Putting on New Spiritual Clothes: Discarding the Old Wardrobe

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scriptural Text:  Colossians 3:1-17

Colossians 3:14-15

¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.

(CSB)

My wife and I are currently simplifying our lives by going through the things we have accumulated through the years and discarding what we no longer need.  It is amazing how much stuff we can accumulate over the years with us sometimes wondering why we bought something in the first place.  With this thought in mind, we can view Colossians 3:1-17 as taking an inventory of things of the flesh that have accumulated in our lives and replacing them with a new godly spiritual wardrobe.  This post will focus on what to place in the discard pile of things accumulated in our lives. 

Motivation to discard these things requires having a purpose.  In our relationship with Christ that purpose must be a desire to seek Christ and a Godly life (Colossians 3:1-4).  Romans 12:2 reminds us to cut off our conformity to the world and its way of thinking and experience a transformation in our lives through the renewing of our minds.  Just as one can accumulate stuff through the years that we should discard, our minds accumulate worldly thoughts in need of discarding.  With the purpose in mind of seeking Christ and a Godlier life, we must dedicate ourselves to purposeful study of the Word of God and prayer to experience the decluttering transformation of our minds.  We must place these thoughts in the discard pile,

1)      Sexual immorality and impurity (Colossians 3:5) – We live in a sex crazed society with taboos of the past now viewed as main stream in our culture.  In fact, the underlying foundation of the pro-choice movement is one being able to have sex with anyone they want and if a pregnancy occurs, ending it by murdering the baby.  So sex crazed has our society become that even the murder of a baby that is born receives consideration.  With the purpose of seeking Christ and a godlier life, we must place thoughts of sexual immorality and impurity on the discard pile. 

2)      Lust (Colossians 3:5) – The Bible commands us not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18).  However, the act of adultery begins with lustful thoughts (Matthew 5:27-28).  Jesus continues stressing the importance of removing, in a figurative way, body parts that cause us to sin (Matthew 5:29-30).  While Jesus was not calling for people to literally poke out their eye or cut off their hand, he is calling for those purposefully following Him to guard against what they look at or what they do. 

3)      Evil desire (Colossians 3:5) – When asked which of the commandments is the greatest, Jesus replied with the two love commandments, love the Lord with all our hearts and loving our neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).  When one truly lives their life in obedience to the commandment to love their neighbor, they will hot harbor any evil desires against them.  While this may seem simple, it becomes difficult when someone wrongs us.  Therefore it is critical to spend time in study of the Word of God and prayer to experience a miraculous transformation in our hearts.  We need a spiritual heart transplant removing the fleshly heart damaged by the disease of sin, replacing it with a Godly heart. 

4)      Greed (Colossians 3:5) – The root of greed in one’s life is jealousy.  Someone has something we want, and we become greedy in our desire to have it.  While we may not stoop to stealing what someone else has, we can become obsessed with having it with it dominating our thoughts and actions.  Instead of greed for material things, we must develop a greed for the things of God (Psalm 42).

Just as symptoms in our physical bodies may point to a more serious problem, Colossians 3:8 lists symptoms indicating our minds may be ill with the afore mentioned thoughts.  Therefore, we must continually evaluate the state of our mental wardrobe by determining if we are demonstrating the symptoms of, anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language, or lying.  I encourage everyone reading this to not only conduct a self-evaluation of their lives to determine if they have any of these symptoms but to also have someone in their lives, they are accountable to that will honestly let them know of any of these things in their lives. 

Next Saturday we will look at the our wardrove (Colossians 3:12-17). 

Affectionate Love (Storge)

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 12:10

¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

(ESV)

While the abortion debate in the United States has always been controversial, it has recently escalated to a level that is unimaginable and abhorrent to those that value life.  The recent escalation revolves around the lowering of abortion restrictions in Virginia and comments by Virginia Governor Northam.  In an interview asking what happens if a third trimester infant surviving an abortion is born, what happens to the newly born infant?  Governor Northam said, “the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”  (1)  Lost in the governor’s comments is the fact of the birth of a viable infant and the possibility of allowing the infant to die without resuscitation if that is the mother’s desire. 

