is to be directed to God,not to man; our songs should praiseand glorify Him and prepare ourhearts to worship Him. Psalms referto sacred songs, especially those ofthe Old Testament. Hymns are songsof praise and worship to God ( Acts16:25; Heb 2:12). Spiritual songsindicate songs which are spiritual asopposed to worldly or fleshly songs.Songs of a spiritual nature, inspiredby the Holy Spirit, would echo thevaried sentiments and experiencesof the Christian life.

Horatius Bonar wrote his first hymnout of necessity. In his first church,a mission church in a squalid sectionof Leith, Scotland, he was troubledby the lack of songs for the SundaySchool. The children did not like thesongs of the Church of Scotland,with their slow, solemn tunes. Bonarmet the difficulty directly by writingnew songs in simple words aboutJesus, the Gospel, and the Christianlife.

Bonar soon began to write hymnsfor adults, too. His first, “Go LabourOn! Spend and Be Spent!” waswritten for the encouragement of hisco-workers in the mission church,as they laboured at their seeminglyunrewarding task among the poor,the wretched, and the sinful.

Bonar was always writing hymns,which touched almost every facetof Christian doctrine and experience.“I try to fill my hymns with the loveand light of Christ,” he said. Healways carried a notebook in whichto jot down ideas and versefragments. He wrote under variedconditions and at almost any time— frequently while on railwayjourneys. Over a period of fiftyyears, he produced close to sixhundred hymns, of which about onehundred are still in use today

THOUGHT: “Beware of singing asif you were dead or half asleep! Liftup your voices with strength. Be nomore afraid of your voice now, ormore ashamed of it being heard, thanwhen you sang the songs of Satan.”(John Wesley)PRAYER: Lord, when I sing inchurch, may I sing in my heart toYou.

79

THURSDAY, MARCH 15COLOSSIANS 3:171 CORINTHIANS 10:31–32

“Whether therefore ye eat,or drink, or whatsoever ye dO,

do all to the glory of God.”

DO ALL TO THE GLORY

OF GOD

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God,and to enjoy him forever”, says theWestminster Shorter Catechism.Everything the Christian doesshould be done for God’s glory, inthe name of the Lord Jesus Christ,for He said, without me ye can donothing (John 15:5). With thesethoughts the apostle Paul concludesthis section in Colossians where hehas told believers to put off the oldman and to put on the new man. Theold man will glorify self, sin, andSatan, but the new man in ChristJesus strives with all that is in himto glorify God.

All speech, all action, every detail ofdaily living and practice is to be donein the name of the Lord. All truethanksgiving to God the Father isdirected through Christ the Son,who is the only mediator betweenGod and man (1 Tim 2:5). Allblessings come through Him, andthrough Him the believer shoulddirect all thanks to God the Father.

In conversation with ProfessorSamuel Morse, the inventor of thetelegraph, the Rev George Herveyasked: “Professor Morse, when youwere making your experimentsyonder in your room in theuniversity, did you ever come to astand, not knowing what to donext?” “Oh, yes, more than once.”“And at such times what did you donext?” “I may answer you inconfidence, sir”, said the Professor,“but it is a matter of which the publicknows nothing. I prayed for morelight.” “And the light generallycame?” “Yes, and may I tell you thatwhen flattering honours came to mefrom America and Europe onaccount of the invention which bearsmy name, I never felt I deservedthem. I had made a valuableapplication of electricity, notbecause I was superior to other men,but solely because God, who meantit for mankind, must reveal it tosomeone, and was pleased to revealit to me.”

In view of these facts, it is notsurprising that the inventor’s firstmessage was, “What has Godwrought!”

THOUGHT: Do I try to glorify Godin all I do?PRAYER: Lord, with Your help I willstrive to glorify You in all that I do.

80

FRIDAY, MARCH 16COLOSSIANS 3:18–4:1MATTHEW 5:13–16

“Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father

which is in heaven.”

PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

The call in this passage is to aChristlike spirit and to Christlikeobjectives. The Christlike spirit ischaracterised by such qualities ascompassion, kindness, humility,meekness, forbearance, and love. Itrepudiates the spirit of anger, malice,abusive speech, and deceptiveness.Paul’s appeals to various classes arebased on these presuppositions.Fundamentally, each admonition isan appeal to cast off thecharacteristics of the old life and toput on those of the new. Thedominant idea throughout is thatChristlike submission to authority isthe key to harmonious relationships.In each case, the one under authorityis addressed first; and the appeal tothe one in authority is an appeal forhim to recognise and submit to thesupreme Authority.

