The Presence: 21 Day Devotional: Day 12

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4  NIV

In the verses that immediately precede Colossians 3:1-4, Paul instructs his readers to avoid a spirituality that focuses on human philosophy or formalistic religiosity (2:20-23). In the verses that follow (3:5-17), Paul elaborates upon the lifestyle an authentic Christian spirituality will produce.

Colossians 3:1-4 tells us that critical to the radical transformation Christian disciples will experience when Christ returns, is an ongoing engagement in a mystical-experiential communion with him here and now! Thus, at the heart of Christian spirituality should be a perpetual pursuit of Christ’s empowering presence. Such a spirituality makes possible an ongoing mentoring relationship with the risen Jesus that will dramatically affect who and how we are in the world!  

Aware of this spiritual reality, British churchman and theologian Leslie Weatherhead admonished fellow ministers thusly:
 There is no greater need in our time than that those who teach religion should concern themselves, not with tightening up the machinery, developing organization, or arranging more meetings; but rather to make Jesus real to men [and women]; to invite them into that transforming fellowship which cannot be proved save by personal experience, but which, when realized, brings men [and women] that glorious exhilaration, that sense of ineffable peace, and that escape from all bondage which are promised in the New Testament.

We can do this! With the help of the Holy Spirit we can, every day, experience the empowering presence of the risen Christ and encourage others to do the same!