It seems every week lately there has been some type of tragedy or controversy. Do we kneel or stand? How do we support victims of hurricanes? Gun control or mental illness? And it seems with every tragedy, with every controversy, America becomes further divided. People are looking for answers. Now is the time for the church to shine brightly but alas we are as divided as the rest of the world. What is the answer?

The Church at Colossae was also divided. Heresy had crept in – Gnosticism, Jewish mysticism, mixture and mystery teaching. They argued over traditions such as circumcision. Perhaps their Facebook page read, “I got snipped for Christ.”

To combat these false teachings, Paul reveals to the church of Colossae the Supremacy of Christ. (Colossians 1:15), he reminds them that they are holy, blameless and forgiven. In other words, to combat the divisiveness, He instructed them to focus on Christ and receive their new identity. Paul then encouraged the church that he was contending for them, contending that they would be united in love.

So to the the church that meets in America, I encourage you to rediscover the Supremacy of Christ, to remember how He loved, how He lived, how He died, how He resurrected. Rediscover who you are in Him – forgiven, holy, blameless, free from accusation. And then, rise up like Paul and begin to contend for for our brothers and sisters. Contend in the Spirit that we are united in love.

The answer is Jesus Christ. Our job, as the church, is to point the world to the answer through our love and our unity.

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