For Reading and Meditation:      Colossians 2:1-15We are seeing the suffering and persecution we experience can be due to our own tactlessness and folly. Today I want to go a stage further, and suggest that in relation to this matter of suffering and persecution, some Christians have developed a "martyr complex". A "martyr complex" is an attitude of mind that finds strange emotional satisfaction in being persecuted. Why should this be? Well, if, for example, a person does not experience a good sense of personal worth, they become motivated to secure that worth in other ways. And one of those ways can be that of making an impact upon their immediate environment or society through taking a stand on some "Christian" issue. Now I am not saying, of course, that all of those who take a stand on such issues as pornography, violence, and other serious moral problems are motivated to do so because of a "martyr complex". That would be foolish to suggest and foolish to deduce. But it must be seen that some Christians strike out on issues, not because of an overriding concern for Christian values, but because of the satisfaction they get out of being noticed. And when being noticed leads to severe persecution, they draw from this the emotional charge they need to compensate for their low sense of worth. Such people almost court suffering and persecution, but it has to be said that they are not suffering for righteousness' sake - they are suffering for their own sake. May God give us grace and wisdom to understand when we are doing things to meet our own emotional needs, rather than out of love for Him. Father, I see even more clearly that unless my needs are met in a close relationship with You, then I am a vulnerable person - and prone to go astray. Draw me closer to You this day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>2 Corinthians 11:16-33</li><li>2 Timothy 2:8-9</li><li>3:10-11</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>List some of Paul's sufferings.</li><li>What was Paul's testimony?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"' you are complete in Him '" (v. 10, NKJ) 

If we have received Christ himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will manifest its intimate acquaintance with him by a walk of faith in him. Walking implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and men say of that man, "He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ." Walking signifies progress. "So walk ye in him"; proceed from grace to grace, run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a man can attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be with him, treading in his steps and doing his will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget him; sometimes call him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in him. We must keep to him, cling to him, never let him go, but live and have our being in him. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him"; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let him be the same till life's end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept.

This timeless classic from Charles Spurgeon will help to both start and end your day with wonderful insight into God's Word.

Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

"So walk ye in him." - Colossians 2:6

Morning Devotional

The life of faith is represented as receiving-an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours his salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow; we receive that which is substantial: so is it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us-a person who lived a long while ago, so long ago that his life is only a history to us now! By an act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I receive Jesus, he becomes my Saviour, so mine that neither life nor death shall be able to rob me of him. All this is to receive Christ-to take him as God's free gift; to realize him in my heart, and to appropriate him as mine. Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving hearing, the dead receiving life; but we have not only received these blessings, we have received CHRIST JESUS himself. It is true that he gave us life from the dead. He gave us pardon of sin; he gave us imputed righteousness. These are all precious things, but we are not content with them; we have received Christ himself. The Son of God has been poured into us, and we have received him, and appropriated him. What a heartful Jesus must be, for heaven itself cannot contain him!

"As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord." - Colossians 2:6

Be] strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power. § As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. § They may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. § Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. § [Be] filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Fight the good fight of faith. § Not in any way terrified by your adversaries.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 

Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. § As you … have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. § He who endures to the end shall be saved. § The ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. By faith you stand. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. 

<blockquote>
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (<a id="verse_1632879494102916" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/6">Col. 2:6</a>).
</blockquote>How readily and eagerly we take His Word when He says, "I go to prepare a place for you" (<a id="verse_1632879494799086" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/John/14/2">John 14:2</a>), yet how slow of heart we are to believe that He has prepared a walk for us, here and now! For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them - living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live" (<a id="verse_1632879494373992" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/2/10">Eph. 2:10</a>, Amp.)."Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (<a id="verse_1632879494790291" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/1/3">Eph. 1:3</a>, ASV). If you can run over in your mind and find one single blessing with which God might bless us today, with which He has not already blessed us, then what He told Paul is not true at all, because He said, God hath....' It is all done, It is finished.' God hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies! The great pity of it all is that we are saying O God bless us - bless us in this, bless us in that! and it is all done; He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ in the heavenlies. It is our place to believe and receive." -L.L.L."According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (<a id="verse_1632879494768782" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/2-Peter/1/3">2 Pet. 1:3</a>).

A 365 day devotional that will help you in your Christian growth and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  This devotional is a collection of quotes from some of the best authors in the realm of Christian growth that has been organized by Miles J Stanford.  This devotional study is divided into 12 sections each containing 31 daily portions.

None but the Hungry Heart

 Prearranged 

<blockquote>
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (<a id="verse_1632879782262455" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/6">Col. 2:6</a>).
</blockquote>One day we came to Him in utter need and reliance, and received life. Every day we are to abide in Him in utter need and reliance, that He may live that life in and through us. We are born again by faith, and we are to live anew by faith. "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing" (<a id="verse_1632879782507104" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/John/15/5">John 15:5</a>)."There are earnest Christians who are jealous for a free Gospel, with acceptance of Christ, and justification by faith alone. But after this they think everything depends on their diligence and faithfulness. While they firmly grasp the truth, justified by faith,' they have hardly noticed the larger truth, the just shall live by faith.' They have not yet understood what a perfect Saviour the Lord Jesus is, and how He will each day do for the sinner just as much as He did the first day when they came to Him."They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in the relationship to the Lord Jesus the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man. The old nature of the believer remains evil and sinful to the last; it is only as he daily comes, all empty and helpless, to his Saviour to receive of His life and strength, that he can bring forth the fruits of righteousness to the glory of God." -A.M."Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (<a id="verse_1632879782911322" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/7">Col. 2:7</a>).

 Abiding Faith 

<blockquote>
To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (<a id="verse_1632878354364682" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Romans/4/5">Rom. 4:5</a>).
</blockquote>When our testimony concerning His gift of freedom from the power of sin is as valid as our testimony to His gift of freedom from the penalty of sin, we will have matured. So long as there is only the first half, we are but babes, albeit full-grown."The Lord Jesus, you know, makes two offers to everyone. He offers to set us free from the penalty of our sin. And He offers to set us free from the power of our sin. Both of these offers are made on exactly the same terms: we can accept them only by letting Him do it all. Every believer has accepted the first offer. Many have not accepted the second offer. They mistakenly think that they must have some part in overcoming the power of their sin; that their efforts, their will, their determination, strengthened and helped by the Holy Spirit, is the way of victory." -C.T."All the powers of Deity which already wrought together in the accomplishment of the first part of the eternal purpose, the revealing of the Father's likeness in the man Christ Jesus, are equally engaged to accomplish the second part, and work that likeness in each of the Father's children." -A.M."Like Christ: the longer we meditate on that word, the more we realize how impossible it is without the other: In Christ. The outward likeness can only be the manifestation of a living, inward union. To do the same work as the Lord Jesus, I must have the same life. The more earnestly I take Him for my example, the more I am driven to Him as my Head, my Life. Only an inner life essentially like His, can lead us to a visible walk like His." -A.M."As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (<a id="verse_1632878354947021" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/6">Col. 2:6</a>).

 Dual Gift 

<h3>Spiritual Fullness in Christ</h3> 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

Colossians 2:6

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,<cr>1</cr> continue to live your lives in him,

 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,   continue to live your lives in him,

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,  continue to live your lives in him,

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,   continue to live your lives in him,

Bible Verse of the Day

March 6, 1888

Colossians 2:6 NIV

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