Highway to Heaven © by beverlyislike

(Below is a paraphrase of Colossians 2:1-9. Taken from my book ‘The Gospel Cannot Be Chained‘)

My dear family, I’ll say it again, it is because I’m so passionate about the good news from God that is rightly yours in Christ that I press forward, despite the obstacles and opposition, with the hope that you will be encouraged in heart and united in the abounding love of God. I labour for the sake of this goal, knowing that when we are encouraged in our hearts, and united in our love, a spiritual highway is created that opens up a way for us to travel together into the full riches of divine understanding, leading us in love to accept the mystery of God.

That divine mystery is that God is not at all demanding, judgmental or legalistic; he doesn’t want to live in a ‘temple’ or be brought sacrifices. He is truly the divine God who does not desire a religion, but rather, an intimately united life with us all. This mystery has finally come to light now that we see Jesus, for he is the mystery of God made plain to us all.

It is not in God’s written word that the full riches of complete understanding are found, but in the fullness of Jesus, who is God’s word made alive to us – Christ in you. In him is the full understanding of God’s nature and way of love. In Christ are hidden the abounding treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge. I’m reminding you of this so that you won’t be easily misled by fine-sounding arguments. You can rest assured that if Christ is in you, and you are in him, then he will open up your heart and mind to walk in God’s ways and bless you with the wisdom of God in every circumstance. Although I’m not with you now, my heart is with you and I am delighted to see that your stand is upon the reality of Jesus in your lives and how your faith rests in him.

Now, just as you accepted Jesus as your Lord, the one who has made you perfectly acceptable in every way before your heavenly Father, continue to live in him. He offers us a transformed life that is a glorious and daily experience. Rest in his divine love for you, and, in that place of heavenly rest, allow the Spirit to work as he desires. Live in Christ; allow your life to be rooted in his life that you may also be built up in his grace, strengthened in your knowledge of all he has accomplished for you and abounding in joy and thankfulness that a united life with Christ brings forth.

Keep yourself grounded in this glorious reality, and be on your guard. Don’t allow anyone to take you captive through hollow and deceptive ideas. They may sound impressive with their reasoning and philosophy which depends on human traditions, historical research and basic principles of the world, but none of it is based on the reality of Christ.

Christ in you is a mystery that can only be understood by the Spirit of God, and so those without the Spirit will naturally try to explain life, God and faith from a worldly perspective that does not depend on the reality of Christ in you, your hope of glory. Be aware of this, my brothers and sisters, that you may not be so easily enslaved by their worldly teaching. For it is in Jesus that the fullness of the almighty, divine God can be seen and understood, and you have been given Jesus in his fullness. What a blessing! What a glorious reality, that the one who is the fullness of God himself – is living in you! Praise God.

(This was an excerpt from my book ‘The Gospel Cannot Be Chained’, available on www.amazon.com)