The first of the Greek words for love in our study on love is the Greek word storge or affectionate love.  (2)  Our first exposure to this type of love is usually the affectionate caress of our mothers after our birth, something a baby surviving an abortion in Virginia may not receive should this proposal become law.  This newborn baby is born dependent on others to show need love, meeting their basic needs.  Even though the individual will not remember these initial caresses when they mature, they are crucial for providing comfort to the new born that has just entered a strange and foreign world.  Please pray the proposal in Virginia, and similar proposals in other states, do not become law. 

Our heavenly Father is the perfect example of affection for He, did not destroy humanity after their sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).  In fact, in Genesis 3:15 God actually affectionately promises a savior to provide salvation and forgiveness of sins.  The most known and quoted verse in the Bible is John 3:16.  The words of this verse, spoken by Jesus, the Son of God, actually represent a statement of His purpose for coming.  Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem humanity and not destroy them, demonstrating God’s grace, mercy, and affectionate storge love for His creation.

When we accept Jesus as our personal savior, we become part of the family of God (Romans 8:15).  For this reason, people in the church often refer to each other as brothers and sisters.  It is this level of affectionate love spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:10.  This affectionate familial love for one another is not only commanded by God but demonstrates we are disciples of Christ (John 13:34-35).  In a divisive world, people seeing affectionate love for one another by members of the Church is attractive. 

However, as we will see with the other loves, there are boundaries for each love.  Affectionate storge love is beneficial as ones first exposure to love after birth, and something the world will want when observed in the interaction between brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.  However, if affection oversteps its boundaries and becomes an Eros or erotic love between people of the opposite sex, it damages relationships, especially one’s relationship with God.  This includes not only adultery but also even adulterous thoughts (Matthew 5:28).  This is especially true for leaders in the Church as storge love for one another, something lacking in a divisive world becomes perverted into something those outside the church either abhor or view as the Church being no different than the rest of the world. 

A divided world with little regard for the sanctity of life needs to witness the church showing storge or affectionate love for one another (Romans 12:10).  However, this demonstration of love must also honor one another by staying within its biblical boundaries of affectionate familial love for one another mirroring the affection God showed humanity by sending His Son, Jesus.  Next Wednesday, our study of love takes us to friendship, a level of love that some do not even consider love at all.

1. North, Anna. The controversy around Virginia’s new abortion bill, explained. www.vox.com. [Online] Vox, February 1, 2019. [Cited: March 26, 2019.] https://www.vox.com/2019/2/1/18205428/virginia-abortion-bill-kathy-tran-ralph-northam.

2. Zavada, Jack. What Is Storge? eee.thoughtco.com. [Online] Thoughtco, December 06, 2018. [Cited: March 26, 2019.] https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-storge-love-700698.

Qualified Through Christ

By:  Dale Weckbacher   

Scripture Text:  Colossians 2:16-23

Colossians 2:16-17

¹⁶ Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

(ESV)

During a recent visit to my doctor for my annual physical, I was watching the video on the screen in the waiting area.  Along with videos on health tips, the screen also displayed the members of the staff along with their education and work experience.  This same information is also available on the clinic’s web page.  Prior to these digital tools, doctors would hang a copy of their diploma on the wall showing they had completed the necessary educational requirements for becoming a doctor.  However, the digital technology of today allows us to not only see their educational qualifications but also the extent of their work experience, providing patients with a full resume of their doctor’s qualifications. 

Unfortunately, the assignment of the label of Christian in our society often occurs due to erroneous qualifications.  Some believe that just being born in a certain country or in a certain family is qualification enough to make them a Christian.  This is equivalent one believing they qualify as a doctor simply by having a parent that is a doctor or living in a community with doctors and great medical facilities.  While we may have come from a Christian home and live in a community with great churches, this does not qualify us to have the title of Christian.  So what does qualify an individual to become a Christian?

1)      Christ, not religious regulations or traditions (Colossians 2:16-17) – The main theme of the Book of Colossians is the preeminence of Christ.  In Colossians 2:6-15, the Apostle Paul cautions the Church about falling prey to empty philosophy and deceit (Colossians 2:8).  Instead of religious traditions, a Christian establishes their faith through a personal relationship with Jesus, or God Himself (John 1:1).  Religious traditions regarding things like dietary regulations, observance of religious festivals, and even strict observance of the Sabbath are but symbolic of things fulfilled in Christ.  Being a Christian, or one following Christ, is not about clinging to these symbolic practices but instead about an intimate personal relationship with God through the work of Grace on the Cross (Ephesians 2:8). 

