COLOSSIANS

Morning Meditation 12/9/15

I read five Psalms a day, But the Lord has been leading me to the Book of Colossians for my meditations for the past few weeks. The verse that met a need for me this morning is Colossians

1:12. Paul says, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." I did a work up on that verse that I will share with you.

1)"Giving thanks unto the Father" The words "giving thanks" is a present active participle. It means to be grateful for something or to be thankful and show it. It comes as a result of the realization of the provision that the Father has made in Christ for us as stated in the remainder of the verse. The word "Father" identifies the originator of the plan. We find the phrase "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" four times in the New Testament: Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph 3:14; Col. 1:3. This truth should make us thankful and overflow in praise. One of the outstanding features of personal revival is the overflow of joy in the Christian's life. The next clause will tell us the well springs of that joy and thanksgiving.

2)"Which hath made us meet" The words "hath made meet" translate one word (kikanoo) that means "to make sufficient or to render fit" The verb form is an aorist active participle. The aorist tense refers to a point of time in the past. It is an accomplished fact. It is an accomplished fact. It is not something to be sought after. It has already taken place, and Paul mentions it here as a motivation to thanksgiving for those whom he is addressing. Verse 2 identifies those who he is addressing. The active voice is where the subject does the acting. The subject here is the "Father." Our being "made meet to be a partaker" is the not an attainment on our part. We are the subjects of God's provision. He has made us meet. The Father has rendered us fit; He has made us sufficient. One of my major barrier to fellowship with the Father is my feeling on unworthiness.. Satan accuses me as I pray to the Father. And I tell you it is distracting. Unless that barrier comes down, I leave my place of prayer unfulfilled. He constantly tells me that I have not attained the level of maturity needed to fellowship with God. He shows me others that I admire and makes them an example of what I am not; I do not have the Bible knowledge they have. I do not spend the time in prayer they do. I do not witness as much as they do. But here it is not I who must make me meet or sufficient to partake of the inheritance. God has done it for me. When I remind the Accuser of the brethren, he can't handle that. That opens the door to the Lord's presence.

3)"To be partakers of the inheritance" The words "to be partakers" (meris) translate one word that means "a part as distinct from the whole or an assigned part, a portion, share. " The words "of the inheritance" (kleros) This is referring to all that the death of Christ provides for the believer. It is not just heaven some day. It is access to the Father's throne. It is fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:2-4).. It is continuous revival (John 7:37-39). Christ is the One who obtained this inheritance. He is my acceptance. He has brought me by His death on the cross to the privilege of partaking. I have a share in that inheritance. It is not a goal. It has been obtained for me by Him.

4)"Of the saints in light" The word "saints" (hagios) means "most holy thing, a saint. "The word "light" (phos) is the regular word for light and means "the light emitted by a lamp. " Metaphorically it is used of "the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth " The word "saints" refers to every believer in Christ. Now if we have trouble seeing ourselves as a "most holy people" just look at verse 22 of this chapter.. "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. " It is through His death that this happens. We are recipients of His grace. God's unmerited favor comes to me because of the cross. Grace is God giving me what Christ deserves. The process of our fellowship is maintained by walking in the light. See 1 John 1:7.

The truth that my worthiness to fellowship with God is God's provision for me. There is a blank place in the heart of God that awaits my presence for fellowship. This must be by faith. Faith is God's provision (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 12:3) that gives me the capacity to fellowship with and respond to His unseen presence. Faith makes what is true in the Spiritual world real in the physical realm. I must accept by faith that God has made me worthy to partake of His inheritance and use that truth to tear down any barrier that Satan tries to put in my way.

May the Lord bless these truths to your heart as He has to mine.

God bless you.

In Christ

Earl White