The exhortation in each case isconcise and crisp, rather thancomprehensive. He does not give tothe wife or the husband acomprehensive plan for a happyhome. He deals instead with basicproblems, but in so doing heprovides the keys for harmoniousrelationships in all areas of life.Implicit in the brevity of theadmonitions is the suggestion thatthey deal with the most sensitiveareas in our relationships, the areasin which we are the most susceptibleto error. Thus the most critical battlefor the wife is often in the area ofsubmission (3:18); the key issue forthe husband, on the other hand, isthe maintaining of a Christlike lovein his relationship with his wife(3:19). The passage may be dividedinto three sections: (1) therelationship of wife and husband(3:18,19), (2) the relationship ofchildren and parents (3:20,21), and(3) the relationship of servant andmaster, or employee and employer(3:22-4:1). (Adapted from BV.)

In our next seven readings we shallconsider these relationships in moredetail.

THOUGHT: Those who are risenwith Christ are expected to exhibitthe characteristics of His life in theirpractical relationships.PRAYER: Lord, help me to let mylight shine before men so they mayglorify You.

81

SATURDAY, MARCH 17COLOSSIANS 3:18PROVERBS 31:10–31

“A woman that feareth the LORD,

she shall be praised.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOWIVES

If a home is to be harmonious andChristlike, the wife must maintain aproper attitude towards herhusband’s authority, and thehusband must provide a conduciveatmosphere for the exercise of hisauthority.Paul exhorts wives, Submityourselves unto your own husbands,as it is fit in the Lord. Subordination,in the Bible, is a matter of divineorder; it is not a matter of inferiorityor superiority (1 Cor 12:12-30; Gal3:28; 1 Pet 3:7). The divine order callsfor everyone to have both a realm ofauthority and a realm ofsubordination. The man, though hehas authority over the woman, ishimself subject to higher authorities.The centurion who was commendedfor his great faith was a man whofully recognised the principle ofsubordination and authority: For Ialso am a man set under authority,having under me soldiers… (Luke7:8).

The woman, though subject to theman, has a realm of authority of herown (Prov 31:10-31; 1 Tim 5:14). Thewoman who would serve mosteffectively and who would have theblessing of the Lord upon her homemust learn to appreciate her twofoldplace of subordination and authorityin the divine order.

Paul appeals to propriety as amotivation for the wife’ssubordination. She should submitherself as it is fit in the Lord. Theappeal is for the woman to recognisethe propriety of acting consistentlyas one who is in fellowship with theLord. He was humble, meek, andrespectful of authority (Matt 11:29;22:21; Luke 2:51; John 15:10); soshould all Christians be. In hersubmission, the woman should notobey regardless of what herhusband tells her to do. If what hetells her to do is not fit in the Lord,i.e. if it would mean breaking a law ofGod, then she must obey God ratherthan man (Acts 4:19; 5:29).

THOUGHT: Three essentials to ahappy marriage are: the presence ofthe Lord Jesus Christ at the wedding(John 2:2), in the home (Mk 2:1), andall along life’s journey (Lk 24:15).PRAYER: Lord, help me to liveaccording to the twofold place ofsubordination and authority in thedivine order.

82

LORD’S DAY MORNING, MARCH 18COLOSSIANS 3:19EPHESIANS 5:18–33

“Husbands, love your wives.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOHUSBANDS

The apostle Paul commandshusbands, Love your wives, and benot bitter against them. To themodern mind the idea that love canbe commanded is strange, but theGreek word for love denotes a“reasoning attachment, of choiceand selection” (Trench). Byimplication, the will is involved; and,consequently, this love may becommanded. It is not merely a matterof natural feelings or passion. It canbe bestowed, as God bestowed Hislove, without regard to theworthiness of the object (Rom 5:8).Paul, therefore, commands thehusband to love his wife. He giveshim no option. He is not to love hiswife if she loves him. He is to loveher whether or not she loves him andwhether or not she has qualitiesconducive to love.

“But how,” someone asks, “can oneproduce love where there is none?”By the same means Christ producedlove in our hearts — by giving (John3:16; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-11). Christlikelove involves giving: the giving ofoneself in behalf of another. Thehusband who would produce anatmosphere of love in the home mustcontinually give himself in behalf ofhis wife.

The command for the husband tolove his wife is further explained bythe admonition, and be not bitteragainst them. The root idea of theword bitter is pointed, sharp,cutting. In the Ephesian letter, Paulassociates this word with wrath andanger, and he contrasts it withkindness and tenderheartedness(Eph 4:31,32). The context inColossians suggests a similarcontrast (cf Col 3:8, 12-14). The spiritof love and the spirit of bitternessare opposed to each other. An acridspirit and cutting words, like carnalanger, are products of self-centredness. Love seeketh not herown (1 Cor 13:5); therefore, the onewho loves another does not becomebitter and resentful when his desiresare frustrated. Where lovedominates, bitterness decreases. —BV

THOUGHT: Success in marriageconsists not only in finding the rightmate, but also in being the right mate.PRAYER: Lord, help me to be theright kind of mate to my spouse.

