# 6 2018. Dev. Col.4:2,3. Devotion! Read all of Ch. 4. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Colossians 4:2,3 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ,”
Colosse, a city in present day Turkey that Paul had not visited, there was a church started by converts who met Paul in Ephesus, Epaphras most likely planted this church. The Colossians were not Greeks or Romans but Europeans, Celts, who had migrated south. Paul wrote the Colossians to refute the growing heresy that came to be known as Gnosticism, privileged knowledge known by only a few people. Paul emphasized the superiority of Jesus as the Creator, the Head of the church, who upholds all things, reconciles all things to God, is above all things in heaven and earth and is the first resurrected from the dead.
Paul gives us great insight into Christ as the complete image of God in bodily form. Christ is beyond our human comprehension except for the power of the Holy Spirit who promotes Him in our hearts. It is no wonder that those who do not really know Jesus personally have lifestyles and ways of thinking that conflicts with all that is good about creation and God’s desire to reconcile every back to Himself. The latest example of which is allowing at birth abortions and murdering the child if still alive.
That is why Paul’s further instructions are so very important for us as well. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Pray “that God will open a door” for the message of the gospel. Pray that we may “proclaim it clearly, as I (we) should.” This was our prayer as a missionary family, I asked others to pray that prayer for us as well and I still pray that today. I will pray this prayer for you as well.
Paul goes on; “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders” (those who do not follow Jesus) “make the most of every opportunity”. Speak with grace, pleasant, “seasoned with salt”. Paul here gives us a lesson in evangelism. If those of us who follow Jesus would do as Paul suggests our churches would be growing, we would be happier and the world would be a better place. Our jobs give us a living but our work is to live for Jesus, promote the Gospel and do good things in Jesus’ name. May God bless us as we do our work today, amen and amen!
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