ORDER MY STEPS IN THY WORD

God’s Order for Quality BelieversGod loved us when we were unlovable, dead intrespasses and sin; and many times we, too, mustlove even the unlovable. Sometimes we lovebecause of and sometimes in spite of, but the importantand necessary thing is that we do loveone another. As born-again believers who arefilled with the power of God and who believeGod’s Word, you and I must meet people’s needsuntil they learn how to go to God to get their ownneeds met. We allow people to hitchhike on ourability to manifest God’s power until they learnto manifest the power of God in their own lives.We have to have great love and concern.What a tremendous verse of. scripture. An ex-panded translation of this verse would be: “Wehave this care for people so that their heartsmight be comforted and encouraged, beingunited with one mind in one spirit for the gloryof God by the manifested love of God which hasbeen shed forth in our hearts by holy spirit, tothe end that we altogether utilize, with full conviction,what we have learned by carefully listeningto and thoughtfully reflecting upon the Wordof God, with the ultimate goal of absolutelyknowing the Mystery of God (Who is our Father)and of Christ (who is the head of the Church).”This second chapter of Colossians is telling usthat things are to be used and people are to beloved. We can use things to advance toward ourgoals, but we never use people.Consider this: If God could so love me throughChrist Jesus that He could save me to the uttermost—thatI who was dead in trespasses and sinscould be made alive, that He would cast my sinsfrom me and remember them no more—is thereany person in this world whom I cannot forgive?I have no problem forgiving other people when Iconsider the great grace with which God forgaveme. And if you really know what God in Christdid for you, then you have no problem helpingsomeone else so that Christ can do the sameQuickened Together with Christredemptive, healing work for them. That’s thetenderness, that’s the concern we must have forall people everywhere.Verse 2 tells why we need to have that care andconcern for people.Verse 2:That their hearts might be comforted, beingknit together in love, and unto all riches ofthe full assurance of understanding, to theacknowledgement of the mystery of God,and of the Father, and of Christ.This desire to comfort and encourage was alsothe reason Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica.256 257