Got Change?

This last Thursday we studied Colossians 1:1-14[1], which is the first couple of introductory paragraphs of Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossae. Paul is widely regarded as the greatest biblical “missionary” largely because of all of the churches he planted throughout Greece and Asia Minor. Towards the end of his life, Paul was imprisoned because of his faith, but from prison he still got the chance to write letters to the churches he had planted in order to guide and encourage them in their faith.

Paul starts off with some encouraging words:

                “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the Love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing- as it also does among you…” (v 3-6)

The growth of the Colossian’s faith is probably the most encouraging to Paul, who most likely misses everyone he knew and longs to be there to see people’s faith growing. But what’s really cool is that Paul hears of the change that the gospel has made in these people’s lives, even sitting imprisoned several worlds away! Even though the Colossian testimony is incredibly making its way around the known world, Paul says that it’s kinda normal, because that’s the kind of fruit the gospel causes. Throughout all the world, the love and provision of Jesus is changing people from the inside out, because that’s just what the gospel does!

In light of their growth, Paul prays that the Colossians would keep growing:

“We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filed with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (v 9-14)

Those who choose to put their faith in Jesus and His sacrificial provision of atonement for their sins, are foundationally, categorically changed by God. The Bible calls it being made into a new creation.[2] You are no longer who you were in your sinfulness, but you have been made new and set free from the old bonds of sin. That’s what Paul is mentioning when he talks about being ‘transferred’ from a domain of darkness to Jesus’ kingdom. We are irrevocably changed and made new from the inside out, which by God’s power and presence, causes unmistakable change in the life of a believer.

Which leads to the question, has the gospel changed you? If you really put your faith in Jesus and call yourself His follower, you’re gonna be changed by Him, and it’s not going to be a change that you can contain or keep hidden. It’s going to come out, and if you continue growing and living faithfully for Jesus, people all over the world are gonna hear about your life, just like the Colossians. But something tells me that most people (myself included sometimes) don’t want the whole world knowing about their faith. So we try to keep the gospel change that’s within them hidden from people’s eyes, and in so doing we limit our relationship with Jesus. I know it can be scary to let people know about your faith, and to let God’s power change you from the inside out. But thankfully, we don’t have to be ashamed of God’s work within us, because He’s gonna take care of us. Paul had the same faith-filled hope even as he sat chained to a Roman guard, still passionately loving and following after God.

So if you don’t see the gospel’s change in your life, here’s some tips straight from Paul Himself! He prayed that the Colossians would grow by

1) Increasing their knowledge of God

2) Walking in a manner that pleases God

3) Bearing fruit, and increasing in knowledge of God.

Paul repeats himself there at the end, but it’s a circle! To be changed by Jesus you have to know Him and apply yourself to know Him well just like you would your best friend. This is done by learning about who they are, and by spending time with them. So we learn about who Jesus is by regularly reading the Bible, and by spending time with Him in prayer! As you do that, you will see change happen in your life that will make you live differently, in a way that is pleasing to God. And as you live in ways that are pleasing to God, you’ll get to see some pretty big accomplishments of growth, or fruit, in your life. And then, you keep learning about Jesus.

Being changed by God is pretty simply really, you just have to spend time with Jesus, be open to be changed by Him, and not be ashamed of it. Got change?

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[1] Colossians 1:1-14, Youth Paperback Bible p. 272.

[2] “New Creation” -2 Corinthians 5:17, YPB p. 562.

The Shepherd and The Lamb, Part 2

As we looked at Jesus being our Good Shepherd and the comfort of intimate satisfaction that He brings, we also looked at Jesus being the Lamb. Now you say, ‘How can He be both the Shepherd and the Lamb?’ Well, because He is God, and they are just analogies of what He is like anyway!

Throughout the Bible, the picture of a lamb has carried with it a picture of sacrifice. This ultimately is because of sin, and the blood atonement that is required after sin in order to restore relationship with God. But specifically in the law of the Old Testament and before, God required sacrifices of worship or of atonement to be of pure, spotless animals from the herd, normally sheep. A lamb given in sacrifice, then, would have been a hand-picked lamb from the flock that had no blemishes in its skin and no deformities. The innocent, undeserving lamb given as a sacrifice stood as a picture of what God would ultimately do for us through Jesus.

One powerful early example of this foreshadowing occurred with Abraham and Isaac. You can read about their story in Genesis 22:1-14.[1] Isaac was the one and only heir that would continue the blessing that God had promised to Abraham, but one day God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac his son in order to test his faith. You would think, ‘How horrific! Why would God make a promise and provide a miracle child, only to have him killed in some sick human sacrifice?’ Well don’t worry, it’s not like that. God often tests His people to see whether or not they will let go of the things that are most important to them in order to cling wholly to God in faith. So Abraham decides to have faith in God’s goodness and faithfulness despite this terrible command, and he prepares to sacrifice his son. When Isaac realizes that they haven’t brought a lamb to sacrifice, he asks, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham, clinging on to his faith, replies “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Abraham carries on with his faith-filled obedience until God stops him right before the sacrifice, and directs him to a ram caught in a thicket nearby.

To me, the coolest part about the story is not necessarily the display of Abraham’s great faith in God’s character, but the faithfulness of God’s character itself. God did provide a lamb to take the place of Isaac. Just like He has provided a lamb to take our place in the death that our sin makes us deserve.

The Bible is pretty clear about the nature of our sinful predicament. In various passages of Romans it says,

“As it is written, ‘None is righteous, no, not one’”[2]

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”[3]

And unfortunately once again, a death sacrifice is required in order for sin to be atoned.

“Therefore just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-“[4]

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[5]

BUT the cool thing is, God has once again provided for himself The Lamb that would take our place in the ultimate atonement offering. And He’s made a way for us to make the same decision of faith that Abraham made, a decision to accept God’s provision.

                “But God shows His love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”[6]

“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. … For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[7]

But what then? What happens if you decide to make a decision of faith, accepting God’s provision of sacrifice that wipes away all your sinfulness? What do you do now?

Well, we’ve been talking about what it means to be ‘compelled by love’, to worship God, and to live for Him because of what He’s done for us. All of these things are summed up in an exciting analogy that’s given later in Romans. Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, pleads with his audience and with us,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”[8]

Because of our sin, we were sentenced to die just like Isaac on the altar. And just like Isaac, we have been given a miraculous salvation from death because of God’s provision. The only thing is, we have to make a decision of faith to believe and accept God’s provision for us. We have to choose to accept the atonement that brings us back into unhindered relationship with God, who then becomes our Good Shepherd. And once this decision is made, the privilege of being God’s protected and nourished child, and the privilege of serving Him in a life-long sacrifice or worship, becomes yours forever.

God loves you, enough to take your place and die for you so that you might live.

Will you accept His provision and believe in Him? Will you choose to live with Him and for Him?

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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[1] Genesis 22:1-14, Youth Paperback Bible p. 10.

[2] Romans 3:10, YPB p. 548

[3] Romans 3:23, “.

[4] Romans 5:12, YPB p. 549.

[5] Romans 6:23, “.

[6] Romans 5:8, “.

[7] Romans 10:9,13, YPB p. 551.

[8] Romans 12:1-2, YPB p. 552.