After opening his letter by
commending the church member in Colosse for their “faith in
Christ Jesus”, their “love to all the saints”, and
“hope which is laid up in heaven for you”, Paul the
apostle directed their attention toward their “faithful
minister” and his “fellow-servant” “Epaphras”
. “Epaphras”
visited Paul while he was in prison in Rome, and in chapter one and
verse eight of Paul's letter to the Colossians, we discover one of
the reasons for “Epaphras'” visit. We read:
Who also declared unto
us your love in the Spirit.
The
verse says, “Who also declared unto us your love in the
Spirit.” When Epaphras came to
Paul, he “declared”
or “made manifest, made known by relating, gave to understand,
indicated, or signified” unto Paul and those with him “your
love” which is the Greek word
“agape” which means “affection, good will, love, benevolence,
brotherly love and unconditional love”. This “agape” love was
“in the Spirit”
which is where true love is found as opposed to “love in the
flesh”. Let us notice that the word “Spirit” is capitalized
which indicates Paul's reference to the “Holy Spirit” of God.
There is no greater love that can be realized than the one which
resides in a relationship with the Holy Spirit of God.
Although
the words in this verse are few, they are impact-filled when we
consider them. First, do others tell of our “love in the
Spirit”? Have we experienced
what “love in the Spirit”
is like? Would others deem us to have “unconditional love”
derived from our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?
Perhaps as we meditate upon this verse we will benefit by going to
the Lord in prayer and asking Him to reveal whether we have the
“love” of His
Spirit residing within us. May the Lord Jesus help us to be His “love
in the Spirit” representatives in this world.
Next
time Paul will write about a special prayer for the Colossian'
church,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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