Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

The Apostle Paul’s intent in writing to the Church at Colossae, as is in all his other epistles, is clear from start to finish. Paul had heard that false teachers were trying to influence the Church with strange teachings that were contrary to the gospel and was therefore keen to deal with the problem plainly and effectively. Though Paul had never been to Colossae in his missionary journeys, (it was Epaphras, a fellow-servant of Christ, who had helped establish the Church there); word of the danger that had come upon the Church had no doubt troubled Paul and Epaphras, who were praying constantly for them. It is believed that Paul was in prison at the time of writing this epistle and so sends Tychicus and Onesimus with two letters, one to Colossae and the other to neighbouring Laodicea, appealing to them with love and concern to stay on guard against those who were trying to take them captive through philosophy and empty deception.

Throughout the letter, Paul’s argument is plain. Salvation is through Christ and Christ alone. He then sets off onto what can easily be described as the loftiest exposition of the incomparable Christ to bring home the glory and profundity on which their faith (and ours) stood. Glimpses of the glory of the eternal Word is revealed to us throughout scripture, especially in John’s gospel; but here is a treasure trove of the glory of the eternal Christ made plain and clear in the most eloquent and powerful way; leaving the Colossians (and us) no shadow of doubt on the greatness of our hope and the glory of the mystery of God.

From the very start, in verses 13 and 14, Paul makes it clear that our rescue from the domain of darkness and the subsequent transfer to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son is because of the redemption and forgiveness of sins that we have in Yeshua. Beginning from there, he then takes off into verses that we are all too familiar with and is there in scripture for all to read. Since this is not a commentary, I resist the urge to go through each verse, but focus instead on the central theme and the end result that God wants to teach us.

There was a verse that until recently escaped my attention. Yet as I read through this writing more closely, it struck me as confusing. Paul states, “He (that is Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). The term “firstborn of all creation” puzzled me. How can the Son of God; the second person of the Holy Trinity; the eternal One; the first and the last; the beginning and the end; be the firstborn of creation? We know that Yeshua is the firstborn from the dead, but firstborn of creation? The phrase “firstborn of creation” implies that he was the first to be created. Yet we know that that is not the case. He is the Word from the beginning, the Word with God and the Word, God. We know that all things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. All things, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. Why then did Paul use the term, “firstborn”? I wondered greatly and not being a ‘go-to-first’ fan of commentaries, I looked for clues in multiple translations. The Amplified Bible brought me the answer; for it said, “…The firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.” This now made sense. The eternal Word truly is the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator of all creation.

Another term that I struggled with was the “mystery” of God—a term Paul has repeatedly used in his letters, especially to the Ephesians and Colossians. I knew that it referred to Christ but I just could not pin it to simple words. It was only now that I understood that the “mystery” is explained so lucidly in this letter, yet was hidden from my eyes all this time. What then is the mystery which was hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints? It is something that we, modern-day Christians have heard, and heard so often that its glory and beauty has somehow got lost in the folly of familiarity.

God, the eternal One from whom and through whom all things have come into being, graced this planet, His very creation, by becoming like us. Though He existed as God, He emptied Himself and was made in the likeness of men. This was the first and only time in creation’s history that God walked on earth as man. For convenience, I'd like to call this, mystery number 1. 

Through His work on the cross, Yeshua forgave us all our transgressions; cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us by nailing it to the cross; made us alive together with Him; God raising us with Him through faith when He raised our Lord from the dead. This is another glorious truth. Mystery number 2. 

In Yeshua, we have been made a new creation which is being renewed according to the image of our Saviour. Though we were formerly alienated from God and hostile towards His laws, God reconciled us to Himself through the body of Yeshua in order to present us before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. In Yeshua, the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form and in Him we have been made complete, with the opportunity to achieve spiritual stature through Christ. Here we find mystery number 3. 

