Monthly Archives: February 2025

Bible, Christ, Hidden, Jesus, Scripture

HIDDEN WITH CHRIST

COLOSSIANS 3:3

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

I am looking forward to playing hide and seek with my seven month old grandson. He and I can hide from his Nana and let her find us. It won’t be hard because I know we will both be giggling. But there is not anyone else I had rather play hide and seek with than him right now. He is such a joy to be around.

Paul tells the Colossian believers to remember where they are. First of all, they are dead! He says, “you have died.” That literally means to die away from. The Greek word is apothnḗskō which “stresses the significance of the separation that always comes with divine closure. It stresses the ending of what is ‘former’ – to bring what (naturally) follows.” (HELPS Word Studies). Then Paul tells them they are “hidden with Christ in God.” Wow! That’s powerful. The verb “is hidden” is kruptó which means to hide or conceal something.

APPLICATION

Let’s continue that thought. We are hidden, we are concealed with Christ. The little Greek word sun/syn is the word for “with.” I looked in the original to see how sun/syn was used. In the previous verses, Paul often uses it as a preposition connected to the main verb. But not here. It stands alone. It literally reads kekryptai syn, has been hidden with. I really believe Paul wanted to emphasize the togetherness we have in Christ.

Who are you closest to in the world right now? For me, it is my wife, then the rest of the family. Friends come in next, followed by acquaintances. Do you see the degression of togetherness? I am the closest to my wife because I spend the most time with her. I want that same togetherness with Jesus. Don’t you?

Then rest, my friend. You are hidden with Christ in God. Nothing can separate you. You are closer than together. Is that even possible? Yes, it is – in God. He is the One Who brings us together through the sacrificial gift He made for us all those many years ago. Together – forever!

Father, I give You praise for hiding me with Christ. I long to be near Him.

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Bible, Jesus, Mind, Scripture, Thoughts

SETTING YOUR MIND

COLOSSIANS 3:2

Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

How is your thought life? I ask that question to the men I mentor on a regular basis. Some of these men struggle with keeping their mind pure. They have had issues with pornography in the past. So, I ask them when we talk how they are thinking, what are they setting their minds on.

Paul uses the Greek word phroneó to describe this command. Paul uses the Present Imperative Active form of this verb which means it is a command that we need to do over and over, to constantly do it. Therein lies the problem. So many of us do it once and think we are good. Nope. It doesn’t work that way.

APPLICATION

It is interesting that Jesus uses this same verb in the discourse with Peter when he was questioning Jesus’ message to them about suffering. Read what He says in Matthew 8:31-33. “31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead. 32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but on man’s.’”

Are you like Peter? Do you question the Lord’s words? Do you doubt His ability to work in and through you? Wouldn’t it be horrible to hear those words from Jesus? I would hate it. I want to be in tune with Him at all times. Am I? No, I am sorry to say. But I really want to be.

Today, start your day by getting your mind straight. Think on Jesus first. Ask Him what He wants you to do today? Before you start your day, spend time meditating on His Word. It is still so relevant for us today. He has things to say to us. Once you have heard Him, then just do what He says.

Father, speak to me. Show me today how to set my mind on You.

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Bible, Heaven, Looking, Scripture, Seeking

LOOK UP

COLOSSIANS 3:1

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 

Why do we walk around with our head down? My wife is always telling me to straighten up and walk with my head up. She says I look like an old man. Well, I am. Lol. But it is true that I need to look up more, not down or even just straight ahead. My vision needs to be focused heavenward.

Paul tells the Colossians in today’s verse that they need to remember where they are. They “have been raised with Christ.” Therefore, they need to look up and “keep seeking the things that are above.” The verb “keep seeking” is zéteó. It means “to seek or search for something with the intent of finding it. It conveys a sense of earnestness and diligence in the pursuit.” (Strong’s Lexicon).

APPLICATION

So, the question begs to be asked – are you seeking Jesus like that? The same Greek word is used in Matthew 6:33. Do you know that verse? “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” We also see it used in Luke 11:9-10 when Jesus tells us, “9‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.’” 

Jesus tells us to seek Him. He wants us looking up, not inward or just outward. If we look up to Him, then we can look inwardly correctly. We can evaluate our thoughts and deeds. If we look up first, then we can look outwardly and respond to the needs of others as they arise.

