Daily Devotions

Col 1: 23

Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

Paul in his apostolic writing to the church in Colossae which is in the present day Turkey encouraged them to continue in their faith. They are in the region of Asia Minor near to Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire at that time. It lies at the cross road of trade routes and there was must wealth in the region as the traders ply to and fro on the trade routes.

There must have been much commercial activities in commerce and also that there would have been much distractions in social and economic activities. It is somewhat like the modern cities that we live in, full of life throughout the day and night and there are much activities and distractions.

Temptations of the flesh would be all rounds and every man or woman would be easily distracted. It was very easily for the believers living in that location of heighten activities to remain focused on Jesus Christ.

It is in such a context that Paul writes to the church, ‘Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.’ Paul exhorts the believer there to walk closely with Jesus and not be distracted with all that is happening there. He asked them to continue in their faith and be strong and established in their belief and not to turn away from the promises of the Gospel.

With all the distraction of sensual pleasure, it is indeed a challenge for the believers in Colossae to not stray away from Jesus and the gospel of salvation but to remain steadfast in it.

This also applies to us in our present lifestyle and locations. As we look around, we can see  all the different distractions around us and acknowledge that we can also be easily distracted and be sucked into the system of the world where we would comply with the norms of the world. When that happens, we would surely loose out salvation.