Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
Absent in the flesh - with you in the spirit.
Paul DID NOT separate himself into two beings- a flesh being and a spirit being- and let His spirit being fly over to those he was writing to and walk among them in a spirit body. Paul was with them in THE SPIRIT. We know what this means, all of us know because we've all had functions we've wished we could attend but for one reason or another we were unable to do so. However we've still celebrated in our hearts, in our spirit with those celebrating far away, and we've still mourned with those mourning. We've been able to SHARE in the situation because we a part of that situation even if we are NOT actually there in the flesh. Our heart, our being is a part of it all connecting with others in the spirit.
Have you ever heard the words- 'In the spirit of things'? Or 'get into the spirit of it'? You know what's implied by those words and it most assuredly isn't someone telling you to separate your flesh being from your spirit being and animate that spirit being in some way that will make you actually be present. The truth of the matter is… without the spirit in our flesh being we don't continue to live. God breathed into man the breath of life-the spirit, and man BECAME a living soul. Until that spirit - that breath was given to man the body was lifeless. The spiritual part of us that makes us able to be God's is God given. When we die we are told- the breath (the spirit) goes back to God who gave it.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
That animating breath of life returns to God, the person doesn't fly off in a spirit body and return to God.
That's why this can be said--
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
The dead know not any thing.
The dead do not separate into a spirit being- as Angels are spirit beings- as evil angels are spirit beings- as God is a spirit being.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We were created as human beings- flesh and spirit combined- not separate. That's why this too can be said…
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The dead (people) will be raised INCORRUPTIBLE, and we shall be CHANGED.
Our flesh will no longer be of the sort that will decay. We will be changed- then- not now, not upon our deaths but only when we are RAISED from the graves at the LAST TRUMP-that is when we are CHANGED. We do not split into two beings- flesh and spirit upon death as so many want to believe. We go to our graves knowing nothing until our SAVIOR sounds that LAST TRUMP, then we are RAISED from our graves.
So when we speak of being with someone in the spirit- we are in agreement with them in their situation, our hearts are with them, our thoughts are with them, our beliefs are with them.
Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Joying.
Beholding your order.
Beholding your stedfastness of faith in CHRIST.
Steadfast -
Stedfast (Webster Dictionary)
STEADFAST, STEDFAST, a. [stead and fast.]
1. Fast fixed; firm; firmly fixed or established; as the stedfast globe of earth.
2. Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.
Faith without wavering is a stedfast faith.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him-
How did you receive Christ Jesus the Lord?
That first moment of belief, where your heart swelled with understanding, with love, pure love, knowing you have an advocate, you have ONE pleading on your behalf, ONE who forgives you of all your evil, all your sins, all your faults. Do you remember when that comprehension came to you? We are to NEVER lose our first love of JESUS, never!
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
We cannot leave our first love, not ever! He must be REAL to us always! His love must be real to us!
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Rooted.
Built up.
Established.
Thankful.
Our love of our Savior isn't to be superficial. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we pull out of the closet for holidays, funerals, weddings, baptisms. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we use only when convenient, when the skies are blue, or the darkest gray. We have to be rooted in our SAVIOR. He has to be an INTEGRAL part of our every day life, the source from whom we choose to live. Seriously! He must be the reason we live. He gave us life and we must live for Him, because He is the TRUE WAY, the TRUE LIFE. Our lives here are so overwhelmed with problems big and small. We cannot believe that this world truly is the home we were intended for, it's not.
We have to be rooted, finding all our spiritual living nutrients in the life of our Savior. We have to be built up. Our lives need to be one of constant growth, ever growing closer to our God. We have to be built up in Christ, never thinking we've achieved the spiritual heights necessary but always knowing we can and must be forever built up in Christ. Established, set firmly in our LORD. We cannot set our lives firmly any where else. When we choose to allow our lives to be established on anything other than Christ we can't be surprised with our lives fall apart around up and we're left with nothing of substance. Thankful, forever THANKFUL for the LOVE of God towards US as undeserving as we are. We cannot ever grow arrogant, we cannot ever believe that we do not have to be thankful towards our God. Even if our lives are falling apart- we need to be thankful for the mere fact we are alive and able to LOVE God, able to LOVE our SAVIOR and in that LOVE find life eternal, a life beyond what we can ever imagine. We aren't promised goodness here, we are not promised a pain free existence, we are not promised the love of others- we are only PROMISED salvation in our SAVIOR and for that wonderful promise we must be thankful, ever thankful!
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
All through HIM, all by HIM, all in HIS LOVE!
By HIS GRACE, MERCY, RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Absent in the flesh - with you in the spirit.
