I am drawn into the wonder of Colossians 1 right now. What has hit me as I finish Chapter 1 is how we talk in terms of American Christianity… and how Paul thinks as he has been on this journey to truly know Christ.
We talk in terms of bringing others “to Christ.” We go for the “salvation.”
Paul, though, talks in terms of bringing people to maturity.
I have been painfully awakened to how thoroughly entrenched our “Christianity” is within American life. To the right or the left, it’s far more entrenched than I’ve realized until these past few months. There is a deep longing to wake up my own life and then ask how that can be done in the life of others? Can change happen?
Paul started with himself. His entire journey was about knowing Christ himself. We must be deep in Christ. If we are not mature, what can we expect from others?
We need to secure our journey in Christ first. Others will follow. Not all. And we can’t even choose WHO. Deep calls to deep.
When we have tapped the depths of the journey to knowing Christ, we want that depth to flow out of us. Hunger finds fresh bread. Paul found his hunger satisfied in Christ. Not everyone followed, but that wasn’t up to him. His call was to simply know Christ and allow that richness to call others to follow. But he wasn’t about “bringing people to Christ” as we think of it. He WAS interested in bringing people to maturity.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Col. 1:28-29)
Apprentice 2 Jesus 