Preaching Christ like the Colossians
We began looking at the spiritual growth that Paul speaks of in Colossians, ‘of knowing Christ, living in fullness of Christ, and made alive in Christ,’ in Colossians 1 and will continue through the book seeking the wisdom that Paul imparts to believers who want to grow in stature of Christ.
Who Christ Is
From the start of this passage, Colossians 1:15-2:7, Paul focused in on Christ, the foundation of the gospel, the return to the basic thing that we believe. Here is an extensive list, from verse 15 to 22, one that perhaps we should take time to consider. It is an expression of Jesus’s humanity and divinity – that intertwining to understand in some small way who Jesus is.
The image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation, Creator, holding all things together, head of the body – the church, firstborn among the dead, the fullness of God dwelled in him while here on earth, he reconciled us to God by Christ himself. These eight descriptors of our Jesus are all true, all part of our belief in Christ and his power and work in reconciliation and love. Do you believe them, all?
We Preach Christ
Paul goes on to say that he has been called to share this great mystery of Christ in us, to share this list of descriptors that all may know who Christ is and what love he has for us that he reconciled us to God. Paul declares that it is Christ alone that we preach, that he works ‘to present everyone fully mature’ (Col. 1:28) though it is difficult and causes suffering, Christ is worth it.
Called by Christ
From Christ whom we preach, Paul turns to how he works at his calling. Col. 1:29 is remarkable because of the repetition of power and energy, seemingly the same ideas, ‘To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.’ The sentence opens with Paul who worked hard, contending, and struggling even in this work. But we must question – how can this be when we are not saved by works but by grace – so what is this extreme working that Paul does? We need to begin at the end of the phrase instead.
‘Christ so powerfully works in me’ is the starting point of the work that Paul does. This phrase refers directly to the miraculous power of the Spirit at work within me, from the Greek dunamis (Strong’s 1411). This is the powerful work in me, the Spirit who works to bring us to the person he designed us to be. The dynamite power of God, the Holy Spirit, has come into us to work to bring about our transformation into the being that God created us to be.
Let’s continue our backward trek and consider the phrase, ‘with all the energy’. This particular word is used several times in the New Testament and always refers to supernatural energy. According to HELPS Word-studies*, this energy ‘typically refers to God's energy which transitions the believer from point to point in His plan (accomplishing His definition of progress).’
Paul, infilled with the Spirit who works within him in sanctification, comes alongside, or works together with, the Spirit in power to progress toward God’s purpose or plan.
Each of us have this calling! We are each called to work with the Spirit who dwells within us to put on the character of Christ (sanctification) and to bring his will to fruition on the earth.
Spiritual Growth and its Outworking
Paul sums up spiritual growth and the outworking of that growth in this one verse. The power of the Spirit in us is also the power that fuels our outworking. You may be thinking… ‘Outworking? What do you mean?’ The inner working of Christ is too powerful to remain inner, it always shows evidence on the outside.
This external evidence of the inner working of the Spirit comes in many ways. It may be a new showing of the fruit of the Spirit, changes in our typical behavior-moving more inline with Christ’s character, hearing or understanding the teachings of the Spirit, a change in our understanding an empathy toward others, witnessing to others, providing extraordinary wisdom or understanding, knowing God better or more intimately, and the list goes on.
Encouragement
Paul continues his letter to the Colossians by saying that he is working in this same way for the people of Laodicea. He yearns for Christ to be the focus of the life of all the readers of the letter, the believers. He encourages the believers to carry on in Christ and as believers working with the Spirit of Christ, they will be strong in faith and full of thankfulness.
In some way, it seems we all preach Christ with our lives. While we live Christ, our lives teach or preach who we believe in. This preaching is the calling - our living with the Spirit in and through us. What a challenge!
Have you noted outworking in your life this year? I hope you’ll share in the in the comments.
