By Rev. Reg Higginbottom - Moulton & Monterey Christian Churches
Daily Iowegian
EXLINE —
In our Friday morning Bible study we have been studying the Book of Colossians. Colossians is loaded with great wisdom. Paul wrote Colossians to correct false teachings like Gnosticism that had begun to infect the church. Today the church has its own infiltrators like the new age movement and universalism (the idea that all religions are a way to God.) As we enter the fall it is time to evaluate our faith walks and our priorities. Paul in Colossians 3 said we must let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. We must return to the authority of God’s Word. As we walk life’s path let us examine the path traveled!
Colossians 3:16-17 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
The key is the Word of God. We have gotten away from the authority of the Word of God. The Restoration Movement, of which our church has its roots, has its roots from the teachings of Alexander Campbell. Campbell based his authority not upon himself, but the Word of God. He often said, No book but the Bible, Bible names for Bible things. We wonder what some of the founders of movements would think of where people have taken the movement they played a role in starting. The same is true of the other founding fathers, Martin Luther, the Wesleys. Each led revivals or calls back to the authority of God’s Word. Each would not wish the movement bore their name, but each would say their role was to call the church back to the Word of God.
In fact one could say the same thing about the founding fathers of the United States. Would they be pleased with the direction we have taken the nation? This nation was formed as a democratic republic. The founding fathers saw the authority of the republic was to be taken from and based upon the authority of the Word of God, the Bible. Examining the writings of the founding fathers confirm that fact.
This call is not just for that era of church history. But as you look at others throughout history. Each called us back to the Word of God. It was Paul’s call to the Colossian Church. Luther to his church and even today Deitrich Bonhoeffer sneered at the theology of the church in America until he found some with a wholehearted gospel of Christ based upon a wholehearted devotion to Christ. Would he be pleased with the direction of the church today? Probably not, because we have misplaced our devotion to Christ and the authority of the Bible with our own worldly agenda.
We need to look at our walks and see if our devotion is to a movement or does it reflect the authority of the Word of God, the Bible. Does our life reflect in our words, in our actions, in our deeds and in our worship the fact that we belong to Christ? And from that devotion we hold a devotion to the authority of the Word of God.
That devotion should translate into our daily lives and how we live our lives because as Christians faith is not a private thing, it is who we become. Faith should affect what we do, what we believe and the values we hold. Thereby including the organizations and movements that we associate with and yes, even who we vote for. We cannot just claim to be a Christian, we must demonstrate we are a Christian and that comes by giving the Word of God the authority in our lives, in our society and in our churches that it deserves. For Christ is the Word and He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
The path traveled! The authority of God’s Word must guide the path traveled. May the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. May we return to His path and honor serve and proclaim Him. “Thy Word a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105.
