The Christ of Destiny

Colossians 1:15-23


C-reator:  He is, "the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, 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. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (v15-17).


H-ead of the Church:  "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything" (v18).


R-econciler:  ". . . and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His flishly body through death" (v20-22).


I-mage of God:  "He is the image of the invisible God" (v15).


S-avior:  "He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister" (v22-23).


T-otally God:  "For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him" (v19).

Praying Your Destiny...

Colossians 1:9-14

 

We each have a God-given destiny. It's not unlike rafting down a river filled with sections of violent white-water rapids. It's futile to try to paddle upstream. It's foolish to get out of the raft. However, even if we do jump out (or fall out) we will still be carried downstream by the rush of the water. There is a river of God's grace that is carrying each of us towards our destiny. The question is, how do we know where we are going?. The answer is prayer.

 

Paul reminds the Colossians in 1:9 that he is praying for them to, "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding". He wants them to know and understand the will of God--the very will (God's purpose, design, pleasure) that is being accomplished in their lives. Following Paul's example, we should be praying for each other to, "be filled with the knowledge of His will".

 

Paul expects that his prayer will have at least seven results. They are listed for us in verses 10-12.

 

• #1--"so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord". This means that we look like Jesus and that we act like Jesus.
• #2--"to please Him in all respects". God is pleased when we stay in the boat in the middle of the river of our destiny.
• #3--"bearing fruit in every good work". I love the fact that the promise of prayer is that we will "bear fruit in every good work". What about the bad works? They are buried in the bottom of the sea--they will not bear fruit! Hallelujah!
• #4--"increasing in the knowledge of God". The more we follow God--the more we understand God and His ways.
• #5--"strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might". This is literally, "empowered with power from His power"! God empowers His people to do the work that Jesus did--and the work that He desire to continue to do through His church.
• #6--"attaining of all steadfastness and patience". Most of us will not reach our destination overnight--it's a process of waiting and enduring.
• #7--"joyously giving thanks to the Father". Pray with thanksgiving giving God thanks for all that you see Him doing each day.

 

Why does Paul expect these rather dramatic results to his prayer? That's easy!

 

God has, "QUALIFIED US to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light" (v12). If God has qualified us, then there is absolutely nothing that we can do to make it better. No one can qualify themselves. And, if God has qualified us then only God can disqualify us...and He doesn't do that!

 

God has, "RESCUED US from the domain of darkness" (v13). He has already rescued us! We are free!

 

God has, "TRANSFERRED US to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (v13-14). Amazing Grace!

Destiny...

Paul writes in Colossians 1:1-2,

Παῦλος (Paul) ἀπόστολος (an apostle) Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ (of Christ Jesus) διὰ (through/by) θελήματος (will/purpose/design/pleasure) θεοῦ (of God) καὶ (and) Τιμόθεος (Timothy) ὁ ἀδελφὸς (the brother)
τοῖς (to the ones) ἐν (in) Κολοσσαῖς (Colosse) ἁγίοις (holy) καὶ (and) πιστοῖς (faithful) ἀδελφοῖς (brothers) ἐν Χριστῷ: (in Christ) χάρις (grace) ὑμῖν (to you) καὶ (and) εἰρήνη (peace) ἀπὸ (from) θεοῦ (God) πατρὸς (Father) ἡμῶν (of us).

I am including the Greek text because I think that it is really cool to be able to include it in the blog and I also want to highlight one word in the text that is the launching point for what I want to say. I have put the simple English translation in parentheses following the Greek word that it translates.
 
In the first verse, Paul says that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus "by the will of God".  The word "will" can include the idea of design, purpose, or pleasure.  Paul is clearly saying that his role as an apostle comes directly from the very hand of God.  It is God's idea.  It pleases God for Paul to be an apostle.  It is Paul's destiny to be an apostle.  If if God had a destiny for Paul, then it seems reasonable to expect that God has a destiny for each of us as well.  By searching the scriptures, I have discovered seven promises in regards to destiny.
 
D-ays (Acts 17:26; Job 14:1-6).  Paul preaches in Acts 17:26 that God has, "determined appointed times and the boundaries of habitation".  God has already decided when we will live, how long we will live, and where we will live.  Of course, we make decisions that affect these things but God is always able to say, "I knew you were going to do that".  His destiny for us takes into account the decisions that we will make.
 
E-ternal Life (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; John 3:16-18).  "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ . . ." (1 Thess. 5:9).  Jesus makes it possible for us all to live forever.  It's our destiny!
 
S-piritual Wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:1-16; 13:9-12). ". . . but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory . . ." (1 Cor. 2:7).  God has destined us to know things that cannot be comprehened with the human mind.  The Spirit of God reveals to us the thoughts of God.  We are destined to think like God thinks.
 
T-rials (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5).  In speaking of his afflictions, Paul says that he has been, "destined for this" (1 Thess. 5:3).  There are some things that we can only learn through problems.  There are some things that God wants us to become that can only be shaped through difficulties.  These trials are a part of our destiny.
 
I-mage of Christ (Romans 8:28-34; Genesis 1:26).  The Bible promises, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son . . ." (Rom. 8:29).  This is amazing stuff--It is our destiny to look like Jesus!  Describe Jesus and you will have a good idea of how God views you.
 
N-ew Relationship (Ephesians 1:3-5).  Paul says that God, "predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will . . ." (Eph. 1:5).  God has brought us into relationship with Himself as adopted children.  It's our destiny to be treated by our Father just like our big brother Jesus.
 
Y-our Inheritance (Ephesians 1:11).  "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will . . ." (Eph. 1:11).  It's difficult to comprehend that God has destined us to share in Christ's inheritance.