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Colossians, Chapter one 19 starting in verse 19. Clauses one, verse 19.
For please the Father, that in Him should all fullness dwell.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him, to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind.
By wicked works yet now hath be reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you wholly unblameable and unreprovable in His sight, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which he have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof I fall, and made a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of praise.
In my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church, whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His Saints, to whom God would make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you?
The hope of glory.
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Unto I, where unto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Chapter 2.
Briarwood, that she knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom.
And knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Beware therefore, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of man, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him which is the head of all principalities and power.
Counselors of God, when it was determined that the sun.
Should come into this world.
We stand from the heart of the Father.
But what's in this 19th verse is it was pleasing to the economy.
Not a little person in the sun as a man. All the fullness of what God is. Father, Son and Holy Spirit as well.
So that fullness of all that God is.
As not any part of it left out on any aspect of the Godhead and love and light and holiness and the character of what God is and his activity and power and spirit and so on. Fullness of all that should dwell in the sun. Please the Godhead that such should be. And so there's tremendous.
Expression to us of our God has been fully expressed in the one who is common and dwelt among us, are taking in flesh and blood, and going through this life among men.
00:05:11
It's an expression of the fullness of the heart of God toward us that such a decision was made, that God be fully revealed to us.
And then completeness in that way.
We're as we know, we're just a tiny spec and the greatness of the creation of God.
But the heart of God chose to set his heart upon man and.
And to make himself known to man in a way that exceeds our capacity even to take it in, but not to know and love and respond to to him, to our God.
In the verse that Brother Bill mentioned yesterday, Isaiah 57, it says God inhabits eternity.
That is a verse.
I don't know that I understand very well.
But that's the habitation of God, eternity.
But here we find that all the fullness that Father, like Don says is in italics is really added by the translators there. But it was all the fullness of the Godhead which pleased well, in Him there was a man who walked through this world.
And they, many of them, didn't see him any more than just the mere man that.
This is the carpet there we know is.
Mother is with us.
Whose brothers and sisters are with us?
They didn't recognize them anything more than a mere man, but in that man all the fullness of the Godhead.
That inhabits eternity was pleased to dwell. It's a mystery that goes beyond our capacity to comprehend. We have to simply accept what scripture says and go from there. But.
And it's important that we do bow to Scripture and not try to figure it out with our own human reasoning. That's led to serious error. But here it is. All the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell on Him. It's repeated in the second chapter in verse 9, where we have the exhortation to be aware of verse 8.
That anybody spoil us through philosophy have made deceased after the tradition.
Of men after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him. So it's the same statement there, but it's in our relationship to Him. Just think of my brother, and all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell in that man.
Christ Jesus here in this world.
Tremendous, tremendous.
Thing to meditate on to enjoy in our souls. Brethren, It's the truth of God. We are united to that glorious man.
And yet this can be applied to our daily life. If we weren't to return to hymn #267 of these reasons, we won't sing. It describes the fullness that we have in Christ for our daily life.
How close resides in Jesus, our head of force. Suffice to answer all of you. The Father's good pleasure is made-up and destroyed.
A planting called treasure is given to the court. Whatever distresses awake is below such plentiful grace. The Lord will be strong and still shall support his silence or fear and nothing. You can hurt us while Jesus is near.
I won't read the rest but in short sums up to what we have before us, this relationship that we can have in the large that He is our fullness and are All in all.
00:10:15
Verse 20.
Speaks about reconciliation.
Thought the Godhead.
Reconciling all things to itself.
Verse 21.
It talks about the need for why there's a need for reconciliation, because there's alienation.
That is, to be alienated is to be having a.
Ill will.
Towards someone you're alienated from someone there's bad feeling or there's a fixed dislike in one party or the other toward another.
And so he speaks of that enemies in your mind by wicked words.
That's what we one time were, but it says now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death.
And in the process of dealing with that alienation, that enmity in the human heart, peace is made. When you have two people that are alienated from each other, there's no peace between them.
In God's heart there's never been alienation, there's never been ill feeling toward us.
Toward. But on our part there is that, and I'd like to, in connection with the thought, turn over again to what we was read once or twice yesterday.
In Second Corinthians chapter 5 where we have the same thoughts brought before us.
2nd Corinthians chapter 5. Reading again from verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ Jesus, and hath given to us those who believe the word of reconciliation.
So now we who are his in verse 20 are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ that be reconciled to God. And this is the verse I wanted particularly to bring out verse 21.
For he God hath made him Christ to be sin for us.
Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
When Adam sinned.
Two things. Well, more than two, but two things that happened included.
The fact that God had to put him out of the garden to separate him from the tree of life.
And the second thing, because of Adam's, what we call fall.
He spoiled himself.
And had a sinful nature by disobedience.
That the sinful nature that is that enmity against God that's alienated from God.
In route man once who says we had yesterday.
Man wants his own way.
And if God says no, he dislikes it.
He doesn't want the control of God. He might say, as Cain did, I'll bring something to you, but it's gonna be on my turn.
I'll honor you my way as I wish to, but if someone who doesn't want to be restrained is restrained.
In their heart raises that feeling of alienation toward the one that restrains them.
And that's what Nand's heart is against God.
An alienation in heart from God.
00:15:03
And as a consequence, in the Second Corinthians chapter 5, when the Lord Jesus went to the cross.
He went there to bear our sins.
But he also went there, as it says in that verse, to be made sin for us.
That is, he came before God.
To bear the judgment of God on that sinful nature which is in alienation with God.
And God judged it.
As he died there in.
But the work was done.
Sin was condemned.
And he died to it.
In resurrection.
It rises totally separate from it into new creation.
And that.
Dying to sin, being made sin, and then dying and being raised from the dead into a new creation sphere of things.
In that we are reconciled to God through his death.
The death of the Lord Jesus and our identification with that death and being brought into new creation.
Then we are at peace with God in the matter of what we are.
We have peace with God that our sins are taken care of, but we also need to have peace with God in respect to what we are. And in new creation, we're a new creature in Christ Jesus. And in contrast to what we were in Adam's creation, in alienation from God, in new creation, we're at peace with God because we received light. The life that was denied when Adam was put out of the garden, if you will, the rights of the tree of life, God would not give it to a man.
It was alienated and hard from himself, but now God has given us the life. Which is it alienated? No, it delights, Its joy is to please cause. And so there's peace, there's reconciliation, there's relationship that is.
Ours, but it's through them. And so in our chapter in 2nd Corinthians 5.
You have that it's a necessary part of the work in order to bring about that which the God has desired for us, that Christ alone could accomplish to bring us back to God.
In a way that in our hearts, not just our sins were taken care of, but what we were was judged and put away from the sight of God. And now all that we are before God in Christ and.
As it says later, Christ is our life. That very light is the life that the lights in God. Without any enmity, without any strife, without any disharmony, so is that.
Roland's 510.
How's that fit on there?
1510 we join our God. No, that's 11. Uh, or let's see.
For if, when we were if being enemies, we've been reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much rather having been reconciled, we should be saved in the power of his life. And reading the new translation.
The fullness, yes.
The fullness of the Godhead.
Tornado.
Comes out in what we started with, and him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In the second chapter, it's turned around in the sense that all that we are toward God is in him. So you have both sides of it. You have the wonderful side that God comes out in all that he is to us, to meet us where we are in our needs, outside the garden, if you will, in the place.
00:20:14
Where man is lost, God comes in all the fullness of His being toward us, and does mighty work so that true and the accomplishes it in the death of His Son, and now in that same person.
We are complete in everything that we need to be Godward.
And that's what you have in the second chapter, the fullness.
We are complete in Him.
Everything that we need to be toward God is found in Christ and.
And in his work, and so does God look at us with reproach.
Has an holiness in our chapter Go back to our chapter in the verse.
So we're reading Umm.
Verse 22.
That fullness hard work.
There's the fullness of God, man word, but then in the same person there's that completeness, God word. And so it says in verse 22 to present you wholly and unbelievable and unreproachable in his sight.
That glorious person that's before us this weekend, He presents us to God wholly an unblameable and unreproachable in Himself.
That's our place, that's our position, and that the work of God to make it good in our souls is the power of God working in us that we might realize and enjoy it and.
So if God were to reproach you.
He has to approach his son because you're in his son before God.
If God is to blame you, he must blame his Son, because you're placed before God is in Him.
And so is this unblameable? No. He's done everything to take care of the issue of life.
Can I be reproached before God in the way presented here? No, not unless Christ can be reproached.
Not unless God can find some fault in him.
Because he we are complete in Him before God.
So if this wasn't true, then we would never be comfortable in God's presence. We often speak in the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, and that's true. And it's wonderful to realize that we have the forgiveness of sins, but we're far, far more than just forgiven sinners. And Lemoyne pointed us to the fifth chapter of Romans and we go won't go back there, But there are two elements that are very connected with reconciliation.
