We're going to read today's Bible passage now from Colossians chapter 2, starting at verse 6 and through to verse 23 at the end of the chapter.
So starting at Colossians chapter 2, verse 6.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to the human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been fulfilled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you who were dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities, and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him.
Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the head from which the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations?
Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, referring to things that all perish as they are used, according to human precepts and teachings.
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Question to get you thinking this morning.
Is Australian culture, do you think, less religious, less spiritually shaped than it was, say, 50 or 100 years ago?
Is it more anti-Christian?
Now, I suspect, seeing the responses of some of you, you might be thinking to yourself, is he serious?
Of course it's much less religious.
Not only is it less religious, but it's aggressively anti-religious and specifically anti-Christian.
And you can understand that because hardly a day passes without hearing on the news or on papers or wherever you get your news feeds from.
Hardly a day passes without somebody claiming that religion is always the problem.
It's never the solution.
It's a bit of a catch cry almost.
A go-to position for so many so quickly.
Well, you know, in spite of all that, I would argue that the cultural air we breathe in Australia is more religious than it's been in the past.
It's more spiritually shaped than it has ever been, I would argue.
And that's true even as it increasingly and aggressively rejects historic Bible-based Christianity.
So, Christianity is on the nose.
Bible-based Christianity is on the nose.
But that doesn't make us any less religious as a nation.
In fact, I think we're more religious.
So, a little bit, if you come with me in a little bit of a word study.
The word religion comes from the Latin word re-ligari.
It's printed in your outline there, if you can't pick up my accent.
And the word re-ligari means to rebind, to tie back together something that's become disconnected, separated.
And the reason why you re-ligari is so it becomes complete and healthy again.
It restores well-being.
And in the middle of that word re-ligari is the word that we get the word ligament from.
A ligament is a strong sinew that holds bonds together to give our skeletons structure and integrity.
So, religion, therefore, is a person's search for reconnection into our universe in a way that's meaningful.
It gives purpose, meaning.
It gives ultimate well-being.
And it gives completeness as a person.
So, using that definition of religion, hopefully you're starting to think,
Oh, actually, I can see that now.
People are very religious.
That's very much a front of mind task for people.
Most commonly, it's a search to connect the human and the divine.
So that a person can die without fear of being rejected by God.
But it's not always like that.
Some people refuse to admit or even countenance the idea of a supreme being that we would call God.
But even they create their own form of religion.
Because they also are on the search for meaning and purpose and well-being and completeness.
They might reject any notion of a supreme being, but they're going to create their own form of religion.
And that religion might well be a passion for science.
That's where I find my meaning and purpose and well-being.
Or it might be shopping.
You can see all around Australia today, people are in the temples worshipping with a passion.
The shopping centres.
It could be travel.
It could be sex.
It could be volunteering.
It could be animal and human rights causes.
It could be social media, self-promotion, so you make yourself your God and worship yourself.
Or it could be a thousand other things.
But they're all religions in the sense that people are passionately committed to them and engaged in them
because they hope that those things will deliver meaning and purpose and a sense of well-being and completeness in life.
But many still, of course, look to supernatural beings.
They might reject the God of the Bible, but they still look to a host of supernatural beings.
Some of them are just fanciful.
But people want a beating heart at the centre of our universe.
They don't want just a mechanistic world, the world of science.
They want something warm, relational.
And so they reject the God of the Bible, but they're still looking for some sort of supreme being out there that they can relate to.
And, of course, that's how long is a piece of string once you start to go down that rabbit hole.
But whatever form it takes, I would also suggest this.
That at a practical level, self-made religion is like a bucket full of holes.
It leaks.
And it constantly needs to be topped up.
And I think that describes and explains why our society is so restless, so discontent,
so constantly focused and absorbed and expending our energy in the new experience.
That thing that's going to be better and better replaces that which has been in the past.
People always looking and needing for a top-up, some new expression, some new affirmation of meaning and purpose.
Because the bucket we put our hopes in leaks.
And leaks badly.
And into this smorgasbord or buffy approach to life where people grab a bit of this and a bit of that in the search for completeness or authenticity,
finding true self, whatever that is,
into that we see in sharp contrast to it,
God's gospel message.