83

LORD’S DAY EVENING, MARCH 18COLOSSIANS 3:20EXODUS 20:12

“Children, obey your parents in the

Lord: for this is right.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOCHILDREN

Children are commanded, Obey yourparents in all things: for this is wellpleasing unto the Lord. The rootidea of the word translated obey islisten, attend (cf Acts 12:13). Incommon usage the word denotessimple obedience to authority (e.g.Acts 6:7; Rom 10:16; Phil 2:12).Another word was used to representobedience, which resulted frominward persuasion or faith. The childmay or may not be persuaded thathis parents are right. He is to obeythem because they are in authorityover him. And he is to obey in allthings. That is, he cannot choosewhat to obey and what not to obey.Of course, if his parents ask him todo something wrong, he must obeyGod rather than man.

The motivation for the child’sobedience is to be found in hisrelationship with the Lord: for thisis well pleasing unto the Lord.There are other motivations for theobedience of the Christian child. Heshould obey his parents simplybecause it is right (Eph 6:1). Heshould obey because God promisesblessings to those who obey (Eph6:2,3), and He threatens curses uponthose who do not (Prov 20:20;30:17). But perhaps the highestmotivation for obedience is that it isbased on a relationship to a Person,rather than simply to a law. TheChristian young person who hasbecome conscious of the fact thathe is being governed by a Person,One who is sensitive to needs andfeelings, will be more highlymotivated than one who isconscious simply of rules. Laws andrules are necessary, of course, butthe wise parent will seek to turn hischild’s thoughts to the Personbehind the principles, the Lord JesusChrist.

THOUGHT: Said an English motherto her son: “Charles, your father andI have trained you in righteousness.We have taught you the Word ofGod. We have lived a godly lifebefore you. If you do not live a godlylife, we will stand before God in theday of judgment and bear witnessagainst you!” That son became oneof the world’s greatest preachers:Charles Haddon Spurgeon!PRAYER: Lord, I pray that just asthe Lord Jesus was subject untoMary and Joseph (Lk 2:51), I may beobedient to my parents, but aboveall that I may obey You.

84

MONDAY, MARCH 19COLOSSIANS 3:21PROVERBS 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he shouldgo: and when he is old, he will not

depart from it.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOFATHERS

The command to the children toobey in all things is balanced by anadmonition to the fathers: Provokenot your children to anger, lest theybe discouraged. The word translatedprovoke means to excite, stir up. Inthis exhortation to fathers, it meansto exasperate by incessant, exactingdemands. The child who is subjectedto such is inclined to lose heart. Hewill eventually perceive that nomatter how hard he tries, he neverpleases his father, and he will losethe will to try.

Ironically, Christian fathers are moresusceptible to this habit than theunsaved; for the Christian, by virtueof his profession, automatically hashigher standards than the man of theworld. And he naturally desires forhis children all that he knows to beright. The problem with such a fatheris not in his standards. It is in hisfailure to balance high ideals withgrace.

The heavenly Father provides theperfect pattern for earthly fathers,and the Christian father would dowell to observe carefully Hismethods of dealing with His childrenin this regard. (1) He sets before Hischildren the highest standards, andHe does not neglect stern reproofwhere necessary. Nevertheless, thegeneral tenor of His relationship withHis children is one of favour; that is,He takes great pains to make Hischildren conscious of the fact thatHe delights in them. (2) Heconcentrates on the establishmentof principles, rather than onparticular commands, precepts, rules,etc. (3) He graciously overlookssome things for which He could justlyjudge us (Ps 103:10).

If Christian fathers would follow theexample of the heavenly Father, theywould virtually eliminate the dangersof unwittingly disheartening andexasperating their children as theytrain them.

THOUGHT: The Bible “presents anaccurate and comprehensive pictureof children, parents, family life,values, training, nurture, discipline—all you need to be equipped for thetask of parenting.” (Tedd Tripp)PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant mewisdom to bring up my children inthe nurture and admonition of theLord.

85

TUESDAY, MARCH 20COLOSSIANS 3:22PHILEMON 1-25

“We ought to obey God

rather than men.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOSERVANTS (I)

Paul, perhaps as a result of hisexperience with Onesimus (Col 4:9;Philem 10-12), devotes moreattention to slaves in the book ofColossians than to any other class.He admonished them to obeyconscientiously (3:22) and to workzealously (3:22-25). As the childrenwere commanded to obey in allthings (3:20), so it is with the slaves.The great test of obedience is thewillingness to obey commandswhich are distasteful and whichseem to be unreasonable. Even theslave could find ways to slight andneglect the commands of his master.Onesimus had evidently been sucha slave, for Paul characterises himas “good for nothing” before hisconversion. After his conversion,however, Onesimus becameprofitable (Philem 11). Paul wouldhave all Christian servants to beprofitable to their masters by beingcompletely obedient.