He is the head over all rule and authority but also the head of His body, the Church. Herein the mystery deepens. Gentiles are made fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise. God affected a partial hardening to Israel so that the Gentiles could come in; and contrary to nature caused the wild olive tree to be grafted into the cultivated olive tree. Another glorious mystery—mystery number 4. 

The mystery continues. Now having been made fellow citizens with the saints, and a part of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yeshua the Messiah Himself being the corner stone, we are being fitted together with other sanctified stones; growing into a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Paul while citing a text from Genesis 2:24 of how the two become one flesh then says, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32). “Christ in us, the hope of glory,” is another way Paul speaks of this mystery while writing to the Colossians (Col. 1:27). Is this great or what?—mystery number 5. 

The mystery does not end there but says that at the appointed time, “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…”—the perishable putting on the imperishable and the mortal putting on immortality. There will be the marriage of the Lamb and His bride shall sit with Him on His throne and will reign with Him. Mystery number 6.

Peter said of the above mystery, “the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you... things into which angels long to look (1Pet. 1:10-12). So great is this mystery, yet we modern-day Christians understand it with our intellect. What we need is revelation to know the greatness of God’s plan for us and the amazing grace with which He is bringing it to pass. It is no wonder that Paul prayed that hearts may be encouraged and strengthened; joined together in love so that understanding would be rich and complete. In this way, they would know the mystery of God; that mystery which is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

What then was the outcome of Him explaining the glory of Christ and the great mystery to the Colossian believers? This objective too he makes plain.

While he is grateful to God for the love which they had for the saints—and this is because of the hope that is laid up in heaven—they were to continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. He wanted them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that they would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God. He wanted that they be strengthened with all power for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience while they joyously gave thanks to the Father who qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

He warned them of being defrauded by those who made their teaching appear to be one of wisdom but was actually self-made religion and self-abasement; instructions that were in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men. He took that opportunity to tell them that since they were partakers of such a great mystery, they should seek the things which are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father. And what were they to seek for? He urged them to seek for and put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. He asked that they bear with one another; forgive each other and put on love—a term we often do not fully understand. He asked that they would let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts—not fear or anxiety or unbelief—but a peace that results in thankfulness. Finally he urged that the word of Christ would dwell richly in them and that whatever they do, they ought to do with the reverence for the name that has brought them this great grace and salvation. His specific commands to husbands, wives, children, slaves and masters carry the same spirit of instruction that is mentioned above.

What do we gain from this exercise? Plenty and more, I’d say. For one, we understand the great grace that God has lavished upon us through Yeshua the Messiah; and the mercy He has shown us by electing us to enter into such a glorious calling. For another, we are made to understand in no uncertain terms the things that please God. I can close with no better an encouragement than is found in the first two verses of Psalm 119. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way; who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies; who seek Him with the whole heart!” The underlining term is blessed—for to such is granted the fullness of the mystery of the gospel which is found in Christ alone.

Jesus Marvelled

“I say to you in truth,” said our Messiah at His hometown of Nazareth, “there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian” (Lk. 4:24-27). Of the same lot of people to whom Jesus spoke to it is written: And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Mt. 13:58).

We all know the story of the Roman centurion who came up to our Lord Jesus and implored Him to heal his servant who was lying paralysed and fearfully tormented, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it” (Mt. 8:8-9). How Jesus reacted has always challenged me; for it is written: Now when Jesus heard this, He marvelled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel” (Mt. 8:10).

In the story of the ten lepers it is written of the one who turned back to thank the Healer: When he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner” (Lk. 17:15-17)?

There are probably more such anecdotes but sufficient would it be if I write of just one more. Here was a woman, a gentile, of the Syrophoenician race, whose daughter had an unclean spirit. She kept asking the Master to cast the demon out of her daughter. The answer our Lord gave her was stunning. If I was the woman, I would probably have left the place hurt and offended. But the woman was not me. She showed exemplary faith and humility. Hear then what transpired after the woman kept imploring for help: Jesus said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter” (Mk. 7:25-29).

