Colossians 1
"The life in Christ isn’t earned—it arrives fully given. Just open it. Rest in it. Live from it."
Paul opens this letter not with complaint about his suffering, but with gratitude. Even while imprisoned, he celebrates the grace of God revealed in the Colossians' lives. These believers had heard the gospel from Epaphras, a fellow laborer in the faith, and were now walking in faith and love—clear signs of their transformed hearts. Paul emphasizes that this transformation didn't come from personal effort but from the Spirit's work in them. He reminds us that the gospel is spreading and bearing fruit because it is rooted in grace, not human striving.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians centers on their continued growth—not just in knowledge about God, but in the personal experience of walking with Him. He prays they live lives worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit, growing in relationship, leaning into divine power, and overflowing with thanksgiving. Why? Because God has already delivered them from darkness and brought them into the kingdom of the Son He loves.
At the heart of this chapter is one of the most sweeping and beautiful portraits of Christ in all of Scripture. Jesus is Lord over creation and new creation. He is before all things, and all things hold together in Him. He is the head of the body, the church, and the source of our new life. The fullness of God dwells in Him, and through His cross He has brought reconciliation—peace—to all things.
Paul reminds the Colossians that they were once alienated and hostile in their minds, but now they are holy, unblemished, and blameless in Christ, provided they remain rooted in the hope of the gospel. He speaks not just as a theologian, but as one who suffers for this truth. And the mystery he reveals is breathtaking: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Journal Entry In the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You were once alienated in your thinking, chasing after self-sufficiency and driven by the shadows of a life apart from Me. But now, through the blood of My Son, you have been made holy, without blemish, and fully accepted in My sight. This is not a future promise only—it is a present reality. You are no longer a child of darkness. I have transferred you into the kingdom of the Son I love. In Him, you have redemption, the full forgiveness of sins.
My Son is the image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were made, and in whom all things hold together. He is before all things, and in Him is life. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might be supreme. In Him, all the fullness of the divine nature dwells in bodily form. And in Him, you too are made complete.
You now live under a new identity. You are no longer striving to earn what has already been freely given. Your life is hidden with Christ in Me. I dwell in you. I lead you in all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way—bearing fruit in every good work, growing deeper in knowledge, being empowered by My glorious might, and giving thanks with joy for your inheritance.
Remain in this hope. Let your heart rest in the certainty of My gospel. Let your faith and love spring from the unshakable truth that Christ in you is your hope of glory.
(Colossians 1:9–14; 1:21–22; 1:27; 2:9–10; Romans 8:30; Ephesians 1:7; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:3)
Real Life Analogy
Have you ever received a surprise gift in the mail—not one you ordered or expected, but something beautifully packaged, already paid for, with your name on it? At first, you might look around wondering, "Is this really for me?" And once you're assured it is, you're simply invited to open it and enjoy it.
That’s what it’s like with our life in Christ. We didn’t initiate it. We didn’t pay for it. We didn’t earn it. It just arrived—lavish, undeserved, and fully ours. And yet, many of us walk around as if we still need to deserve the gift, pay installments on it, or keep proving it belongs to us. But the Father gently reminds us: the life in Christ is already yours. Open it. Enjoy it. Let it reshape everything.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the undeniable reality that I have been delivered out of darkness and placed into the kingdom of Your beloved Son. I no longer live under accusation or condemnation. Your grace has made me whole. You indwell me and You live through me. Christ in me is my daily joy and my eternal hope.
Let me walk each moment with a grateful heart, not trying to become what You already say I am, but resting in who You are in me. I receive the fruit of a life hidden in Christ—a life of peace, strength, and joy that flows not from me but from You. I trust You to live through me tonight, and tomorrow, and every day that follows. Amen.
Devotional Source: Grace and Truth Study Bible (Zondervan, 2021)
Photo Credit: Unsplash