2)      Belief in the revelation of God contained in Scripture (Colossians 2:18-19) – In the age of instantaneous communication, we may come across someone professing to have some new revelation from God.  While their words may seem enticing, they are only biblical to the extent they align with the Bible.  The heresy of the time of Paul were Jewish believers trying to require Gentile converts adherence to Jewish laws and traditions.  While it may have seemed highly spiritual for a Gentile convert to adhere to the laws and traditions of the Old Covenant, it is actually a denial of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  Not wanting to have the recent Gentile converts in Colossi held captive to these laws and traditions, the Apostle Paul encourages finding qualification for being a Christian in the Cross and God’s grace. 

3)      Not our resume but the resume of Jesus (Colossians 2:20-23) – If we were to present our resume to God, he would not see our good works but the words of Romans 3:23.  No matter how full our resume may be with good works and adherence to religious traditions, the fact that we have sinned disqualifies us from being a Christian.  Instead, becoming a Christian requires presentation to God of Jesus’ resume which has the qualification of a sinless life, sacrificial obedience to God through His death on the Cross, and victory over death through His resurrection.  We present this resume to God through acceptance of Jesus as our Savior.

If you are reading this and have not accepted Jesus as your savior or have drifted away from your faith, I encourage you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulation, you now have all the qualifications necessary to be a Christian.  However, just as a doctor receives their title after completion of medical school, it is not until they begin practicing medicine that the title has value.  I therefore, encourage those that just prayed to begin practicing Christianity through study of the Bible, prayer, and finding a church teaching the Bible.  In addition, just as medical doctors take time to attend conferences and associate with other doctors, Christians must associate with other Christians through Church attendance,  small groups, and Bible studies. 

Thankfully, being a Christian is not about my lack of qualifications due to being a sinner (Romans 3:23) but the work of Grace on the Cross (Ephesians 2:8). 

The Four Loves: Gift-love and Need-love

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Mark 3:33-35

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

(CSB)

What is love?  Ask this question to any group of people and there might be as many answers as people asked.  Unfortunately, the English language only has one word for love serving as a blanket term for affection toward another person or object.  Granted the English language has the word like, primarily used to describe things or people that make us happy but do not have a level of affection in our lives as the things we claim to love. 

The Greek language however has four words for love, storge, phileo, eros, and agape.  (1)  Each of these words translates as love in the Bible and if one does not view their usage in context or have awareness of the Greek word for love used in the passage read, the reader can become confused.  A biblical study of love must also consider the aspects of gift-love and need-love.  In the book “The Four Loves,” C.S. Lewis states that prior to writing the book, he viewed need-love as one’s selfish seeking for love to fulfill some selfish need in their lives.  However, with each individual needing God’s love and love from others at some level, need-love does have a role in the lives of individuals.  

God is about gift-love for he has no need for anything and hence no place for need-love.  However, people are born helpless and in need of someone to show them love.  This is initially the role of parents in one’s life but if this showing of love is absent or deficient, can lead to distortion of one’s view of God’s gift-love questioning its sufficiency to meet all their needs.  A blurring of the definition of love in one’s life also occurs through cultural views of love that do not differentiate between the different types of love, causing how one shows love to another to go outside its biblical boundaries. 

God’s sacrificial gift-love restores humanity to the spiritual position humanity had in the Garden of Eden.  Through the sacrificial gift of salvation by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, one receives the righteousness of God into their lives (Romans 3:21-23).  While this establishes a positional likeness to God in our lives, we still live in a body of flesh with its inordinate desires.  Without a biblical definition of the meaning of love, one can view love in a sensual manner and fall prey to temptations of the flesh. 

This is where the idea of need-love or our need to not only receive positional likeness to God through His gift-love of salvation, but continually grow to become more God-like in our lives through diligent study of God’s Word and prayer.  Having an understanding or the four loves and study of their context in scripture can help us love in a 1 Corinthians 13 manner and avoid the temptation to love outside biblical boundaries. 

