One of the Best-Selling Books of All-Time, Pray Faith Love (Colossians 1:3-4)

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people…”
(Colossians 1:3-4, NLT)

PRAY. So many of our prayers are just “Give me, help me, bless me.” Here Paul and his protegee, Timothy, write to the Colossian Christians, “We always pray for you...” And what was the essence of their prayer? Thanksgiving, praising God. Other-centeredness. The focus of their prayer is to God and for “God’s people.” Notice this one word: “always.” Someone said to me, “Honestly, I don’t have any joy in reading the Bible and praying.” Well, we don’t quit taking shower just because we don’t feel joy in doing it. We need it just the same. This is my advice, “When you don’t feel like reading or praying, that’s the time to read and pray!” We need it just the same. Always. “We always pray for you.”

FAITH. “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…” Wonderful! This is what I always said to my students: the difference between Christian faith and other religion is that our faith is “in” Lord Jesus, the God-Man. I believe having faith in yourself in a healthy dose is good. But in terms of salvation, faith in Jesus is the ONLY way. It’s not faith in ourselves or in some religious deeds or ‘just’ faith that saved us but in the One who “purchased our freedom [with his blood] and forgave our sins” (1:14). Believe very hard and be very sincere also won’t do. We can be sincerely wrong. Once I argued with my friend that he doesn’t come for our appointment. I was about to prove him wrong but when I checked my calendar, I was one day early! I was sincere… but sincerely wrong… So, it’s not about mere faith in a higher power but in The Living One, Jesus Christ.

LOVE. “…and your love for all of God’s people…” or saints. Earlier, Paul writes, “May God our Father give you grace and peace” (1:2) and even there is no mention of God’s love for us in this verse, obviously, He does! If the Father loves us, so does the Son, Jesus Christ (inseparable, see 1:3). And the highest expression, example, and display of God’s love is “the cross” (1:20). Loving God is, therefore, the only reasonable response that we should have. So, what’s the connection? “Now I am giving you a new commandment,” said Jesus, “love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34). There is a connection here: If someone lacks fellowship with God, he or she will find it difficult to really love God’s people; and if someone does not love God’s people, he or she could not love God very much either.

Way before Elizabeth Gilbert wrote her bestseller book, Eat Pray Love (2006), the Apostle Paul already wrote, Pray Faith Love (around AD 60-61). Pray always, have faith in Jesus, and love God’s people. Amen!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Two Wonderful Words In One Sentence! (Colossians 1:2)

“May God our Father give you grace and peace” (Colossians 1:2b, NLT)

God’s grace and God’s peace. Two wonderful words in one sentence! What is God’s grace? It is God’s love for the undeserving. By grace, He has called guilty sinners and made them into saints (see Colossians 1:2a). Such grace as this can only be appreciated when we take a good look into the mirror of God’s holiness and realize how absolutely undeserving any human being - you and I, especially - is to be chosen of God. Also, God’s grace is free. But it is free only because our Lord Jesus Christ has borne the cost of our sins and guilt on the cross.

Last year, I read a wonderful book by Philip Yancey entitled What’s So Amazing About Grace? I underlined a few sentences on page 70. This is what Yancey wrote, “Grace makes its appearance in so many forms that I have trouble defining it. I am ready, though, to attempt something like a definition of grace in relation to God. Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God loves us more - no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries and divinity schools, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less - no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.” Now, let me warn us: don’t misuse God’s grace. Only after you look into the mirror of God’s holiness and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, then, you can fully appreciate what Yancey is describing here.

With grace comes God’s peace. Peace with God is salvation but the peace of God is experienced. Both are the result of God’s grace. Paul writes in Romans 5:1-2, “[Therefore] since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into the place of undeserved privilege where we are now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” Once we have peace with God, then we experience the peace of God. That means we can rest and trust in Him in and with all things. I said to my friend one morning, “I don’t want to die early. I’m curious how I will die, Lord, have mercy! But I’m not afraid to die.” Call it supernatural faith… call it the peace of God!

Thank you Father for Your grace and peace that you gave to the saints “in Christ” (Colossians 1:2a). Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

It Might Not What It Seems to You, But I'm A Saint! (Colossians 1:2)

“We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ” (Colossians 1:2, NLT)

“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse” (Colossians 1:2, NKJV)

There are two things that I would like to point out here: 1) Saints… in Christ.” Saints or “God’s holy people” in Christ are those who have received Him and those whom He has received. To me, this is the description of ALL believers. Mind you, God does not choose us because we are saintly - but to make us saintly! To make us holy! “Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, he freed us from sin” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Although it might not what it seems to you, in Christ, you and I are saints. And no church denominational or religious institution or Vatican council can decide either anyone a saint (or not), for saintliness is God’s decision and declaration. Only by grace through faith. This is our position in Christ!

Now, if you and I, in Christ, are saints, then why are we sometime don’t act like that? Let me explain. If you read the entire letter or epistle to the Colossians, Paul warned the believers in Colosse to protect themselves against error and sin and to stir them to saintliness, for sainthood is a possession, a profession, and a practice. While we are still here on earth with human bodies, we are not going to be perfect. We are saints - and saints in the making. God is in the process of making us into perfection and holiness. A theological term for this is sanctification. 

The second thing is 2) “Faithful brethren in Christ.” It means those who have faith in Christ. No one can be faithful until he or she has faith. And faithfulness is continuous - always have faith in Him. By calling the believers as “saints and faithful,” Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is saying that: Saving faith in Christ always sanctifies, and the sanctified ones (saints) want to be (continuously) saintly and faithful. There are people who profess to know Christ but never change. The proof that one really possesses God’s salvation is becoming more perfect, saintly, and faithful.

I hope my point is not confusing… probably there are grammar mistakes… But this is not a mistake: In Christ, I am a saint. Call me Saint Richard Angelus. Praise God!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

No More Apostolic Succession But There Are 'Apostles' (Colossians 1:1)

“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy” (Colossians 1:1, NLT)

Paul was qualified as one of the unique apostles, “chosen” and called by Jesus Christ (“the will of God”) personally and an eye witness of His resurrected majesty (read Acts 9:1-31). Paul was able to “proof that [he is] an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12) and as well as being inspired to write most of the books/letters of the New Testament. In my own reading and conviction, God has NOT authorized any apostolic succession since Paul was called, so there are no new apostles living on earth today. Timothy was not an apostle but one of Paul’s converts and a fellow missionary.

Question: If there are no apostles today, is there then no representative of God for our times? Hey, yes! There are! In mission and evangelism, God always puts His witnesses in the world. The word ‘apostle’ means ‘a sent one, a missionary’, and certainly this calling has not ceased just because the initial, unique apostles during the time of the New Testament are now no more with us. The Bible says that every believer has been sent to share the Gospel to others - through living and preaching - which has now been given to us. All of Christ-followers are commissioned as messengers and missionaries for God. Our Lord Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere… to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.