What can we glean from these stories?—that the children of Abraham had the promises; they had the favour and blessings; they had the knowledge and the miracles and the Word, yet they could not receive the precious things that God wanted to do for them. Contrary to this unbelief, in each of the examples above, the ones who were the so-called “outsiders” had a simple, unyielding faith that saw the glory of God and believed Him with a simplicity that singled them out as extraordinary. 

Thanks to the reconciliation of Jesus Christ, who through the cross has broken every dividing wall between Jew and gentile; we too are now children of promise. We who were far away, cut off from the commonwealth of Israel are now brought near (Eph. 2:11-16) and grafted into her—a wild olive branch into the cultivated olive tree (Rom. 11:20-24). The blessings of Abraham as God’s chosen people are ours to enjoy through Jesus Christ (1Pet. 2:9-10).

Yet familiarity breeds contempt. To my mind, familiarity is like a curse. It robs us of the freshness of pure devotion and simplicity of faith. Familiarity tends to reason: Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things (Mt. 13:55-56)? 

Familiarity causes us to take things for granted. We listen to or read the same scripture over and over again and instead of it reviving our spirits with the freshness of cool summer dew, God’s word becomes a boring routine. Instead of coming to the Holy Spirit and asking Him to open our eyes to the deep, hidden truth that is there in the word and letting the text come alive to our spirits; we settle down to fulfilling a “Christian requirement”. We only need to listen to the prayers we make. They are predictable. The sentences are almost identical to the ones we used the last time we spoke to God. Do we do this in our conversation with others—speak the same things over and over again? 

This is what happened to the Jews of that time. They had the Torah. They had the God-appointed festivals that reminded them of the great and marvellous things that God had done for them. The Psalms were filled with the awesome glory and faithfulness of God. The Prophets had innumerable promises that sought to woo the Israelites back to the Lover of their souls. Yet, the glory of their relationship with God was replaced with ritualistic prayers and sacrifices. Are Christians guilty of this too? Has not the fellowship of intimate conversation been replaced with Christian jargon and standard prayer phrases?

I keep hearing it preached that God has not called us to a religion but to a relationship with Him. Oh, yes! I believe this with all my heart and cherish the mercy bestowed on me to enter into such a relationship. But we must be on our guard lest the crafty serpent rob us of the simplicity and purity of devotion and faith we can enjoy with Jesus. Love is the underlining word that defines our relationship with the Triune God. Love savours the beauty of the Person we are enraptured with. Love constantly thinks on and admires the glory of the One who has captivated our hearts. From such a relationship flows obedience; but also exemplary faith. Jesus marvelled at the centurion and the others. Can He us?

Waiting

When God commanded Noah to build the ark, He never told him it would take many, many decades before the Word would be fulfilled. We read of how the Sovereign One confided His plan with the man of God to destroy all flesh with the earth (Gen. 6:13). We know that the Maker of all things showed the blueprint of the ark to Noah and commanded him to build it accordingly (Gen. 6:14-16). We also learn that God revealed to the quincentennial how he was going to destroy the earth (Gen. 6:17); and of the covenant that the faithful One made with the man who walked with God in righteousness (Gen. 6:18). Yet not once do we read that He told Noah how long this whole plan would take. We understand from Peter’s epistle that God is longsuffering and patient and would have impressed this spirit of mercy on Noah’s heart too, but I wonder if Noah would have ever thought it would take, as some believe, close to 120 years of waiting. I would imagine that Noah and his family would have been objects of scorn and ridicule throughout that time. An ark of mammoth proportions, built on dry land with no water to set it afloat seemed the most preposterous plan and foolish too. Yet Noah trusted God.  

