The Book Of Colossians Pt. 44 Christ Is Over All Things. Give Thanks In All Things!

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Quick Review of Colossians 3:1-16

The first seventeen verses of Colossians three, have taught us much about our spiritual duties unto the Lord. 

Colossians 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

First, we learned to have our direction reoriented toward heaven, seeking the things of God that are above. In the negative sense, we are told not to seek the things of this world.

Colossians 3:5,6  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6)  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Next, we were shown that we must mortify the members of our flesh. Our "old man" is alive and well and we are to choke off anything that feeds our flesh. Paul even told us some important sins to avoid as we mortify our fleshly lusts.

Colossians 3:8,9  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9)  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

The apostle followed this imperative to "put off" our old man and he elaborated six of the evil behaviors that must be "put off." 

Colossians 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

Paul instructed us to "put on" our new man in Christ.  He gave us twelve essential character traits to show us what it looks like, when the Spirit of God is working in us. 

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

This culminated in the last text that we studied about letting the word of God dwell in us richly. What the apostle described is a Spirit filled believer in Christ who has been absorbing and meditating on the scriptures. 

This brings us to the last verse of this paragraph, right before Paul gets very practical in the application of these truths. 

Christ must guide our thoughts, words and actions. 

Colossians 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

This text reminds us of the importance of guarding our heart against the world, the devil and our own corrupt flesh. 

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We must guard our heart because the issues of life come forth out of it. This is why Paul began this section by telling us to seek those things of God which are above and to set our affection, our heart and mind upon those wonderful things. 

Why? Because whatever it is that captures our heart is going to lead to an action on our part at some point. 

When Paul says "Whatsoever you do in word or deed" he is reminding us that our thoughts, our speech and our actions must be honoring to God. 

If we begin with Jesus Christ at the center of what we want to think about, say or do, it will have a profound impact on those actions. We must call upon His blessed name and pray for His unerring direction and strong support, in all that we do. 

Paul is helping us see that we must think, speak and act according to Christ's command, and in full compliance with His authority. In other words, this life is not about us. It is about how we live for the glory of God. 

Using strength derived from our Lord Jesus, and with our eyes upon honoring His glory, we can depend upon His grace to help us do those things which are acceptable in His sight. Thus, we are enabled to do all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Be a Spirit filled Christian who is filled with joy. 

Ephesians 5:18-21  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19)  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20) Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21)  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 

After Paul told believers at Ephesus that they must be filled with the Holy Spirit, he showed them (and us) what this looks like. It involves worship, singing hymns, Psalms and spiritual songs, both at church but especially in our own hearts.

What we are learning is an attitude of gratitude that fills our heart with praise and worship for God. We have melodies and songs and words that honor God going on in our own heart. 

We can worship when we are doing chores, performing work for our employer, taking classes, mowing the lawn, cleaning the home. The idea is that we can make any action of life into an act of worship to God.  

A Spirit filled Christian is going to always give thanks to the Father for all things that happens in his or her life. All things? You mean, if we have financial hardship, health issues or family problems, we are to still give thanks?

Yes! This is what God is teaching us through Paul's inspired pen. IN ALL THINGS give thanks. Give thanks in hard times as well as good times. Give thanks if you have much or if you have little. Give thanks if the culture is imploding or if there is revival going on. Give thanks in all things. 

This is why Paul told the Colossians to be giving thanks to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ for all things that we might do in His blessed name.

Thoughts to Ponder...

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What a blessing to know that every detail that happens in my life and yours, is already known by God. He is never taken by surprise when we lose a job, find out we have a health problem, or are going through a family problem. 

The Father already knows and has made provision for us. We may get impatient because we want answers. If I lose my job what am I going to do next? How will I provide for my family? 

I have been through a plant closing before and I can tell you that I had no idea what God would do, but I had every confidence that what He would do would be good for me! And it was! He worked all things of the situation out, for His glory and our good. What a wonderful caring, loving God we serve!

Romans 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

1 Corinthians 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

These texts give us the joyous news that because God did not spare His own Son in order to redeem us from our sins, He will  also freely give believers in Christ all things. 

In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul teaches us that the Spirit of God will take the deep things of God and show them to us, because He searches out all things of God. 

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

Paul reminded the Philippian believers that we can do all things because Jesus Christ will strengthen us and supply for all our needs. 

Paul taught us that all things were created by Jesus Christ and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

Jesus is preeminent and before all things and He holds all things together by His mighty Word (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus is the head of the body, His church and the first of the resurrected ones. Therefore, the Father has made Christ preeminent in all things (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18).

Jesus shed His own blood and died in our place on the cross. Because of His perfect life and His perfect redeeming work, Jesus can reconcile all things to God (Colossians 1:20).

I pray that we are a Christian people who are thankful to God every moment of every day for His great salvation. 

I pray that we become Spirit filled Christians who are rejoicing at the goodness of God toward us, every day. 

I pray that when the crises and stresses of life come, we will be comforted knowing that God will keep His promise. He will work all things out for His glory and our good.

Bob





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