Monthly Archive for November, 1996

Colossians 4:3

Published on November 30, 1996 in Colossians. 1 Comment
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“Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains.”
 
"Meanwhile praying also for us"
 
“Meanwhile”–Paul is giving them an actual opportunity to pray for him.
 
Paul often requested prayer (Rom. 15:30; Eph. 6:19; I Thes. 5:25; Heb. 13:18; II Thes. 3:1). Do you pray for your pastor? Pray that he would have the courage to preach with freedom. Great Christians recognize their need for prayer.
 
Paul was carrying the ball but he needed guards and tackles out front praying for him. No running back makes it on his own. Neither does any minister or pastor make it without prayer.
Principle:
Prayer warriors are necessary for the work of God to advance.
Application:
When we ask people to pray for us they usually nod their head and affirm that they will. They usually immediately go out and forget about it. People do not usually pray for us unless they are a relative, good friends or prayer warriors. This is an area of dishonesty among evangelicals.
Any believer walking in fellowship with the Lord can offer an effective prayer. Some people think that they have to ask a professional Christian worker to pray for them. They believe these prayers are more effective since they are closer to God. However, God does not hear the prayers of professional Christian workers any more than anyone else. We cannot depend on special types of leaders to pray for us as a crutch. Our lives do not depend on the prayers of Christian workers. If they did, we would all be in trouble!
Some people make a fetish out of prayer. They become superstitious about prayer. They think that things are going to go better because special people are praying for them.
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Colossians 4:2e

Published on November 29, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
 
"with thanksgiving"
 
Thanksgiving is a recurring theme in this epistle (1:3,12; 2:7;3:15,17; 4:2):
 
1:3: ” We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”
1:12: “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
2:7: “Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
3:15: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
3:17: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
4:2: “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
The Greek indicates that thanksgiving is an association of being awake to spiritual things. If we are awake in prayer thanksgiving will follow.
Thanksgiving is expression of joy Godward. It is a statement of appreciation to God. If we accept God’s blessing as a matter of course it will dry up our spiritual life.
Principle:
Thanksgiving is a reflection of our capacity of soul to appreciate God in our lives.
Application:
It is surprising to find how much for which we can thank God if we just look around. God’s sustaining grace keeps us from illness, accident, etc. We should thank God for his providential care. Have you thanked God for sparing you from trial?
It puzzles parents that their children are so ungrateful. However, we are just as ungrateful to God or maybe more so. We ask for God’s blessings on a ministry and never stop to thank him for blessing us. Someone may help us repair our house and we never thank them for it. We rob ourselves of blessings by not thanking God for what he has done for us.
Ephesians 5:20: “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We give thanks for the good things that happen to us but do we give thanks for all things.
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Colossians 4:2d

Published on November 28, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
 
"being vigilant"
 
A number of passages in the New Testament connect prayer and vigilance:
 
The Lord Jesus connected the ideas of prayer and watching in Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It is abundantly clear that the flesh is weak when it comes to prayer!
 
Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
I Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” Watch that you do not fall asleep while you pray. Watch so that your mind does not wander.
Principle:
God wants the believer to be vigilant in prayer.
Application:
When a believer goes to prayer he becomes a special target of the Devil. He will suggest evil thoughts while you are at prayer. He does not want us to pray so he will cause us to fall asleep. He puts anxious thoughts in our minds while we pray. We can fret, stew and worry in prayer although that is what prayer is supposed to alleviate (Phil. 4:6,7). The Devil is a supernatural foe to prayer.
One of the earmarks of carnality is prayerlessness (James 4:1). Carnality is a disease that only a Christian can catch. Because we are reluctant to pray, God brings adversity into our lives. We are perfunctory in prayer until some crisis comes along. No one is sick, our finances are in place, so why should I pray? When the crisis comes we can pray very eloquently!
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Colossians 4:2c

Published on November 27, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
 
"being vigilant in it"
 
The word “vigilant” here means to be in continuous readiness and alertness to pray–to be alert, to be watchful, to be vigilant. It was sometimes used as a military term for a century keeping alert on duty.
 
