A treasure worth more than any other

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Love and ALL RICHES-

RICHES OF the FULL ASSURANCE-

the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING-

the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST.

All the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE are HID in GOD- they are HID in the FATHER and they are HID in CHRIST.

Christ came and revealed the Father to us.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  IF YE HAD KNOWN ME YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO AND FROM HENCEFORTH YE KNOW HIM AND HAVE SEEN HIM.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME PHILIP? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10  BELIEVEST THOU NOT THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IN ME? THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU I SPEAK NOT OF MYSELF BUT THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME HE DOETH THE WORKS.
Joh 14:11  BELIEVE ME THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IN ME or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Joh 14:29  And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

All the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE are HID in GOD- they are HID in the FATHER and they are HID in CHRIST.

Treasures of wisdom.
Treasures of knowledge.

 Do we honestly believe that wisdom is something to be treasured, that knowledge is a treasure? We are so fixated on worldly treasures we have lost sight of true treasures. We feel rich when we have money, when we have jewels, houses, cars, electronics, amusements but do we feel rich when we have knowledge and wisdom? Do we feel overwhelmingly rich because we have the knowledge and wisdom of Salvation in our Savior? We should.

We lament our lack of worldly possessions. We moan and groan about our sad state of affairs. We cry over our lack of finances and believe all is lost when we can barely survive. Our logic tells us it's a very good time to despair when we have nothing and are at our end. Yet if we TRULY believe in our SAVIOR then we know even at our very end we have the HOPE of SALVATION which is a treasure worth more than ANY worldly treasure in existence.

Do we believe this?!

I saw the movie, Prometheus, today and in the movie *spoilers ahead* a woman wears a cross and talks about her faith just a bit- she believes in God. An android questions her belief and she says 'IT'S WHAT SHE CHOOSES to BELIEVE', and that settled it for her. I'm paraphrasing of course, but that's the gist of it. The movie goes on to try and dispel that God created man on earth- that alien beings did. And then one of the characters say- but who created the aliens.  So, the question I asked before this paragraph was--

Do we believe this?! Do we CHOOSE to believe that the HOPE of SALVATION found in JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, is the greatest treasure we can ever possess in our lives? Do we believe? And if we do not believe that, why don't we? It's the TRUTH.

Knit together in love

Col 2:1  For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Hearts comforted-knit together in love.
Unto ALL riches of the FULL assurance of understanding.
To the acknowledgment of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST-
In WHOM are HID ALL the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.

THIS is TRUTH.

There will be enticing words spoken by others, very ENTICING words that are meant to beguile us from the truth in our SAVIOR. Words meant to confuse us so that we do NOT get the FULL assurance of understanding.

Hearts can be KNIT together in love. A common love, a love that comes from the fount of love- our Savior. Throughout history men have been drawn to certain leaders that have given them such focus so that men would lay down their lives for these leaders. The love they have for these leaders is tremendous and they'd seriously take a bullet for them rather than see them harmed. They've believed these men so amazing, so worthy of their love and devotion that they cannot imagine a life without them in it. They can't imagine others not loving them the same. And these are mere men who are garnering the affection of the masses. Men who are fallible and have great faults that are overlooked for their charismatic genius. It would be easy to actually say that a group of followers had their love for their leader knitting their hearts into a wholeness. Their common bond was that leader and without that leader there would be no need for the knitting togetherness. In fact, if that leader falls especially unexpectedly, often the whole group simply falls apart as if the knitted stitches came apart, unraveling so there was no longer a whole anything, but simply nothing.  This is true in our history and we know it to be so. With facts of that sort established it's very, very easy to comprehend how the followers of Christ could have themselves knit together in love through our SAVIOR.

Love was, is, and will always be the entirety of our God. Everything God is love, because GOD is love. For us to be knit together in love truly means being knit together by God. This truly gives us the RICHES of the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING, to the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST.

Love.

In WHOM are HID ALL the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.

Do you want wisdom? Do you want knowledge? All the treasures of such come from God, they come from love.

We are just too stuck on our selves to love selflessly. Too much of our day is spent worshiping at the altar of self.  We need to grow closer to Christ because that is the ONLY way to lose the selfish part in us.

To the acknowledgment of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST

This is our LIFE- LIVING the Mystery of GOD. Living the Mystery of the FATHER. Living the Mystery of CHRIST.