That are necessary that we might be comfortable in God's presence. One is peace. We have that he's made peace through the blood of his cross in our chapter and that's brought out in the first verse of Romans 5. But there's also something else and that's justification and justification is really God seeing us in all the perfection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you'll allow me just to use a little illustration to make this as simple as as possible.
Suppose I go and I break into Brother Bob Tony's home and I steal things from his home. And he calls the police and the police chase after me and they bring me down to the police station and they call Bob and they say we've cut your thief, he's got the goods. Come on down to the police station and press charges and get your goods back. And Bob comes down to the police station and he sees me there sitting there with my head down, and he realizes who it who the thief is.
And he comes over and he sits down beside me and he puts his arm around me and he says, now Jim, I'm going to forgive you. And I'm not going to press charges. And not only am I going to forgive you so that you can go free, but I want you to come over and have dinner with me tomorrow night and let's just carry on like nothing's happened. Would I be comfortable to go over to Bob's house and have dinner with his family tomorrow night? I just sit down as a feeling like a forgiven seat.
00:25:16
But in that wonderful that we are complete, in Him, we are not. We are reconciled. Yes, but you can outwardly reconcile two things or certain people, but they may not be completely comfortable or completely reconciled inwardly you may have outward conformity.
But isn't it wonderful that as Brother Dawn has been bringing before us, that we are now completely comfortable as not only forgiven sinners, but justified? And remember too, that you never read of God having to be reconciled to man. Never in Scripture will you read that God had to be reconciled to man. It's always man having to be reconciled to God because it was not God.
Who alienated himself from man? It was man through his sin who alienated himself from God. And it's man that needs to be brought back to God, not God to man. Adam sinned in the garden and it brought an immediate separation. And with his conscience, he hid himself. And so it's, it's, it's man needing to be reconciled to God. Now, I just want to say this about our portion in Colossians as well. I suggest too, there's a broader thought here.
Than just our reconciliation all he's going to reconcile all things in heaven and in earth. Now we never read of the infernal beings or things under the earth ever being reconciled to God. They are going to experience eternal separation. But there is a day coming when not only are we going to let me put it this way, not only are we the beneficiaries.
Of what took place at Calvary. And not only are we reconciled to God through the blood of Christ and the death of His Son, but there is a day coming when all creation is going to be reconciled. Because when man sinned in the garden, not only did man come under the curse of sin, but the whole creation groans and travails even till now. And they are waiting for that redemption, that reconciliation.
Just go to Hebrews one. I know we referred to Hebrews 1A time or two, but I believe there's really a broader thought in Hebrews one than just dollar being brought into blessing. We noticed in these meetings that He's spoken unto us by His Son in the second chapter. And then I want to notice verse. Well, just notice the last expression of verse 2. By whom also He made the world.
Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power. And then this is what I want to notice. If you notice that Mister Darby's translation, it's a little broader thought than just our being brought into blessing when He had by himself not just perched our sins, but made the purification for sin, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.
The work of redemption, The work of atonement on Calvary's cross.
Covers more than just our being brought into blessing and relationship. He's made the purification for sin. And you notice again, it's in the context of being Creator. He's the creator and sustainer of all things, as we had in our chapter in Colossians.
In Hebrews here, he's upholding all things by the word of his power, not just having created it, but he's sustaining it. And the day is coming when he's going to take it all back, not just as creator, but he's going to take it back in redemption. And there's going to be a purification, there's going to be a reconciliation of all created things where his glory.
And for the blessing even of the lower creation.
So that verse 20 is of our chapter is really that broader picture that reaches out into that eternal day when there will be no longer any trade since consistent. It's what we have in John 1. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world of only our sins, but the whole.
00:30:10
Creation that has been contaminated by sin. It's going to be taken away by this one. So verse twenty of our chapter is that broader picture reconcile all things whether they be in earth or in heaven. And then verse 21 is what John has been speaking about ourselves and you and later on in the verse yet now.
So it's not wonderful that even now, when we're still in a world that is groaning under the ******* of corruption as a result of sin, right now, we are brought into this.
Position of being reconciled to himself. It's it's an amazingly wonderful position that we enjoyed running.
I'd like to say something about the blood of his cross.
That's what we are talking a lot about when we come together about the Lord Jesus shedding His blood.
And it doesn't say that blood of his body. It says the blood of his cross. So the blood was shed when he was hanging on that cross. And it wasn't just an incident that just so happened when this soldier came along under the spear, opened his side, and out came water and blood.