Which is
that Jesus
is the person
every person is looking for.
Jesus
is the ligament
which connects us back into relationship with God
and delivers the meaning and purpose and the well-being and the completeness
that we're all searching for
in one form or another.
But I need to add quickly here,
the gospel is not another religion.
That's the uniqueness of the gospel.
It's not about what people do for God
or to try and allay our fear for God by things we do.
No, the gospel is about what God does for us.
It's the total opposite of religion.
It's about what God has done for me
and continues to do in me
through Jesus.
And the gospel says,
and we'll see it now as we jump into Colossians,
the gospel said that
God in Jesus has done everything
needed for me and you
and anybody else in this world
to reconnect
to God perfectly
and forever.
The gospel of Jesus, therefore,
is a full bucket
full to the brim
with no leaks,
no holes.
We respond simply by living
in the light of his promise and grace.
And that's what Paul wants
these believers at Colossae
to understand.
And so throughout his letter,
and we're well into it now,
throughout his letter,
he's just saying this one thing
over and over again.
I've used the illustration of a diamond
with all the facets in a diamond.
There's one gospel diamond
Paul wants us to understand.
But as he goes through,
his repetition isn't complete.
He just turns the diamond
each time he goes through the cycle
and another facet of the gospel
shines and glitters and strikes us.
And we see the same
as we jump into verse 6 of chapter 2
where Paul says,
therefore,
so that's a summary
based on what I've already said,
says Paul.
Therefore,
as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in him
or so live in him.
Now,
we've seen this pattern right through.
Paul starts with
what is already true
based on the past,
what God has already done
for them in Christ.
And on the basis of that,
then he says,
this is what it means
for now and for the future,
for how you live.
Their walk
or their daily lifestyle
now and into the future,
says Paul,
ought to be in total sync
with the beginnings
of your spiritual walk,
your spiritual life.
When you became a believer
in Jesus,
that very,
the very same things
that are important then
ought now
to be the things
that are important
in your daily life.
It was grace
and faith
back then,
grace and faith
now
and into the future.
Taking God
at his word
back then,
believing as promises
of forgiveness
and renewal
from the inside out.
That's how you became
a Christian.
That's what it is
to live as a Christian.
And verse 7,
Paul uses two metaphors
or two picture words
to make us point powerfully.
The first one is
rooted in Christ.
It's an agricultural picture.
In other words,
in the past,
says Paul,
by God's grace
and through Jesus' death
and resurrection,
you were organically
joined to Jesus
as inseparably
as roots are
to a tree.
The secret of thriving now
is knowing
that you're rooted
in Jesus
and he is the source
of life
and vitality.
And then the second metaphor
is built up in him.
It's a construction metaphor.
In the past,
Jesus became
the foundation.
When they became Christians,
Jesus became
their foundation
upon which
they now rest
and the superstructure,
which is the house,
is emerging,
is building
and growing.
And of course,
we know
that the shape
of the foundations
ultimately shape
and define
the building
that grows on them
or is put on them.
And then Paul
goes on and says,
established in the faith
just as you were taught.
Again,
he's pulling those
two picture words
together
and he's saying,
look,
everything you are
as a believer,
everything you are
as a believer
was actually settled
in the past
when you became
a believer.
when you first
heard and responded
to the truth
of the gospel
and remember
back in chapter 1,
that truth
was presented to them
by Epaphras
and Paul's now
affirming
and standing
alongside Epaphras
and said,
yeah,
there only is one
gospel truth.
Epaphras told you,
I'm telling you again.
and that includes
both the unseen
spiritual realities
of being organically
connected to Christ
and the visible
practical outworking
of that reality
in this daily life
as the building
emerges and grows.
Everything
is in Jesus.
All of God's grace,
all of God's renewing
power to them
in Jesus,
prompted them,
the last verse 7,
to abound
or the word
is overflow.
Same idea.
Well, the word's abound
but the picture
is overflow, sorry.
It just,
when you grasp this,
says Paul,
you yourselves
know the response.
You just overflow
with thanksgiving.
