Colossians 2: 6 – 19

Feb. 3, 2022

Sigh. Try though I may, I seem to have messed up again. Mea culpa. If you have a copy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, go to page xiv – or any page in the Psalms and Lessons section – and look at the typeface. I use a magnifying glass to be able to read the day’s New Testament reading and I even use a straight edge sheet of paper to line up the correct day with the correct reading and STILL got it wrong! What’s that old bumper sticker? “Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet”. Sigh, evidently He’s not finished with me, either. Sigh. My apologies.

6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Contemplate this verse: 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead

It’s almost more than we can even conceive of. Buried with Jesus and risen with Him. How is this so? By the operation of God. For God so loved the world – that He gave us the opportunity to be baptized, and buried, with Jesus, so that we could be risen as He is risen.

God has given us the only true win/win situation. Be baptized and join the family of believers AND be risen at the Second Coming of Jesus. There is nothing else on earth that can come even remotely close to what we are offered and given in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

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