To the Holy and Faithful Ones

Those words jumped out at me when I read Colossians 1:1-8, “To the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.” Holy and faithful! That sounds as if the Colossians were doing well. They were doing their best to live as disciples in a secular world. And, for the most part, they were succeeding.

How about you and me? Isn’t that what we desire to do – live as holy and faithful disciples of Christ in our world? As Paul wrote his many letters to the churches, I suspect that he knew that generations upon generations would be reading his “advice columns”.

That’s what good authors do. They consider what they know and have proven what works and what doesn’t. They’ve proven the results of being faithful to a diet plan, a get-healthy plan, a get rich plan, or any other “how to” plan. It starts with a need, and someone comes along and shows us how to meet that need.

Back to Paul addressing the Colossians as “holy and faithful”. He was speaking optimism, hope, goodness, and mercy into them. Those folks still had plenty of problems but he called them “holy and faithful”. He could do that for one clear reason. He said to them:

“Christ in you, the hope for glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Jesus, the holy and faithful One, lived in them. Despite their struggles with sin, their lack of understanding and their need to grow in love, Jesus was at work within them.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was making them holy and helping them to be faithful. He knew if they cooperated with the Holy Spirit, their lives would reflect the gift they had already received.

Here we are in the 21st century and those words of Paul to the Colossians “To the holy and faithful ones” are meant for you and me too. Sure, we are “earthen vessels”, but our all-holy God dwells in them. In you and me! Those earthen vessels are still on the “potter’s wheel”, becoming more and more holy and faithful.

That is my desire. So, if I desire to be holy and faithful, I need to acknowledge Him throughout my day. I need to marvel that the One Who formed the universe lives in my heart and continues to mold me and make me after His will – while I am waiting – yielded and still.

Aw! Yielded and still! If He lives in my heart, then I can yield to His voice and His nudges to share His love and light with others. I can be still and know He is God. I really CAN be a “faithful and holy one” when I surrender my ways to His ways and my thoughts to His thoughts.

So from one “faithful and holy one”, to all of my peers who are God’s “faithful and holy ones”, let’s make this day count for us, our families and those who need a “how to” lesson on being faithful and holy, too!