Corona Devo - 1987

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  ~Colossians 1:25

All of it.

Even the parts of His message that people have decided are outdated, old-fashioned, uncomfortable, sexist, homophobic, or "hate-speech".

These are terms and reactions that man has coined to suit our preferences.  But God states His preferences for us clearly in the Bible.  For those of us who admit that we are sinful before God and choose to believe in Him...we call God's message Truth and when God gave us His Word (the Bible), He expected (and commanded) us to receive and believe all of it, the entire thing. 

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  ~Colossians 1:25

~~~

Do we trust that God meant every word in His Word?  

Is the entire message of God's Message really necessary?  Is it true?

We can let God answer that in His own words, from His Word:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture... is given by inspiration of God...even the parts that are hard for us to understand or comprehend, such as "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them."  (Exodus 20:11).

Why are some Biblical truths hard for us to accept?  Because if we cannot explain it, we have a hard time accepting it, but (whether we like it or not) our understanding is not as grand as God's, and so this is not a fair/logical/spiritually-mature argument. 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9).

~~~

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  ~Colossians 1:25

These were the apostle (follower of Jesus) Paul's words, but can we make them ours too?

It is our responsibility to serve the church as the family of God across the whole world.  Nothing is by accident in the Bible.  Not one word.  God has given us the responsibility of proclaiming his entire message.  Why?  Because God wants people to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for them.  But we have to have the full picture (and full Truth) in order to offer people the full reward of God's Truth.  Anything less, or an altered-version of God's Word is a counterfeit version of God's Word.  

The entire message.

Don't cut any of God’s Word out--not to please someone, or in order to not offend someone.  We should not be afraid of offending others by God's Word--we should be afraid of offending God if we compromise His Word.

Listen for our churches to be preaching God's entire message, and if they are not: leave. 

Do we know our responsibility?  Here's a hint--it involves us knowing God's Word, and the entire message of it.  Our responsibility is reading the Bible and proclaiming God's entire message.

Will we?  Even when it is unpopular, uncomfortable, or awkward?    

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  ~Colossians 1:25

The reward is worth the risk, God guarantees us, because the benefit of God's (whole) message is salvation.  Christ comes to live in us!  God wants the world to know that, but we must be willing to tell them his entire message so that they can be let in on this secret.  It's an opportunity for us as His sons and daughters, but is it also our responsibility.

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  

(26) This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. (27) For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.   

(28) So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. (29) That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.  ~Colossians 1:25-28

~~~

And even if people or culture has decided that we should remove or ignore parts of God's message, Scripture reminds us today that we are all called to serve his church by proclaiming his entire message (Colossians 1:25) of His Truth.

The entire message of the Bible means...the entire message of the Bible.  Share it fully, and we should be aware and wary of those who do not.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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