“Effort”
Colossians 2:14, “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” NASB 1995
Throughout the week the teams have been clashing. On Monday their weapons were paintbrushes and conductors’ batons, as they competed in a fevered frenzy of inspired artistry to design uniforms and anthems befitting their unique culture and high ideals. Yesterday, their mastery of architecture and artillery solutions was put to the test. Today, they were tested in mind, body, and spirit as they compete in the Bible Olympics, field games, and cheering. While individual excellence and effort is a necessary ingredient to emerge victoriously from the crucible, the tribe that took home the most points did so because of their ability to work as a team.
In Bible Olympics, sharing knowledge and strategizing collectively helped the team find the apostles and order the books of the Old Testament. In field games, triumph came from understanding the opposing team, adapting to changing situations, and coordinating movement. The best cheerers stood united and relentlessly encouraged themselves, in spite of the oppressive sun, in order to bolster and invigorate the spirits of those on the field. In the end, success was not an individual accomplishment, but a team effort.
In much the same way. As Pastor Miles says, the Christian life is not DIY (do it yourself). We are saved by grace through faith, and our Christian walk after salvation is much the same. The Greek word for the Holy Spirit (which all believers are indwelt with) means “helper.” In Colossians 2:12–15 there are three things that are true of a Christian. We are buried with Him. We are raised up with Him. We are made alive together with Him. It is Christ who has freed us from the law by fully satisfying its demands. We are saved through Christ, and as Christians we are to not run ahead of Christ and do it alone. Focus on the unchanging Christ, and He will give you stability. The fruits are not pursued directly. They belong to the Holy Spirit and they are borne in the life of a Christian as they read, apply, and teach from the Word of God. As Pastor Dave points out, the result of teaching and applying the Bible is that we become spiritually rich as we understand God’s truth and from that wealth good works pour forth and our desire for studying the Word also increases.
If we rely on ourselves to walk the Christian walk, and put to death the old sin nature, we will fail to do so, particularly because it was never by our effort that we overcame spiritual death in the first place. Rather, we should continuously rely on the completed effort of the supremely sufficient sanctifier, Jesus.
Praises
- Camp has been running smoothly, and we have not faced any major health, logistic, or discipline incidents.
- An outpouring of questions was submitted for the pastors to answer, which generated a lot of good conversations.
Petitions
- Campers submitted many thought-provoking questions to the pastors. Pray that the Holy Spirit worked through their words, that the answers were adequate for the campers, and that they would be open to further discussion.
- That the campers would be emboldened to be Gospel witnesses to the people in their life.
It is so refreshing to see everyone engaged and excited about their time at camp – making memories and friends to last a lifetime! Let the learning and the fun continue!