Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.  

Colossians 4:1

Believer or unbeliever, most people are familiar with the “golden rule.” In fact, pretty much every world religion has some version of what Jesus declared to His followers: “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31). Of course, these are wonderful words to live by…if only people would, am I right? And, of course, this simple little sentence in Luke sits amid much harder-to-do exhortations from Jesus. Things like loving our enemies (not just our friends), doing good to those who hate us, and (gulp) offering up our other cheek when someone slaps us in the face. (And we can confidently presume that other faiths around the world do not tout this agape-love attitude with their respective versions of the golden rule—one of the many reasons Christianity is different.)

In verses 1 through 4 of chapter 4 of Colossians, the Apostle Paul gives one of his many how-to-live lists that could be considered a direct tangent of the golden rule. Generally speaking, Paul’s lists are wonderful—a mix of very practical dos and don’ts, encouragements, and warnings. Here, in the first verse, Paul is speaking directly to slaveowners. In Greek and Roman times, slaves and bondservants were prevalent, but in our culture, he’s talking to Christian employers and managers. 

Believers who are over others are to treat their employees with justice and fairness—the same justice and fairness given to us by God. We may be a boss, but we also have a Boss. Our Master in heaven will judge us “masters” on earth who mistreat or abuse our employees. And going one step above the lateral golden rule to a more vertical iteration, we (bosses) should treat employees the way we want to be treated by our Lord. This certainly puts a powerful spin on that ubiquitous rule.

Even more importantly, we need to remember, as Paul reminds us so succinctly in Galatians 3:28, that we are all equals at the foot of the cross: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are all brothers and sisters, unified in our heavenly citizenship. We’re to love each other, not mistreat or abuse each other. We must extend grace and mercy to others—even to hateful employees or employers—because of the grace and mercy the Lord extended to us when we were His enemy.

Lord, You are my Master. Everything I have is yours, and all I do is for you. Remind me to treat those under (and around) me with the same loving grace you extend to me.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

I love music. Although I’m not sure how old I was when I got my first record player, I do know I spent hours at a time through elementary, middle, and high school splayed out on my bedroom floor (alone or with friends) playing records. At that time, album sleeves had all the lyrics, so in addition to appreciating the instrumentation, part of my focus was to learn each word of every beloved song. 

As a Christian, music is still very important to me—a different genre than before, to be sure. As is the purpose of worship music, these songs can transport us to the very throne of God. And, as the Apostle Paul notes in Colossians 3:16, music (psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs) can effectively teach and admonish (caution) us.

Well, it can. But, sadly, much of today’s “Christian” music is far from what Paul (and many of the Bible’s inspired writers) had in mind.

First, let’s go back to the first part of this packed verse: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom.” Speaking about God’s Word, this term, “to richly dwell” is to permeate—to have every thought, word, and action aligned with the Truth of the Bible. Just like Paul spoke of in Ephesians about the Holy Spirit, we must be controlled by (filled) by the Word. (In fact, being controlled—filled—by the Holy Spirit comes from being controlled—filled—by God’s Word!) Throughout Christian history, preachers were pretty straightforward: They taught the Bible. Not stories focused on themselves with a Bible verse thrown in for good measure. Not pop psychology or cultural activism based on out-of-context Scriptural references.

So, back to music. Those lyrics from the old hymns and songs were solidly based on God’s Word…because the songwriters knew God’s Word. (Because preachers were preaching the Word.) Lyrics were either literally pulled from the Bible (Psalms put to tunes, for instance), or they gave praise and worship to our Holy God for who He is—not touting what we get from Him or any “me-ness” of the relationship. (Well, I take that back…those Truth-filled songs did talk of “me-ness” in the fact that we are wretches and worms without the righteousness of Christ.) 

Christian hymns and songs should teach Scriptural Truth to encourage and caution. But if the songwriters—like so many today—are not permeated, filled, and controlled by God’s Word, they cannot accomplish this. What’s worse, in not knowing the Truth of God’s Word, they become heretics—believing and teaching others false doctrine! It’s so heartbreaking to watch those concert videos of tens of thousands of people (mostly youth) singing these “Christian” songs with a sense of rapture, thinking they are accurately worshipping our precious Lord. All too often, they are not only being misled and singing false doctrine, they are simply worshipping at the altar of self. 

