Daily Devotional - Entries tagged "Colossians"

SatSaturdayAugAugust21st2010 God's Gift of Forgiveness

Posted Saturday, August 21 2010 @ 5 AM byInTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley Tagged Audio and Written Combo Colossians InTouch Ministries 0 comments Add comment

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READ | Colossians 3:12-14

Motivated by love, God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven. He sent Jesus to be our Savior; when we trust in His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf, we receive His gift of forgiveness.

Before placing faith in Christ, we were dead in our sins and objects of divine wrath (Eph. 2:1-3). But our merciful heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to redeem us. At the cross, the Savior took our sins upon Himself and experienced God’s fury for our sake. His death secured a pardon for us—there was nothing we could do to acquire God’s acceptance. We are saved by grace—through faith in Christ and what He accomplished (Eph. 2:8-9). Our salvation is a free gift from the Father.

God’s will is that we, as forgiven people, show mercy to those who wrong us—to the same degree that He forgave us in Christ. But the human tendency is to attach conditions when extending mercy. We think, I will forgive you only if you apologize satisfactorily. Or, You must fix the problem before I will stop being angry. Or even, I expect you to make restitution before I will let this go. That is not what our Savior did. Romans 5:8 expresses it this way: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Depending on how much hurt we’ve experienced, we may require time and healing before we can truly forgive. But we are to remember that showing mercy is God’s will. We’re called to pardon those who have caused us pain. Through reliance on God’s Spirit, we can become like Jesus and forgive.

Source: InTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley.

WedWednesdayAugAugust18th2010 A Model for Prayer

Posted Wednesday, August 18 2010 @ 5 AM byInTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley Tagged Audio and Written Combo Colossians InTouch Ministries 0 comments Add comment

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READ | Colossians 1:10b-14

Let’s continue using Paul’s prayer for the Colossians as a model. Yesterday, we made note of the first two requests—understanding God’s will and living a worthy life.

Now let’s consider the other four:

• To bear fruit in every good work (v. 10b)—The Lord desires that our actions bring Him glory. We all seem to be very busy, but are the activities that fill our time eternally valuable?

• To grow in the knowledge of God (v. 10b)—Through books, sermons, and technology, a wealth of information about the Bible is available. But the apostle’s request is not merely for believers to gain facts regarding Christ. He speaks of an understanding in the heart, not simply a mental grasp of knowledge.

• To be strengthened according to His power (v. 11)—We are weak when relying upon our own strength. Sometimes it takes being driven to our knees before we relinquish control and instead trust in God’s awesome power. Having endurance and focus in the midst of life’s trials requires energy beyond our own.

• To walk in gratitude (v. 12)—When we realize where all good gifts originate, we can live with thankfulness. Contentment and joy comes from a grateful heart, not from circumstances.

In the busyness of life today, prayer often gets squeezed out of our schedules. But communion with the Lord is vital to a healthy, vibrant relationship with Him. Remember that lifting our loved ones before God’s throne is far more important than many tasks which seem more pressing.

Source: InTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley.

TueTuesdayAugAugust17th2010 The Pattern of Powerful Prayer

Posted Tuesday, August 17 2010 @ 5 AM byInTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley Tagged Audio and Written Combo Colossians InTouch Ministries 0 comments Add comment

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READ | Colossians 1:9-10a

Praying effectively isn’t something we all naturally know how to do—for most Christians, it must be learned. In fact, one of the disciples who had walked with Jesus asked for help in this area (Luke 11:1).

So often we hear requests to bless, protect, and provide for a person. While these are fine to ask of the Lord, there is another, more powerful way to pray. When we speak to Him using Scripture, our conversation contains the authority of almighty God.

The apostle Paul wrote today’s passage to the Colossian church. From this, we know the specific requests he brought before God concerning his brothers. These are applicable to us today as well. Let’s focus on the first two requests today and the remaining four tomorrow.

First, Paul asked for the believers to understand God’s plan for their lives. Now, the Lord often does not reveal everything at once, but He gives seeking hearts enough information to trust and follow His way.

Second, the apostle prayed that the Colossian Christians would conduct themselves in a manner worthy of Christ and pleasing to Him; Paul longed to see their lives prove consistent with their true spiritual identity. A follower of Jesus is evident to other people because of lifestyle and spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).

One of the greatest gifts we can give is to lift a person in prayer. And there is no more powerful way to do this than to speak Scripture on his or her behalf. Colossians 1:9-14 is a beautiful example of a passage to pray as we bring loved ones and ourselves before God’s throne.

Source: InTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley.

SatSaturdayJulJuly24th2010 The Gift of Forgiveness

Posted Saturday, July 24 2010 @ 5 AM byInTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley Tagged Audio and Written Combo Colossians InTouch Ministries 0 comments Add comment

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READ | Colossians 3:12-17

Webster defines gift as “something given to show friendship, affection, support.” Using this definition, it seems logical to give gifts only to those we love, not to those who hurt or abuse us. Yet Scripture clearly commands us to offer one of the greatest possible gifts—forgiveness—to those who mistreat us.

To forgive means “to give up all claims to punish or exact a penalty for an offense.” No strings or conditions can be attached, or else it ceases to be a pardon. Ephesians 2:8-9 expands on this concept by contrasting the gift of salvation with works. Neither salvation nor forgiveness can be earned; both must be freely given. Just as God granted us forgiveness, which we did not deserve and could not earn, so we are to release every offender from any form of penalty.

Unforgiveness is emotional bondage that consumes minds with memories of offenses, distorts emotions with revenge, and fills hearts with churning unrest. Its tentacles reach deep into the soul, affecting both spiritual and physical health. But the one who chooses to put on love and offer forgiveness is ready to receive the peace of Christ. Let God’s Word help you release hurt and anger into His caring hands—then watch as vengeful thoughts are transformed into praise and gratitude to the Lord.

Thankfully, the gift of pardon is not something we have to manufacture in ourselves. This present is wrapped in the love of God and tied with the red ribbon of Christ’s sacrifice. It is freely given to us by the Savior, and our job is simply to pass it on to others.

Source: InTouch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley.