Jesus in Every Sphere of Life

In Colossians, Paul administers an antidote to the Colossian Christians who have been poisoned by a false teaching that diminishes Christ’s role in salvation and sanctification. What is this antidote? Just the most breathtaking picture of Jesus the Supreme Son of God we have in all of Scripture (Colossians 1:15–20). The cure for a false gospel and our propensity to legalism and/or licentiousness is seeing more clearly who Jesus is in all his incandescent glory as the Supreme Son of God who reconciles all things through the blood of his cross—and being completely captivated by him, treasuring him, loving him above all else. Only when we treasure Jesus will we actually walk in Jesus (Colossians 2:6). Where should we walk in Jesus you ask? We should walk in him in every sphere of life.

The overarching command Paul gives to the Colossians after displaying Jesus in all his radiant splendor is “walk in him” (Colossians 2:6). Paul then begins to apply this command through a series of instructions that apply to different spheres of life. The structure of Paul’s letter reveals these different spheres. In short, our walk in Jesus begins with our personal union with him, which is intrinsically and intimately linked to our corporate union with him, and expands outward in a series of overlapping spheres. As a whole, we see the following progression: Our walk in Jesus applies to (1) our personal life, (1a) our corporate life in the church, (2) our home life, (3) our formal relationships, and (4) our life in an unbelieving world.

 

Walk in Jesus Personally and Corporately

First, in Colossians 2:7–3:17, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to one’s personal unity with Jesus and personal purity (holiness), both of which encompass right belief (gospel fidelity) and action. And, likewise, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to the local church’s corporate unity in Jesus and corporate purity, both of which again encompass belief and action. Both spheres, personal and corporate, connect intimately. God renews us as individuals into the image of his Son through our personal union with Jesus. And God renews the church, his body, which is made up of individual members united together because of their common union in Jesus. Therefore, God binds our personal renewal and holiness as individuals with our corporate renewal and holiness as the church (Colossians 3:9–11). We must recognize that the natural and normative context of our personal sanctification is the local church. So, if we find ourselves not walking in Jesus in our personal lives, our intimacy and walk in Jesus as it relates to our life in the local church will suffer. And, if we find ourselves disconnected from a local body, our personal walk in Jesus will suffer. And if either of these is the case, there will be a trickledown effect to every other sphere of our life. Therefore, our walk in Jesus will first apply to our personal pursuit of unity and holiness as individuals and as members of Christ’s body, the church.

 

Walk in Jesus at Home

Second, in Colossians 3:18–20, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to the home. It’s easy to see how these spheres continue to overlap. Our union with and holiness in Jesus should directly impact our family life. Here, Paul offers particular ways in which walking in Jesus in the sphere of our home should manifest. But the big takeaway is that our walk in Jesus isn’t only personal and it doesn’t stop at the church doors. Our walk in Jesus should carry over and touch our homes and families.

 

Walk in Jesus in Formal Relationships

Third, in Colossians 3:22–4:1 Paul begins to apply the command to walk in Jesus to our formal relationships. Much could be said about the inherent injustice and sinfulness bound up in any system of human slavery. Suffice it to say, while we must be careful to not import our modern ideas of slavery from our different personal contexts into the text, we still must recognize that though first century Greco-Roman practices of slavery were complex and not monolithic, they nonetheless were a horrid manifestation of the sinfulness and fallenness of man. Furthermore, Paul does not endorse it, and he even encourages availing oneself of freedom (1 Corinthians 7:17–24; esp vv. 21 and 24). But here, Paul aims at something else. He applies one’s walk in Jesus to one’s formal, hierarchical relationships (whether they are one under authority or one in authority)—even those that are unjust. For the purpose of this post, the important truth we glean is that our walk in Jesus must carry over into relationships with analogous dynamics where we are either in authority or under authority so that “Whatever [we] do,” in both just and unjust contexts, we do for the Lord and in knowledge that (1) he will bring justice and (2) he is the ultimate authority (Colossians 3:23; 4:1).