Lord, keep me permeated with Your Word, so I can worship you in accurate spiritual songs and discern the Truth from lies from the singing mouths of wolves.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:3-4

There are a lot of reasons people hide. As little kids, we may have hidden under our blankets, believing that the thin layer of cotton would protect us from any midnight monsters that may 

emerge from the closet. Or, in a neighborhood game of hide and seek, victory came to the one who found the best hiding place. Throughout life, we may hide to keep from being caught—literally or figuratively (which can have many contexts, positive and negative). Many of us hide from others who we really are in order to protect ourselves from pain and hurt. 

Good or bad, these earthly means of hiding are only temporary—and all are ineffective. We’ll eventually be found (or found out). But praise God, there is one way we can be permanently hidden—covered, secure, and protected in this world and reaping eternal victory in the next.

See, when Jesus died on Calvary’s cross and rose from the dead, He defeated Satan and death. He paid the price for our sin, so that we could exchange our filthy rags for a robe of righteousness. Accepting this gift of grace is what’s called salvation—a term many unbelievers don’t understand, or it simply sounds like foolish “religious mumbo-jumbo.” 

But in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he uses a phrase that can bring clear understanding of what salvation means for believers. “Your life is hidden in Christ.” It’s as if we are covered—hidden—by Jesus Himself. Like a daddy wrapping his arms around a small child, practically absorbing that little one into his embrace, we are hidden in the embrace of our Lord. When our heavenly Father looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, failures, and faults. Because we’re hidden in Christ, God only sees the perfect righteous holiness of His Son.

And what’s equally amazing to realize is this: Being hidden in Christ also means that we’re protected from all our spiritual enemies—once saved, no one and nothing can snatch us out of His hands (John 10:28). Nothing can separate us from the love and acceptance of God—no accusation from the enemy will stick, no trouble or persecution can condemn us (Romans 8:31-36). In fact, when we are hidden in Christ, it’s like having a proverbial spiritual superhero alter-ego: we are more than conquerors over man and demon that comes against us—and they will (Romans 8:37-39). 

On our own, we cannot conquer sin, impending judgement, and the chasm that separates us from God. But Jesus can—He did. And it is only through salvation—being hidden with Christ—that we can.

Jesus, thank You for covering my sin with Your righteousness, for hiding me, protecting me, securing my eternal future with You.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13

Hope is essential. And I think we can all agree that its opposite—hopelessness—leads to discouragement, depression, and desperation. Even in the secular vernacular, hope is vital to mental and emotional health. According to the website positivepsychology.com:

“A reason to continue fighting and believing”—I like this phrase. But the issue at hand is what “reason” we clutch onto. Is it some nebulous emotional state or even a reliance on “powers that be”? Is it people (or a person), a job, money, or a government? When hope evades some people, they even grasp at things like drugs and alcohol in order to infuse a bit of “hope” into their lives. Sadly, all these things, which people place their hope in all the time, are like shifting sands. Unstable, unreliable, uncertain.

For the Christian, we have “a reason to continue” that is sure—despite what’s going on around us. We hope in the Lord and His unmovable love. We have certainty in Jesus Christ, who, through His death and resurrection, exchanged our sin for His righteousness, making a way for us to stand before God unashamed and unjudged. We hope in our unchangeable salvation and our freedom in Christ. We hope in our ultimate release from this sinful (pain-filled and broken) body for a perfected vessel to house our also-perfected spirit. We hope in the new heaven and earth, once this fallen world is finally judged and burned up.

See, as time goes on, we will not “save the planet” or create “perfect societies”—on the contrary, the earth and its residents continue to decay and fall farther away from perfection. Hoping in “environmental sustainability” or any “new world order” is like hoping in mist. The only hope for humanity is Jesus Christ—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

Even thousands of years before Christ, people and nations were putting hope in armies, governments, and false idols. Those leaders, armies, and nations—and their hopeful followers—all fell. The Truth, as recorded in God’s Word even then, holds fast:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
             but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
             but we rise up and stand firm.

~ Psalm 20:7-8

Father, I am so thankful that the Source of my hope is sure, and that I can unreservedly live for my future, which is known and promised.

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Colossians 2:20-23 (NLT)

If you’re a rule follower like me, you get deep satisfaction from doing things the “right way”—especially if there is a set of regulations and protocols to follow. Sure, there’s an internal guidance in this regard, but when you know others can see you follow the rules, well, that’s all the better.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he’s warning this sweet fellowship of false teaching creeping into the church. A big issue was aestheticism, or self-denial, which was thought to free the spirit from the “evil body”, leading to deeper “spirituality” and a closer relationship to God. And this practice, according to those wolves, also allowed other people to see how spiritual you are, because your physical suffering was so evident.