When Abraham was asked to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans and then from Haran, he was not given any promise of a son. He was only told to “go to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Abraham obeyed. We read that when the patriarch left Haran, he was 75 years old (Gen. 12:4) and on entering Canaan, God for the first time promised to give the land to Abraham’s “descendants” (Gen. 12:7). Not then and not later did God tell Abraham that he would need to wait for almost 25 years to see the promise fulfill. We are given brief glimpses into the mind of the father of faith when he first tells God, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless… Look, You have given me no offspring…” (Gen. 15:2). The perplexity and hopelessness that grappled the old man at times can be seen when we read that he “fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’” (Gen. 17:17) I imagine that in the quarter of a century that needed waiting, the one whose faith was reckoned to him as righteousness would have gone through several periods of honest introspection and evaluation. Paul tells us of this when he wrote that the to-be-father-of-many-nations “contemplated” his own body and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, yet he never wavered in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God (Rom. 4:19-20). 

Concerning Joseph, we are first told that he was a lad of 17 years (Gen. 37:2). It was around this time when he received the most ‘self-exalting’ dreams from God (Gen. 37:5, 9). Fantastic as the dreams were, God never told Joseph how long he would need to wait nor did He reveal the traumatic events that were to unfold. The chapters that follow do not do justice in revealing the agony and mental pain that the young man would have gone through thereafter. We are not told about his fear when his brothers first threw him into a pit that was empty and had no water (Gen. 37:24). We are not given a peek into the humiliation and dread that would have gripped him when his older siblings sold him to Midianite traders (Gen. 37:28). At no point did God tell Joseph that his ordeal would go on till he was 30 years old—not when he was sold as a slave to Potiphar (Gen. 37:36), nor when he was wrongly thrown into prison because of Potiphar’s wife’s treachery. In fact we are given to understand that Joseph was “forgotten” (Gen. 40:23). It is important to note at this point of time that God never revealed to Joseph any of His plans to make him the Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph had to live each season in the place he found himself. What God did was show Joseph that He was always with him. The God of his fathers prospered the work of the young man’s hands and gave him favour wherever he went. If anyone would have heard him recount the dreams he had as a lad, they would have mocked him as a “dreamer”, just as his brothers did; but Jacob’s favourite son continued to believe God who had given him the visions. While the prison walls that surrounded him were a stark reality, I believe that the God of all encouragement spurred Joseph to persevere in hope and patience without losing heart—and this Joseph did. His faith in God did not waver.     

Of Moses, we are given to understand that he was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Here was a man who was given the finest education and upbringing that ever existed in the known world of that time. I do not think I would be stretching my imagination too far if I likened the first 40 years of Moses’ life to that of being raised in Buckingham Palace and studying at Harvard or Oxford University. We need to also remember that his mother influenced much of his early childhood and helped him understand his real identity. She would have talked to him about the promise given to his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She would have told him of the hope that the now-suffering Israelites had—that God would deliver them from their slavery and bondage. Moses revealed some of this mind-set in Exodus 2:11-14 when we read of his interactions with his fellow-brothers. These verses also give me the impression that Moses was already filled with a desire to free his brethren from Pharaoh’s oppression. The letter to the Hebrews reveals that God would have already placed this burden in his heart (Heb. 11:24-26). I imagine, that Moses may have, at that young age of about 40, considered that with all his fine education; influence with the top echelons of power; and his other skills; he could help free his people. 

Yet, as we know, God’s ways are not our ways and so Moses spent the next 40 years of his life doing a job that was not just demeaning (considering his high status, education and upbringing) it was also downright humiliating. 40 long years went by. Imagine the long days and nights he would have spent staring up into the open sky while tending his father-in-law’s sheep. I wonder how many perplexing hours and days and months in those 40 years he would have spent wondering what went wrong. Here again, I believe that in God’s great school in the wilderness, not only would the great Teacher have taught Moses submission, obedience and humility, but also the need to persevere with all steadfastness. We know the rest of the story; for at the proper time, God raised him up to be one of the greatest men in the history of mankind.     