If you are hanging your head (like I do sometimes), lift up your head. Look into the eyes of Jesus. We are supposed to think like that. We are supposed to look to Him first. So, today look up. Today ask Him to direct your eyes.

O God, keep my eyes on You and not my circumstances.

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Bible, Flesh, Humility, Pride, Scripture, Spiritual

SELF-MADE RELIGION

COLOSSIANS 2:23

“These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

I read the other day a poll that identified generations according to their spiritual identity. According to that, here is how the generations identified as spiritual: Baby Boomers 35%, Gen X 36%, Millennials 52% and Gen Z 62%. While those numbers for Gen Z and Millennials seem great, what exactly does “spiritual” mean?

Paul addresses this very issue in today’s verse. There were groups of individuals who appeared spiritual. They had their own self-made religious rules they followed. They fasted and prayed. They even abused their bodies so as to appear humble. All the while their pride was growing. Barnes shares this quote about this verse. “Pride may be pampered while the flesh grows lean.” How true!

APPLICATION

That word used by Paul for “self-made religion” is ethelothréskia. It is only used here in this verse. I always wonder why a word is only used one time in Scripture. This word means “self-willed religion, defined by the desires of the human will – which amounts to nothing! This form of ‘worship,’ which is accomplished ‘by self’ (Souter), is merely a ‘will-worship,’ exalting the worshiper at God’s expense.” (HELPS Word Studies).

What self-made rules have you placed on yourself to make yourself look more spiritual? Not me, Carl. I would never do that. Be careful saying “never.” Without even realizing it we can place burdens on ourselves to make us feel closer to God. Don’t you get it? He lives IN you. You can’t get much closer than that.

The next time someone shares what they are doing to draw closer to God, take a closer look. Does it align with the Word? Would Jesus be pleased in what they are doing? We are told to draw near to Him. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Sin will separate us from Him. There’s no doubt about that. But don’t be pressured into following some man-made script to accomplish that.

Lord, I am thankful You are close. I am the one who causes distance. I want to draw near to You. 

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Bible, Decay, Eternal Life, Perishable, Scripture, Temporal

FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL

COLOSSIANS 2:22

“(which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man?”

We spend so much time on things that will not last. During my last illness with my disease (AL Amyloidosis) and the subsequent Stem Cell Transplant and Chemo, God told me to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. Things really just don’t mean much to me anymore. What I possess or don’t possess isn’t important. Why do so many of us struggle with this?

In today’s verse, Paul says in a kind of side note, “(which all refer to things destined to perish with use).” These words from Paul are an insert into the stream of thought. Because they are part of God’s Word, they are still inspired by the Holy Spirit. He is reinforcing his previous statements about the importance of focusing on the things of God and not the things of this world.

APPLICATION

The phrase “destined to perish” is the Greek word phthora which can be translated as corruption, destruction, decay, rottenness or decomposition. That’s pretty clear, huh? These things Paul had just mentioned in the previous verses are going to go the way of the world. They will waste away.

This word is found in several other passages which help to clarify its meaning. In 1 Corinthians 15:42 we read, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;” In Galatians 6:8 it says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”

So, today focus on what really matters – the eternal things. What are they? Salvation, God’s Word, Worshipping the Lord. Practice those things, not the worldly pursuits that will decay, rot and perish. God was and is and is to come.

O Lord, I give You praise for Your eternal presence in my life. Help me focus on the eternal today.

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Bible, Permissions, Prohibitions, Scripture

DON’T DO THAT!

COLOSSIANS 2:21

“‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’”

Boy, I’ve heard these commands in my lifetime. As a child, I was told, “Don’t touch that. It might hurt you” or “Don’t you dare eat any of those cookies until I get home.” There were good reasons for most of these admonitions. My mom’s favorite though, was “Don’t you shoot that bb gun. You might put your eye out.”

This verse is described very well by Albert Barnes. He says, “See Schoetgen, and Pict. Bib. in loc. ‘They allowed themselves no food that was pleasant to the taste, but ate dry, coarse bread, and drank only water. Many of them ate nothing until sunset, and, if anyone touched them who did not belong to their sect, they washed themselves as if they had been most deeply defiled. Perhaps there was at Colossae a society of this kind, as there were in many other places out of Judea; and, if there was, it is not improbable that many Christians imitated them in the uniqueness of their rules and observances;’” 

APPLICATION

This short verse is best read with the previous verse. Go back and read verse 20 and get a “running start” at it. Got it. Okay. There is nothing extraordinary about this verse. It’s pretty straight forward. Paul is telling the Colossian believers to not let anyone put them under man-made laws. Don’t try to live a certain way to please people.

