Colossians 2:2-3 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

This is further amplification on the work of a pastor, that was expressed in yesterday’s reading. (Colossians 1:28-29) Every genuine pastor wants his flock to be encouraged and to be bound together in love. In fact, some focus on that so exclusively that they leave the Gospel behind in the process! “Your best life now” sounds all well and good, until we realize that our best life won’t be until we are free from even the presence of sin as we rejoice before the throne of God. Repentance and holiness are absolutely essential, and they in no way contradict the assurance and unity in love that this passage is talking about. After all, you can’t have full assurance of salvation unless you are truly saved! In Paul’s day as today, there are those who are always after more knowledge, and Paul addresses that here too, saying that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden in Christ. Hidden things can be revealed, and they can be searched for. The Holy Spirit is in the revealing business, and the Bible can be defined as a record of what He has revealed, certainly including what was revealed to John on the island of Patmos. That’s why there is no limit to studying the Bible. I couldn’t say exactly how many times I’ve read the Bible through, but it’s certainly over 30. Even so, the Lord continues to reveal Himself to me afresh as I read it morning by morning, sometimes giving me insights I’ve never had before. It’s the ultimate treasure hunt!

As a pastor, I’m not satisfied with just having this kind of relationship with God and His Word myself, I want each of the members of this church to have the same, or even better. That’s really what Paul was talking about, and why he wrote this letter. I can’t give them such a relationship, but I can share how I received it and entice them to seek and accept it themselves. One hindrance to that is their awareness of how I was raised in a thoroughly Christian family, and very few of them indeed have that advantage. I’ve got to remember that and not assume more understanding than they have, but I must also remember that family background alone never saved anybody. Sadly, some “Christian” upbringing simply inoculates children against a genuine relationship with Christ! As the saying goes, God has no grandchildren. (That’s certainly a partial analogy, because we are all supposed to be “birthing” people into the kingdom, but such people are saved because they are God’s children, not because they are our children.) My goal is to help people understand that God loves them as much as He does me, and help them trust Him enough to open their hearts and receive all that means.

Father, thank You for enabling me to put that into clear words. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for Sunday, that is so closely tied to this. Help me indeed encourage the believers to dig more and more into the Word, burrow more and more deeply into Christ, so to speak, so that they may be protected from the onslaughts of the enemy and raised up as a mighty army of disciples, for Your kingdom and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!