Though there are other examples in Scripture, I would like to take just one more case-study—the man after God’s own heart. The prophet Samuel chose this young shepherd boy, David, over his brothers and anointed him as the next king of Israel (1Sam. 16:13). A little later, David displayed to all Israel what they had long forgotten—the power of the name of the Lord of hosts (1Sam. 17:45). They sang of him, “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands” (1Sam. 18:7). Yet God permitted this shepherd boy turned hero to spend the next eight years as a fugitive in constant hiding. We gather that for about four years or so he ran from one hiding place in Israel to another; and from one cave to another. There was hardly a place that David sought shelter in, when King Saul got wind of the young man’s whereabouts and hunted him and his motley gang down. Eventually David, possibly in his frustration, sought refuge in enemy country, Philistine. He made king Achish believe that he was foe-turned-friend and lived in Ziklag, a town in Philistia for close to four years. In that period, he played with fire. On one hand David got the much needed respite he needed from Saul but on the other, he had to keep living a life of deceit, making the Philistine king believe that he was no longer for Israel but against them.

Throughout the eight-year period, God made David wait. During that time, the only wise Shepherd of Psalm 23 never revealed to the psalmist how long he would need to endure. Yet we read how wonderfully the God of all hope filled the Psalmist with faith and trust and hope and encouragement. True, David went through times of frustration. True, the one who slew Goliath poured his feelings in honesty before his Protector, but never did he ever lose hope. Psalm after psalm he praised his Maker. Song after song he spoke of the unflinching trust he had in his God whom he could not see; proclaiming that because of this trust, he would never be put to shame. 

In almost all cases, we see that God revealed His plans only one step at a time. Yet each time the all-wise One expected that His faithful servants would simply trust and obey. What we learn from the Bible is that they did not disappoint God.

As readers, we sometimes tend to miss the fact that what is described for us in a few verses or at best a couple of chapters were actually long, hard, lonely years. These men were looked down upon and treated as fools. I imagine days or weeks of doubts and questions that they would have time and again battled. They were not oblivious to the reality that stared them in the face. On the contrary, I believe that they were fully aware of their challenges vis-à-vis God’s promises and purposes; and though reason would have tried to prove to them that all was lost, each one of these men continued to hope in the invisible God whom they knew as eternal, immortal, faithful, powerful, caring, good and wise. They clung to Him with a steadfastness that refused to let go. Despite the long years of waiting, they chose to trust God’s timing and wait with patience. 

For several years now, God has been guiding me and my family to surrender all our decisions and choices completely and unhesitatingly with sincere faith and devotion. Around May last year, God gave us many promises while asking us to take some tough decisions. He encouraged us to be strong and very courageous and not be fearful. He repeatedly assured us saying, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe” (Mk. 5:36). We waited and waited and did not see any of our hopes coming to fruition. There were days when each hour seemed interminably long. Days wore on to energy-sapping weeks. Weeks progressed to months—lonely, disrupted months. What made things worse was that instead of seeing a faint light at the end of the tunnel, we saw the darkness that enveloped us just getting thicker. Instead of seeing the first light of breaking dawn we encountered longer, colder nights. Perplexed, we speculated if we misunderstood God. We contemplated our decisions and wondered if indeed we had made right choices. Yet we knew that our conscience and motives were pleasing in His sight. All we desired was to walk in the perfect will of God. We kept saying to our Master in all sincerity how the most important thing for us was to submit to His leadership and leading. We were certain that even if we stumbled, the lover of our souls would not allow us to fall headlong but would uphold us in His mighty right hand (Psa. 37:27). We knew He would not let us to stray away from His perfect paths of righteousness. Yet what we received in return was a quiet assurance, “I am with you. Do not be afraid any longer, only believe. Be strong and very courageous. I am with you.” There was not the slightest indication of when the night would end. Not a word of how much longer we would need to wait. Each time we grew weary and were tempted to lose heart, the God of all hope and comfort strengthened our hearts and encouraged us to persevere with steadfastness and patience for just a little while longer.