Hmm, makes me think of Jesus saying the exact opposite to His disciples…how we are to give and fast in secret—not flaunting it for the accolades of others (see Matthew 6). So, the irony of this aestheticism teaching is that it appears spiritual and humble on the outside, while simultaneously being the height of vanity. (“Look at me! Watch me suffer! Aren’t I so amazingly spiritual?!”) Plus, just because a person does things to “look” spiritual and pure, their actual state of spiritual affairs could be pretty darn filthy. In the end, it’s all about “me” and not the Lord. (Again, Jesus talked a lot about this concept when it came to the Pharisees—whitewashed tombs and such.) 

As followers of Jesus Christ, we’ve been set free from manmade rules that promote “spirituality” and create sort of system to earn salvation. No to-do lists, no columns of “good” versus “bad” tallies, no hoops to jump through. On Calvary’s cross, Jesus accomplished what we could not, exchanging our sin for His righteousness. He paid it all—all we have to “do” is accept this amazing gift of grace. 

And once we say “yes” to salvation, we’re made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)—we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then, in grateful response, we walk according to our new character. We extend forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love because Jesus extended these things to us—not so that He will. When we do stumble (because we will), He is quick to forgive us when we ask (1 John 1:9). (No to-do list there, either—can I get an “Amen!” from my former confession-goers?) So, let’s abandon any foolish rules we may be following to please God. It’s not do—it’s done.

Lord, in gratefulness for my salvation, I surrender my life to Your will and Your ways. Thank You for accomplishing what I could not.

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

2 Colossians 2:6-7

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is a one-and-done decision. Once saved, always saved—no one can pluck you from His hand (John 10:28-30). That being said, in response to the Great Exchange (your sin for His righteousness), you are called to live life differently. To walk worthy of this new relationship with God (Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12)—and to do so with a “fruity” attitude of love with all its outpourings (see Galatians 5:22-23).

But how can we walk in Jesus? That’s a very tall order (Jesus being perfect and all). But there are a few important things the Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Colossians that instruct us about moving forward in the right direction.

1. We are “firmly rooted” in Christ. The Greek grammar is very encouraging here. The word for “having been firmly rooted” is errizonmenoi, which is a perfect tense participle. (Huh?) It means that this rooting takes place at the moment of salvation! It’s as if you’re a small bush that has been dug up—roots and all—out of your sinful life to be placed in a luscious greenhouse (new life), where, the moment you’re replanted, your roots are instantly being nourished for growth. And your fruit is on its way.
2. As we walk, we are being built up in Him. Here, the Greek for “being built up” is epoikodomoumenoi, which is—stay with me here—a present tense participle. This indicates continuous action! From a solid foundation of our salvation, we continuously grow to be more like Jesus by (a) studying the Word of God and (b) living out the grace, truth, and love we’ve been shown. Grounded and growing, we are established in our faith.
3. Because of our new roots, deepening daily through our Source, and our ongoing transformation to live in the reality of our righteousness in Christ, we are to overflow with gratitude. Thankfulness is truly a choice. Our salvation alone is reason enough to daily burst out in song! Beyond that, we can start with the breath in our lungs and work our way through the multitude of blessings we’ve been given. 

Friend, our walk with the Lord won’t be easy—that’s a promise right from His mouth. But moving in the direction of obedience is the call on our lives. We do that through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, along with knowing and living by the Truth of God’s Word. So, stay rooted, take in nourishment to thrive, and be sure to feed your growth with plenty of gratitude.

Thank You, Lord for trading my unrighteousness for Your perfect righteousness, establishing me in faith. May I live as a worthy ambassador of Your Kingdom…and give thanks all along the way.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

“Will you go to heaven?” If you ask 100 people that question, most would probably say yes. And, if you then ask them why, they’ll tell you it’s because they are “a good person.” But this begs the natural question, how good is good enough? Is it based on a daily tally? If we do one big “good” thing, does it eradicate a whole bunch of small “bad” things? Then there’s the “Well, I’m not as bad as Hitler” idea, one that keeps us comparing ourselves to others on the spectrum of good and bad (which comes with its own madness).

I lived this excruciating mental and emotional exercise for three decades of my life. Fearful that the bad decisions I made (and kept making) put me on the outs with God. I’d promise to do better—and I’d try—only to fall down once more. The uncertainty was exhausting.

If salvation (and heaven) is based on works (which is what many Christians and every other world religion believe), how can we ever know if we’ve done enough or are righteous enough to earn it? Where is the comfort and peace in that? 