A missionary translator wasendeavouring to find a word for“obedience” in the native language.This was a virtue seldom practisedamong the people into whoselanguage he wanted to translate theNew Testament. As he returnedhome from the village one day, hewhistled for his dog and it camerunning at full speed. An old native,seeing this, said admiringly in thenative tongue, “Your dog is all ear.”Immediately the missionary knew hehad his word for obedience.

The expression your mastersaccording to the flesh is designedto remind the slave that his trueMaster is his heavenly Father. Hecannot allow himself, therefore,either to chafe under theidiosyncrasies of his earthly masteror to become overly solicitous of hismaster’s favour. He is to serve notwith eye-service, as menpleasers;but in singleness of heart, fearingGod. That is, his obedience is to bemotivated by a reverent regard forthe true Master, and it is to becharacterised by devotedconsistency. (Adapted from BV.)

THOUGHT: True reverence towardGod will produce the truest servantsof men. Do I agree?PRAYER: Lord, may I faithfully workfor my employer, always doing myvery best.

86

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21COLOSSIANS 3:23–25ECCLESIASTES 9:10

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

do it with thy might.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOSERVANTS (II)

The Christian servant is not only toobey completely andconscientiously, he is to workzealously (3:23-25): And whatsoeverye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,and not unto men. Zealous serviceis the natural result of the servant’srecognition of his true Master (3:23b)and of his anticipation of final, justrecognition of his service (3:24,25).Whereas service to man often goesunrecognised, service to God isalways recognised and justlyrewarded. The faithful servant ismotivated by the perception that hewill receive from the Lord infinitereward. Far from simply receivingwages for his service, he will receivethe inheritance of his Father:Knowing that of the Lord ye shallreceive the reward of theinheritance. In Paul’s day, thecontrast between the slave and theson was vivid and harsh; but ineternity the servant will berecognised for what he really is — ason and heir of the heavenly Father!

The negative aspect of the Christianservant’s motivation to servezealously is set forth in 3:25: But hethat doeth wrong shall receive forthe wrong which he hath done: andthere is no respect of persons. InPaul’s exhortations to the servantsin 3:22,23, there is a tacit suggestionthat some of the Christian servantswere already guilty of wrong actions.The inspired writer had admonishedthem to obey in all things (3:22),evidently, because some had notbeen completely obedient; he hadexhorted them to serve zealously,because some had been servinghalf-heartedly (3:23); and he hadinstructed them to serve insingleness of heart because somehad been serving as menpleasers,hoping to get by on the basis ofhuman favouritism. Paul warns in3:25 that though the servant mayappear to get away with unjustservice in this life, he will give anaccount for his wrongdoing ineternity, and he will have no hope ofreprieve on the basis of personalityor prejudice. — BV.

THOUGHT: “Whatever I have triedto do in life, I have tried with all myheart to do well; whatever I havedevoted myself to I have devotedmyself to completely.” (CharlesDickens)PRAYER: Lord, help me to do myvery best always, in everything I do.

87

THURSDAY, MARCH 22COLOSSIANS 4:1PROVERBS 3:27–28

“Ye ... have a Master in heaven.”

PAUL’S TEACHING TOMASTERS

Masters are exhorted, Give untoyour servants that which is just andequal; knowing that ye also have aMaster in heaven. The firstobligation of the Christian master isto be just. That is, he is to be fairand upright in his dealings with hisservants. He cannot allow himselfto bend the law for one to abide bythe law for another. The concomitantof justice is equitability. Justicedemands that all be treatedequitably, that no partiality beshown. By refusing to showpartiality, the master reduces thetemptation of his servants to serveas menpleasers (3:22).

The master’s motivation for just andequitable treatment of servantscomes from his realisation that hehimself is a servant. He has a Masterin heaven. The man in authority isnot as likely to be called intoquestion as the servant is.Consequently, it often becomesdifficult for a master to view histreatment of subordinatesobjectively. When he recognises,however, that he himself is beingviewed by the heavenly Master, hegains the vantage point of the slave;and at the same time he sees in theheavenly Master One who madehimself of no reputation, and tookupon him the form of a servant (Phil2:7). — BV.

Another Bible teacher put it this way:“In place of racial, religious, or ageprejudice, each person who worksfor us is to be given impartial respectand treatment. We cannot judgeothers on the basis of our fancies,nor oppress them just because thepower is in our hands. Each must begiven the opportunity to developand use his God-given talents. Howcan we call ourselves children of Godand persecute those who are lessfortunate for their colour or creed?”

THOUGHT: Whether I am anemployer or an employee, one day Iwill have to give an account to God.PRAYER: Lord, help me to live mylife in such a way that when I standbefore You in the Day of Judgmentand give an account to You I mayhear Your voice, Well done, thougood and faithful servant … enterthou into the joy of thy Lord.

