Day 8 of Knowing Him: An Easter Devotional (view all days)
[Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 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–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. (Colossians 1:17-23)
Anselm, writing in the eleventh century, raised a question: why did God become man? This is the enigma of Christ. His answer went like this: only man should pay the penalty for his sin (because sin is, after all, a mess that human beings have made), but only God could. A prophet dying on a cross would at most be a martyr and a model. But if Jesus Christ was really human, and also divine, his sacrifice had a human face on it, but it is a divine offering.
That is why a passage like Colossians 1 is so important. It speaks both of the person of Christ, and his work on our behalf. Regarding his person, “he is the image of the invisible God,” and “by him all things were created,” and “all God’s fullness” dwelt in Jesus.
And so, because of who he was, he was able to reconcile to God all things “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
On that most violent of all days in human history, God was reaching out to those who were alienated from him and at enmity with him. He offered us reconciliation so we could end up “holy in his sight, without blemish, and free from accusation.” Only God could do that.
Ponder This: What is something about yourself that you know only God could change?
[This daily devotional will appear through Easter. You may receive via email.]
After reading Brain Mclaren book “A New Kind of Christianity” I am struggling with the question.
Why didn’t Jesus address slavery? He spoke of being kind to your slaves, but never took the owners to task to free them or not havng slaes at all.
Glen
Wow, Mel, thanks. I’ve been reading all of these devotions and appreciating them but this one really touched me. Thanks!
Christ can only change in me- attitude towards others, people..and give to me a sight for others first and a serving heart..Not to be wondering ,,in one way or the other…”whats in this for me???”
He can only bring peace to me through him. Apart form him I have peace.
I pray and hope that God will some day soon, help me with the anger that I am feeling tours certain mankind, I have lived through certain situation that I saw people of power mistreat the meager, the immigrant and those less fortunate. I tried with all my might to him. I am still wondering if I could of done more. I shelter most of them from harm but the damage has been done prior to my arrival.
So I ask ………..why the injustice on those that can not define or defend themselves and my heart aches and I cry because of that. I ask god to take away the pain and the anger that I now have . Life is not fair sometime………….we need to take a stand and fight against the abuse on the immigrants, children and the elderly.
Lord forgive me for the anger that I have inside and lead my closer to you once again.
Amen!!
Only God can change our attitude and the way we think. He is the one who works with us from the inside out. When we change our attitude we see the world in different eyes.
There is nothing, nothing God couldn’t or wouldn’t change for me. He loves me. He has been closer than a brother in everyway I have ever gone. He delivers, defends and is the Master who creates for me. I can not do anything without God in Christ Jesus and there is nothing He wouldn’t do for me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. How wonderful is that? It is for my children and grandchildren that I wish to display His provision and love and protection and guidance. And to show His great salvation and transformation to them and to the very scaird world’s people we now live among. He is the Rock of My Salvation. I want Him to be shown as the Rock of their’s too.
My anger.
Praising GOD!
Jesus Christ! What an amazing Gift of Love!
The self which seeks to destroy me; acustomed to complete control over the years, only God can change that. The human form of Christ encourages me that it is possible as a human to get there. It takes the spirit to understand. thank you for explaining.
Only God can change my insecurity!
My bravery to talk and speak His word more openly. I really do not have a problem in action but it is in speaking His words to others. I work on this daily and He knows when to change this problem. I will work on this and wait for Him.
I don’t think God wants to change me but I know He wants me to love myself as He does. He encourages me not to doubt myself because He doesn’t. He doesn’t worry about me therefore, He doesn’t want me to worry and I know He wants me to know He is with me always so I need not feel insecure and alone.
My sin nature!
God came and did a work on me, just in the time I needed it, though I didn’t know I did.
I used to hate me. Thought I was too fat, too big of a nose, too many freckles, not pretty.
He came in gloriously and worked through my heart and made me see how He thinks of me, which is a totally different view of what I thought of me.
He did the most wonderful thing: He changed me on the inside and that reflected on the outside. Praise the Lord for His everlasting goodness!
God took someone who was on the brink of suicide because of unending pain from a car accident and turned it into the sweetest salvation. He delivered me from a debilitating fear of death that had been my constant “companion” since childhood, though I had never understood where that fear came from. It’s unexplainable, that instant conversion. He gave me boldness that I never had and this hunger and passion for the lost. I had always been content to stay in the background, someone without any self-worth or self-confidence, afraid to speak because I was always worried that someone would actually look at me and maybe even speak to me. What mercy, what love…..Praise the Lord oh my soul!!!
everything….nothing is of myself or for myself. If intents lean that way, only God redirect my path
Well i know i’am not perfect but i strive for perfection, so i ask the Lord to shape me and mold me into what he wants me to be so i can better be fit to serve him in his kingdom In Jesus Name. Amen
Well He started with the alcohol and major drugs approximately 24 or so years ago. He made them no longer work for me : ) Thank You God!!! I still did not recognize that it was Jesus that was doing this in me for too many years. But He is long suffering for sure and is always there when we finally reach out either in desperation or gratitude! Mine was in desperation and believe it or not it still took me years to recognize Who it is that I speak of today. The ALL in ALL Jesus My Christ, Always ready to say Come Unto Me… Awesome IS God! I Love You Father God, Holy Spirit, Savior, LORD Christ JESUS!!!
When He called me unto True Repentance of an unbeliever, to a Child of the living God. Only he could do that God.
GOD is awesome and only GOD can be kind and benevolent to have overlooked our ‘heinous’ sins (while knee-deep in it), up to the level of total forgiveness! HE is worthy of our gratitude,adoration praises and adoration. I pray that I be like JESUS, in HIS name, amen. I am humbled.
Only God can show where he wants me to be,what he wants me to be doing,who he wants me to be with. This is the peace he wants for each of us.
Something about me that only God could change.
Really it’s everything, isn’t it? I sat with hands folded to determine what only God could change, and in truth, there’s nothing I can change myself. Nothing. I am self serving, and weak. I, like a child, want what I want. (To do, to have, to say….)
Thank you Father that You alone can change me and are willing to, if I but surrender to your perfect will for me and my life..
Thank you for that blessed assurance…..
Only God can change me, my anger, my pity parties, my self-righteousness, everything about me only God can change. On my own I can do nothing. I thank God for being who He is and for loving even me enough to send His Son to pay for my sins.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% human at the same time – not 50% God and 50% human. This is the awesome mystery which He demonstrated when He walked on this earth, suffered and died on the cruel cross for our sins and rose again on Easter morning and is now in our midst as the Holy Spirit. Hallelulia!
God reached out to me through this bible study one day to touch me and tell me that everything will be ok. My family and I are having some significant challenging times right now and will be for the next year. I broke down in tears as I realized that God himself reached out to touch me and to let me know he was there. I am crying as I write this because of his beautiful love towards us all. Have a blessed Easter my brothers and sisters. Everything will be ok because Jesus is in charge.