But the Gospel is, by definition, good news—great news, actually! We can be sure! There is blessed assurance in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. When we accept what Jesus accomplished on our behalf, we can be absolutely secure in our current standing with God and our eternal destination (John 5:24; 10:28). It’s not about our good-versus-bad tally each day (we’d all fail there, friends). It’s not about our church attendance or donation totals. Salvation (our sinful nature traded for Jesus’ righteousness) is not dependent on what we do—or don’t do. It only requires a decision to trust the Lord and surrender all those efforts to Him and His work alone (Romans 10:9; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

And this certainty is not based on our feelings. I’m confident that many Christians (if not all of us) doubt our salvation because we’re not “feeling” close to God. We will have mountaintop experiences and valley seasons. We’ll struggle with our ungodly words and actions. Maintaining “the joy of the Lord” can be a challenge. But we’re in good company—just read David’s Psalms or anything from the Apostle Paul! 

One more thing. The believer’s certainty of salvation is often attacked as self-righteous arrogance. But this is absurd and ironic: Christians are the only ones who claim to be going to heaven NOT by our own works and righteousness, but solely through the righteousness of Jesus. His grace, not our good works. I mean, to think we can, in and of ourselves, stand blameless in front of a holy God is pretty much the definition of self-righteousness.

So, if you’re reading this, and you’re already a believer, you can embrace the peace and rest Jesus promises amid the tumult of this life. Your security in Christ is a sure thing no one can take away. And, if you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus, why not make today the day (2 Corinthians 6:2)? All you have to do is let go of your uncertainty, release the idea that being “good enough” is good enough for an eternity in heaven. Just believe that, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus exchanged His life for yours—your “to-do” list has been “done.” 

Because, as crazy and dark and uncertain as this world is getting, we could all use a sure thing right now.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the Church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Colossians 1:24

Joy is one of those power-packed words in the English language. In fact, it’s hard to say this one-syllable noun (especially when said loudly) without its meaning spreading across your face. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “joy” as the state, expression, or source of delight, happiness, bliss. For the believer, “joy” is more than mere happiness at circumstances. Rather, it’s an uncurrent of deep-seated satisfaction that comes from salvation. The confident hope of our forever future with Jesus. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit—in other words, it’s an outgrowth of our surrender to, and walk with, the Lord. Joy is to be an enduring attitude of the Christian.

This simple truth is not easy. And what’s even more challenging, friend, is the exhortation for us to have joy in our suffering. How on earth can suffering be a cause for our joy? Here are just a few reasons:

1. Suffering brings us closer to Jesus. Often, when we are going through a fiery time, we can find ourselves in desperation. Maybe we’ve tried turning to friends or family, but we’ve found no comfort (in fact, said friend or family member may be the source of the burning). We get to that “nowhere else to turn but Jesus” place—and we finally cling to the only Stronghold that brings refuge and peace.
2. Suffering helps us better appreciate Jesus’ suffering for us. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus was despised and persecuted. And on Calvary’s cross, He took on the agony and unimaginable pain meant for you and me. When we suffer in this world (especially for Christ), it gives us an infinitesimal taste of what Jesus went through for us, to rescue us from eternal suffering. And this understanding can also give us comfort, realizing that Jesus knows our pain, because he’s felt it all for us already.
3. Suffering assures us of our salvation. Jesus promised us that, as His followers, we will suffer (John 16:33; John 15:18)—and that promise was reinforced throughout the New Testament (2 Tim 3:12; 1 John 3:13). If you love and serve Jesus, Satan hates you and will go after you. And, sis, if he’s dogging you, then you’re doing something right. In fact, when we suffer with joy, this godly attitude (Hebrews 12:2) frustrates the enemy to no end—to me, that’s an awesome motivation right there!

But one of the most encouraging reasons to suffer with joy is that, by doing so, we can bring others to Jesus. When you go through the inevitable storms of life, others are watching…like Job’s friends, unbelievers are waiting to see you shake your fist at God or break under the crushing wind and waves. So, when you weather those storms with joy, anchored to the faithful, unmovable Rock—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—they’ll notice. And they’ll want to know the Source of your joy in the suffering.

Lord, in the midst of my pain, tears, and sorrow, may I cling to the joy of my salvation—the joy that frustrates the enemy of my soul and can bring others to know You.

If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

Proverbs 29:9

Over the last couple of decades, our nation has been slipping into greater and greater divisiveness. I’m not just talking about the political left and right here, but of a Biblical worldview versus humanism. You may have been aware of the divide as it gradually widened, or you may simply have looked up one day to see a gaping chasm. But if you’re on any social media platform today, all you have to do is scroll to see, read, and hear the venom. Especially in our current culture of crisis.

