God’s direction and intervention in the lives of believers is our biggest blessing. We enter in through faith in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
Romans 11:25-28 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
We need to be aware of the mystery of God that was hidden in Christ, that in part spiritual blindness came to Israel, that we as Gentile believers, could enter in as adopted sons and daughters. When the Body of Christ is complete then Jesus will return to fulfill the promises of Abraham and David to the Israelites.
Luke 21:24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
In 70AD when the temple was destroyed the Israelites were dispersed throughout the land. In the final days of the wrath of God, because of the evil that has consumed it, there will be great distress on the earth…then the Son of Man will return to reign in Israel.
Luke 21:27-28 then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
The Body of Christ is created in the period of time set apart by God to bring in the rest of the world. This would fulfill God’s promise to Abraham that through him the world would be blessed.
Ephesians 3:1-7 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Paul was appointed as God’s spokesman of the Good News to the Gentiles. The God of creation, Jesus the Christ, and this mystery of grace was made known to us, in this dispensation of time, through christ revelations to Paul.
Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Jesus is the eternal God and in Him and for Him all things were created. In the Son we have redemption through His blood shed for the salvation of the world. He is the physical manifestation of the invisible, eternal Godhead. He is before all things and He is the head of the Body of Christ. He is the firstborn of those raised from the dead, those of us saved by God’s grace. It pleased the Father that in Him all fullness dwells. Carla
Jesus Christ makes the Father and the Spirit visible to people. Jesus as the Image of God in this context, the Greek word used here, prōtotokos, affirms Christ’s supremacy and sovereignty over all things. In its Old Testament context, prōtotokos refers primarily to preeminent status, as the Israelites recognized the firstborn son to have special privileges. Firstborn of All Creation refers to earthly creatures and spiritual beings. There is nothing outside the scope of Christ’s sovereignty. Since all things—natural and supernatural—were created through Him, they are subject to His authority.
Head indicates Christ’s leadership of the Church. His authority and empowerment enable the body of Christ to grow and mature. The Greek word used here, ekklēsia, refers to an assembly of people. In Christian contexts, it describes the people who assemble in the name of Christ.
The firstborn from the dead refers to Jesus’ resurrection, which Paul regards as a template for the resurrection of all believers. All the fullness dwells refers to God being fully present in Christ, parallel with Paul’s statement in 2:9.
Consequently, Christ is sufficient for the Colossians’ salvation. The Gospel of John describes Christ as the tabernacle or the dwelling of God (John 1:14)—an allusion that demonstrates the continuity between God’s presence among the Israelites and His presence in the person of Christ. The Fullness of God and the Greek word used here, apokatallassō, refers to the act of restoring a relationship to harmony.
The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross was to bring all things created by Christ and for Christ (Colossians 1:16) into harmonious relationship. Faithlife Study Bible
Firstborn could denote a priority in time or in rank. The word does not describe Christ as the first being created in time because the hymn proclaims that all things were “created by Him” and that “He is before all things.” Jesus is the eternal One who was before all creation. The idea of firstborn in the Hebrew culture did not require that one be the first son born. This was not the case with either Isaac or Jacob. But they were the firstborn in the sense that they were rightful heirs to the line of their fathers. Being firstborn referred more to rank and privilege than to order of birth. Since Christ is God, He is supreme in rank over all creation. Yet He is not only the transcendent deity who created us; He is the One who died on our behalf (Philippians 2:6–18) and was subsequently raised from dead. Thus He is also the firstborn from the dead (verse 18) and the first One who experienced the true resurrection ( 1Corinthians 15:20). Christ is the One who created all things, whether they be material or immaterial, seen or unseen. All things were created through Him and for Him. Not only did Jesus create all things; everything was created for His purposes. But the glory of the earth, the heavens, or the sun, moon, and stars cannot be compared with the glory of His new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
He is the head of His own body, which is the church. No one should underestimate the significance of the church, for it is in fact Christ’s body. The sovereign Creator of the universe, as Head of the church, provides leadership and oversight over it. No wonder He is so jealous for it. Christ was the first to be raised from the dead. His own resurrection guarantees that the church will one day be resurrected. Paul used the term fullness to refer to the complete embodiment of God. Christ is the only Intercessor for human beings and fully embodies all of God’s nature (1 Timothy 2:5). No other intermediary, whether person or group, is able to stand in our place before the Father. Only Jesus can do this.
The phrase, now He has reconciled, shows the significance of Christ’s work on the Cross. It does not mean that all people will be saved, since many passages clearly say that unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God (Matthew 25:46). The work of Christ will overthrow the damage effected by the Fall and change all of creation from a position of enmity to a relationship of peace and friendship (Romans 8:20–23; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20). The NKJV Study Bible
John 1:1–3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…
Ephesians 1:20–23 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come…
Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Revelation 3:14
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness,
the Beginning of the creation of God:
Acts 26:23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Genesis 18:19 (ESV) "For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."
Because of His covenant faithfulness, as Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry."Taking in strangers who were journeying away from home and in need of refuge was considered a sacred duty in the Ancient Near East. By bringing water to wash their visitors' feet and providing meals, Abraham and Lot were living out God's heart for hospitality.
Later in Scripture, God delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, and He told them to remember this and to invite outcasts in as honored neighbors (Leviticus 19:33-34). And ultimately, God displayed His concern for the outcast by sending His Son to bear the sins of humanity on the cross. When Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, He stood in the synagogue and declared He had come to fulfill Isaiah 61:1-2, "to proclaim good news to the poor" and "to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18-19). When we turn from our sin to follow Jesus, He delivers us from the domain of darkness and transfers us to God's righteous Kingdom (Colossians 1:13). First5
“To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try." (Thank you Rosa Parks)
We’re afraid to let “try” be our first step.
And we’re afraid to let “fail” be our second step.
I am grateful for this from
John Powell. “There’s a South African word called Sawubona, which means, I see you. The word is also sometimes interpreted as the God in me, sees the God in you. Bridging is seeing the other person. So it doesn’t mean you agree with the person. Doesn’t mean you change your mind or they change your mind. But you see their humanity, you see their value, and you’re resolutely willing to open up and just listen, empathetic listening, compassionate listening…
Let’s carry this reminder from L.R. Knost with us into our week, “Here's to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world. They are the unsung heroes in a world at war with itself. They are the whisperers of hope that peace is possible. Look for them in this present darkness. Light your candle with their flame. And then go. Build bridges. Hold hands. Bring light to a dark and desperate world. Be the hero you are looking for. Peace is possible. It begins with us.” Sabbath Moments
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