So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him…
-Colossians 2:6

To appreciate Paul’s point here, we have to clarify something first:

How did you initially receive Christ Jesus as Lord?
By working hard? By doing good? Getting it right? Hitting your mark?

Of course not. You didn’t achieve Him as Lord.
You received Him as Lord.
By grace.

Paul says:
The same way you received Him initially-by grace-
is the way you’re supposed to live continually from day to day.

Many people freely receive the forgiveness of Jesus at the point of salvation, then spend the rest of their lives trying to pay God back.
Like: “Thanks for the jumpstart of grace, God. I’ve got it from here.”

Stop trying to achieve His love, blessings, and favor through ridiculous, frantic, fleshly, performance based self-righteous rigmarole.

Continue to live in Him the same way you started your life in Christ.
Receive it. By grace.

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
-Luke 22:13

Jesus gave the disciples very specific instructions about the preparations they needed to make for the Passover meal. See Luke 22:7-12.

The disciples followed His instructions to the detail. And everything was in place, just like Jesus said.

I can’t count the number of times God has called me to take a step of obedience that seemed somewhat far fetched at the time. But when I got to the place where he told me to go, I found things just as Jesus told me they would be.

When God calls you to obey Him in your finances, career, or relationships, do it. And once you get there, you’ll find everything is in its place.

Just like Jesus told you.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
-Luke 12:48b

This has always been one of the most haunting verses in the Bible to me.
If I’m reading it right, it means that God expects a lot of me because He’s been very good to me.

I understand that He doesn’t expect me to do anything on my own, and that He’ll never make a demand on my life without giving the corresponding supply.  It’s not like God wants me to pay Him back, or help Him out.  Jesus paid it all, and He doesn’t need my assistance.

Still though, it’s a reality that’s always blaring in my spirit:
I’ve been given so much.  Am I living up to it?

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