You recognize
you're enjoying
the fullness
or the completeness
which is yours
in and through Jesus.
Your saviour
and your lord
and thanks
and thanksgiving
is just the natural response.
God has done it for you.
You've received it
as a gift.
Wow.
So Jesus was
their complete saviour.
So they can now say,
our reality
as believers
is that we are
in Christ.
His work for them
in his death
and resurrection
was totally sufficient.
Totally sufficient
as we've seen
in past weeks
to transfer them
from the domain
of darkness
into the kingdom
of his light,
of his son
in light and life.
To qualify them now
to have an inheritance
with Christ
in heaven.
That's how sufficient
the work of Jesus was.
Totally sufficient
for everything they need
to be back
in perfect
forever relationship
with God.
He was their
complete saviour.
But also,
going back to chapter 1,
he was their absolute lord.
So that they could say
as we saw last week,
not only am I in Christ,
but Christ is in me.
In other words,
Jesus has taken up
residence
in his renewed people.
Marie demonstrated
it wonderfully there
with colour and water
this morning.
Jesus has taken up
residence
in his renewed people
through his Holy Spirit
so that his saved people
are forever united
with Christ.
And that union
with Christ
is so complete
that as we saw
in past weeks,
God now views us
as being like Christ
and promises
that when we finally
get to be home
with Christ,
we will be
completely like Christ
and free from
every vestige of sin.
Now,
I just want to pause
there for a moment
because those two things
have to go together.
If we said
that Christ's death
was sufficient
for everything we needed,
but wasn't applied
to us
and guaranteed to us
by union with Christ,
then the sufficiency
of Christ
would not give us
any great comfort
or security.
We need them both.
If, on the other hand,
we said,
well,
we've got union
with Christ,
but then there's
a question over
how sufficient
and how complete
Christ's death
was to deal with sin
and restore us
to a relationship
with God,
then there would also
be uncertainty for us.
But you see,
we've got both.
We're united with Christ
whose death
was totally sufficient
for us,
Saviour and Lord,
the complete package
or fullness in him,
as the verses
9 and 10 say.
Paul's emphasis
could not be stronger.
And the practical
outworking of that
is,
as you began,
as you have begun
your new life
in Jesus
in the past,
so you're to continue
to grow in Jesus.
You began with Jesus,
grace and faith.
You continue with Jesus,
grace and faith.
Now,
as believers,
I think we're often
guilty of focusing
more on becoming
a Christian,
focusing on Jesus
as Saviour
rather than on
continuing
in Christ,
demonstrating
Jesus as Lord.
I think we actually,
for various reasons,
which I don't have time
to get into this morning,
we actually might like
the notion of Saviour
because of what it offers us
more than the concept
of Lord,
which demands of us.
But the two are inseparable.
Paul won't allow
a separation.
Becoming a believer,
complete Saviour,
is not the end of the road,
it's just the start
of the road
of living under
the absolute Lord.
And that leads us
into the second question.
Each week in this series
we've been repeating
a question,
a second question.
What prevents us
from experiencing
fullness
or completeness
in Christ?
Well, each week
we've seen
the answer is actually
relatively simple
to understand.
A bit more tricky
to apply in our lives,
but simple to understand.
Given what Paul said
in 6 and 7,
the answer has to be
not living,
what prevents us
from experiencing
fullness?
Well,
not living
in the light of
who we are
in Jesus.
not utilizing
the resources
which are already ours
by virtue of
being in Christ
and Christ
in us.
But positively,
the life of faith
is staying
totally focused
on Jesus
for our fullness
and completeness.
in other words,
keeping clear
in our mind
that the bucket
we have,
the gospel bucket
of Jesus
is full to the brim
and doesn't leak.
we don't need
to add something
to Jesus.
We don't need
to wander off
down some other path
which seems to be
the case in Colossae
where there was
some group saying,
well look,
no you need a new
and better experience.
Well Jesus was great
to start with,
but somehow
you need to move
beyond that
to a deeper
experience,
perhaps a separate
experience,
a second experience.
Paul says,
no,
your bucket's
already full.
And here's
the problem we see.