I confess that there are days when everything seems lost and hopeless. Like Abraham who consider his own body and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, we too considered our own situations. I admit there have been times when I tried to look for solutions and come with a “Plan B”. Yet each time, I found God’s quiet assurance to wait with trust and hope. I am often reminded how Abraham and Sarah came up with a solution after waiting 11 years—Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born (Gen. 16:16). The result was disastrous. David, tired of running, thought he had a better plan by staying in enemy country. The outcome was tragic. God’s quiet voice whispers to our spirit, “Even though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, remember that My staff, My presence; yes, My guiding hand is with you.”

Even when failure seems to pile over failure and defeat breaks down every inner reserve within you; when all seems ruined, hopeless and burnt down, and all you can hear is the taunt, “Where is your God?”—it is at such times we must recognise that the sovereign God of all glory; who rules in majesty and power; whose love never fails; and whose wisdom is flawless; such a One is with us and is able to resurrect even the dead, hopeless things and accomplish His purpose. Like the lyrics of a contemporary Christian song goes, “By Your spirit I will rise; from the ashes of defeat. The resurrected King is resurrecting me. In Your name I come alive; to declare your victory. The resurrected King is resurrecting me.” However, I am also reminded that one gets ashes only after all is burnt, lost and destroyed.   

Let us not forget: Abraham’s body was as good as dead and Sarah was past the age of bearing a child. Against all hope, he hoped and at the right time, God fulfilled His promise. Joseph found himself lonely and forgotten. Nothing seemed remotely close to the dream God gave him. Yet at the right time, despite his weakness, God lifted him up. Moses was past his prime. At 80, he would have resigned himself to having “Shepherd of Father-in-law’s Sheep” etched as his epitaph. Still God raised him to be one of the greatest prophet and leaders of all time. 400 years and the Israelites seemed forgotten in their bondage and slavery. All that they witnessed was suffering and inhuman oppression. When the Israelites were down at their lowest, God remembered them and His promise to Abraham; and delivered them with a mighty hand.

Let us therefore not lose heart. Patience and steadfastness (Col. 1:11) is the key that reveals our trust in God. Songs of praise that proceed from such a waiting, broken spirit are the true songs that rise up as a sweet fragrance of worship to God. Needless to add, God is honoured and glorified. As for His promises, He is faithful to fulfill them, in His time. What He commands us to do however is, wait. Wait with trust and patience and persevering steadfastness.

Who is this King of Glory?

Last evening, while praising the Lord with His saints at the Church life-group meeting, I was reflecting on the glory of God’s majesty. While we sang, “When the oceans rise and thunders roar; I will soar with You above the storm; Father, You are King over the flood; I will be still and know You are God,” I worshipped God for the King He is. Here are some of the aspects of God’s kingship that I hope would encourage you as it does me.

The Bible tells us that God is the eternal King. Unlike all rulers who have a lifetime, the God of heaven is eternal. He is the great I AM; who was and is and is to come. He is the same faithful God. He never changes. As dependable and trustworthy He was in the beginning, He is now and will always be. This King is good. He is wise. He is righteous and fair and just. He is patient. He is merciful and overflowing with compassion. His love never fails, it never gives up and it never runs out on us.

The next thing we learn of this King is that His reign never ends. Kingdoms have risen in past centuries and fallen, never to rise again. But the kingdom of our God, it endures forever. Governments are elected for a term. Presidents lord it over nations for possibly two terms, each no more than four or five years. Dictators may dominate with ruthlessness over a longer period but our God? He is on the throne, ruling in majesty and righteousness from one generation to another.

A third thing we learn from the Bible is that the King of heaven is the sovereign, all-powerful King. Our God is not merely a monarch that has position but no authority. He rules with power, majesty and glory. There is nothing that exists in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth that is outside His sovereign rule. His power and control is over all things. His dominion is over all things. His authority is over everything. Unlike each country on earth where there are clearly demarcated boundaries and the government’s rule or authority ceases at the boundary of that country, the dominion of our God has no end. It has no limits.