The Lord Jesus.
Had already gone through the process of being made soon for us when this happened and he had died.
That's when the shoulder takes around and opened his side. Blood and water came out. And we always say, and we believe that is that luck that saved us, that made peace, it says here.
The main piece through the blood of his God.
That's the case that we have withdrawn. We have peace with peace with God.
Cause of the shedding of his blood on the cross.
And that's often course in connection with the blood in the Old Testament that was shed for the people and they put the blood on the doorpost and the lentils and those who were behind it, they were saved.
And that's what saves us. This is God of the cross. They saves us.
In connection with our need to be reconciled to God, It's wonderful. I just wanted to give emphasis for this point that we are the ones that needed to be reconciled, but we're not the ones that took up the matter of reconciliation to get the job done.
The Lord Jesus took up that and it involved going to the cross.
Bearing the judgment being made, sin before a holy God, and then.
Rising in a new life and then imparting that life to those who believe in the gospel.
In him. And it's in that state that we are reconciled to God.
We're like people that died and came back alive again in a new life that God is pleased with.
And he gave us that life.
And yet we do participate in the ministry of reconciliation, like in Second Corinthians in in the preaching of the gospel and getting souls reconciled to God by pointing them to Jesus. We really can't reconcile them, but we can point them to the one who does reconcile them and get them in a right standing before God.
An outstanding where the the souls can enjoy that perfect relationship.
00:35:07
Important, I think, in the expression of blood of His cross.
Across.
Represents the greatest act of man's empathy.
Against God.
The greatest act of man's enmity against God was to crucify my Son.
When God took the very thing.
That was the greatest expression of man's hatred and animosity toward God.
The cross and uses them.
I'm inclined to bring about this.
And so it's on the blood of its crops. There's also in the reconciliation or a little bit helps in that in Genesis, when God placed man, created him and placed him on the earth, it was in the image and likeness of God, and man became the responsible.
Agent or responsible being for God?
In the management of the Earth.
And so man was given dominion over this earth and the animals that were on it.
But by his own sin, and by his own alienation from God as a result of it.
Totally failed in the management of that responsibility and brought upon the earthly creation the terrible pain and suffering of which the animal creation bears to this day.
And not only in nature does man not get right with God, but the effects of His responsibility upon that over which he had dominion is suffering and itself not reconciled.
Consequently, when you see that Adam's race goes downhill to the point of the flood in Noah.
Not only is mad.
John.
But all that man was responsible for dies as well.
Under man's responsibility and failure, all of the animals themselves of the earth are destroyed as well, except those that are preserved with Noah in the ark.
In the heavens on the other side, the beginner of enmity against God is the fall of Satan, and Satan is the one who has access to the heavens, and was the not dominion over it, but responsible to God in it as His servant.
And so the Lord Jesus and his person in the Godhead through him.
Reconciled everything back to himself. To himself.
Lion Heaven Satan is judged and cast out eventually and ultimately placed in what was prepared for him, the lake of fire.
All men are given the opportunity to be reconciled to God through the blood, through the peace that's been made and those who receive the message.
This is a joy and benefit of the reconciliation those who refuse.
Put away.
From God for eternity and at the same time because Christ becomes the head of all and overall is head in new creation.
Then he brings all the animal creation back into its proper relationship and order with himself and.
Has already been said only if you do it, man doesn't do it. He doesn't we as Doug just said, he has the message, the ministry to say God be reconciled to God.
To his fellow man to encourage him in that, but only the Lord Jesus can reverse the effect of the fall upon the animal creation and only the Lord Jesus by his power and cast out from the presence of God in heaven. All that is no longer in harmony with God, but the saddammathy against God by all nations. Just a couple of other points before we pass on. If you notice the end of verse 20, it's not heaven singular.
00:40:24
It's not heaven as far as the eternal dwelling place of God. It's what Don just pointed out. If Mr. Darby translates it in the plural, it's the heavens that have been tainted with sin. When Satan was cast out of the eternal dwelling place of God, he became the Prince of the power of the air and all creation. The created heavens and the earth have been tainted with sin, and Brother Bob mentioned that the day is coming when sin is going to be removed.
The fulfillment of what John the Baptist said, and I think it's important to realize that that isn't really completely fulfilled until the eternal state. It will begin in the Millennium. Sin will be suppressed in the Millennium to a great degree. But just read the last couple of chapters of Isaiah and you'll find that there is still sin, and it does from time to time raise its ugly head. The serpent still eats dust. Sin needs to be judged morning by morning.