The mystery is their love expressed in their sacrifice. Make NO mistake- our Father God sacrificed- He felt the pain His only BEGOTTEN Son endured. When that great separation came at the cross there was pain felt in every heavenly being. The emptiness, the loss was felt and it was REAL, very real. The enormity of what had been done was something that would NEVER, could NEVER be forgotten. This was something that had to be realized in all the lives of those who would belong to God.

More tomorrow by the grace of God!

The mystery hid from the ages

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

The mystery.

The following are only some of the verses on the word mystery.

This mystery was HID for generations, it was Hid for  a LONG LONG time. Hid in the sense it was as yet unrealized, it was not manifested. The mystery existed in its hidden form since our time began because we were not privy to God's plans. We are given all that we need to know, nothing that we need to know in order to be GOD'S is hidden from us, and it never has been. And even though we are allowed to know all we need does not mean that there are not mysteries. 

The miracle, virgin birth of our SAVIOR, of God becoming flesh is a mystery. Our Savior, our God sacrificing Himself for us is a mystery we can scarcely comprehend, yet we He was manifested and gave to us so much in order that we may comprehend enough to know Him, to know salvation in HIM. If we refuse the knowledge He has given us we will have to answer for that.

Mar 4:11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Rom 16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Rom 16:27  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself

Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Eph 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ
Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ

Col 4:3  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds

1Ti 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets

The mystery of God should be finished.

Salvation WILL be realized.
The end of the world as we know it, WILL be realized.
Death WILL be no more.
Satan WILL be no more.
Life WILL be everlasting in our SAVIOR.

These are all facts. 

These are all things that WILL come to pass and once they have come to pass the MYSTERY of God will be finished, it will be COMPLETE! The death that our sinless SAVIOR suffered on the cross to pay the price for us will have been vindicated in the SALVATION of all those that are His.

Please LORD help us be YOURS, all by YOUR grace, YOUR righteousness, YOUR love! Help us to understand the MYSTERY of YOU, of the GOSPEL, of YOUR LOVE.

Rejoice in suffering

Col 1:23  ...whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God

REJOICE in SUFFERING.
AFFLICTIONS endured because of our belief in CHRIST and HIS TRUTH.

There is suffering in being a Christian and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is sadly mistaken. When we think of suffering however we very seldom think of joy or rejoicing. The last thing a person truly feels like doing when they are suffering is be happy, yet time and time again people will put on that smile because they know to do otherwise is to perhaps upset another - a loved one, a child. People have been beaten black and blue and yet they'll still smile if they feel a sense of purpose behind the beating. You've seen it during boxing matches, haven't you? The winner - even though still suffering the pain of the fight- will grin, will laugh, will cheer despite their suffering. The survivor of something awful might feel a sense of victory because they did in fact survive despite the awful things they've suffered. We see this in life and while it's not something that will occur without fail all the time, it does happen. So we KNOW it happens, we know that joy in suffering is possible, if not common, and not something anyone wants- suffering.

Let's read more verses on what Paul is talking about here- this suffering, the afflictions- all because of our belief in Christ.

*

Mat 5:11  BLESSED are ye, when men shall REVILE you, and PERSECUTE you, and shall say all manner of EVIL against you FALSELY, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  REJOICE, and be EXCEEDING GLAD: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to SUFFER SHAME for his name.

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we GLORY in TRIBULATIONS also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience

Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my TRIBULATIONS for you, which is your GLORY.

Php 2:17  Yea, and if I be offered upon the SACRIFICE and service of your faith, I joy, and REJOICE with you all.
Php 2:18  For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

2Co 1:5  For as the SUFFERINGS of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the SUFFERINGS, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE

2Co 11:23  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but BE THOU PARTAKER of the AFFLICTIONS of the gospel according to the power of God

2Ti 2:9  Wherein I SUFFER trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
2Ti 2:10  Therefore I ENDURE all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.


Do all these verses make being a follower of Christ sound like something painless?