The kingdom of our God is unlike any other. It is the kingdom of light. In it there is no darkness. Evil, fear, sickness, disease, poverty, curse—these things do not exist in the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of our God is righteous. There is always justice. In God there is no partiality. His law holds good for the strong and the weak; the rich and the poor; the great and the small. “What one sows, one reaps” is the basic principle of God’s justice. Each one is recompensed according to what he does.

In the kingdom of God there is peace. Because the King who sits on the throne rules with sovereignty and power, there is no need for fear. It is for this very reason that Paul tells the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your request known to God.” What follows is the reason why we should be anxious for nothing. Since our God rules and reigns in majesty and might, the peace that flows from Him assures us that it is alright to be still. His peace which surpasses all understanding comforts us to rest even when the storm is fierce and appears to swallow us alive (Psa. 124:2-5). This is why it surpasses understanding.

Also in God’s kingdom there is true joy; gladness that is genuine, lasting and is not taken away. I read with much amusement an advertisement that goes like this—Assured happiness to last a lifetime. Two bedroom flat starting at Rupees xxx. The image flashes a “happy” couple staring at each other with beaming smiles. Peel off the deceptive layer of false promises and it’s soon evident that assured, lasting joy comes only from God. No one or nothing else can give that. A Ferrari sports car may bring happiness for some time before we tire of it. The latest iPhone or fancy gadget may capture our attention for a time before our restless heart searches for true happiness in something else. A free trip around the world may bring excitement as long as the trip lasts. Once it's over, like a finished bar of chocolate, we have only a lingering memory. But the joy that the Lord gives is not only something that we can be filled with, our cups running over; but the Bible tells us that it is also our strength.

Let us therefore be afraid no longer. Our God is on the throne. Let us be anxious for nothing but with thanksgiving and prayer come before Him in confidence. Our God rules in majesty and power. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Let us trust in Him with sure hope that we will never be ashamed. Nay! We will never ever be disappointed. May He always be our hiding place and our strong tower; for the eternal God is our refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms.

To Thee O King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever.

The ‘Are You Ready’ Checklist

In Revelation 12:1, the Apostle John writes that there appeared a great sign in heaven. One commentary describes the meaning of the word ‘sign’ as something which is seen: not a mere wonder, but something which has a meaning; it is not “a surprise ending with itself,” but a signal to arrest attention, and possessing significance; there is “an idea concealed behind it.”

There has lately been no small talk of such a sign foretold nearly 2000 years ago that is purportedly to come to pass sometime in September 2017. Using software called, ‘Stellarium’, some astronomy enthusiasts suggest that the positions of the moon, the sun, the stars and Jupiter, which they refer to as the king planet, would be in the exact positions that appeared to John as a great sign from heaven in Revelation 12:1-2. According to these people, on September 23, 2017 the moon will be at the “feet” of the constellation called Virgo, often represented by a woman, the sun near her shoulder, twelve stars will form her “garland or a crown” and Jupiter which has been moving around the “womb area of the woman” for the last nine months will exit at this time. What makes their discovery even more interesting is that this constellation arrangement is to happen on the biblical fall feast of, ‘Yom Teruah’ or ‘Feast of Trumpets’.

Now I unhesitatingly admit that I have no knowledge of astronomy and I do not believe in astrology. In fact I consider the latter satanic. I also acknowledge that I am not a student of Christian eschatology. What I believe I am however is one who earnestly desires to please God and what I intend through this writing is to appeal to each believing Christian, “Make ready the way of the Lord.” If the starry arrangement is what John called a “great sign in heaven” and is something that God has given as “a signal to arrest our attention”, then each of us would benefit immensely if we paid attention to it. If it is not a sign but plain end-time hype, we would still do well, if not better, to ensure that our ‘Are You Ready’ checklist is checked and in order.  

I am not going to use this writing to predict what is or is not likely to happen soon. My honest confession is, “I don’t know.” But what I earnestly hope is for each of us to remind ourselves of the importance of being ready by staying watchful and alert. I repeat what our Lord Jesus Himself said when He spoke of the coming of the end times. “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’ ” (Mk. 13:37)

The question that begs answering is: “How can I be sure that I am ready?” This to me should be our main concern. In this essay, I attempt to list out some of the characteristics of readiness that we find in the Bible, the ultimate source of all truth; the only reliable plumb to gauge our choices and decisions.