88

FRIDAY, MARCH 23COLOSSIANS 4:2LUKE 11:1–13

“Men ought always to pray.”

CONTINUE IN PRAYER

“It is far more easy to begin a habitof prayer than to keep it up. Myriadsof professing Christians are regularlytaught to pray when they are young,and then gradually leave off thepractice as they grow up.Thousands take up a habit ofpraying for a little season, after somespecial mercy or special affliction,and then little by little become coldabout it, and at last lay it aside. Thesecret thought comes stealing overmen’s minds that “it is no use topray;” they see no visible benefitfrom it; they persuade themselvesthat they get on just as well withoutprayer. Laziness and unbelief prevailover their hearts, and at last theyaltogether restrain prayer beforeGod (Job 15:4).

“Let us resist this feeling wheneverwe feel it rising within us. Let usresolve by God’s grace, thathowever poor and feeble ourprayers may seem to be, we will prayon. It is not for nothing that the Bibletells us so frequently to watch untoprayer, to pray without ceasing, tocontinue in prayer, to pray alwaysand not to faint, to be instant inprayer. These expressions all lookone way: they are all meant to remindus of a danger and to quicken us toa duty. The time and way in whichour prayers shall be answered arematters which we must leave entirelyto God; but that every petition whichwe offer in faith shall certainly beanswered, we need not doubt. Letus lay our matters before God againand again, day after day, week afterweek, month after month, year afteryear. The answer may be long incoming, as it was in the cases ofHannah and Zacharias (1 Sam 1:27;Luke 1:13); but though it tarry, let uspray on and wait for it. At the righttime it will surely come and not tarry.”( J C Ryle)

THOUGHT: “To be a Christianwithout prayer is no more possiblethan to be alive without breathing.”(Martin Luther)PRAYER: Lord, I thank You that Youhave taught me to pray withoutceasing and that You have promisedto answer me and show me great andmighty things, which I know not.

89

SATURDAY, MARCH 24COLOSSIANS 4:3-42 THESSALONIANS 3:1–2

“Brethren, pray for us.”

A PRAYER FOR MY PASTOR

The apostle Paul requested thebelievers in Colosse to pray for himthat God would give him anopportunity to speak, i.e. to preachthe Gospel of Christ (v 3) and thathe might testify for the Lord in anacceptable manner (v 4). He askedthe believers in Thessalonica topray for us, that the word of the Lordmay have free course, and beglorified (2 Thess 3:1). And hepleaded with the Ephesians to prayfor him, that utterance may be givenunto me, that I may open my mouthboldly, to make known the mysteryof the gospel (Eph 6:19).

If the apostle Paul needed theprayers of God’s people, then,certainly, our pastors today need theprayers of the members of theircongregations. When was the lasttime you prayed for your pastor?When did you last pray for the otherleaders in your church? Have youever prayed for the editor and thewriters of the RPG notes?

Note the following “Prayer for mypastor” :

“Our Father, let me be a pillar ofstrength to help hold him up and nota thorn in the flesh to sap hisstrength, nor a burden on his backto pull him down. Let me supporthim without striving to possess him.Let me lift his hands without placingshackles around them. Let me givehim my help that he may devotemore time in working for the salvationof others and less time in gratifyingmy vanity. Let me work for him asthe pastor of all the members andnot compel him to spend precioustime in pleasing me. Let me beunselfish in what I do for him andnot selfish in demanding that he domore for me. Let me strive to servehim and the church much and behappy as he serves me less and thechurch and others more.” (Authorunknown)

THOUGHT: “I have been drivenmany times to my knees by theoverwhelming conviction that I hadnowhere else to go. My own wisdomand that of those about me seemedinsufficient for the day.” (A Lincoln)PRAYER: Lord, help me to prayfaithfully every day for my pastorand other church leaders.

90

LORD’S DAY MORNING, MARCH 25COLOSSIANS 4:51 THESSALONIANS 5:16–23

“If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God.”

WALK IN WISDOM

The Christian ordinarily comes intocontact with non-Christians (themthat are without). Although theymay not say anything, these non-Christians watch our conduct to seeif our lives match our profession. Towalk in wisdom requires theChristian to walk worthy of the Lord(1:10). When we walk worthy of theLord, unbelievers will see Christ inus and may glorify your Fatherwhich is in heaven (Matt 5:16).

Often things harmless or indifferentin themselves must be avoided forthe sake of our testimony and theinfluence we have on others.Abstain from all appearance of evil(1 Thess 5:22).

Note, too, that all of our actions mustbe evaluated in the light of theirworthwhileness. We must redeemthe time, be good stewards of ourtime as well as of our talents andmoney. (Adapted from BV.)