There's still the need for sacrifice and so on.
But the in the eternal state it will be what Peter refers to as the Day of God, when the elements melt with fervent heat and the heavens and the earth are completely burned up and consumed again. Not what is referred to as the 3rd heaven or the Father's House of the eternal dwelling place of God or paradise. Any of those expressions. It is that which is created and tainted with sin.
And in order for there to be the removed, complete removal of sin and complete reconciliation, that which has been tainted by sin must be completely dissolved and burned up. And then, as he says, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
I want to ask a question just to clarify a point going back a little bit. We said in First Corinthians 5 verse 21 That we've made the righteousness of God in Him. And then in our chapter, verse 20 talks about having made peace through the blood of His cross, and it talks about being reconciled unto himself. And we've been mentioned also about justified. And then in verse 22 we have.
Present you wholly unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.
If I were to ask many people here, are you righteous? Some would think well.
I, I I still sin every now and then, you know I'm not righteous.
And if I ask you, are you a Sinner, they would think the same thing and say, yes, I'm a Sinner. But because we are made the righteousness of God and who presented holy and unblameable and reprovable, Can I say that I am righteous? Can I say that I am a Sinner? Or can I look at myself the way God sees me that I am in Christ? They just have to clarify that for me. And that is important, isn't it, to see.
Ourselves through the eyes of God in Christ. If I can use a little illustration from the Old Testament that helped me when I was a little younger to grasp at least part of what we're saying. You remember with the boards of the Tabernacle, Those boards made-up the dwelling place of God on earth at that time. But individually those boards represent, I believe, to us believers individually.
And there were two things that characterized those boards individually. One is they stood in two sockets of silver. And silver speaks to us of redemption. There was the redemption money and so on. And invariably silver in Scripture speaks to us of redemption. And so we're redeemed not with reputable things, with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. But there was something else that was necessary, something else that characterized those boards.
And that is that they were covered completely with pure gold. And gold in Scripture speaks to us often of the righteousness of Christ. And when the eye of God rested on those boards, what did God see that rough cut lumber that was underneath? No, what God saw was what spoke to his heart in anticipation of believers being made the righteousness of God in him. And that's what we have in the verse that you referred to back in Corinthians.
00:45:25
We've been made the righteousness of God in him to see that Christ does not see the old Jim Highland.
He sees me in all the perfection of Christ, all the perfection of his Son. I'm accepted in the beloved I've been. I'm, I'm holy and unreprovable in this sight. And how many expressions that bring before before bring it before us in one way or another. And so again, I'm far, far more than a forgiven thief. I am redeemed with the blood of Christ. That's true.
But I am seeing in all the acceptance and all the perfection of God's Son, and if we can get ahold of that in our souls, that's what's going to give us peace. Yes, there's still the flesh. Yes, as you say, Tim, we still sin. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We have a righteous advocate who paid for those sins. But when I stand, it's good to stop and say.
God is no more I, but sin that dwelleth in me. God doesn't see me in that way. God doesn't see that old Jim Highland. He sees me in all the perfection and standing of His beloved Son.
We also have a place where it says the blood of his cross. It speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Uh, I just wonder why is that the blood of abers it's right in the beginning of after the beginning of creation was shed.
And and that is very important because if you were working to have brought that sacrifice, men couldn't be saved at all. But even in the beginning and spread the blood of the Lord Jesus is more important. It speaks better than the Black Chronicles because the blood enabled and it's referring to his blood. King Chad called for inventions.
Of the blood of Christ is the basis of our blessing. So it's better just like to say, Tim, what we have here is our position in Christ and that is very important to understand that that is completely perfect, unquestionable. What Don was mentioning that if God is going to raise a question as to our position before God, he would have to raise a question about his own beloved son that is sitting at his right hand right now.
That is impossible to happen. And so it's our position that is completely perfect, our condition. Sometimes our practical condition is otherwise. And that's why we have the exhortation of Scripture. And I think it is important, like Jim was bringing out, that we learned to enjoy the position we've been brought into. That's the way Scripture always presents it. In the first part of the epistle. We have our physician and then there's exhortation as to our practical walk. How we.
Are walking.
In connection with that, if we walk in the enjoyment that we are fully and unblameable and unreprovable in this sight, it will give us power rather than to walk properly as Christians. And then give the illustration of a young woman who is going to be upright and she puts on this white dress and she goes out to get go to the place where she's going to be married.