That’s why I’m not on Facebook or Instagram. It was probably eight or nine years ago when I started seeing posts on FB from some of my closest friends touting hate regarding Christians ideals that I hold dear. And, due to the fact that I wanted to keep these people as friends in real life, I had to “unfriend” them, digitally, by removing myself from social media. 

For the past couple of years, I did hold onto a neighborhood site called “Nextdoor.com”—you may be part of it yourself. It’s great to get recommendations for tradespeople, restaurants, dentists, and it’s even great place to sell and buy stuff. Having recently moved to a new state, I jumped right on to get the scoop on things. What I found (again) was plenty of vitriol. I made a simple comment, requesting that people keep things civil—in fact, I entreated, let’s keep this one social media site to its original intent. You would have thought I took a video of myself burning a puppy. The contempt came flying at me from every side. For proposing civility.

It brought to mind all those Proverbs about arguing with fools. Here’s just some of the wisdom found in this Old Testament book:

• If we answer a fool according to his folly, we’ll be just like him.
• A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only is expressing his opinion.
• Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.
• He who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
• A fool repeats his folly (like a dog returning to his vomit).
• The mouth of fools pours out folly.
• If you try to argue or debate a fool, his simply rage or laugh at you.

As Solomon stated very clearly in Proverbs, it doesn’t matter how you approach a foolish person—with sweetness, righteous indignation, or outright anger—you won’t get peace. Because that person’s belief is rooted in the world and not the Truth of God’s Word, he or she will either mock you for your “ignorance” or rage at you for your “malice”. After all, when we speak words based on our knowledge of Christ, to that person, it simply smells like death (2 Corinthians 2:16).

I’m not saying to forgo speaking the Truth in love—even using your social media platforms to do so. We must share the Good News of Jesus Christ! How He came to reconcile us to God through His death and resurrection, making a way for us to have eternal life with God. We must love others. We must forgive as we’ve been forgiven. Sometimes, we will find common ground, and we may even bring someone to believing faith in Jesus.

But the Word also tells us in Romans 12:18 that we must, as much as it depends on us, keep peace with others. So, friend, keep on speaking Truth—it’s commanded of us. We just can’t argue with fools. 

Lord, help me to stand firm on Your Truth and to speak that Truth in love, but refrain from arguing with fools.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

Colossians 1:13-14

Are you afraid of the dark? As children, we probably all were…but for many of us, the lack of light still brings fear and trepidation. The reasons vary, no doubt. Maybe this “darkness distress” comes from the inability to see well while driving at night. Or perhaps there’s anxiety or dread in the unknowns of places and spaces unilluminated. For some, it manifests in sheer, unadulterated panic of irrational terrors held within blackness (often rooted in very real trauma that originated in darkness). 

There is a genuine present darkness, however, about which every human being is born into—and one of which we should all be very afraid. Because of the Great Fall in the Garden, we come into a world empowered by our enemy, Satan. It is temporarily his “domain.” Although all things are under the ultimate control of God, Satan—for a time—has been given permission to exercise his power here. And his goal is to keep people from (a) seeing the Light and (b) seeking rescue out of the darkness.

But Jesus, through His death, created a way out of the darkness. His sacrifice on our behalf paid the full ransom for the penalty we owe (John 19:30). Not only has our debt been paid (redemption), but we have been completely pardoned. Our sins (yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s) are forgiven. In fact, through the blood of Christ, we are “justified”—God looks upon you and me “just as if I’d” never sinned. How amazing is that?

Upon salvation, we are set free from bondage to sin and “the dark domain”—but we are not left on our own! When we accept the gracious gift of Jesus Christ—that He died and rose again, forever victorious over death—we are transferred into God’s kingdom. Into Light. We move from being under the authority of Satan to being citizens of God’s kingdom. Eventually, we will be co-rulers in the literal kingdom of God on earth. But, right now, the kingdom of which we are a part is the relationship we have with God through Jesus. When we acknowledge Christ as our King, we are subjects in His kingdom. And, as His subjects, we submit to His rule (the Bible). We live according to God’s Word in obedience…and in order to properly represent our King—to be ambassadors of this Kingdom of Light (Ephesians 5:8). 

Friend, we no longer have to walk in darkness, afraid and distressed. Jesus, the Light of the world, has come to bring the Light of life (John 8:12). Upon our rescue, He transforms us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and transfers us into His kingdom forever.

Jesus, you are the Light of the world and You have made a way out of the darkness. May I, as a citizen of Your kingdom, represent You by shining my light and showing others the way.