Starting May 2018 and during the current Luke and Acts Introduction to Christianity series, pastor Matt will be teaching through Colossians once a month. Matt started in April, last Sunday, covering the first chapter. Interestingly, the underlying original Greek word 'telos' is mentioned in the Bible's New Testament book of Colossians in the first chapter when Paul writes:
“Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature (telos) in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”
Christianity is defined and determined by God, specifically, Jesus the Christ, and when we begin to trust in him, we then continue to follow him throughout our life (i.e. mature). He is the point of our salvation and relationship to him as well as our life on the earth.
A theological way of saying it is God is our justification and sanctification. Justification is God declaring people righteous or saved based on someone else -- Jesus. Sanctification is God continually at work in, on, around, beyond, and through people whom he has justified and based on what first justified us -- Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings internal conviction, awareness to the conscience, and transformed life to live for him throughout the process with humility and love for others to taste his goodness.
Therefore, we are able to say that anyone is to be 'inspired by truth and love to make life, disciples, and churches all about Jesus' since he's the point regardless of where we are at in life -- good, bad, and ugly parts of life.
