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COLOSSIANS - Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Studies in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians

Part 1 - The Foundations of Christian Faith (Colossians 1:1-29)

Background 1 - The apostolic blessing


Grace to you
and peace
from God our Father
and
the Lord Jesus Christ

(Rom. 1:7)

This apostolic assurance occurs, with small variation and supplement, in every one of the thirteen letters of Paul in the New Testament: ( 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phil. 3) These words of blessing point to the content of all the sermons, letters , and prayers of the Apostle Paul. More than that he did not want to say. With these words he offered the churches the entire substance of his gospel. (Only in this letter to the Colossians is the last part of the apostolic greeting missing).

Grace

Grace from God, with modification, is also mentioned in other religions, such as in Islam. It mainly refers to something pleasant in the life of a person (na´iman) that he assents to (na´m), such as paradise (al-Na´im) being the goal of his dreams. Mohammed addressed his Muslims as “those shown grace to” (ana´mta aleihim), and saw in his marriage to the wife of his adopted son, Zeid, a grace of Allah (Sura Al-Ahzab 33:37).

To start, Paul witnessed to no special gift of God´s grace, but rather, of a pardon for sinners, which amounted to a legal sensation in the historical unfolding of God´s plan of salvation. Paul saw in the grace of the triune God the remission of all sins, the wiping away of shame, an eternally valid justification, and a spotless display of the cleansed sinner. For the apostle, these facts of salvation represented the basis and mystery of divine grace.

The justification arising from God´s grace is freely given to sinners, and cannot be paid for with prayer, fasting, pilgrimages or almsgiving. Even so-called “good works” do not suffice to attain the grace of God. Paul himself had studied the Law of Moses and blamelessly kept its 613 commands, while at the same time bloodily persecuting the Christian churches in Jerusalem. He had not recognized the free grace of God. However, when he, in the commission of the Sanhedrin, travelled to Damascus to destroy the churches there the Lord Jesus appeared to him in radiant glory. He spoke to him, answered him, and appointed him, the persecutor of His church, to become the apostle to the nations. He was, from then on, to bring the gospel to the world. Paul recognized that he had been freely saved from the wrath and judgment of God by grace alone.

This grace does not only consist in the forgiveness of individual sins, nor does it rest entirely upon the cleansing of concrete violation of God´s law. Much more, this grace involves a complete unfolding of its totality. Each and every sin of a condemned sinner is immediately wiped away by the grace of God, sin committed both intentionally and unintentionally, sin confessed and unconfessed, original sin as well as all that causes us to fall short of the glory of God (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 3:23). The grace of God is what gives sinners a comprehensive cleansing of their entire being (Psalm 103:3).

This free and unlimited justification of a sinner by the grace of God is, however, not only intended for Christians, whether pious or merely baptized. Rather, it also includes Jews and Muslims, heathen and Buddhists, Communists and atheists. These have, for the most part, not recognized their right to God´s grace or, in their spiritual blindness, have fanatically rejected it. Yet the unlimited edict of God´s grace is freely offered to all people on earth. The question remains: Who thanks God for this privilege and trusts Him for His love?

Grace does not spring up from some passing whim of God, nor is it a result of His sympathy for some privileged criminal. Rather, it is intended for all and meant to last forever (Ex. 33:19). It does happen that the justified sinner, against his own will, falls again into sin. Yet the Lord remains faithful to him, for He has concluded a covenant of grace with him. Although we seem to have hardly understood it, we are living in the age of grace, and not in the age of the law. “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you (Isaiah 54:8, 10; Luke 4:19).

How did God´s grace come about? Alone through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ! John the Baptist, immediately following the baptism of the Son of Mary, testified: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Paul witnessed the following: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…and has committed to us the word of reconciliation…For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him “ (2 Cor. 5:19-21). With this confession the missionary to the nations confirmed the foundation of his statement of faith: “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:22-24). The Apostle John described this truth of salvation in the same way: “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world!” (1 John 2:2). We read in his mini-gospel of consolation from the grace of God for all: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

Be with you!

With these words the Apostle Paul testified in accordance with a Semitic understanding of language: This grace now belongs to you! It is not only promised you, but is also offered as your own personal privilege. It is something you possess already, having been given you as a merciful gift of God´s grace. This privilege is realized in the one who believes this truth. The one who doesn´t believe or in a self-satisfied manner fails to trouble himself over grace, hardens his own heart. The right of grace stands open to all who will repent and turn back from their sin. The Apostle John testified: “He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18). The grace of God is great and comprehensive. It needs, however, to be affirmed, accepted, believed, and transformed into a spirit of gratitude and worship. Every check needs to be signed by its recipient or else it remains worthless, even though it offers a legal and safeguarded sum. Whoever fails to appropriate the gift of God´s grace destined for him remains eternally lost. Give thanks to God for the atoning death of Jesus in your place, and believe that His faithfulness never ends.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we worship You, for the Apostle Paul assured all readers of his letters that the grace and power of Your love is, for the sake of Jesus´ sacrificial death on the cross, already theirs. You have freely promised it to them. Help us come to a firm faith, a joyous thanksgiving, and the will to hold strongly to Your unending great grace amid all the trials and temptations of life. Amen.

Question 8: What does the statement “grace to you” mean in the New Testament?

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