If
with this picture language
the bucket's
already full
because of what
Jesus has done
for us
and is doing
in us,
then as we try
to add something
to that bucket
we actually
displace
something that's
already in it.
So if we try
and add something
to the gospel
bucket of what
Jesus has done
for us
and continues
to do in us,
then we're actually
displacing some
aspect of what
Jesus has already
done or is doing
in us,
which is essentially
to trash the gospel.
Diminish God's
gospel.
And Paul warned
against this in
verses 8 through
23.
And a lot of
this is illustrative,
so I'm going to
cover it very,
very quick.
Well,
do I do anything
very quickly,
you say.
I'm going to try
and cover it as
quickly as I can.
As we've said
over the last few
weeks,
as Christians,
I've said that to
myself more recently.
I have to keep
remembering to preach
the gospel to myself
because I forget it.
I forget the basics.
How quickly do I
forget the basics
and how extremely
do I forget the
basics?
And that's what
Paul's doing in
these verses 8
through to 23.
So I'm turning
into a couple of
questions.
8 through to 15.
Who captivates
your walk
or your life?
If you look at
verse 8,
Paul says,
say to it that
no one takes you
captive by philosophy
and empty deceit
according to human
tradition,
according to the
elemental spirits
of the world
and not
according to
Christ.
Whose pathway
are you walking?
Paul gives us
only two options
here.
Either you're
walking in the
light of who you
already are in
Christ,
filled to the
brim,
totally filled,
satisfied and
focused on Jesus'
promises,
or you're
cutting your own
pathway according
to tradition and
the things of the
world.
Pretty stark
options,
aren't they?
either we're
wandering along,
trusting our own
wisdom,
and of course,
if you've done
any bushwalking,
Alice and I,
even when we were
last holidays,
we were chatting
away and we were
walking and suddenly
I realized we were
following an animal
track.
It wasn't a form
track at all.
We were just
wandering,
trusting Alison's
wisdom.
And I suddenly
realized she'd got
me lost,
even though I was
in front.
You can do that
when you're Irish.
It's follow me,
I'll be right behind
you.
That works when
you're Irish.
You just get more
and more lost,
and when you're
wandering,
you don't even
realize how lost
you are.
Or,
allowing ourselves
to be deceived,
we can be taken
captive by some
other interesting
or convincing
religious notion
about where to
find an authentic,
satisfying life.
It's crazy when
Paul puts the
options like that.
Verses 9 and 10.
It's crazy to try
to cut your own
pathway to God
because we already
have fullness.
We already share
his character.
We already share
in all he has
done for us.
We already share
in all he has
won for us,
including victory
over the guilt
and power of sin
and demonic forces
who would try
and make us
take our eyes
off Jesus
and put them
onto our daily
sin and failures.
With the object
of that being
that we live
in fear
that our sin
will keep us
from God
and we'll
experience God's
ultimate rejection.
Look at
verses 9 and 10.
For in him
the whole fullness
of deity
dwells bodily
and you have
been filled
in him
who is the
head of all
rule and
authority.
In him,
oh that's,
yeah,
alright,
there you go.
Again,
it would be crazy
to cut your
own pathway
trying to
create for
yourself,
trying to
fill the
bucket for
yourself
when Jesus
said,
hey,
I've already
given you
a bucket,
so it's
full to the
brim.
Verse 11,
12.
The imagery
here gets a
little bit more
complicated at
first glance,
but I think
I'm going to
take a very
simple line
to cut through
it.
it's crazy
to try and
cut your own
pathway to
God,
because in
Jesus we
already have
the closest
form of
identity and
relationship
and being
set apart.
We've already
been,
as the text
here says,
circumcised
spiritually.
Paul says,
in him also
you were
circumcised
with a
circumcision
made without
hands,
by putting
off the
body of
flesh by
the circumcision
of Christ.
having been
buried with
him in
baptism,
in which
you are
also raised
with him
through faith
in the
powerful
working of
God,
who raised
him from
the dead.
Circumcision
for God's
people before
Jesus was
the visible
mark of
being God's
specially
loved and
accepted
person,
being in
God's
community
and safe.
life.