She walks down the street. There may be dirty cars on the side of the street. Do you think she's gonna be careful how she walks down that street? Yeah, she's gonna be very careful. Why is she so careful? Because she's got a completely spotless garment of white on. And if you and I realize the tremendous blessing of that position that we've been brought into in Christ, then we will be careful how we walk in this world.
00:50:02
It's true we all sin. Scriptures makes that very clear. But when we sin, we do not act as a believer. We are acting as a child in the flesh like any other person in the world acts. And that is not what is what is characteristic of a Christian. And so we need to understand the position God has brought us into and to walk in the enjoyment of that position.
It's, uh, wonderful. Our time is running and we need to keep on, brethren, but I'd like to.
Uh, mention something here in verse 23 that troubles many Christians. Is that little first word if? Why is there an if here?
It could be we've been taking up to the end of verse 22. We're talking about our position fully.
Unblameable and unreprovable in this site. Why the end?
God used his scripture for our benefits to.
Tests bring to our own souls the test of.
Reality of roughly process. We don't want to weaken those depths.
There is the truth of God. If it's a work of God, it will endure and nothing can stop it or change it. But Scriptures a book given to us as moral creatures, and we need to have what we profess tested for our own souls, and so God will never make us.
At peace in our own soul, or at rest in our own soul, if our hearts condemning us.
And if we're not walking is that which we profess, then God will bring it to us by then.
So, and this is 1 instance of many in which the apostle was bringing a word that would reach the conscience of those to whom he spoke. Is it real in you, or is it just what you say you profess? I'd like to, in connection with what Tim brought out, refer back to the two prayers in Ephesians, just to show the difference between the two prayers. That I think, illustrates something of the difference between what Bob called position and condition.
In Ephesians chapter one, the first of two prayers given in that epistle.
He says of it.
Verse 18 concerning that prayer, he praise the eyes of your understanding, being enlightened that you may know. And then he goes on to say.
What is it you know, I know in verse 19?
The exceeding greatness of his power toward us.
He wanted the Saints to recognize the work of God for them and the fullness of the work for them. What we have in the work of the Lord Jesus for us is to make us holy and unblameable and unreproachable. Unreproachable in his sight before God. And that's, you might say, connected with his first prayer. But there's another prayer in Ephesians in chapter 3, which gives a different emphasis.
And brings out a different aspect of truth.
So he says in chapter 3 in his prayer, verse 14 for this, 'cause I bow my knees unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, verse 16, that he would grant you what?
That you might know certain things and also as it were, just since our time is slipping away. He wanted them to see the working and recognize the working of the power of God.
320 The end of the verse now, the end that is able to do exceedingly abundantly all that we ask or think according to the working.
Uh, that's power in.
And so there is first the work of God for us that brings us into that eternal beneficial relationship with himself of peace and joy and safety and so on, and security and reconciliation and the various things we've talked about. But also we still have sin in US. And so God is presently at work according to the greatness of his own power.
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To bring about in US conformity.
In us to that which we are before him in practice make us conformable in practice to that which we are before him. So going back to our chapter, almost the whole the rest of Colossians is giving emphasis to that work of God in us to bring about consistency.
In us to that which is our home of being perfectly like him. So you go back to our chapter in chapter one he says verse 24. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you. What is it that that there was a conflict. The conflict was the head was inhabited. The body was on earth. There was still constant working against the body on earth by the world by Satan by the flesh within those.
Ones that were part of the body. And so the apostle Paul was laboring for his whole life. What verse 28 warning every man, teaching every man that we may present every man perfect or complete in Christ Jesus, every single member of the body of Christ that was part of that body.
Had a conflict with Satan, the world, the flesh within them.
And the apostle Paul was working for that. He might present them fully grown in the full.
Likeness to that and so he says and in it in verse 26, verse 27.
This mystery Christ in you.
Nice, did you that there's much more to be said about that, but just for the moment, the point is the hope of glory.
Well, it says, am I gonna finish this work that I started in you? Am I going to remove that unrighteous act that you did, that character fault that you had?
Oh, he says, when my work is done, your hope is glory. And in first John Two, it says we shall be like him when we see him as he is. But then immediately he goes on and says he that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. That is, the work's not done. It's an ongoing work. But the end result was when the hope at the end of this life is realized that the rapture, then the work will be complete.
And we will be fully like him. But if we have that hope in us, we don't say, well, I'm going to live carelessly. I'm going to live in the flesh, I'm going to live this life. And God will do the work at the rapture, and he'll make me like Christ, and then I'll be like him and happy with him.