 

Walk in Jesus in an Unbelieving World

Fourth, in Colossians 4:5–6, Paul applies the command to walk in Jesus to our existence in and interaction with an unbelieving world. Paul says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5–6). Thus, our walk in Jesus must expand out beyond ourselves, beyond our homes, beyond our relationships, and radiate into the lives of those who do not walk in him.

 

So Where Should We Walk in Jesus?

Where should you start walking in Jesus, Christian? Paul tells us in Colossians.

Ask yourself: “Am I walking in Jesus in my personal holiness? Am I seeking to put sin to death?” Or, “Are there still particular besetting sins that I keep hidden in the dark? Are there sins that I continue to embrace?” Start here: Walk in Jesus by pursuing personal holiness and embracing your unity, your identity with him.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in the local church? Am I a committed member of a local body?” Or, “Am I hopping from church to church? Am I more of a consumer in the church rather than a serving member?” Walk in Jesus by walking in unity and holiness with a local body.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in my household? Am I honoring my spouse? Am I disciplining my children in love and exemplifying Jesus to them?” Or, “Am I foregoing my privilege of being a gospel witness within my home?” Walk in Jesus by bringing Jesus and the gospel to bear in your home.

And, ask yourself, “Am I walking in Jesus in my formal relationships, even in unjust situations? Am I working unto the Lord first and foremost? Do I respect and honor those in authority?” Or, “Do I work for the eyes of man and undermine authority or disrespect others? Do I lord my own authority over others and treat them unjustly?” Walk in Jesus by bringing your faith to bear in your formal relationships.

And, ask yourself, “Do I walk in Jesus toward outsiders? Do I measure my words and seek to make them thirsty for the truth of the gospel by what I say?” Or, “Do I sway with the prevailing winds of culture or of whatever context I find myself in?” Walk in Jesus by being a gospel witness to those outside of him.

Remember, before you can walk in Jesus, you must treasure him. Then you will know where to walk in him. You will walk in Jesus in every sphere of your life.

Life in God’s Family: The Basis and Nature of the Ten Commandments

How would you describe an ideal family?

Is it a family in which the children always obey every rule the parents make?

We know that is not the case. Indeed, outward obedience to parents can co-exist with deep anger and resentment, as displayed by the older son in Luke 15.

Instead, love and trust characterize the ideal family. There is obedience to parents, yes – but that obedience flows out of love, out of trust, out of a feeling of security and acceptance.

Just so in the family of God. God’s family members surely obey – but not with the outward, formal obedience of the Pharisees. Their obedience instead is joyful and willing, flowing from confidence in the loving character of God.

Consider the Ten Commandments in this regard. These commandments summarize God’s torah, His instructions to His people. Many misunderstand both the nature and implications of these commandments. So let’s examine, first of all, the basis and nature of the Ten Commandments. From these we’ll draw out four implications for all the Commandments. In future devotions we’ll consider the Commandments one by one.

The Basis of the Ten Commandments: Relationship with God

The people of Israel do not come into a relationship with God by obeying the Ten Commandments; they are already in a relationship with Him when He speaks the Commandments.

  • When Moses first approaches Pharaoh, God says, “Israel is my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22).
  • God told Moses at the burning bush that the people would worship Him at Sinai (Exodus 3:12).
  • God reiterates that plan multiple times in words spoken to Pharaoh (Exodus 4:23, 5:1, 5:3, 8:1, 8:20, 9:1, 9:13, 10:3).
  • When they first arrive at Sinai, God says, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Exodus 19:4, emphasis added).
  • Immediately prior to speaking the Commandments, God says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2, emphasis added).

So the Israelites’ relationship with God precedes the giving of the Law. They enter into a relationship with God through His love, by His grace (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

Furthermore, they do not remain in relationship with God through keeping the Law. In Exodus 32, they explicitly break the Commandments. God’s judgment falls on a small percentage, but He reveals Himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, … forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7).