Our heart is wherever our treasure is (Matthew 6:21).  When we begin to understand and treasure the magnitude of God’s love for us as demonstrated by the sinless Christ taking our punishment for sin on the cross, we reciprocate by treasuring our restored likeness to Christ.  God demonstrated his gift-love for us by sending His Son to die for our sins and restore our relationship with our creator.  The sin in our lives means we need God’s love.  As an expression of our need-love for salvation we should offer ourselves as a gift, offering gift-love to God (Romans 12:1). 

We should also give the gift of love to others in obedience to the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39).  This is where knowledge of the four Greek words for love is important for we must love others within the biblical boundaries of love that aligns with our relationship with one another.  Next week we will begin by looking at the first of these four loves, storge or affectionate love. 

1. Mcleanbible. Four Greek Words for "Love". www.mccleanbible.org. [Online] Mccleanbible.org. [Cited: March 17, 2019.] https://www.mcleanbible.org/sites/default/files/Multiply-Resources/Chap3/GreekWordsforLoveWS_Chapter3.pdf.

Alive Through Truth

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scriptural Text:  Colossians 2:4-15

Colossians 2:6-7

⁶ So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

(CSB)

While in prison, the Apostle Paul must have had concerns about the spiritual health of the church in Colossi.  His concern stems from hearing of heretical teaching from the enemy trying to derail their faith.  While Scripture does not provide details of what the heresy consisted of, the Words Paul wrote point to Jewish legalism and Gnosticism.  (1) 

A Gnostic person is one who views themselves as having knowledge beyond that of an ordinary person.  Their philosophy or religion concerns explaining the work of creation and accounting for the existence of evil.  (1)  The basics of this philosophy exist today with some refraining from accepting Jesus as their Savior due to confusion over how a loving God could allow evil in the world.  While there is no easy answer to this question, the bridge connecting the creator God and the existence of evil in the world concerns God’s granting humanity freedom to choose and the deceptive practices of Satan. 

God seeks willing followers which comes with the risk those followers will make wrong choices.  Unfortunately, the deception of Satan led Adam and Eve to make the choice of disobedience to Gods command, opening the gate to allowing evil into the world which swiftly escalated to the first murder (Genesis 3:1-7; Genesis 4).  This is how the Bible explains the existence of evil in the world.  However, in the middle of this first rebellion against God, God demonstrates his love for humanity by pointing to a future redeemer (Genesis 3:15).  God as creator who placed free will in humanity could have destroyed Adam and Eve but instead creates a process through the nation of Israel that will result in the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

To combat the spread of a Gnosticism, the Apostle Paul emphasizes what the believers have through faith in Jesus Christ so the light of truth can make them alive in their faith.  In this passage we see,

1)      A reminder believers are established in truth (Colossians 2:6-7) – Truth has liberating power for the truth of the Gospel frees us from sin (John 8:32).  This liberating establishment through truth begins when one accepts Jesus as his or her savior.  However, it is also an continuing process as one must allow their mind to be transformed through study of biblical truth (Romans 12:2).  This involves us using our free will to choose to accept Christ and live according to the truth contained in the Word of God.

2)      A call to worship the creator and not the creation (Colossians 2:8) – Romans 1:24-25 gives additional explanation for the existence of evil in the world through reminding us that it is due to God’s allowing everyone to choose what to believe in.  Knowing everyone has the freedom to choose what to believe in, the Apostle Paul warns against falling prey to deceptive teaching.  The Bible holds God’s truth and to become alive in truth, one must choose to live according to what the Bible contains.

3)      All a believer needs is found in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10) – The thesis of Satan’s deception of Adam and Eve was convincing them that somehow God was holding out on them (Genesis 3:1-5).  We can also fall prey to deceptive teaching claiming to have some truth missing from Scripture and how cults often entice Christians into adopting their beliefs.  Knowing this truth is why the Apostle Paul penned this letter proclaiming the preeminence of Christ while in prison.  Not only are the truths contained in this letter applicable to the church in Colossi but have application to the church today as Satan continues to deceive through heretical teaching. 

