Praying Always For You .....

1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 ¶ We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Isn't Paul's words beautiful in Colossians Chapter 1 : ??

He wants these precious Saints to know how God works !! Paul realized they would come to know Christ and His Will only because they had a revelation of the grace of God in Truth. Not vice versa, ie.. if I work hard, then I will somehow earn grace, and come to know grace ... No,, Paul's confidence and giving of thanks for these saints was such an encouragement to them!!

Incidentally, if you put your confidence in something you can work to achieve , then it is not grace at all, but only human goodness. (No man can in any way enter the kingdom of Heaven by this route )

It seems his message is one where he prays for them in the hopes that they will have an enduring faith (like being able to endure the unendurable). This would only be possible because they had truly heard and cast all their confidence on the enduring message of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Grace of God in Truth.

He is not condemning them nor demanding of them that they conform and get their act together, is he? What a tremendous example he gives us all of the quiet confidence a Saint such as you or I should demonstrate to those who are without, those who have not tasted of the Lord's salvation wrought only by grace, not by works. Oh Come and See the Lord our God, whose mercy truly endureth forever and ever. ....

Paul's words are so encouraging, filled with such hope! He sounds very confident that they have received a tremendous grace. Therefore he is assuring them that whatever endurance will be necessary to endure, they will endure, not because they have got their neat perfect doctrines orderly, no, ... because instead they understand the absolute grace necessary for the salvation of all mankind.

Paul had this revelation.

The prodigal son, returning from a life of riotous living, had a knowledge of the Father's Love and Forgiveness (his Father's grace). He became the son who was clothed with the Robe (of righteousness) the ring (sign of authority) and the shoes (gospel of peace). Much to the lamenting of the self righteous son however, who believe he somehow had earned and was deserving of His Father's precious inheritance. Today, is it possible we are seeing the same? Are we seeing the church, returning unto the Lord to understand grace? Yes, we are seeing the return of a bride of Christ, much the same way the prodigal son returned, who will this time return to Christ with a full appreciation of His Son. The lukewarm apostate church, however, like the son who never left the father, did not have the value and appreciation that the weayward prodigal son (wilderness church) now desires. It was the wayward son that had the revelation of the Father's love and forgiveness, having "wasted his substance with riotous living". The self righteous somehow think they are truly deserving and fail to appreciate the gift the Father gave of the Son.


Imagine how much the reality of these precious words to this church at Colosse must have impacted these Saints, exhorting them to endure and continue to look unto Jesus as the Author and Finisher of His Faith.

God's prayer it seems in these scriptures is not to labour & work hard in the hopes of getting it right, istead it is come to know the Lord, that through that revelation (of knowing who he was & is and how He is working in their lives) somehow through that simple revelation, they would enter into His Kingdom and be participating in the life and witness that only He can produce on this earth.

Jesus was and still is trying to help the merely religious fakes and those blinded to the knowledge of His love and grace to come to truly know Him. Because of His great love for all, and for these as well, He wants to deliver us all of this mindset; from the thinking that we could ever get to a place where we devalue His grace.