March 10: 6.00pm

Colossians 1:24-2:7

In the 13 verses from Colossians that we've just heard, Paul mentions Christ six times, Paul is the leading New Testament expounder of what Christ achieved through his life, and through his daeth on the Cross, It is true to say that he is one of the greatest intellects; certainly, probably the greatest ever to have been put to the service of the Gospel.

Few of us will ever match Paul's intellectual genius. That we need not, nor would I say, should we covet, What we can seek after rather, is Paul's total commitment to and consumption with the Person of Christ. Oh that we could have but a fraction of his zeal for the Gospel and for the Person of Christ, It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me wrote Paul to the Galatian church. Here in Colossians (1:17), Paul has already proclaimed He is before all things; before all things.

Paul begins here by saying, "I fill up what is still lacking in Christ's afflictions"

What Paul meant here has been keenly debated by many learned scholars.

Did he mean?; -Jesus mission was to the Jews; now he was called to extend it to the Gentiles.

-Jesus could only reach a few in space and time; others carry his mission -forward- thus for the sake of the church, which is his body -the death of Christ on the Cross has to be applied to individual lives.

What Paul did not mean was that in any way what Jesus Christ achieved on the Cross was insufficient for our salvation, and had, or has yet, to be made complete. Had he not just said (v20); Through him (Christ) to reconcile all things to himself. through his blood shed on the Cross Let us perhaps learn that we are Christ's Body: we are his hands, his feet, his voice. He depends on us to spread his message of reconciliation. It was this which Paul learned on the Damascus road. Hastening, heart burning with hatred to beat this new sect out of very existence he is brought to a standstill, his life turned around by the appearance to him of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Jesus identifies himself with his followers; they are his body.

But what does Paul say of this man who through his shed blood is saviour? If Christ so captivated Paul what was it that captivated him? There are four things in this passage which in turn we can look at but very briefly: 1:27 Christ in you the hope of glory 1 :28 we may present everyone perfect in Christ 2:3 Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 2:6 As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him Christ in you the hope of glory What a prospect is held before us! The hope of glory! The world around us hopes for all sorts of things. material success Wealth Renown Power Security Possessions and what happens as the world goes after these things? We live in - to use a phrase which was gone somewhat out of common use - in a rat-race society. We seek our own corner. We want these things for ourselves and we're willing to fight for these things. After all they're mine by right! And so often the result of the rat-race is self-destruct.

And what happens to worldly dreams If they succeed? why?- have wants more; until sooner or later disillusion sets in, and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. And how empty are the world's hopes! How unsure and how uncertain! 'Hope' is an if-fy word. At the most simple and most basic we say I hope it's a flne day tomorrow'' when all we mean is "I'd like it to be; it may, it may not" The other morning, one of those cold mornings, I was in the bookshop. By dint of the fan-heater I'd got it reasonably warm. Until a customer came in and left the door open. The comfortable warmth rapidly disipated.

Paul holds before us a rock-solid hope, because it's grounded in the completeness of what Christ did and in his unchanging nature. It is the 'hope of glory'- not our own glory but the glory of heaven - the glory of God - the glory of his presence. In the knowledge of God's glory how trivial all else becomes! Those of us privileged to have been at Stapleford House on the Alpha weekend two weeks ago experienced a taste of God's glory in the Sunday morning worship. When I got back all I could say was ''It was good! It was good! It was good'' It beggared description The idea of God's glory carries with it the idea of weight. I believe we can rightly say that in Christ we will be lifted up into that glory- outside of Christ it would crush us. Outside of Christ we could not bear nor tolerate the weight. Inside of Christ a sure hope , not if -fy, not self -destructing but that for which we were created I'm sure we all know someone who is a perfectionist! How much misery they cause themselves! How much misery they cause other people There's not room for the smallest error, the smallest mistake, for leaving the least thing undone. They berate either themselves or those they see as failures or at best, as hopelessly slap-dash.

Now that's not the same thing as settling for second-best. In a true sense perfection should be our aim, Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect But we admit to human weakness, human sin, human fallibilty.

The identity of the believer is that of Christ. When God looks at Christ.

He doesn't look at human failure or human sin- he looks at his perfect unblemished Son. We can have no blame, no fault attached to us in Christ, there is now no condemnation to those an Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of Spirit and life has set me free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:1) All of our sin taken up on the Cross. The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin What right have we to take it back, still less to heap on someone else. And the lovely thought is that one day we will be perfect- the future presence of sin is something that will be taken from us because we are Christ's and he saves to the uttermost. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge If you're never too old to learn in a worldly sense, how much more so in the things of the Spirit! And learning, education, is not just a matter of the things of the head, of facts, but of acquiring wisdom. We tend to think of the old as wise; that life is a process which just inevitably impart wisdom. But there are, are there not, as many foolish old men (and women) as wise. Never neglect genuine wisdom that comes from young lips

True wisdom is of God. As you read the Wisdom literature of the Bible (Job through to Eecleslastes) how often you will see Jesus Christ portrayed there. The whole Christian message is foolishness to the world: the world cannot hope to understand it. The world's wisdom and logic is made to stand on its head. Yet surely, true wisdom and knowledge and understanding must rest with the One who made all that is. If there be any folly in the Godhead where indeed would we find true wisdom? Surely we shall never this side of Glory understand all the depths of Christ Continue to live in him Paul was also a wise pastor.

Having listened to all that's gone before we might feel tempted just to sit back and 'Let God be God', It's all coming my way anyway we might want to say, 'Once saved, always saved is, I believe a true Christian doctrine. But two notes of caution need be entered.

1. Paul begins this phrase with the assumption that we received Christ Jesus as Lord Salvation without the Lordship of Jesus Christ is no salvation at all. Christ is Saviour and Lord and we separate the two at our peril. To expect Jesus to save us without any change in our life is the height of folly and the cost extreme danger. He will save us on his terms not ours! I think that can't be said too loudly or too clearly in a self-centred, pleasure-seeking age, It is no use expecting to arrive in Nottingham if I take the A46 to Lincoln. It is no use expecting to arrive in heaven if I adamantly insist on the road to hell.

2. It is possible to miss out on the fulness of blessing God has for us. I won't attempt to expand on that: it would take a sermon in its own right, Read Hebrews 6:4-6 I would end with words of C S Lewis from his book The Great Divorce