4)      A need for believers to rid themselves of the deeds of the flesh and its desires (Colossians 2:11-12) – While the work of Jesus on the cross was complete providing total forgiveness from sin (John 19:30), the ongoing separation from the flesh and its desires requires diligent study and application of biblical truth in one’s life (Romans 12:2).  While the work of Jesus on the cross was complete, Satan’s desire is to destroy us and separate us from the liberating power of God’s truth (John 10:10).  The desire of a believer in Jesus as Savior must become a desire and hunger to know more about God’s Word triumphing over deception (Psalm 42:1). 

5)      A loving God died on the cross to obliterate the flesh and its sinful desires (Colossians 2:13-15) – through one’s decision to accept Jesus as their savior, the process of liberation through truth begins.  However, the truth train can become derailed through deceptive teaching or sinful deeds of the flesh.  We therefore must strive to live obediently for God out of love for what a loving God did for us.  Jesus, while living in the glory of Heaven with His Father chose to become flesh like us so he could take our deserved death penalty (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

The process of liberation through truth begins with acceptance of Jesus as savior.  If you have never done this, I encourage you to do so by praying with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I encourage those that just prayed to continue making an effort to live according to biblical truth, remembering we are not perfect but that God is always willing to forgive (1 John 1:9). 

1. Lightfoot, Bishop J. B. Gnosticism and the Colossian Heresy. www2.gracenotes.info. [Online] Grace Notes. [Cited: March 15, 2019.] https://www2.gracenotes.info/topics/gnosticism-colossian-heresy.html.

Defining Love in Relationships

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scripture Text:  Mark 3:31-35

Mark 3:33b-34

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

(CSB)

It is common in the church for members to refer to each other as brothers and sisters.  This expression of love for each other has scriptural roots in Mark 3:31-35.  However, those outside the Church may view the referring of each other as brothers and sisters as some form of cult or communal relationship between people.  Unfortunately, this distorted view has its roots in a distorted or even perverted view by the secular world of what love is.  Like all deceptions from Satan, this distorted view of love prevents us from having a more loving and intimate relationship with God our Father and others. 

C.S. Lewis authored a book entitled the Four Loves in which he explores the four words for love used in the New Testament.  Since Greek is the original language of the New Testament, the study of these four words and their usage in Scripture provide insight into discovery of defining love in the various levels of relationships.  Over the next four Wednesday postings we will look at each of these four types of love as a means for discovery about how they apply to having loving relationships with our Father God, Our  immediate family, and our church family. 

The theme of love is present throughout the Gospel (John 3:16; Matthew 22:34-40; John 15:13).  The Apostle Paul, however, provides perhaps the greatest definition of Christian love in 1 Corinthians 13.  Here is a link to purchasing the C.S. Lewis book if you would like to purchase it for your library.  My prayer is that this exploration of love will enable everyone reading this, and the one writing as well, to have a greater understanding of our Heavenly Father’s love for us and help us establish biblical loving relationships in our lives. 

Please invite your friends and family to follow along and may God bless everyone reading this. 

All Glory to God the Father

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scripture Text:  Colossians 1:24-2:3

Colossians 1:27

God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

(CSB)

When most people think of treasure, they think of winning the lottery or inheriting a large sum of money from a rich friend or relative.  The thought of suddenly coming into such a vast sum of money causes us to dream of the nice home they would buy, the nice car they would own, or even giving a large sum of money to our favorite church or charity.  Unfortunately, the facts are that lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within three to five years than the average American.  (1)  1 Timothy 6:10 reminds us that the love of money is the root of evil activity.  The powerful temptation once one suddenly comes into a vast amount of money can create a love for money that supersedes ones love for God. 