THOUGHT:My Neighbour’s Bible

I am my neighbour’s Bible, Hereads me when we meet;Today he reads me in my home.Tomorrow in the street.

He may a relative or friend, Orslight acquaintance be;He may not even know myname, Yet he is reading me.

And pray, who is thisneighbour, Who reads me dayby day,To learn if I am living right, Andwalking as I pray?

Oh, he is with me always, Tocriticise or blame;So worldly wise in his owneyes, And “Sinner” is his name.

Dear Christian friends, If wecould only knowHow faithfully the worldrecords just what we say anddo.

Oh, we would write our recordplain, And come in time to seeOur worldly neighbour won toChrist, While reading you andme.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help meto walk worthy of the Lord unto allpleasing.

91

LORD’S DAY EVENING, MARCH 25COLOSSIANS 4:6JAMES 3:1–6

“The words of a wise man’s mouth aregracious; but the lips of a fool will

swallow up himself.”

WATCH YOUR TONGUE

In our speech too we should be anexample.

Paul’s assumption is that as we meetnon-Christians and converse withthem about everyday affairs of life,that the subject of Christianity willcome up. They will either beimpressed and want to know more,or they will be doubters who willwant to scoff. It is important to knowwhat to say to these people. It isalmost as important to know how tosay it. The Christian’s answer shouldbe given in such a way as to make asfavourable an impression as possibleupon the unconverted.

Our speech should manifest thegrace of God and be seasoned withsalt. This phrase means that as saltcan make food tastier and transforman ordinary meal into a good one, soour conversation should beattractive. We should make adeliberate, continuing effort toimprove every aspect of our speechin order to make our witness forChrist as clear and as attractive aspossible. — BV.

An author by the name of TheodoreReinking faced execution in 1646because he had offended KingChristian IV of Denmark with a bookhe had written. King Christianoffered him the alternative of “eatinghis book” or being executed.Reinking tore the book into shreds,soaked it in soup … and startedmunching away until he haddevoured the whole book.

We are not quite so fortunate, forour words, once gone forth out ofour mouths, are part of the eternalrecord. They will meet us at thejudgment. Vast issues hang on ourwords: But I say unto you, Thatevery idle word that men shall speak,they shall give account thereof inthe day of judgment. For by thywords thou shalt be justified, andby thy words thou shalt becondemned (Matt 12:36-37).

THOUGHT: If you would keepyour lips from slips,

Five things observe with care:To whom you speak, of whomyou speak, And how and whenand where.PRAYER: Lord, help me to watch mytongue — before I speak.

92

MONDAY, MARCH 26COLOSSIANS 4:7–9LUKE 19:10

“Serve the LORD with gladness.”

CHRISTIAN WORK

“Mail service did not run regularlyin New Testament times; therefore,letters could not often be sent unlessone knew of some person travellingto the place where the letter was togo. Paul had gotten one of his fellowworkers, Tychicus, to agree toundertake the long and difficultjourney from Rome to Asia, takingwith him letters to the Ephesians andto Philemon as well as to theColossians. In volunteering for thistask, Tychicus must have realisedthis was not a trivial pleasure trip.As he journeyed over land and see,he carried with him a portion of thevery Word of God. Many caravansmoved along the route he followed,but no more valuable package wasever carried between these citiesthan the one containing these lettersfrom Paul. No shipwreck could causethat package to be lost. No attackby bandits or accident in travel coulddestroy the message he bore untilhe arrived safely at his destination.Here is a relatively insignificant manwith a very significant errand. Sotoday God often choosesinsignificant people to do His work.”

“Tychicus is accompanied byanother of Paul’s converts,Onesimus. He is described as ‘oneof you’, a resident of Colosse. Todescribe his character and historywould require a discussion of thebook of Philemon. Once a fugitivefrom his master and from Roman law,he had been transformed by thegrace of God in Christ into a ‘faithfuland beloved brother’ of Paul.‘Begotten in my bonds’ (Philem 10),Onesimus is now forgiven by God,and his past is under the blood ofChrist. But now we see him willinglyreturning to his home to face thewrongs of his past and to make rightany wrongs which he had done.Reparation is the first sign ofspiritual life. Remember the story ofZacchaeus (Luke 19). There is nobetter sign of the genuineness ofconversion. One who is not willingto make restitution when he can isnot truly born again.” — BV.

THOUGHT: God often choosesinsignificant people to do His work.Do I agree? Do I mind?PRAYER: Lord, help me to be faithfulover a few things (Matt 25:21, 23)and to serve You joyfully.

93

TUESDAY, MARCH 27COLOSSIANS 4:10–11ACTS 13:1–13“I have learnt, in whatsoever state I am,

therewith to be content.”