1. The one who is ready must by necessity be born again (Jn. 3:3). Such a person would come to God in sincere repentance and asked the Lord Jesus to cleanse him of all sin by His precious blood that He shed on the cross.
   
   
2. The next characteristic of readiness is single-minded, undistracted, devotion to the Lord (1Cor. 7:35; 2Cor. 11:3). Such devotion fulfils the very first commandment of loving God with all our being (Mt.22:37-38). It recognises that the child of God cannot flirt with the world nor the things of the world (Jas. 4:4; 1Jn. 2:15). The lack of this distinctive attitude is what the glorified Saviour chided the Ephesian Church for (Rev. 2:4). It is the same thing He said in different words while He was on earth when He spoke of two masters (Mt. 6:24). The devoted heart will make it his ambition to please God (2Cor. 5:9).
   
   
3. The third characteristic of readiness is faith in God. While we all have a measure of faith, (for it is by faith in Jesus that we are saved and made righteous), it is imperative that our faith in the person of God grow deeper. We are told very emphatically that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). More than ever before, our faith needs to be anchored firmly in the inseparable, everlasting, boundless love of God. It needs to rest in His eternal, unfailing wisdom. It must rely heavily on His sovereign, mighty power. It takes comfort in His faithfulness. It rejoices in His care and goodness. The man of faith is so firmly anchored in the person of God that despite the fiercest storm he continues to persevere with steadfastness and patience (Col. 1:11) rejoicing in Him always (Php. 4:4) and giving thanks in every circumstance (1Thes. 5:18).
   
   
4. A fourth characteristic of readiness is fruit. If he has been faithful, such a person must see fruit in his life. If our repentance has been sincere, we must bear fruit (Mt. 3:8). If we are completely devoted to God and align all our decisions in keeping with that desire to please Him, we will bear fruit. The fruit of true faith is peace and rest in God (Php. 4:6-7; Psa. 46:10). Such fruit refuses thoughts of anxiousness and fear. I am convinced that if our lives do not bear, in some measure, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we are deceiving ourselves. If Christ’s life is not increasingly showing forth in our attitude and behaviour—whether at home or work or even on a busy street—we can tom-tom all we want of the Lord’s return but it won’t guarantee that we are ready. Our lives, like a city set on a hill must show that it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27b).
    
   If the gentleness of Christ cannot be increasingly seen in me when I talk to my wife and children; if I cannot show patience when I am with difficult colleagues; if I cannot display the selfless attitude which was in Christ Jesus of looking out for the interests of others before I look at mine (Php. 2:4)—all of which incidentally are in keeping with the commandment to love another as we would ourselves—then like Paul said to the Corinthian Church, we are no more than a noisy gong. All my spiritual God-given gifts and my giving would profit me nothing (1Cor. 13:1-3). I believe that it is this outflow of Christ-likeness in our lives (if we are at it on a daily basis, 365 days a year) that shines like a light and affects all our service; and not the reverse. Like a jar of alabaster, the fragrance of Christ’s life permeates through all that we do. Let us therefore imitate the example of Christ of whom it is written—He taught as One having authority and not as the scribes (Mt. 8:28-29) because He first did the will of God (Mt. 8:24a; Mt. 5:19b, 20).

We need to be watchful and alert, recognizing that the time is near. In doing so, we need to ensure that we are not living a life of deception, fooling ourselves. The stakes are too high. We have much to gain by being faithful and much to lose if we live contrary to what God sees as “ready”. God is never fooled. His judgments are always righteous.

Listen to what Paul tells the Church at Corinth when he urged them to consider the building of their lives on the foundation which is Christ Jesus—if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1Cor. 3:12-15). May God grant to each one a heart of readiness that is ever alert and watchful as we wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.