GRINDIT podcast

Paul is rehearsing his story to the Galatians because he is proving to them that they can trust him. Why? Because he has been filled with the same Holy Spirit the apostles have and he has even had meetings with those apostles and they gave him their approval. He calls the apostles “pillars” which in the Greek means “Pillars of fire” and Paul says, “These pillars of fire accepted me and Barnabas as co-workers; therefore, I am a pillar of fire too! He even tells them in detail about a trip he took to Jerusalem to tell the apostles the message he was preaching to the Gentiles and Paul reassures the Galatians that they were all in unity. Again showing the church that they can trust what he is saying, but even greater than the apostles, Paul said he was directed by God Himself to go to Jerusalem.

In establishing his authority and defending it to the churches in Galatia, Paul makes a profound statement, “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.” Paul makes it clear that he did not choose this life that he lives, God chose it for him. He was a bad dude that loved God. He was a Pharisee, knew God’s word, and he had a zeal for God like nobody else! However, it was misguided zeal for he took it and persecuted the church thinking he was doing God a favor. In his fleshly way of thinking, he thought he was defending God and keeping this blasphemous message about Jesus from spreading but God had a different plan. Jesus happened and it radically changed Paul’s life!

When you want to confront someone about an issue, you better have some authority or you’ll get laughed at to your face! In the episode of Andy Griffith where Barney confronts the two men for selling fruits and vegetables on the side of the road without a permit, they threaten to beat him up. Barney leaves because of fear but comes back to confront them pointing out that his badge represents a higher authority and they better obey it or pay the consequences. Paul tells the church at Galatia, “My authority doesn’t come from any man but from Jesus himself and it is in your best interest to obey the gospel I preached to you and not some false gospel some slick talking person is speaking. If not, you’ll pay the consequences.” This message we carry and share, the gospel, has our back because Jesus is our authority!

Paul was a prisoner in Rome because he spread the gospel and told people about Jesus. He was literally in chains! Onesimus was a rebellious, run-a-way slave who happened to find Paul and, while in chains, Paul shares the gospel with him, and his life is changed forever. Onesimus is a completely different person and Paul tells Philemon to accept him back because he will now be useful to him forever which is a play on his name, “Useful”. He wasn’t useful to you in the past but now he will be because Jesus has changed his life. Regardless of your situation and why it happened, you have a choice to make: you can either sit, mope, cry, be depressed etc. or you can use it to grow your faith and trust God even more so He can use it bring Him glory. Your perspective matters!

We are introduced to a slave owner named Philemon and we have this tiny letter because one of his rebellious slaves, Onesimus, ran away and just happened to run into Paul. Paul shares the gospel with the guy while in prison and Jesus changes his life! He helps Paul spread the gospel there in Rome but Paul sends him back to Philemon with this letter. In this letter Paul describes Philemon and his family: strong faith, love Jesus, love people, kind, and very generous. Philemon’s name means friendly and his wife’s name mean fruitful as in complimentary. Together, they are a great couple who loves Jesus and are faithful servants in the kingdom of God! What do people say about me? How do people describe you when they are talking about you to others? Do you look like, sound like Jesus?

When reading the bible, people may have a tendency to skip through Paul’s greetings. At the end of his letters, he starts telling the people “thank you” and “greet (fill in the blank), but there is some good stuff found in his greetings if we will take the time to read them and such is the case in the letter of Colossians. Yes, Paul greets a lot of people, some even from another church (Laodicea), but if you break down some of these people’s lives from what he says about them, one can learn a lot! Like Epaphras for example. Epaphras was a prayer warrior and he interceded on behalf of the church at Colosse, and also for Laodicea and Hieropplis. But in this greeting, we find out that Paul wrote a letter to the church at Laodicea...Where is this letter?!?! We do not have it in our bibles because nobody has the original to copy from! What did Paul say to the church at Laodicea?!?! I guess we’ll find out in heaven!

What does it mean to be “devoted” to something? I remember when I was a kid, sports players were “devoted” to a team. They played with one team their whole career. I don’t know of any player today that can say that because they follow the money. Whoever pays the most is where they go. To be “devoted” to something means you endure, you continue, even when things get hard. You don’t quit. Paul tells the church at Colosse to “devote” themselves to prayer and be watchful, with thanksgiving in their hearts. He is telling them to pray with expectation and to thank God for what is He is going to do when He answers their prayer! But if there is a delay, if the answer doesn’t come as fast as you think it should, if the hardship continues, don’t give up...keep grinding!

When we “put on Jesus”, we put on all these things Paul mentions in chapter 3, tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are commanded to be like Jesus in everything we say and do, how we live, and Paul says we are to give God permission to work in our lives which means we must allow Him to chip away at the stone walls we have built around our hearts because someone has hurt us or wronged us in some way. Forgiveness is not an option, it is a must and Jesus is our greatest example. He was beaten beyond recognition, humiliated in public, and as he hung on the cross in pain and trying to breath with those who are looking at him denying him and challenging him, he simply says with the breath he could muster, “Father, forgive them...” Who do you need to forgive? Free yourself from that bondage...Jesus forgave you...you can forgive as well.

“What should I wear?” is a question my wife asks me when we are going on a date and I always answer the same way, “Beautiful, you know I have no idea about fashion so whatever you choose will look fine to me.” There’s a clothing we need to wear every day that is very important and it absolutely matters. Paul says at least three times in Colossians 3 to “Put on” a certain type of clothing: Jesus, love, and a whole bunch of Jesus characteristics. He wants people to look at us and see Jesus so God will be glorified. What are you wearing?

Paul has made it clear that we have crucified the flesh, we have put it to death, buried the old man in the grave, and have come out a new creation in Jesus; We are filled with his Holy Spirit and have set our eyes on Jesus as we walk in this world. However, we must choose to do so everyday because Paul also makes it clear, even though we are filled with the Spirit, we will still be tempted and those desires still live in us. We have to make the choice to continue to walk with Jesus, to die daily, and to put on Christ like we put on our clothes every day.