Walk Through Colossians | Sunday, July 26, 2020

And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father. (Colossians 1:9–12)

Four times Paul tells the Colossians how to walk—worthy, in Christ, no longer as the world, and in wisdom—and through it all he keeps calling us to be thankful.

Walking Through Colossians

Colossians is a rich, dense book, and one thing that stuck out to me is that Paul mentions walking four times. The Greek word is peripeteo—it simply means to walk, but in the deeper sense of how you live, how you do things, how you wander through life. So we're going to walk through Colossians together in four sections, one from each chapter.

In chapter one he speaks of walking worthy of the Lord (1:10); in chapter two, continuing to walk in Christ (2:6); in chapter three, that you once walked like the world (3:7); and in chapter four, walking in wisdom toward outsiders (4:5).

Walk Worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:9–12)

This is a church Paul had never visited face to face. He says, "When we heard about you, we started to pray for you." And what did he see as their greatest need? "That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will." Where do we find God's will? In His word. God's will is revealed to us through His word, so the first thing Paul wants for them is to know what God wants from them.

But he adds "in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." It's one thing to know what the Bible says; it takes spiritual wisdom and understanding to apply it correctly. When I was a kid I went through geometry, and it went in one ear and out the other—until years later doing woodworking I needed a measurement that required it. I didn't remember how, but I remembered what it was called, looked it up, and once I put it into practice I gained understanding. It's not enough to know what God wants; we have to do it, and in doing it we gain wisdom and understanding.

This leads to walking "in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him." To fully please God means to do His will and bring Him glory. As we do what He's called us to do, we bear fruit, and we increase in the knowledge of God. As you step out and do what God calls you to do, He strengthens you in His power.

Endurance, Patience, and Joy

Paul prays that we'd be "strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy." Endurance and patience seem similar, but here's the difference: endurance is for situations, patience is for people. What situation right now requires endurance? Quarantine, the stay-at-home order—all of it requires us to keep pushing forward. And the longer I'm around the same people, the more I see my own need to develop patience.

Then he adds "with joy." Joy is the ketchup. If you've had a four-year-old, you know they won't touch broccoli or cauliflower—until you put ketchup on it, and suddenly the unpalatable becomes doable. Joy is the ketchup that makes unpalatable situations palatable. Joy isn't a "woohoo" feeling; it's what God gives us as we endure and show patience and learn to see things differently. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and it carries us through situations that aren't naturally joyful.

He closes the section "giving thanks to the Father." Thankfulness runs all through Colossians. This isn't the only theme—there are at least thirty-seven instructions just in these sections—but gratitude keeps reappearing because gratitude changes our hearts and minds. The more thankful we are, the more happy we are; it's even been scientifically proven. When Paul says give thanks, it's not a chore—it's the means by which we become more joyful.

Walk in Christ (Colossians 2:6–7)

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6–7)

To walk in Christ means to live in Him—to intentionally live for Jesus from the moment your feet hit the floor in the morning. What struck me here is that God was not surprised by the coronavirus. He was not powerless before the shutdowns, not caught off guard. It means He has a plan, and as we walk in Him we will get through this, seeking His instruction and accomplishing what He wants.

To be rooted means to be anchored, like a plant sending its roots down deep, drawing its sustenance and nutrients from the ground. We need to be immovable in Jesus, vitally connected to Him. To be built up is like Legos. A brick by itself is just an annoying thing to step on in the middle of the night while trying to remember you're a Christian. But built up and put together, bricks become amazing things. God adds to our life, changes our giftings, and builds us into something different than where we started. Look back at your life and you can usually see the fingerprints of God: "That's not where I thought I was going."

To be established means to be fixed, firmly placed, solid—and that comes "just as you were taught." I can still recite the Heidelberg Catechism: "What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I learned it in grade school and it's still locked in my heart, and I can draw on it. God will use the ammunition you give Him. The Holy Spirit uses what you've stored in your heart and head—but if you don't put it there, He can't use it. So go back to the word, and if you haven't learned much, learn more. There are Bibles, audio versions, apps—but you have to do it.

He ends "abounding in thanksgiving"—overflowing, more than you can handle. God knows what He's given us and how much He loves us, so we should be overly thankful. But often we're not, because we look at what we don't have instead of what we do, coveting our neighbor's house and stuff. If we look at what we do have, we can abound in thanksgiving, which changes our hearts and makes life better.

Put Off the Old, Put On the New (Colossians 3:5–17)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry... Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience... And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:5, 12, 14)

This is a long section, so we'll look at portions. First there's a list of things to kill: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. When you go to kill something, it doesn't want to die—it fights back. So be prepared; and be careful, because it will resurrect if you start to walk in the flesh again. That's actually a good barometer: if I'm struggling with things I shouldn't be, maybe I'm not walking in Christ.

Then there's a list of things to put away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk. To put something away implies distance and intent—not folding socks into a drawer, but pitching it as far as you can. And don't just put something off; you have to put something on in its place. You can't take off all your clothes and expect to be adequately clothed. Having put off the old self, we put on the new. And it doesn't matter who you are—Jew or Greek, slave or free—Christ is all and in all; salvation is offered freely.