Yet we have church pews filled with people who believe they shouldn't have to suffer at all in any way. We are NOT all called to be ministers, or preachers, or prophets, or missionaries. We are NOT all called to suffer the same, but honestly living a life for Christ means NOT living for ourselves, not living selfishly. When we are called NOT to live selfishly and that usually involves giving up self. When we give up self we are sacrificing. When we sacrifice we might not feel a physical pain but there is a certain amount of emotional and mental suffering. We do NOT have to LIKE receiving pain, we do NOT have to LIKE sacrificing- however when we are called to suffer we are told we should REJOICE.  WE CAN rejoice just like that painfully beaten boxing champ. He might hate the physical pain he has to endure, every single blow to his face a new blast of agony, he doesn't LIKE the pain, but he REJOICES because of the ultimate victory. We too must rejoice at our ULTIMATE victory- ETERNAL LIFE! We must rejoice at the PROMISE we are given for ETERNAL LIFE.  We have to learn to recognize our suffering and our reaction to it because if we don't we can't learn to rejoice knowing the reward that will be ours.

Paul could endure all He did because HE believed in the reward, he believed in the PROMISE, he believed in Jesus Christ our LORD, OUR SAVIOR! Only because of that belief could He rejoice. He didn't have to like the pain of his trials and tribulation, but in spite of the pain He could be happy.

Do we have the knowledge we need? Do we have the faith we need? Do we have the hope we need? Do we have what we need to recognize in our strange modern lives, out of touch with the persecuted Christian's whose governments and societies allow, or turn a blind eye to their torture?  If we are living in a world, in our own little existence, without that sort of suffering we have to know that the suffering will come in other ways, or perhaps we aren't sacrificing any part of our self at all for anything, in any way, let alone for our Savior.

By His grace and mercy may we be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to understand, to live selflessly, to rejoice in our afflictions knowing HE is our HOPE of eternal life!

In HIS love always!!!!!!!

IF you continue in the faith

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister

We WILL be presented HOLY, UNBLAMEABLE, and UNREPROVEABLE through our SAVIOR to GOD the FATHER

-   IF  -

Notice that word carefully. It's a tiny word but it holds a lot of meaning. IF.

Not you will be presented that way no matter what, but you will be presented that way IF- meaning if you meet the requirements.  We all know what that means. Meeting requirements. You have to have the proper requirements for a lot of things before you can attain them. To drive, to vote, to ride certain amusement park rides, to qualify for most jobs, to get married, to get divorced, to obtain a rebate, to win contests, and so on.  Proper requirements are necessary for so much. IF you don't have those requirements then you do not get to vote, you do not get to drive, you do not get to ride that ride, you do not win that contest, you don't get the job, you surely won't get the rebate you're wanting, and as for marriage and divorce well you can kiss them good bye too. These are facts we live with all our lives long. We know what the word IF means. If you do this then that will take place, if you fail to do this then that won't take place- sounds simple and very straight forward, easily comprehended.

So here we have an IF… 'IF ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be NOT moved away from the HOPE of the gospel'

You have an active role once again. People sometimes think that all you have to do to be considered holy, unblameable, unreproveable in the sight of God is accept Jesus as their Savior once and that's all she wrote. Accept that He died for them and then go on and live however they please without a single other thought about the matter.  If that were true then what does it mean to CONTINUE in the faith- grounded and settled, unmovable from the hope of the gospel?

What does the word continue mean? It means don't stop. We cannot stop having faith, we cannot allow ourselves to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Jesus has to be a REAL belief to us, a daily belief, not a haphazard, occasional thought in our lives. He has to LIVE in our LIVES as something very, very real. That hope must be a hope that is daily! If we dare to neglect the hope of Christ we are risking eternal life. The 'IF YE CONTINUE' is put there for a reason.  If it were different we would be told to accept Christ one time and then go about your life, but we are NEVER told that, not ever.


Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him

We cannot neglect so great salvation! IF (and there's that word again) IF we neglect salvation we will NOT have salvation. We really do have to give the more earnest HEED to the things we hear in the WORD of GOD, we can't let them slip, we just can't.

We must CONTINUE in the FAITH. We must be GROUNDED. We must be SETTLED, We must NOT be moved. We MUST have the HOPE of the Gospel in us ALWAYS!

Alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works

Col 1:21,22  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

Alienated and enemies in your mind- BY wicked works.

Actions have consequences. We want to believe otherwise, don't we? Isn't that why when people commit wrongs they're relieved to 'get away with them'? There's a certain sense of relief and happiness in the criminal when a crime is successfully carried out. The thief isn't caught, the murderer gets away with it, the adulterer is never found out, the fornicator is fine because the pleasure is worth any supposed penalty for engaging in what is only natural, the disrespecting person is never called to account for their disrespect, the coveter is never exposed for their coveting, the liar never revealed to be lying,  and so on. And isn't it often found to be true that when a person does get away with a sin it becomes easier and easier to commit that same sin time and time again. Wicked works.