ARISTARCHUS, MARK, ANDJUSTUS

Aristarchus was from Thessalonica(Acts 20:4) where Jewish convertswere persecuted. He was involvedin the tumult at Ephesus (Acts 19:29),in the voyage to Rome and in theshipwreck (Acts 27:2). He was alsoPaul’s fellow-prisoner in Rome. Thefact that Aristarchus was still withPaul after all these speaks well of hischaracter and determination to servethe Lord.

As a young man Mark joined hisuncle Barnabas in accompanyingPaul on his first missionary journey.The same sort of hardship whichAristarchus had endured proved toomuch for young Mark, and hereturned home in the middle of thetrip (Acts 13:13). When the time camefor the second missionary journey,Paul refused to take Mark with him(Acts 15:38). However, years havegone by, Mark has grown in maturityand in faith, and we now find him inRome working fearlessly with Paul.God gave him a second chance withBarnabas (Acts 15:39), and this timehe proved himself a useful ministerof Christ. Jonah got a secondchance; Peter got a second chance.God is always willing to give asecond chance. He never judges uson one chance alone. If we havefailed Him in the past, there is asecond chance for us if we want it.NB: There is no second chance tobe saved after death! This “secondchance” here refers to Christianservice.

There is nothing known of Justusbeyond the brief statement that heis one of Paul’s helpers and that heis a convert from Judaism. He hadbeen a comfort to Paul in hisimprisonment; the knowledge thatthere is someone to help you, towhom you can talk, one who will prayfor you and do tasks which youcannot do, is a great source ofcomfort. (Adapted from BV.)

THOUGHT: Just as God needsleaders today, He also needs helperswho are willing to serve withoutlimelight and without greatrecognition. Do I agree? Am I a leaderor a helper? Am I happy to serveGod in that capacity?PRAYER: Lord, help me to becontent in whatever capacity Youwould have me serve You.

94

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28COLOSSIANS 4:12–13JEREMIAH 33:3

“Pray without ceasing.”

EPAPHRAS

Epaphras, like Onesimus, is fromColosse. Separated from his friendsin Colosse, Epaphras continuallyremembers them in prayer. Throughprayer we may leap over distanceand share the work and life of thosefar away from us. We can help thefriend who is a missionary in Africaor in Asia. We can take the needs ofour family before God whether weare with them or separated fromthem.

A young man and his bride went outto Africa as missionaries. A baby wasborn to them. The work flourished.Then the baby became sick and died.Later the wife passed away. A fewyears later the work began to decline.The missionary came home onfurlough, and slipped into thechurch’s prayer meeting one night.As the meeting ended, he let out asob. Someone recognised him,“Why, it’s our missionary. What’sthe matter?”

With tear-filled eyes, he said, “Whenmy wife and I left, you said, ‘We’llpray for you till our dying day.’ Whileyou prayed the work progressed.But you stopped praying, my wifeand baby died. The work declined.Tonight I have sat through yourprayer meeting and never once haveyou mentioned your missionary inprayer.”

Epaphras was a man of prayer. Heremembered the Christians inLaodicea and Hierapolis. Helaboured fervently. He agonised inprayer. This phrase implies effort,determination, and even enduranceof pain to accomplish some goal. Heprayed that the Colossian Christiansmight be complete in the will of God.

THOUGHT: “I spend hours in prayerevery day. But I live in the spirit ofprayer. I pray as I walk and when I liedown. I pray when I awake. Theanswers are always coming.Thousands of times have myprayers been answered. When I ampersuaded that a thing is right, I goon praying until the answer comes. Inever give up. I have been prayingevery day for fifty-two years for twomen, sons of a friend of my youth.They are not converted yet, but theywill be. How can it be otherwise whenwe have the unchanging promisesof God!” (George Muller)PRAYER: Lord, help me to pray moreoften and more fervently.

95

THURSDAY, MARCH 29COLOSSIANS 4:142 TIMOTHY 4:9–11

“Love not the world.”

LUKE AND DEMAS

Both Luke and Demas sent greetingsto the Colossians. Luke was withPaul. We know from the book of Actsthat when Paul left Caesarea on hisvoyage to Rome that Lukeaccompanied him. Paul may havekept Luke with him instead ofsending him on errands because heneeded him to care for him and keephim in good health.

Demas is the only one to bementioned without comment. Thisis noteworthy because of Paul’s briefcomment to Timothy: Demas hathforsaken me, having loved thispresent world, and is departed untoThessalonica (2 Tim 4:10). Perhapsalready he is showing signs ofweakness. He has a bias toward theworld; his devotion to the cause ofChrist is less than one hundredpercent.

My dear reader, the world has itsattractions and Demas loved theworld more than he loved God. Dowe love the Lord or the world?