No, no, it's not that way if you respect the greatness that they had.
Then the heart says, I wanna be more like him now. I don't wanna wait. I don't wanna continue to sin. I don't wanna continue to dishonor the One who gave everything. I wanna be like him now. And so he that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he, Christ, is pure. It's a recognition that the work isn't done in US yet, but the power, the mighty power of God is at work in US.
How Spirit of God is in US? Christ is the life in us. The Father dwells in us in love. He abides in US. What greater power could there be working in us at this present moment to bring about the realization that have Christ in us as our life? The Spirit of God dwelling in us is the power of that life and God in love in first John 4 abiding in US.
As the father of love, that's the greatness of the power that is at work in US.
To accomplish the reality and to bring about that state where.
Our condition and our position come together as one.
That if in verse 23 to go back there, it's not to make us doubt the perfection of the position we've been brought into, but we are living in a Christian profession where there are many who perhaps are not real. And sometimes I like to give the illustration of two of the Lord's disciples. One was Peter. Peter had a serious fall.
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But Peter continued.
It was restored, and when the Lord looked at him, he went out and wept bitterly, and the Lord restored him. Peter continued in the faith.
But there was another disciple who had a serious fall as well, and he did not come back to the Lord.
With the Lord has forgiven Judas for that terrible thing, I am sure he would have, but he did not have the faith to come back to the Lord. He went and hung himself. He did not continue to faith. So a person shows by whether they continue or not the reality of the work of God in his soul. So it's not there to make us question the.
Perfection of the position we've been brought into.
But the reality of whether we have truly made it real in our own souls, that's why there's the gift there.
Well, they have given up the hope of the gospel.
They first of all they did not have strong enough faith and because of that they gave up the hope of the gospel and that is the living hope. Not the whole festival speaks about that living and sure hope is the hope of the gospel that saves people and make them strong enough not to give.
Up the faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Trade for them are the crops.
It's not a question, is it, brother? The amount of faith, We might think my faith is very weak, but it only takes a little rain as a mustard seed to save a soul. So that faith is real. It's based on God's Word. Even though it may not appear to be very strong, that is what God honors, and it will increase.
If it is true faith.
There are those who profess faith, but it's not real. Our hope is heavenly too, isn't it? And He brings that out. So it's Christ in you in the hope of glory. And it's the the riches of His glory here in Colossians because it's the glory of His person and His work that is brought before us. In Ephesians we have the riches of His grace because it's grace that brings us in to this blessed position. None of us could boast and will be able to boast of anything.
That we have in Christ, apart from his grace, we did nothing to merit favor before God or to reconcile or bring ourselves back to God. So it's the hope of glory. We were speaking earlier of the hope of this world and how created things are going to be reconciled to himself in a coming day. But we're looking for the Lord Jesus to come at any moment to rapture us home to a place, brethren, where sin will never penetrate again.
Isn't that wonderful Sin penetrated came into the first creation. It was spoiled by sin. Adam was step became separated from God for a time. He got a conscience that we and and so there was the necessity for the for reconciliation in the ministry of reconciliation. But brethren, we're going to a place where sin, I say, will never come again. It will never disturb us, never mar our thoughts. There'll be nothing from within to disturb.
Nothing in connection with our surroundings, nothing to tempt us again. The flesh will completely be gone. We're going to be with Christ, we're going to be like Him, and this ought to rejoice our hearts. But in the meantime, I was thinking too, in connection with what has been said of how Titus brings it out in a little different aspect, because he brings out practical righteousness and he says that we're to deny.
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Ungodliness and worldly lusts, and then to live soberly, righteously, godly in this present world. Maybe this brethren, sitting here and you think it's OK to talk about these high and lofty things and it's OK to exhort us to live righteously and our condition and so on. And but how can we do it? This is 2013. Yes, it is 2013. Yes, the moral and spiritual darkness is deepening over this planet every day.
But in this present age, we can live in this wake. And then what? Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior Jesus Christ. So we're looking on to that day for two things. For the moment, we're going to be raptured. That's the blessed hope.
And the glorious appearing. And when he appears, we're going to appear in glory with him.
And heaven is going to look up and what are they going to see when they look at the Saints coming with them? He's coming to be glorified in His Saints and admired and all them that are about Him in that day. We're going to perfectly reflect Christ in that day. We don't always do it now, as we've been reminded in these meetings, but we're going to in that day. And He's going to be come to be glorified in His Saints and admired all of them that are about Him in that day. But what about in the meantime? We have been positionally brought into this blessed place.