However, money is not the only thing one can fall in love with that supersedes a love for God.  The Apostle Paul had great success planting churches all over the known world of his time.  Pride in his accomplishments could have led to him becoming bitter when suffering in a dingy Roman jail.   However, the text of Colossians 1:24-2:3 records Paul rejoicing in his sufferings while in jail.  Once again, we have an example of one in ministry not giving into pride and instead giving glory to God despite his sufferings.  Since all of us have a ministry in Christ, we all like the Apostle Paul must learn to,

1)      Rejoice despite the circumstances in our lives (Colossians 1:24-26) – It seems strange for the Apostle Paul to write of being a servant to his sufferings.  However, with hindsight, we know that while in prison, the Apostle Paul authored letters to the churches he had established with these letters becoming part of the Bible.  While the circumstances of life may cause suffering, they are part of God’s grand plan for our lives and actually serve to cause us to do whatever God has for us to do.  We, therefore, must avoid complaining about our circumstances and instead seek what god wants us to do while in these circumstances. 

2)      Draw closer to God through meditation on scripture (Colossians 1:27-29) – While in prison, the Apostle Paul had more time to meditate on scripture and time in prayer.  Perhaps it was during this time that he realized the importance of his work of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.  It was never the intention of Jesus that only Jews would be saved for he told Nicodemus that anyone believing in Him as Messiah would be saved (John 3:16).  The role of the Apostle Paul was to be the feet bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles, which is why he finds himself in prison.  The lesson Paul teaches us is that instead of complaining, he draws closer to God and under the inspiration of God, writes what becomes much of the New Testament in the Bible. 

3)      Give encouragement (Colossians 2:1-3) – The concluding verses of the text provide encouragement by Paul to the church.  Perhaps Paul feared the churches he established would become focused on his sufferings and lose sight of their mission to spread the Gospel message (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  Instead of focus on his sufferings, the Apostle Paul encourages them to focus on Jesus, a treasure greater than any amount of money one could win in the lottery. 

While most reading this have not won a big lottery jackpot, if you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you have a treasure worth more than any winning lottery ticket.  However, like winning the lottery, we must be wise in what we do with the great prize we have.  Will we become prideful and moralistic by acting spiritually superior to those that do not know Christ.  Will we become devastated when our circumstances cause us to suffer and complain believing a child of God should not need to suffer.  Will we be like the Apostle Paul and rejoice in, not about, our sufferings and find a way to serve God in our suffering.  My prayer is that those reading this would follow the example of Paul. 

1. Hess, Abigail. Here's why lottery winners go broke. www.cnbc.com. [Online] NBC, August 25, 2017. [Cited: March 9, 2019.] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/25/heres-why-lottery-winners-go-broke.html.

Unity with Purpose

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scripture Text:  Mark 3:20-30

Mark 3:24

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

(CSB)

The most abundant element on the planet is oxygen with silicon second.  These elements are both important as oxygen makes life possible and silicon as a semiconductor making the computer on which I am writing this blog possible.  The abundance of these elements means they are readily available to the public.  Divisiveness is also abundant in our society and readily available to anyone turning on their TV or looking at their smart phone. 

Less abundant elements have greater value because they are not so readily available.  One such element would be a diamond which is carbon, transformed under heat and pressure.  The diamond missing in our divisive culture is unity.  However, unity for the sake of unity has little power or benefit as it can lead to one compromising values to appear in unity with others.  Such is the problem with political correctness attempting to achieve unity through prohibition of certain words or actions that could be offensive to others.  Powerful unity is unity with purpose. 

The unity spoken of by Jesus in John 13:34-35 is not a unity of compromise to get along with the world and invite them into the Church for this invites the temptation to compromise sound doctrine so as not to offend those outside the Church.  Instead Jesus speaks of a unity of purpose to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  Unfortunately, many churches have lost their focus of spreading the gospel and making disciple, instead focusing on facility management, entertaining programs and worship, and growing membership numbers and increasing contributions.  It is time for the church to regain a unity of purpose by,

1)      Guarding against divisiveness, the enemy’s tactic (Mark 3:24; John 10:10) – Churches focused on facility management, programs, giving, and membership numbers can begin to have jealousy and compete with other churches instead of working in unity with them.  Churches are not competing businesses but branch offices with the same leader, Jesus Christ.  Scripture speaks of the church as the Body of Christ consisting of many parts all contributing to the purpose of spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Romans 12:3-8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20)

2)      Unity through sacrifice (John 3:16; Romans 5:8) – When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain separating the most Holy place from the rest of the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51).  The separation by this curtain symbolized the lack of unity between sinful humanity and a righteous God.  However, when Jesus offered up his sinless body in payment of the death penalty for sin, reconciliation with God became possible.  To achieve unity, God needed to sacrifice His only Son.  For disciples of Christ the sacrifice is surrender of our life purpose to the purpose of spreading the Gospel.  However, our works of spreading the Gospel are not what saves us (Ephesians 2:8) but what brings life to our faith (James 2:20).  Unity of purpose for the church comes as Church leadership sacrifices its selfish desire to have the biggest, most beautiful, and most entertaining worship and unifies around the Gospel. 