Now, He goes on to say He “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7 NIV) – He is the God of both grace and justice. We only understand fully how God’s grace and justice both hold when we see Jesus’ death on the cross.

But our point for today is this: Neither the Israelites nor we today enter into a relationship with God through obedience to the Law. Neither the Israelites nor we today remain in a relationship with God through obedience to the Law. We enter into a relationship with Him by grace through faith. We remain in that relationship by grace through faith.

 

The Nature of the Ten Commandments: Life in God’s Family

When we hear the word “law,” we normally think of some set of restrictions on our behavior. A sign on I-485 says that there is a law prohibiting you from driving faster than 70mph. If you see a police car in your rearview mirror, you will restrict your driving speed. You will not drive 80mph.

But God’s Law is not fundamentally a set of restrictions on our behavior. Instead, God’s Law fundamentally is a revelation of His character. Through the Law, He tells us what He loves and what He hates: “I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong” (Isaiah 61:8). God in His holy essence hates and despises sin, He despises evil; in His essence, he loves righteousness and justice.

 

Now, connect this with the idea of God’s people being His family. When we had six little children running around the house needing correction, we would sometimes say, “We’re Pinckneys – we don’t act that way.” We then explained how we behave.

That’s similar to what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Thus, when God tells us to obey His Law, He is saying, “Become like Me! I have brought you to Myself! You are part of my intimate family! This is your identity; this is who you are. So act like it’s true! Act like Me!”

So God does not give us the Ten Commandments, saying, “Obey these and you will be in My family.” Nor does He say, “Obey these in order to remain in My family.” Instead, He says to the Israelites – and to us! – “You are in the family. And this is how those in my family live. This is how they reflect my character.”

 

Four Implications for Understanding the Ten Commandments

a) The Ten Commandments are positive, not only negative

We don’t become like God simply by avoiding certain actions – we must change positively!

For example, consider the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Many never commit the physical act of adultery, but lust after others. Jesus tells us these too break the commandment (Matthew 5:28). But we can’t just modify the commandment to include a prohibition of lust! Rather, the Commandment exhorts us to take on the character of God. We positively are to honor marriage, to build up own, to assist others to strengthen their marriages, all to the glory of God.

So, in general, each commandment forbids some attitudes and behaviors while commending others.

b) No one will succeed in fully taking on the character of God

Those at the moment outside God’s family are “dead in trespasses and sin” (Ephesians 2:1). God graciously brings the redeemed into His family, making us “alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). He grants us His Spirit, enabling us to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13), providing a way of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and producing in us Christlike character (Galatians 5:22-23). Yet we all fail; “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

The Day is coming after Jesus returns when He does away with sin forever. We will be like Him, seeing Him as He is (1 John 3:2). But until that Day, we will stumble and fall. However much we grow – and we should grow! – we will never be perfect as our heavenly Father.

c) Jesus fully displayed the character of God

Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) – and He did. He showed us what God is like: “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He loved God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength every minute of every day. He loved every person He encountered as He loved Himself.

d) How then can we be like God? Though union with Jesus!

When we come to God by grace through faith in Jesus, God not only saves us from our sins, wiping out the negatives from our accounts; He also credits us with the righteousness of Jesus – in Him we become “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). His active obedience to the entirety of the Law is credited to us.

 

Thus, the Ten Commandments do not constitute a law code for ancient Israel (in our contemporary sense of law code). Rather they are a revelation of the character of God, so that those in His family might know Him better and become like Him by His grace. And that happens only via Jesus.

So salvation is not primarily about saving us from hell – it is that, but also much more. Salvation is primarily about being in God’s family, credited with Jesus’ righteousness, transformed to become like Him – partially in this life, completely in the next.

(This devotion is based on the first half of a sermon on Exodus 20:1-3 preached May 9, 2010, “Having Been Saved By Grace, Do You Put God First?” The audio is available here. An earlier blog post covering some of the same material is here.)