Let me ask you, who are you trying to please? Who should you want to please? Only One! Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul writes this, “All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” In other words, I am free to do whatever, but those “whatever” things may not be to my benefit. Again, over in 1 Corinthians 10:23, he says this, “All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up.”

Our lifestyles should never cause others to struggle. We should always point them to Jesus. So, if a brother or sister has a real problem with something, don’t add to their struggle. Help them see how they can simply please the Master. Amen? Amen!

Lord, thank You for setting me free from restrictions imposed by others.

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Bible, Following, Listening, Scripture, Submission

THE RIGHT SUBMISSION

COLOSSIANS 2:20

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,”

Submission is hard sometimes, isn’t it? I used to complain about my bosses until I learned that every authority placed over me was from God for my good. I had one boss who would take the campus pool supplies for his own home. He even took some of the Christmas toys that arrived for the campus home for his grandkids before the children got theirs. But I still had to submit to his authority as long as I worked there.

Paul questions the Colossian believers in today’s verse about their submission practices. He says, “if you have died with Christ…” In other words, their salvation and decision to follow Jesus made them exempt from any other religious requirements or the world philosophies. He says, “Don’t live like the world. You are different.”

APPLICATION

The phrase “do you submit yourself to decrees” is one Greek verb, dogmatizó. It is only used right here in Colossians 2:20. It comes from the word dogma. You know what that is, right? It is an authoritative rule or ordinance. These early believers were being coerced to follow these dogmas by others who just wanted to control them.

Guess what? That is still happening today. There are people who tell you that you have to do certain things to be saved. I won’t make a list here. You know them. Listen closely – you have been set free from these man-made requirements. Jesus tells us to repent and believe, to follow Him. That is what He requires. When you and I do that, we will so far exceed any man-made rules. We are required to be holy. Top that!

So, today simply follow Jesus. Get into His Word. Spend time with Him in prayer. Listen closely to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. That is who you submit to. No one else. When we submit to Jesus, you are free to do only what He says to do. Happy submission!

Lord, I yield to You today. Lead me and guide me in my words and in my actions.

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Bible, Growth, Miracles, Scripture

GOD’S GROWTH

COLOSSIANS 2:19

“and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

I have an almost seven month old grandson whom I love immensely (any grandparents out there?). Every time he is taken to the doctor for a checkup and those nasty, painful shots, they weigh him and measure him. Then the doctor tells my daughter and son-in-law how he measures up against other children his age by telling them he is in a certain percentile. All they have to do is ask me or my wife and we can tell them he is perfect. Right?

Paul finishes this long sentence by making a profound statement at the end. He says, “grows with a growth which is from God.” Everything that happens in our life, every growth moment comes from God. Now, those growth moments may come easily or through some struggles. But God is always trying to make us more like Him. Paul uses the Greek word auxesis, which only occurs here and in Ephesians 4:16, “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” It simply means growth or increase, toward maturity.

APPLICATION

The verb form of auxesis is auxanó and is used a lot more through the New Testament. The same basic meaning is there, though. You get the picture. Our growth, our increase, our maturity in our Christ life only comes through God. It is His “Miracle Grow” inside of us that gives us that growth spurt we are looking for.

Do you want to grow? Do you want to mature as a believer? I hope so. Who wants to stay on the bottle? Back to my grandson – he has been introduced to some semi-solid foods this month. He is partial to green vegetables right now (good man) but will try other things. His mama even gave him some fresh avocado. I threatened to turn her into Child Protective Services for that, lol. Yuk!

My grandson cannot survive on the bottle. He has to have solid food. He will need protein and some carbs (they are not all bad). And we cannot stay on the bottle spiritually. We must allow God to grow us up and put us on solid food. Paul even speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, “1 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,” Don’t be like the Corinthians. Tell God you are ready for steak!

Father, I want to grow and mature so give me the kind of food I need to grow! 

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