9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding.
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, and please him in all things, being fruitful in all good works, and increasing in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:9-14 (1599 Geneva Bible) Read verses 11-14 on the site.
We live in a time of deep deception. Even genuine Christians can be deceived if they are not exceedingly careful. It is imperative that, even though we must remain in the world for a time, we must not be of it. The Church has been under heavy attack since Acts 2. It is a wise and discerning thing for us to understand that God uses this to purify, cleanse, and teach the Church. It is as we address heresy that doctrine is developed for our understanding of God and His ways and then becomes more defined for us.
Let us never forget that God is both transcendent and imminent. Our environment heavily influences us, but God is outside of creation. His transcendence should comfort us because, along with His immutability, we know that He never changes and He is always faithful. God is still a mystery because He is so far above us that our minds cannot contain how wonderful and awesome He is. However, He is also imminent. He sent His Son to be incarnate as one of us. He never ceased being God, however, as a Man He was tempted in every way that we are yet without sin. At the proper time, He laid down His life to incur the wrath of God for our sin. Through this, He purchased His people with His blood. He redeemed them. As Paul said in the passage above, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” He is returning when it is the proper time. Then His imminence will be fulfilled. <Continue reading post>