So put on, as God's chosen ones, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other as the Lord forgave you. And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. If you remember nothing else, remember: put on love. This is intentional—put a sticky note on your nightstand or the mirror. This week Nick Burt did a wedding and told the couple to compete with each other to see who could be more loving. What an awesome way to put it. That should be the greatest competition in our homes, our workplaces, even in Costco—to be the most loving person there. Love ties all those other virtues together and brings God the most glory.

Let Peace Rule, and Be Thankful

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." To rule means to be the guiding force, the default in charge. But the peace of Christ isn't the absence of trouble—it's peace in spite of the situation. When God's peace rules our hearts, we remain peaceful in circumstances that very much are not, because it's His peace, not ours. Remember, Paul was in prison when he wrote this and still said, "Be thankful."

Then: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Really sing. If you can't sing, hum; if you can't hum, whistle; and if you can't do any of those, get noise-canceling headphones and sing anyway. Singing changes your brain and draws you closer to Christ—that's why we love worship.

Finally, verse 17: "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Whatever covers everything. As a Christian, whatever you're doing you're doing in the name of Christ—at Costco, on the freeway, at home with your spouse and children—and you should be giving thanks. If you find something you can't give thanks for, that's an indication you need to spend time with your Heavenly Father, asking, "How do I give thanks for this?" He will answer—not always what you want to hear, but He will answer.

Walk in Wisdom Toward Outsiders (Colossians 4:2–6)

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving... Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:2, 5–6)

Continue steadfastly in prayer means to keep going without stopping, even in trials. Being watchful tells us what to pray for—if we're watching, we know what's needed. And once again, "with thanksgiving." When something is repeated this often, He wants us to pay attention.

Paul also asks them to pray for him, that God would open a door for the word. So please, please pray for your church leaders. Coronavirus has changed everything—all the metrics we used to discern church health are out the window. We can't measure engagement the way we used to, which forces us to take things on faith and lean on God for wisdom. Just as Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him, I'm asking you to pray for us—to see open doors, to have wisdom to walk in them, and to speak God's word clearly whenever we're given an opportunity.

Gracious Speech, Seasoned With Salt

How do we walk in wisdom toward outsiders? First, find out about them. The easiest way is to ask questions: "How are you doing?" Even at Costco through the plastic shield, ask the person helping you. Most of the world is pretty freaked out right now, and it comes in waves. So listen to their answer; that lets us walk in wisdom toward them.

"Make the best use of the time." Time is the most precious resource you have—it's the only thing you can't get more of. Spend it wisely; don't fritter it away. Pray that God would show you how to use it.

"Let your speech always be gracious." When he says always, he means always; when he says gracious, he means gracious. Even when we approach politics, coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, riots, or whether to wear a mask, the hallmark of Christians should be grace. We should not be foaming with anger or wrung out in fear. The first thing people know about me—before my politics, before my stance on anything—should be grace.

"Seasoned with salt." When you season food with salt, you make it palatable for the one who's going to consume it, not for yourself. So speak in a way that communicates grace in the best possible way for the other person to hear it. This requires getting to know people before we offer our opinions. Today a plumber installed a faucet for me—after I tried once and learned my lesson—and we didn't have some deep conversation about the universe and Jesus. What we talked about most was chickens. I love chickens; it's my second-favorite flock, depending on how things go with you guys. Because he was interested, I could speak graciously, in a way that leaves the door open for future conversations. I now know how I ought to answer him.

Let's read verses five and six personally. "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, Cross Connection Church, making the best use of the time. Let your speech, Jason, always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you, Jason, may know how you ought to answer each person." Notice there's no wiggle room. It doesn't say each person you like or each person you get along with—it says each person. We're not responsible for what they do with the answer or how they react, but we are responsible to present things and speak with people in a way that is gracious and seasoned with salt.

Our Call as the People of God

I know this is a heavy section with a lot of instruction, and it can seem overwhelming—but remember the privilege you have. You are the people of God, strengthened by God, inspired by God, directed and taught by God through His word, empowered by the living God to go out in His name, in His protection and power, and make a difference in this world.

There's a whole world that desperately needs Jesus—people who are scared, angry, in need of His peace. In a world that's afraid, we should show love. In a world that is completely uncertain, we should be a blanket of peace spread across it. In a world full of angry, hateful speech, we should be gracious, our speech seasoned with salt. Let us walk worthy of what God has called us to in His word, worthy in light of the sacrifice He made for us—and, as Paul repeatedly said, let us be thankful.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You. Thank You that we do not do this on our own, not in our own strength, and that we do not walk without You—You are with us. As we step out from here, as we seek to minister to the people around us, as we seek to have conversations that are gracious and seasoned with salt, thank You for giving us those opportunities. As we do, give us strength, peace, and most of all, Jesus, Your supernatural agape love—not our love, but Yours—that it would flow through us to every person we speak to. And where we fall short, where we blow it, where we decide we'd rather vomit our own opinions, Lord, forgive us. Thank You for grace, the same grace we show others; thank You for showing it to us. Help us to walk wisely, redeeming the time and the opportunities You've given us. We pray these things, Jesus, in Your name. Amen.