“Striving According to His Working” (Col 1:20-29)

“To this end I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily” (vs29)

The work of the apostle Paul is the work of every child of God; it is manifesting the Lord Jesus, using our gifts to serve God’s elect, His church, and His gospel in this world, giving glory to King Jesus.

The Son of God REDEEMED us by taking our place at the cross, and now we live for Him, justified, clean, and without blemish, “yet now has he reconciled [you] in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreproveable in his sight“, “according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame“, right now, “before him in love“ (Col 1:21-22; Eph 1:4). 

The sins have been paid, and we PRESS ON to know the Lord, using salvation for His purpose, serving Christ continually.  We are not selfishly living for self, but we live for our Redeemer, agreeing that God’s Son is worthy of praise, as revealed to us , “Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints“ (Col 1:26).  We so love and adore Him, that we WILLINGLY suffer for His church, living that OTHERS are benefited by our gifts, “Of which [church] I am made a minister, according to the ordering of God, which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God” (Col 1:25).

This is the church’s mission: we are not hearers only but DOERS of the word (James 1:22). We don’t say “Christ is all”, and then live selfishly, using gifts to magnify self, or living in sin because I’m saved.  We walk by faith, obeying the commands of God, continuing in the same gospel that we have heard - “If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister“ (Col 1:23).

God revealed Christ to us as Lord, and we bowed to Him for the forgiveness of sins and for power to overcome, and, as promised, He gives it to us.  Now, we LABOR and strive to do good, living that others know Christ, repenting and subduing sin - “[preaching Christ], warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”, obedient to God (Col 1:28).

Paul’s gospel isn’t Paul’s alone; he got it from Jesus, and he got involved in Christ’s mission, as you and I have that believe.  He said, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is remaining of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (vs24). I don’t, therefore, call you to salvation, except you come to be made whole, to be FORGIVEN and given life to serve His gospel, to serve His church, and to live that His name be glorified, “For it pleased the Father that in the [Son] should all fullness dwell“ (vs19).  It isn’t enough to say, “He is Preeminent”, God’s gospel makes you live it, too.