Well,
Paul's
saying,
look,
why would
you cut
your own
pathway to
safety and
identity when
you have it
in Christ
already?
Verses 12
through to 15.
Again,
they pick up
the baptism
thing in
verse 12.
and you
who were
dead in
your
trespasses
and sin
and the
uncircumcision
of your
flesh.
God made
alive together
with him
have forgiven
us all our
trespasses,
all our
trespasses,
by cancelling
the record of
debt that
stood against
us with
its legal
demands.
This he set
aside,
nailing it
to the
cross.
He disarmed
the rulers and
authorities and
put them to
open shame
by triumphing
over them
in him.
It's crazy
to try and
cut your own
pathway to
God because
in Christ
all need
for religious
activity
in the hope
of making
yourself
acceptable to
God is
removed.
Why would
you go down
the rabbit
hole of some
sort of
religious
activity?
Things I
do,
things I
say,
places I
go,
festivals I
keep,
when Jesus
has done
it all
for you
on the
cross.
We don't
need to
do more
because his
death is
sufficient.
We just
need to
accept and
understand and
live in the
light of.
Baptism was
a picture of
identification
and renewal.
The person
goes down
into the
water,
it's a
picture of
being washed
or even
more extreme
dying as
you go into
the water.
The end of
this particular
orientation of
life.
Then you
come back up
out of the
water and
it's a
picture of
newness of
life or
an orientation
no longer
connected to
the old
life.
The two
have been
completely
separated.
You've
moved from
one arena
to the
other.
That's
what we
already have
in the
gospel.
Move from
the domain
of darkness
and the
guilt of
sin and the
accusation
that would
rightly have
been leveled
against us.
You've got a
big problem
before God.
Now in
Jesus,
no accusation.
I don't have a
problem in
God because
Jesus has
dealt with
it.
We've got
complete
identification
with God.
Total
disconnect
from our
old life
of rebellion.
Completely
new
identification,
new
orientation,
new life
in and
for God.
My friends,
the bucket's
full.
There's
nothing else
we can
add
without
displacing
something that
Jesus already
put there.
So keep
your eyes
on Jesus.
Follow
his
footprints.
don't
get
yourself
lost
wandering
around.
Trusting
your own
wisdom is
better than
what Jesus
already said
to you.
Don't
allow others
to run
you off
the road
and cause
you to
crash and
burn because
they're trying
to add
things to
the bucket
that's
already
full.
The
second
question
then,
out of
this
second
question,
whose
rules do
you measure
your
spiritual
health
and
maturity
by?
Picking
up verse
16 through
to 23.
How do
you measure
your
spiritual
health,
your
maturity?
This
question is
the one
that torpedoes
so many
of us as
Christians from
time to
time.
And I can
tell you,
it's one
that's
torpedoing,
causing
Christians here
this morning
to crash and
burn on a
daily basis.
whose
rules are
you measuring
your
spiritual
health and
well-being
by?
Again,
Paul offers
only two
options.
Either
spiritual
health will
be measured
by what
so-called
wise
religious
people demand,
and we'll
see the
details of
that in
these verses,
or it's
measured
according to
what Christ
says,
what Jesus
says.
And again,
the contrast
means it's
Paul saying,
look, it's
absolutely
crazy to
submit
yourself to
a spiritual
audit from
those who
might sound
super
spiritual,
but who
really have
no substance
at all,
who are
focused on
things that
are on the
outside,
things that
in the end
can never
get to our
real problem
of our
hearts.
So that
would be
crazy.
You polish
up the
outside,
says,
Paul,
so what?
It's
useless,
puts you
through a
lot of
pain,
a lot of
trouble,
but it
does
nothing to
change
your
heart,
and it's
our
heart that
the Lord
looks at.
So you'd
be crazy to
go down that
pathway.
It might
sound terrific,
it might give
you some sense
of control,
well,
these people
say,
if I do
this and
this,
then I'm
in control
of my own
destiny.
Well,
it's a
shadow,
says Paul.
There's no
substance to
that.
There's no
value in
it.
Your
bucket's
already
full.
God.
