2/15/25 The Divine Effect

Paul writes this letter in prison. Calls the church of Colossae God’s Holy people. Sometimes we forget that four lettered word and how it is to identify us. Holy. He is praying for them as a church to be filled with the understanding of the will of God showing itself in wisdom. Let’s be clear the last three weeks in this series have been about the divide between us and God. According to Paul there is a dominion of darkness that rules over us because of this divide. When you break that down, simply put, we are ruled by darkness and not light. If you believe this world is set up for those in the light to reign at this stage of history, that is not the case. However, the gap between the Divine and us we are enemies with God. But God sent his Son. The was happy with the fullness of divinity to dwell within him He came because there was a problem that mankind could not solve. The dominion of darkness had to be dealt with. Reconciliation was essential for us. For our sake because being enemies with God gives us no hope, no purpose, no meaning and no heart to serve one another. V22 tells the story.

²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

PRAY Reconciliation not by you by Christ body. The Lord himself made the laws. The wages of sin is death. For justice to be done there has to be the death of an innocent. Jesus notice was presented holy in the sight of God THEN says free from accusation. Let’s dig into that a bit. Why is that so important? Accusation is a legal term. What was the law the wages of sin is death. Sin provides a legal ground for death. Jesus is presented clean, innocent as the innocent being given to deal with sin and the necessity of death. The court record bares guilt but the penalty has been paid. But here are the conditions. If you continue in your faith. If your faith shows itself established firm. Spelled out further do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. Notice it is the gospel. The dominion of darkness can only be overcome legally. When we look to the corruption of this world recognize it was not the intended design. Every day that we are disheartened by the instances where evil wins can be dealt with because the Son of God with the fullness of divinity within him dealt with by giving himself physically to fulfill the law and present the opportunity for evidence to be given that in Him we are all innocent. This is the gospel.

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Again gospel. This telling of history of the coming, the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension of Messiah. The gospel is what Paul brought up earlier. GO back to V7 learned from Epaphras who is the pastor of this church and from this area. The truth of this testimony is the hope we live by live for and operate by.

The gospel makes Paul want to be a servant. Let’s examine that, Paul, richly educated. A pedigree who was both Jewish and Roman. A prodigy of the high priest meant to take over and lead in upholding the law. He would be second to no one until he was used to strike out against those who dared to assert that they were allegiant not to the law of God by the man who the gospel says is the Son of God. Paul became a servant because he saw the dominion of darkness was operating within him.

Check this out. The dominion of darkness tells you that it is all about you. If you are a person that gets a head you’re succeeding. That all that matters is you get yours and the things you have bias toward must succeed as well. It is us vs. them not love your neighbor. It is love the self not love God with all your heart soul mind strength. Paul realized in the face of Jesus the lie of all of this. Paul gained something most of us will never have. Eyes to see the truth. Evil cost the world but a murder made up for it. God knew it was coming gave his son to destroy the dominion of darkness and Paul bows down to serve because of it out of gratitude.

²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

Last V Paul called himself a servant bc of the gospel. Now he is suffering in chains this is not a modern prison. This is no TV no visitation, stripped naked chained to a guard subject to the mercy of the guard. Being beaten is not out of the norm. Not being fed is not out of the norm. In spite of all this Paul gives himself away because the dominion of darkness has no jurisdiction over him. That is the divine effect of giving yourself to what you are anchored to faith in the gospel that He has set you free and reconciled you to God.