“Being vigilant” is in the present tense placing added emphasis upon the need to continue in a state of alertness.
“Vigilant” means to watch and is used 1) of keeping awake, (Matt. 24:43; 26:38, 40, 41). The idea is to rouse from sleep and can mean to arouse the conscience and attention of the person who prays. It is also used 2) of spiritual alertness, (Acts 20:31; I Cor. 16:13; Col. 4:2; I Thes. 5:6, 10;1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 3:2, 3; 16:15).
I Thess. 5:10 uses “vigilant” in contrast to sleep. In this passage it has the meaning of vigilance and expectancy as contrasted with carelessness. All believers will live together with Christ from the time of the rapture (chapter 4). All have spiritual life now though their spiritual condition may vary. Those who fail to watch will suffer loss (I Cor. 3:15; 9:27; II Cor. 5:10) but the Apostle does not deal with that aspect of the subject in I Thessalonians 4. What he does make clear is that the rapture of believers will depend solely on the death of Christ, not upon their spiritual condition. The rapture is not a matter of reward, but of salvation. God will reward believers after the rapture.
When the enemies of Nehemiah tried to stop him from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem he did not throw in the towel. He commanded his people to watch and pray (Neh. 4:9). We need to guard against anything that might weaken our effectiveness in prayer. Apathy, negligence or unbelief can detract from our prayer life.
Principle:
God wants us to keep awake to the importance of prayer.
Application:
God expects 1) perseverance and 2) alertness in prayer. Three apostles fell asleep during a prayer meeting (Mt. 26:41-43) in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus told them to “watch and pray.” They did neither.
How would you describe your prayer life? Vibrant, dynamic, wide-awake? Do you watch to confess your sins on a regular basis? Is prayer nothing but an empty form to you? Beware of thoughts that might distract us from prayer.
Prayer ought to hold a central place in our lives. “Vigilance” in prayer stresses the danger we face in spiritual attacks. Satan would like nothing more than to put us asleep spiritually. May God deliver us from a lethargic prayer life.
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Colossians 4:2b

Published on November 26, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”
 
"Continue earnestly in prayer"
 
It is remarkable how often the Bible talks about the necessity of daily exercise in Christian disciplines. The Bereans were said to be “noble” because they daily searched the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-12). The psalmist cried unto the Lord daily (Ps. 86:3). Paul challenges the believer to “pray without ceasing” (I Thes. 5:17). Jesus said to “take up our cross daily” (Lk 9:23).
Note how often God enjoins us to pray on a continual basis:
I Samuel 12:23, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.”
Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.”
Psalm 119:164 “Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.”
Luke 18:1 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”
Acts 6:4 “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
I Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
Principle:
God wants us to acquire a habit of prayer.
Application:
This does not mean that God wants us to do nothing but pray. God does expect us to develop a habit of prayer. God wants us to keep the receiver off the hook. He wants us to keep in touch with heavenly Headquarters. He wants us to keep in touch.
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Colossians 4:2

Published on November 25, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”
 
"Continue earnestly in prayer"
 
The word “continue” means steadfast and denotes to continue steadfastly in a thing and give unremitting care to it (e.g., Rom.13:6 of rulers).
 
“Continue” first meant to be strong towards, to endure in, persevere in. It came to mean adhere to, persist in, to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty. It means to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in. Literally, it means to set our face toward a goal with strength.
Acts 1:14 and Romans 12:12 uses “continue” of persisting in prayer with others. Acts 2:42,46 uses “continue” for continuing in the Apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42,46).
Romans 13:6 uses “continue” of the persistent activity of the tax collector! If we had the tenacious dedication of the tax collector in prayer, we would probably have revival in our lives.
The present tense of “continue” further emphasizes the idea of persistence of prayer.
It is remarkable how often the Bible talks about the necessity of daily exercise in Christian disciplines. The Bereans were said to be “noble” because they daily searched the Scriptures (Acts 17:10-12). The psalmist cried unto the Lord daily (Ps. 86:3). Paul challenges the believer to “pray without ceasing” (I Thes. 5:17). Jesus said to “take up our cross daily” (Lk 9:23).
Principle:
God wants us to guard against irregularity in our prayer life.
Application:
Prayer is a task from which other things can easily deflect us.
We will slip in our prayer life unless we develop persistence in prayer. Have we fallen asleep in prayer? If we have, we need to wake up.
Prayer prepares us for whatever we may face. It prepares us for ministry. Everything we do we must bathe in prayer. That is why we need to continue in it. Prayer is no luxury or something to use in emergencies. A Christianity that operates only on emergencies is not true Christianity. Prayer is no convenience for a crisis. God intends prayer as a method of constant fellowship with himself.
God wants us to persist in prayer no matter what may come our way. God sustains our prayer life by his promises (Ps. 116:1,2; Jer. 33:3; Isa 65:24; Mt. 7:7,8; 18:19; 21:22; Mk 11:24; Jn 14:13,14; Heb. 4:16). Prayer is an important expression of faith. The Christian life calls for great exercise of faith. Prayer is an important exercise of faith. Faith utilizes the promises of God. Faith reaches into the 7,000 promises of God, picks up these promises and uses them in spiritual warfare. Prayer is an extension of faith.
God has installed a line whereby we can have direct access to him at any time.
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Colossians 4:1

Published on November 24, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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"Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven."
 
This verse has a poor chapter division. 4:1 belongs to chapter three with its focus on various roles in the Christian life.
 
"Masters"
The “master” in our society is the employer.
"give your bondservants what is just and fair"
Paul places his finger upon the supreme issue for the employer. Disregard for fairness and justice is the vulnerability of the employer.
The issue here is not social equality but fair dealing with employees. Paul is not asking that the employer treat all employees alike. God does not want us to care more for money than employees.
The employer is not to think of his employees in an impersonal manner. His paycheck should reflect that he is a human being! Reciprocity is God’s norm.
This is not equality of condition but brotherly equality.
"knowing that you also have a Master in heaven"
One day all employers will stand before God in heaven. God will have the last word.
Employers should treat employees like they want God to treat them. The employer will stand accountable before God. This phrase commits the Christian businessman to Christian standards in business.
Principle:
God expects employers to treat their employees in a just and fair manner.
Application:
Are you even handed with your employees? Do you treat your employees partially?
The principles of justice and equality on the employer side have their bases in the person of God. God uses the employer who operates like him in his business.
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Colossians 3:25

Published on November 23, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”
 
"But he who does wrong"
 
If the Christian employee does not put in a good day’s work, then he must reckon with his God. He may hide his sloppy work from his boss but he cannot hide it from God.
 
"will be repaid for what he has done"
Any time we are out of fellowship with God we are not eligible for reward.
"and there is no partiality"
God is impartial. He treats people equally whether it be the boss or the employee. Both will stand upon a level playing field before him.
Principle:
God treats his children fairly and without partiality.
Application:
God does not possess the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men. He respects their intrinsic worth and never respects their conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not (Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; James. 2:1).
God will straighten out all wrongs in eternity. God will not favor the employee over the employer or the employer over the employee.
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Colossians 3:24

Published on November 22, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."
 
"knowing that from the Lord"
 
The phrase “from the Lord” is emphatic in the Greek. The ultimate reward comes from God, not from our employer. This is crucial knowledge (“knowing”) if we are going to live a qualitative Christian life.
 
"you will receive the reward of the inheritance"
Whether our boss pays us properly or treats us properly, God will reward us in eternity. “Inheritance” means properly an inherited property, an inheritance. In a few cases in the Gospels it means the possession that an heir receives on the death of an ancestor. In this passage, our inheritance is the prospective condition and possession of the believer will receive in the future when Christ returns (Acts 20:32; Eph. 1:14; 5:5; Col. 3:24; Heb. 9:15; I Pet. 1:4). Ephesians 1:18 says that the Christian will be an inheritance to God in eternity.
The word “inheritance” implies that reward comes from grace. It is a debt that God will pay because he promised this reward.
"for you serve the Lord Christ"
Whatever we do for the firm for which we work we are to count it as service to the Lord Christ. He is the ultimate judge. All our employment is in his sight. He sees whether we loaf on the job or not.
This is the only place in the New Testament where Jesus is called “the Lord Christ.” This title would have had great meaning to a slave of the first century. The slave serves a person of great dignity. Think of this–a slave with dignity!! People today go to work and they view it as a rat race. They hate every minute of it. When it dawns upon the Christian that he serves the Lord Christ, his perspective changes entirely. There will be a new quality to his work.
Principle:
The believer will receive full justice in eternity.
Application:
We will never receive full justice in this life. We may put in a good day’s work and receive no recognition for it. That’s life. The standard is still binding that a Christian is to put in a good day’s work regardless of the situation. A pay check is just remuneration under our system. However, it is the reward of the Lord that counts.
God will spiritually reward believers for faithful employment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Anything we do full time is our full time service. There is no such thing as full time Christian service for a few professional Christians. There is no such thing as a second class Christian or a “layman.” On the other hand there may be some Christians who “lay” down on the job!
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Colossians 3:23b

Published on November 21, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”
 
"as to the Lord"
 
When we do our work as unto the Lord, it sets it apart as eternal work. Our true boss is the Lord. We work for him. This gives our work eternal dignity. The Lord is the motivation for our service.
 
"and not to men"
God does not want us to serve our earthly boss exclusively.
Principle:
God is our ultimate employer.
Application:
We do not do our job unto the Lord when we take miserable attitudes to work or when we make noises like we are unhappy with the boss and environment. We do not serve the Lord when we loaf when the boss is not looking. We do not serve the Lord when we undermine another employee to get him into trouble with his boss so that we can have his job. We want to move up, so we drop a little negative note about him into the suggestion box.
When the boss comes around, we patronize him. Licking the boots of the boss is not the best way to serve the Lord. Kicking people in the teeth below you is not the best way either! Scripture does not recommend these things!
If we keep God in view in everything we do at work, we honor God at our place of employment.
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