Paul DID NOT separate himself into two beings- a flesh being and a spirit being- and let His spirit being fly over to those he was writing to and walk among them in a spirit body. Paul was with them in THE SPIRIT. We know what this means, all of us know because we've all had functions we've wished we could attend but for one reason or another we were unable to do so. However we've still celebrated in our hearts, in our spirit with those celebrating far away, and we've still mourned with those mourning. We've been able to SHARE in the situation because we a part of that situation even if we are NOT actually there in the flesh. Our heart, our being is a part of it all connecting with others in the spirit.
Have you ever heard the words- 'In the spirit of things'? Or 'get into the spirit of it'? You know what's implied by those words and it most assuredly isn't someone telling you to separate your flesh being from your spirit being and animate that spirit being in some way that will make you actually be present. The truth of the matter is… without the spirit in our flesh being we don't continue to live. God breathed into man the breath of life-the spirit, and man BECAME a living soul. Until that spirit - that breath was given to man the body was lifeless. The spiritual part of us that makes us able to be God's is God given. When we die we are told- the breath (the spirit) goes back to God who gave it.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
That animating breath of life returns to God, the person doesn't fly off in a spirit body and return to God.
That's why this can be said--
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
The dead know not any thing.
The dead do not separate into a spirit being- as Angels are spirit beings- as evil angels are spirit beings- as God is a spirit being.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We were created as human beings- flesh and spirit combined- not separate. That's why this too can be said…
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The dead (people) will be raised INCORRUPTIBLE, and we shall be CHANGED.
Our flesh will no longer be of the sort that will decay. We will be changed- then- not now, not upon our deaths but only when we are RAISED from the graves at the LAST TRUMP-that is when we are CHANGED. We do not split into two beings- flesh and spirit upon death as so many want to believe. We go to our graves knowing nothing until our SAVIOR sounds that LAST TRUMP, then we are RAISED from our graves.
So when we speak of being with someone in the spirit- we are in agreement with them in their situation, our hearts are with them, our thoughts are with them, our beliefs are with them.
Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Joying.
Beholding your order.
Beholding your stedfastness of faith in CHRIST.
Steadfast -
Stedfast (Webster Dictionary)
STEADFAST, STEDFAST, a. [stead and fast.]
1. Fast fixed; firm; firmly fixed or established; as the stedfast globe of earth.
2. Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.
Faith without wavering is a stedfast faith.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him-
How did you receive Christ Jesus the Lord?
That first moment of belief, where your heart swelled with understanding, with love, pure love, knowing you have an advocate, you have ONE pleading on your behalf, ONE who forgives you of all your evil, all your sins, all your faults. Do you remember when that comprehension came to you? We are to NEVER lose our first love of JESUS, never!
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
We cannot leave our first love, not ever! He must be REAL to us always! His love must be real to us!
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Rooted.
Built up.
Established.
Thankful.
Our love of our Savior isn't to be superficial. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we pull out of the closet for holidays, funerals, weddings, baptisms. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we use only when convenient, when the skies are blue, or the darkest gray. We have to be rooted in our SAVIOR. He has to be an INTEGRAL part of our every day life, the source from whom we choose to live. Seriously! He must be the reason we live. He gave us life and we must live for Him, because He is the TRUE WAY, the TRUE LIFE. Our lives here are so overwhelmed with problems big and small. We cannot believe that this world truly is the home we were intended for, it's not.
We have to be rooted, finding all our spiritual living nutrients in the life of our Savior. We have to be built up. Our lives need to be one of constant growth, ever growing closer to our God. We have to be built up in Christ, never thinking we've achieved the spiritual heights necessary but always knowing we can and must be forever built up in Christ. Established, set firmly in our LORD. We cannot set our lives firmly any where else. When we choose to allow our lives to be established on anything other than Christ we can't be surprised with our lives fall apart around up and we're left with nothing of substance. Thankful, forever THANKFUL for the LOVE of God towards US as undeserving as we are. We cannot ever grow arrogant, we cannot ever believe that we do not have to be thankful towards our God. Even if our lives are falling apart- we need to be thankful for the mere fact we are alive and able to LOVE God, able to LOVE our SAVIOR and in that LOVE find life eternal, a life beyond what we can ever imagine. We aren't promised goodness here, we are not promised a pain free existence, we are not promised the love of others- we are only PROMISED salvation in our SAVIOR and for that wonderful promise we must be thankful, ever thankful!
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
All through HIM, all by HIM, all in HIS LOVE!
By HIS GRACE, MERCY, RIGHTEOUSNESS!
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