Made the righteousness of God. In him there is the power, the grace to live soberly, righteously, godly right now and again we have the resources in Christ, from God, in Christ, in and through Christ to live for his glory in view of eternity. And if the day ever gets so dark that there are no longer the resources?
To live for His glory here on planet earth. In view of what is ahead, the Lord will take us out. But as long as we're left here, we can never say. There's a day so dark that we can't live in this way. So here in our chapter, it's Christ in you, the hope of glory. What a hope we have. It's not connected with this world. It's connected with the next World.
I'd like to comment on it.
Times just about gone. Just a high point in the chapter one.
And verse 27 again it says the end of the verse Christ in you.
Christ in you the hope of glory. And to connect that over with chapter 3.
And nurse grades for ye are dead in your life is hid with Christ and God when Christ Christ, who is our life.
Shall appear, and shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
We talked about the fact that we have it in Ephesians emphasized that.
Christ is Head of the Body, the Church, and we are united to Him by the indwelling of the Spirit.
But in Colossians there's another link, vital link, that's brought out between our souls and glory.
It's the fact that the man in the glory.
Christ.
Is our life.
And that life is in US, Christ in you.
If he is our life and he is in US.
What other possible destiny could we have than glory? Because that's where he is.
And so we are livingly connected to heaven by the very light that has been us.
We are livingly connected to that person, Jesus Christ.
Because we have his life.
Is to be lived out now on Earth. This is to be the display of that life on Earth. But here it's brought before us as that which links us.
That's the heavens and glory, because it's his life.
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We all in nature have an individual life.
But there is only one internal, right?
There's only one.
License and we all participate in it. It's not parceled up separately into a bunch of little internal lives.
No, it isn't. It's his life in us, but it's not separated from himself in life. And so we are partakers, as it says in Peter of the divine nature. We partake in the divine nature as having that life, that divine life in us that isn't separated from its source, that remains connected with its one source. And so we are livingly eternally collect connected now.
With our head in his life.
It's a very serious responsibility to us, umm, to go on with the gifts that Bob has just noticed a couple of them in the chapters that follow. You won't see it in the King James, but if you I'm going to read these verses in the Darby translation in chapter 2 and verse 20, we'll read it as it is there if ye do that with Christ.
And then he talks about the consequences of being dead with Christ, chapter 3 verse one, if he be risen with Christ. And then he talks about the consequences of one who has partaker of Christ life and resurrection. So he says if you're dead, OK, this is the result. If you're living in Christ, this is the result. And as a practical exhortation to live it out.
If you go to verse five of chapter 3, the new translation says put to death, therefore.
Put to death in practice, therefore, those things that were connected with that old life. And then going down to verse 12.
Put on there for.
Elect of God, holy and beloved, those things which characterize in practice that life that you have in you the life of Christ. And so when you go on through the rest of Colossians, which we won't be today, but.
Read it and you will see the practical exhortations to live out the truth in your soul in a daily way. And that is and also the dangers. One more thought. Verse eight of chapter 2. Beware, beware. What are we to be aware of? We're to be aware of those things.
Which will tend in our souls to disconnect us from our head in practice.
What is it that disconnects us from the practical realization of our headship in the body, in the assembly, in our individual lives? He says beware.
What is it?
Man's thoughts come in.
To separate us, we get allow the thoughts of men of the world to replace that which comes directly from the head. We allow the working of the flesh in US, and the flesh works. In a practical sense. We act in the flesh instead of defending and relying on the head.
If allowed, Satan comes in to stir within us unbelief and disconnect us from.
Yeah, and so the enemies of our souls, the world, the flesh and the devil would always work if they can, to separate us from.
The living daily reality of relying upon our head collectively as well as individually on North Side bread and the light that we're talking about. Christ is our life, or the life that is really.
Heaven, heavenly news, the Lord Jesus is there. That's our life. We look up into the glory. When you say the Lord Jesus Christ there in glory is our life. It's not properly down here in this world. We are here, but our life is there. And that's why we have the exhortation at the beginning of chapter three to set our minds.
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On things above, there's one says, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Let's say. It's a challenge to me, brother, day by day, when you get through with the day, how much of that day have we been thinking on things above? How much have we set our minds up there? I must say that the percentage is pretty low in my life, but that's where our life is.
And soon, So very soon.
Everything down here is going to be passed over. The Lord help us, brethren, to set our minds on things above the measure that we do. It will have a practical effect, making this more heavenly mind now.
You say #64?
#64.