Sat.’s Devo - The Truth of the Gospel

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-17; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22 Judah forgot the Lord. When they needed help, they reached out to Egypt and they took their money but didn’t help them when they needed them. Why didn’t they call out to the Lord? Judah had prostituted herself with all kinds of foreign gods and forgot her God. Throughout the reign of Josiah who commanded all the pagan places of worship be torn down. They had watched as Israel was punished for turning away from God. Now Judah is even more responsible for her sins because she refused to be reformed. All she needed to do was to confess her sins and repent and God would take her back. *** The day was coming when they would return to the Lord and to Jerusalem. They wouldn’t need the Ark of the Covenant to worship God with. The whole city would be a place of worship. *** Jeremiah tried to get them to see that if they threw away their worthless idols, they could save themselves from the punishment that was coming. They could be a part of his remnant that he saves and protects from the storm that was coming. *** The church in Colosse was believed to have been founded by Epahras and met in Philemon’s house. Paul had actually never visited the church but wrote this letter while he was in prison. Epaphras asked for Paul’s advise because there was so much false teaching in Colosse. The teaching blended pagan-occultism, Jewish legalism and Christianity which was called Gnosticism. They taught that Jesus was not fully God and fully man but a semi divine being sent from God to unite man with God. They taught that Jesus didn’t have the authority or ability to meet their needs. They believed they could be enlightened and achieve spiritual fullness by obtaining special knowledge and through rigorous self-discipline. *** Paul wrote the letter to expose the heresy of Gnosticism and warn them of its dangers and lead them back to the truth of Christ’s love. *** In this first Chapter Paul reminded them of the simple truth of the gospel that is going out all over the world and changing lives. He reminded them of their conversion and how it had touched them and gave them love for one another. He encourages them to walk in that love. *** Paul proclaims who Jesus is. He is the visible image of God. He existed before the earth and was the one everything was created through. He made the thrones and kingdoms and set up the authorities in the unseen world. He existed before it all. *** Lord, may we not get confused over all the false teachings on the earth. May we understand the simplicity of your salvation and the awesomeness of who you are.