3)      How the world identifies disciples of Christ (John 13:34-35) – The abundance of divisiveness in the world means one does not need to go far to find it.  When the church demonstrates unity of purpose, the world sees a valuable and rare diamond of great value.  Jesus’ desire is for the world to view the Church as diamond people working with unity of purpose to spread the Good News of the Gospel. 

A divided world needs an example of unity to follow.  However, the model of political correctness only serves to limit liberty and leads to compromise of values.  Instead, the world needs to see a church with unity of purpose centered upon following the sound doctrine of Scripture and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  A Church with unity of purpose is an unstoppable force that can turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). 

Centering on Christ

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scripture Text :  Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.

(CSB)

We are now two months into the year 2019 and with 2020 being another presidential election year in the United States, the political posturing has begun.  In free societies like the United States where the citizens have the opportunity to select their leaders, it is a time of decision.  For citizens who have a belief in Jesus as their savior, it is important to remain centered in Christ when deciding who to vote for.  While it is important for Christians to vote because those in leadership can affect the religious liberty of a nation, they must vote from a foundation of Christian values.  While no earthly leader is perfect in his or her behavior, some are more aligned with the precepts of biblical principles than others.  Those centering on Christ when deciding who to vote for can sift through the heated political rhetoric and discover the person most aligned with biblical principles despite their flaws. 

Colossians 1:15-23 is the thesis statement for the Book of Colossians, laying the foundation for the rest of the teaching contained in the book.  This thesis describes Jesus and His mission on earth encouraging the centering of one’s life around Christ.  From this foundation one can live a life free from the bondage of sin and dedicated to serving Christ by sharing the good news of the Gospel with the lost (Colossians 1:21-23).  Centering on Christ means understanding Jesus is,

1)      God in the flesh (Colossians 1:15, John 1:14) – What sets Christianity apart from other religions is God becoming flesh and choosing to live with fallen humanity.  The thought that God, the eternal creator of the universe who Himself has no creator or beginning would leave His lofty place in heaven to live in this fallen world boggles the mind.  However, even more mind boggling is knowing that his purpose for coming to be with humanity was to die for humanity’s sins, providing reconciliation to God (Colossians 1:22). 

2)      Jesus is the glue holding the universe together (Colossians 1:17) – Being centered in Christ when making decisions about who to vote for means remembering Jesus is the one in control.  In trying to earn the votes of citizens, politicians will promise the world claiming to have the ultimate solution to solution to the world’s problems.  As Christians we must sift through this political rhetoric and center on Christ and biblical principles choosing the leaders whose solutions best align with Christ and these biblical principles. 

3)      Jesus is the head of the body (Colossians 1:18) – The head of one’s body is where their mind is.  The symbolism of Christ as the head of His body, the Church, indicates the Church is to function as the hands and feet obediently following the directions of Christ.  However, Jesus does not desire robotic followers but willing followers choosing to have their minds transformed (Romans 12:2).  The sheer knowledge that God would become flesh and die to provide reconciliation for fallen humanity should be motivation enough to undergo this transformation (Colossians 1:19-20). 

With many already announcing their intention to run for President against the incumbent Donald Trump in 2020, 2019 promises to be a year of political contention.  Each of these potential candidates will promise a utopian post-Trump world with nobody in need, total fairness, and no worries about how to pay for it.  My prayer is that God’s people will center on Christ and sift through the political rhetoric, remembering Jesus is in charge.  While no candidate is perfect, some offer solutions that better align with biblical principles and are the ones Christians should vote for.  We then must continue to pray for these leaders, praying that they will as members of the Body of Christ follow the leadership of the head, Jesus Christ.