October 5 - Colossians 1:21 – 2:7 - Like a Soul Tattoo

Have you ever heard of an ‘ambigram?’ An ambigram is a word or phrase drawn in such a way as to be legible right side up and upside down! There is a very talented tattoo artist named Mark Palmer who has created a bunch of these unique pieces of art. He has one where the word ‘Faith’ turned upside down becomes the word ‘Hope.’ There’s another that renders the word ’Glory’ so that it appears exactly the same whether you view it from one direction or the other. I think if I had some discretionary income I’d commission him to draw me an ambigram that read, “Christ in Me” in one direction and “Me in Christ” in the other.

Paul is really focusing on this “ambi-glorious” reality in today’s text. He says that the glorious riches of the mystery of God is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He says as we received Christ, we ought also to continue to live in Christ. He lives in us and we live in Him. What an amazing relationship. Like an ambigram, each element is wound up and twined together with the other.

Certain of the letters of an ambigram go through wild contortions to achieve the desired effect. They look almost pained. Paul says Christ still suffers for His bride, the church, and that we who are in Him are suffering with Him. It’s not all peace and light being in Christ. But Paul also says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him. He says that in Christ we can be rooted and strengthened and built up. There is reward far beyond the pain that comes from being in Christ. And perfection in heaven is a sure thing because Christ is in us.

All of this is the reason it is called the ‘gospel,’ the good news. And yet there is labor and deception and struggle in this life that would move us away from that hope; that would attempt to replace the good news with bad. Don’t believe it. Don’t surrender to it. Don’t be worn down and defeated by it. Paul exhorts – “Continue in faith! Establish yourself; stand firm! Do not be moved!” Don’t miss the personal pronoun in verse 29. “I labor, struggling with all HIS energy …” Don’t wrestle with the enemy in your own power; wrestle with the Lord’s energy which works powerfully IN you. Because Christ is IN you. And you are IN Him.

And there’s nothing ambiguous about that.

Pray: Jesus, I believed in You and received You and have become a child of God. You live in me and I live in You. Help me to live out of that glorious mystery. I don’t understand it all. But I do know, it is where true life, love and hope are found. I have written your Name upon my hand (Isa. 44:5) and upon my heart. And mine is upon Yours.

See the ambigrams at www.byMarkPalmer.com

August 10 - 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 - But YOU Were Washed and Bought

Folks up here in this part of California sure do love their wheels. I saw more classic cars and ultra-accessorized late models in my first year living here than I saw in the entire decade I lived in Massachusetts. Guys with great skills and great patience (and apparently a good amount of discretionary income) take the oldies and make them shine. They make ‘em purr! Vehicles headed toward the junk yard are bought up, cleaned up, fixed up, tuned up … Now, can you imagine if you were given one of those beauties? Free of charge! You are now the proud owner of a meticulously, lovingly restored classic car. Think about how careful you’d be with that car; how you would want to keep it in its pristine condition.  Think about how your car care would honor the one who invested so much to breathe new life into it.

Now consider what Paul says about you and your fellow believers. “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ … you were bought at a price.” To me, this is the common link between the first and last halves of this chapter. It might be easier to deal separately with the issue of Christians not taking Christians to court and the issue of sexual purity. But the truth that ties them together is the truth of our ‘bought and washed’ condition. The blood of Christ purchased us from the junkyard of sin. The blood of Christ washed away the dust and corrosion of our flesh and renovated our spirit. We have been meticulously, lovingly restored to right relationship with God. This frame, this body, this powertrain of mine is beautiful now and prepared to roll the streets of gold!

How then shall I honor the One who invested so much to breathe new life into me? Will suing my fellow Christian demonstrate that honor? Will joining the body He bought with His blood to a prostitute show Him respect? Paul addresses two very different behaviors, but categorizes them both as wicked. And what is the key to resisting wickedness? Remembering who washed and bought you. Remember who and what you really are in Christ. You are saints; you are family; you are members of Christ; you are a temple of the Holy Spirit; you are the purchase of God. And oh! what a purchase price He paid.

Pray: Lord Redeemer, Savior of my soul, help me in the heat of disagreement. Help me in the heat of desire. When I am enraged and ready to take my brother to court, remind me of who I am. When I am inflamed and ready to take a harlot to bed, remind me of who I am. Remind me that these two sins will be expressed in lesser degrees and yet no less sinful. In all my legalisms and lusts, remind me that I belong to You.