“There is no very great measure ofjoy in a half-hearted Christian life.Many so-called Christians have justenough religion to make themmiserable. They can no longer enjoythe world, and they have not enteredinto the ‘joy of the Lord’. There theystand, deprived of the ‘leeks, andthe onions, and the garlic’ of Egypt,and without the milk and honey andthe finest of the wheat of Canaan.That is a wretched place to be in.The way out is simple — absolutesurrender to God. Then your joy willbe fulfilled. There is but one way tofind that fullness of joy — asurrendered life. A will and lifecompletely surrendered to the Godof love will bring joy under allcircumstances.” (R.A. Torrey)

THOUGHT: All the water inthe world, However hard ittried, Could never sink a shipUnless it got inside.All the evil in the world, Thewickedness andsin,Could never sink the soul’scraftUnless it got inside.PRAYER: Lord, help me to love Youmore than anything or anyone else.

96

FRIDAY, MARCH 30COLOSSIANS 4:15–16REVELATION 3:14–22

“Repent: for the kingdom

of heaven is at hand.”

THE FALL OF A CHURCH

The apostle Paul sends greetings tothe believers in Laodicea and alsoto Nymphas, a believer in whosehouse a church met. In addition, thechurch in Colosse is to pass thisepistle, i.e. Colossians, to the nearbychurch at Laodicea for them to read,while the believers in Colosse are toread the epistle written to Laodicea.

The way in which Paul refers to thechurch in Laodicea would indicatethat, at this time, it was a goodchurch — faithful to the Word ofGod, preaching salvation by gracethrough faith, and going out to reachthe lost with the Gospel of Christ.But only about thirty-five years laterwe have the condemnation of thatsame church by John in Revelation3:14-22. (Did you read that passage?If not, please do it now.)

An old pastor, now with the Lord,has written: “The Laodiceans wereneither for nor against God. Theywere middle-of-the-roaders,lukewarm. They were neither hotnor cold.”

“Had the church been totally cold,there would have been a possibilityof reviving the coldness, and thechurch might have become warmagain. Had it been hot, the Lordcould have blessed. But it wasneither cold NOR hot. The church atLaodicea was a group of undecided,neutral members who would not takea stand one way or the other towardChrist or the truth, and this is themost hateful, disgusting spiritpossible to display against God’sChrist, God’s Word, and God’sChurch. Such a condition must bedealt with immediately, and gottenrid of quickly.”

What did the Lord tell the Laodiceansto do? REPENT (Rev 3:19). My dearreaders, are you hot or cold orlukewarm in your relationship to theLord? If you are not as hot as youshould be, repent: for the kingdomof heaven is at hand (Matt 4:17).

THOUGHT: Behold, I stand at thedoor, and knock: if any man hearmy voice, and open the door, I willcome in to him. (Rev 3:20)PRAYER: Lord, please forgive me ifI have not loved You as I ought andhelp me to love You more every day.

97

SATURDAY, MARCH 31COLOSSIANS 4:17–18EPHESIANS 2:1–9

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

thou shalt be saved.”

CONCLUSION

Paul had grown old. He was in jailnow, and as the Holy Spirit movedhim to write the words of this epistle,someone else copied them; but afterthe main body of the letter wasfinished, Paul signed it with his ownhand (1 Cor 16:21; 2 Thess 3:17).

Not only did he sign the letter in hisown hand, but he also added theclosing request, Remember mybonds. A very brief request but itcame from an anxious heart, from onewho prayed daily that the door ofliberty might again be opened for himand that he might again preach theglorious Gospel, the power of Godunto salvation.

The conclusion to the letter is brief:Grace be with you. This epistlebegins in grace and closes in grace:in the very outset we read, Paul, anapostle of Jesus Christ by the willof God, and Timotheus our brother,to the saints and faithful brethrenin Christ which are at Colosse:Grace be unto you.

Paul concludes this inspiredmessage as he began it. Grace aloneguarantees present and eternalspiritual blessings. We are SAVEDby the grace of God (Eph 2:8), we areTAUGHT by the grace of God (Tit2:11-15), we OVERCOME by thegrace of God. No one knew thatbetter than Paul did. After he prayedthree times for God to remove thethorn from his flesh, God refused toremove the thorn but said to Paul,My grace is sufficient for thee: formy strength is made perfect inweakness (2 Cor 12:9).

Dear reader, do you know the graceof God? Have you been saved bygrace through faith? If you have not,you are lost. Regardless of yournationality, the colour of your skin;regardless of your religious beliefs,your church affiliation or yoursincerity, salvation is not by worksof righteousness which we havedone (Tit 3:5), but by grace, throughfaith. Believe on the Lord JesusChrist, trust Him and Him alone foryour salvation, and thou shalt besaved. (Adapted)

THOUGHT: Only trust Him, onlytrust Him, Only trust Him now; Hewill save you, He will save you, Hewill save you now.PRAYER: Lord, forgive my sins, Ibelieve on You, please save me.