‘We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy, which is so powerfully working in me.’
(Colossians 1 v. 28, 29)
Just as Paul has taken up much of chapter one in promoting the supremacy of Jesus – the all in all – he now turns to the fullness we possess in Christ.
Various translations of verse 28 suggest that all Paul’s efforts are to proclaim Jesus, teaching Godly wisdom (that ‘all’ of wisdom which can only come from Jesus), so that everyone may become ‘perfect’ or ‘mature’ or ‘complete’ – ‘in Christ’.
On Monday night we talked briefly about John Wesley’s doctrine of Christian perfection – that we should seek always to grow, to improve, to become more like Jesus, day by day. ‘Perfection’ may always seem beyond us (although the old and new testament present a call for us to be ‘holy / perfect as God is holy / perfect’), although we may perceive that others are further on the road to perfection than ourselves.
‘Perfection’ or ‘entire sanctification’ was something Wesley, himself, never thought he attained in this life (though he saw it in others), and he described it as ‘perfect love’ : loving God with all heart, soul, mind, strength, and loving neighbour as self, perfectly.
This perfection is in Christ.
The wisdom comes from Christ
and the power to do all this is His / Christ’s energy – His Spirit at work in us ‘powerfully’.
PRAYER
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,
live in me from day to day
by His love and power controlling all I do or say.
May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea
Him exalting, self-abasing – this is victory.
AMEN.