A Church Firmly Grounded in Faith in Christ (1)
[Colossians 2:1-7]
In the book "The Five Principles of Religious Reformation," Owen Strachan is quoted as saying: ‘To become a church that resounds with the glory of God, it must become a church centered on the Bible. The Word is the foundation of spiritual growth and the instrument that manifests the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16)’ (Strachan). The church established by the Lord is a Bible-centered church, and a Bible-centered church is one led by the guidance of the Scriptures. The promise of the Lord that our church holds onto is found in Matthew 16:18 - "...I will build my church." From this promise of the Lord, we must believe and be assured of two things: (1) Victory Presbyterian Church is the Lord’s church. Victory Presbyterian Church is not the church of any individual. In other words, Victory Presbyterian Church is a church led by the Lord, the head of the church. (2) Victory Presbyterian Church is the church established by the Lord. The message implied in this fact is that Victory Presbyterian Church cannot be built by us. In other words, the church of the Lord, Victory Presbyterian Church, can only be established by the Lord Himself. This statement means that Victory Presbyterian Church can only be built by the power and ability of the Lord. The grateful thing is that the Lord uses us, weak as we are, as tools to establish His church. This is God's complete grace. Therefore, when the Lord humbly uses us as instruments to build His church, we must obediently and humbly submit to His will.
Today's passage is Colossians 2:5 from the Modern Korean Bible: "For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." Focusing on this passage under the title "A Church Firmly Grounded in Faith in Christ," I would like to meditate on Colossians 2:1-7, seeking insights from the Lord on what it means for a church to be firmly grounded in faith in Christ. My hope is that we all receive valuable lessons and humbly participate in the Lord's work to establish Victory Presbyterian Church more firmly in the faith in Christ.
First, a church firmly grounded in faith in Christ is a church united in love.
Look at Colossians 2:1-2: "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love…" True beauty in the church lies in the unity of brothers and sisters dwelling together in the Lord. Psalms 133:1 states, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" David, the psalmist, compares the goodness and beauty of the unity of God's people, the church, to two things (vv. 2-3):
- "Like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes."
In modern terms, it can be expressed as, "It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes." This expression indicates that the oil poured on Aaron's head has a fragrant, rich, and spreading nature. Likewise, brotherly love poured by God is a love that is poured out and spreads.
- "Like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion."
Dew is crucial in Judah, and without it, the grass cannot thrive. Therefore, when David says that the dew of Hermon falls on the mountains of Zion, he is emphasizing the importance of dew. The analogy implies that true brotherly love is like dew descending from a high place like Mount Hermon and spreading, emphasizing that brotherly love is something poured down by God. David concludes with, "For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore" (v. 3b). This means that where there is God's love, the church can enjoy the blessing of eternal life.
In today's passage, Colossians 2:2a, the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the faithful saints of the Colossian church, expressed, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love." In the Modern Korean Bible, this is translated as, "I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love ...." Looking at the context of this statement in Colossians 2:1, the Apostle Paul, not only for the saints of the Colossian church but also for the saints of Laodicea (who were exposed to the same danger from false teachers, 4:16) and even those who had not seen Paul's face (including the people of Hierapolis, 4:13), expressed his earnest efforts and concern for them. Here, when the Apostle Paul said he was "struggling" or "greatly exerting himself" (the word is derived from the same root as the term "agony of conflict" used in Colossians 1:29, "I toil with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me"), he was working diligently through the empowering ability of the Holy Spirit within him. Paul's efforts were directed towards the saints of the Colossian church, Laodicea, and those who hadn't seen him. Ultimately, the reason behind Paul's exertion can be understood in two aspects:
- Paul desired that all these saints would find comfort in their hearts [(2:2) "that their hearts may be encouraged"].
Perhaps, given the challenges and dangers faced by these saints in the first century, Paul sought to provide comfort to their troubled hearts. Therefore, he diligently worked through the empowering ability of the comforting Holy Spirit within him to console and encourage the hearts of these saints. Paul aimed to strengthen, encourage, and reinforce all these saints through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Paul's efforts were for the unity of these church saints "being knit together in love" (2:2).
In Colossians 2:2, the phrase "being knit together in love" implies being woven together in love, suggesting a closer unity, a vital relationship, being welded together, forming a unibody. The reason for Paul's great exertion in promoting such love-centered unity was to protect these church communities from corruption and disruption caused by false teachings (KJV Bible Commentary).
The Lord promised in Matthew 16:18 to establish His church, and my earnest prayer is that the Lord would firmly establish our Victory Presbyterian Church as a church grounded in faith in Christ, a church united in the love of the Lord. I pray that we, together, hold onto the promise of the Lord with faith, continually pray for our church, and, like the Apostle Paul, diligently strive for this purpose. In other words, we must, through the empowering ability of the Holy Spirit working within us, "strive with all his energy" (as in Colossians 1:29) to safeguard and enhance the unity of the church in the love of the Lord (Ref.: Eph. 4:3). To achieve this, what specific steps should we take? Based on Philippians 2:2, I believe we should obey God's Word according to at least three principles:
- Unity of Heart:
We should have "one mind" (Phil. 2:2, Modern Korean Bible), meaning that we should embrace the mind of Jesus (v. 5).
- Pursuit of One Will:
We should seek "one accord" (v. 2, Modern Korean Bible), meaning that, like Jesus, we should pray, "Not my will, but Yours be done" (Lk. 22:42). We should surrender all our concerns to God, singing praises, saying, " My Jesus, as Thou wilt! All shall be well for me; Each changing future scene I gladly trust with Thee. Straight to my home above I travel calmly on; And sing, in life or death, My Lord, Thy will be done. Amen" (Hymn "My Jesus, as Thou Wilt," verse 3).
- Practice of Same Love:
We should have "the same love" (Phil. 2:2). This means adhering to Jesus' dual commandment—loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mt. 22:37, 39). In doing so, we avoid selfishness, treating our brothers and sisters with humility, considering others more highly than ourselves, and looking out for their interests (Phil. 2:3-4). Through this, we can live together in harmony (Ps. 133:1).