1. Be Thankful
One of the first lessons we can learn from the book of Colossians is to be thankful. Paul mentions the fact that he and his companions “always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you (Colossians 1:3).” Paul was thankful for the church in Colossae because they had placed saving faith in Christ and exhibited love towards all the saints (Colossians 1:4). They had a hope laid up for them in heaven, and these truths made Paul thankful (Colossians 1:5). Christians should praise God for other believers. Our hearts should be continually thankful to God for all that He has done in Christ. We should be continually thankful and always be gratefully praising the God of all creation!
2. Understand The Sovereignty and Lordship of Christ
The book of Colossians talks about the magnificence of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, in Colossians 1:16-17, we read this:
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. -Colossians 1:16-17
Jesus Christ created all things and is over all things. In other words, there is truly not one single area of the universe over which He is not the Lord. All things exist for His glory and praise. Paul even goes on to say that “For In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9).” The Lord Jesus is truly God! We, as His followers, can take great comfort and confidence from knowing that our Lord is in complete control and reigns on His throne.
3. See The Sufficiency of Christ
Not only do we learn that Christ is the supreme Lord, we also see that He provides everything we need as His followers. All of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ (Colossians 2:3). We do not have to go receive “revelation” from the pagans, we must seek the Lord Jesus for knowledge and wisdom. Every truth in creation is Christ’s truth. Whether we discover through the means of general revelation (i.e. creation) or special revelation (Scripture), we know all truth is revealed by Christ. He has inspired the Bible as our source of specific revelation from Him, and so we go to it as our absolute and final authority for everything. In other words, we do not need the ideas of the world to live faithfully, we need to know Christ!
4. Pursue The Calling to Live in Christ
After proclaiming the truth that Christ possesses all wisdom and knowledge and that we are not to be taken captive by ideas of the world, Paul says this in Colossians 2:6-7:
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
-Colossians 2:6-7
Because we have received Christ, we are to actually live for His glory. The Christian has been called to walk in obedience to their Lord. We no longer seek to live for our own sake but for the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to continue in the true teaching of the ways of the Lord. The question really then becomes, who are we living for in this life? Do we seek to follow Christ with every fiber of our being, or do we follow self? Colossians urges us to charge ahead going full speed in the paths of the Lord!
5. Labor in prayer
In Colossians 4:2-3, Paul tells the believers they must be steadfast in prayer with thanksgiving and even requests they pray for him and his friends. Here we see the importance of prayer, which truly flows from everything we have said previously. Because we are thankful, understand our Lord is supreme, know He is sufficient, and see our call to obey Him, we will spend time in prayer. Where else would we take our petitions and requests but to God? Who else would we seek to praise and adore but the Holy Trinity who has redeemed? Prayer is the natural overflow of a Christian who is seeking to walk in the ways of God. We must discipline ourselves in prayer, for the flesh is weak. In the ending portion of Paul’s epistle, he encourages the saints in Colossae to pray. We must labor in prayer for the glory of Christ and the good of one another!
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