What do you imagine wicked works to be?

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

They profess that they know God-  but in WORKS they deny him.

The fruit of a tree is so telling. If we know nothing of trees at all and see flowers bloom upon them knowing they'll bear fruit in time, we'd watch to see what sort of fruit the tree would bring forth, right? That blossom might turn into an apple, or a pear, it might be a peach in the end. By the fruit that comes from the tree we know what sort of tree it is even if we know nothing else about identifying a tree.

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

What are the fruits, but works?  Seriously? If we know one another by our fruits that has to mean something realistic, we aren't trees but we are people whose actions are telling. I can't produce an apple but I can produce other things, right?

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The merciful, the peacemakers, the meek.

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The commandment keepers- not breakers.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Loving enemies, blessing the cursers, doing good to the haters, praying for the users and persecutors.

Do not try to tell me that we are not to think about our works- our actions- not when my SAVIOR tells me otherwise.

The truth is we are KNOWN by our actions.

Our actions are a result of our minds, the decisions, the choices we intelligently make by thinking.

'Alienated and enemies in your mind- BY wicked works.'

The wicked works we allow ourselves to commit alienate us from God, they make us enemies of God.

A sense of despair will arise when we think of all the wicked works we've committed and seem unable to stop committing. It's this despair that Satan wants us to fall victim to, entrapping us in hopelessness.

Col 1:21,22  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

Yet now hath he RECONCILED in the body of HIS flesh through DEATH- to present YOU HOLY and UNBLAMEABLE and UNREPROVABLE in HIS SIGHT.

We can be reconciled through our SAVIOR who gave His life for US!  We do not have to be alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works. We can accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, trusting in HIM to present us HOLY and UNBLAMEABLE AND UNREPROVABLE. We cannot present ourselves that way.  We must trust in HIM to do for us what we absolutely cannot, and can never do for ourselves. 

Does this mean we continue to encourage the wicked works in ourselves? NEVER. Never ever encourage them. We are taught by Jesus to encourage the good, going beyond what most even believe good to be. Laying down our lives for our enemies, not reviling our persecutors, not taking that road so readily traveled by the masses, that very, very broad road the mjority are set out upon. We are encouraged to find the SELFLESS road, not the SELFSERVING road.

By His grace may we be found in Him and ONLY in Him.

All love, all power, all glory, all honor, all praise to GOD!

By Him were all things created

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

He is BEFORE all things. 

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

In beginning.
Was the Word.
The Word was WITH God.
The Word WAS God.

God and God together.

God the word- would become the Son of God the Father, begotten by the Father. Chosen to be the SPIRITUAL image of the Father God. Chosen to be the FIRST of all to come. Chosen as the Promised ONE. Creator of ALL things in heaven and in earth- visible and invisible. Created FOR and BY Him. Without HIM NOTHING we know would exist, not one single thing. He is not only our Savior, but our Creator.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

In ALL THINGS HE might have PREEMINENCE.  God in flesh.  The firstborn from the dead- truly the first born in a world that had fulfilled the promise of a Savior to come.  The head of the body- the church. The head of God's people.

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell

Praise God the FATHER!

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Made PEACE through the BLOOD of HIS CROSS. His Sacrifice brought peace everlasting to a world hopelessly lost in sin. His death brought peace not only here but in heaven ALL THINGS are reconciled to HIM-to His perfect PEACE.

Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Perfect peace is only found in our Savior, no where else. We will be reconciled to our Savior, He died to make this possible.

This amazing sacrifice made by those who had the power to simply erase us all as a failed experiment. God almost did just that.

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

He'd made a promise to the newly fallen humans remember-

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The only way Noah could find grace in the eyes of the Lord was if there existed grace to find.  The promise of One who would destroy the father of lies , the promise of His being able to bruise the head of the serpent. That promise was given to us so we might know the very thing that had introduced us to evil would be done away with by the ONE who would intervene, the ONE who would be God's. Grace would be possible, the One whose heel would be bruised would LIVE.  This promise made grace possible for Noah. The world would NOT be destroyed the fight between good and evil would go on until the promise was fulfilled.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. One person in all those wicked upon the earth whose heart was God's. ONE person prevented humanity's annihilation through the promise made before the world was formed, that should things go bad, a Savior would be needed.

Our Savior would make peace possible through His blood sacrifice, all for US undeserving ones, all by HIS grace, all through HIS love.