Why go
to these
people,
verse 19,
when you
can go
straight to
the top,
go straight
to the
head,
and get
it from
his lips,
get the
real
spiritual
audit from
his lips.
Why?
Who better
to know what
the body
needs than
the head?
We're back
to this
organic
connection
again.
Jesus
is actually
described there
through its
joints and
ligaments.
The body
has structure
because
Jesus is
the ligament
that connects
us to
the head,
which is
the fullness
of deity
living in
Christ.
It's a
picture of
complete
structural
integrity,
a complete
healthy
body.
Pleasing
God and
growing steadily
to maturity.
Friends,
this is such
an important
point,
such an
important
point,
but you
know what?
And I say
this for
myself as
well.
Obviously,
we haven't
yet taken
it on
board,
not
consistently.
And the
reason I
know that
in my own
life is
because of
the things
that distract
me,
the things
I worry
about,
I'm
trying to
fill a
bucket that's
got leaks
in it,
rather than
just looking
at that
bucket brimming
full,
the overflowing
that's already
mine in
Christ.
So I'll just
finish with a
couple of
encouragements.
In this,
these last
few verses,
there's a play
on shadows
and substance.
Well, I
say to you
this morning,
don't live
in the
shadows.
Don't live
in the
shadows when
we can
live in
the substance
of Jesus.
Don't live
as a
derelict
in a
slum,
thinking that
you have
to be
religious,
thinking that
you have to
work constantly
to reconnect
yourself to
God,
to top up
the bucket,
to create
the good
life of
completeness.
When Christ
says to you,
what are you
doing?
Even if you
did that for
the rest of
your life,
it would never
be enough to
make yourself
acceptable to
God.
And besides
that,
why would you
do that
whenever I
want to give
you a full
bucket as a
free gift?
more
personally,
don't live
in the
shadows,
fearful that
your ongoing
sin and
failure means
you're not
saved.
There are
folk here this
morning who
are just
traumatized by
that day
and night,
maybe more
so at night.
Don't live
in the
shadows,
fearful that
your ongoing
sin and
failures mean
you're not
saved.
Don't live
in the
shadows
despairing
because you're
not sorry
enough for
your sin.
Don't live
in the
shadows
thinking that
because your
thoughts of
God are not
pure enough
and your
trust in God
is not
strong enough
and your
knowledge of
God is not
big enough.
Look at
the bucket.
filled to the
brim.
Sufficiency
of your
Savior and
the absoluteness
of your
Lord who
says,
you are my
beloved
child.
So the
problem with
doing that
is that the
bucket that's
already full,
you think you're
going forward
but you're
actually going
backwards
because the
more you
try to add
stuff to the
full bucket
of the
gospel,
the more
you're
displacing what
Jesus has
already done.
And
finally,
more of a
church application,
church family
application.
Church family,
don't live in the
shadows with a
sense of
embarrassment or
inferiority
because our
church family
doesn't have all
the bells and
whistles that
other groups
might have and
promote as the
evidence of a
healthy,
mature church.
They might be
healthy,
mature churches
but not because
of the bells and
whistles they
promote.
don't live in
that shadow,
fearful or
embarrassed or
with a sense of
inferiority.
When Jesus
tells us from
his word
clearly that
the truly
healthy church
is the one
where Jesus
is taught
and lived
out before
one another
in love,
we saw that
from the very
first week back
in chapter 1
verse 6 and 7
and that's a
tough gig to
live that out
in love and
to live it out
before a
watching world
so the
watching world
thinks,
wow,
I don't know
what makes
those Christians
tick but I
want a part
of it.
Don't live in
the shadows
when the
spotlight's on
Jesus.
Pray with
me.
Amen.
Lord, just fill our
hearts with this
stuff that probably
for most of us is
so familiar and yet
we struggle to hang
on to it.
Help us just to keep
that picture of
things together that
you, that we sort
of normally want to
separate, that you
are both a sufficient
savior and a
gracious, powerful
Lord.
that we have a full bucket
in Christ
that not only are we in Christ
but he is in us
by his Holy Spirit
and that therefore Lord
we do truly and completely have life
help us to live in the light of it
with confidence
and abounding in thanksgiving
Amen