COLOSSIANS1:16 "A COLOSSIAN PROBLEM"

Everything that happens in life there is a negative or positive reaction to it. The bible says " But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" ROMANS5:20) God will not allow the devil to out do him with sin, God said where there's sin I'll supply more grace! Grace does not give us a license to sin, it is "the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." ROMANS 2:4) Repentance is a change of thinking to go in another direction, not that I'm sorry but, I'm sorry enough to change the path that I'm on and go in the right direction.                                                                                                                                                                      The Colossian church had a problem and it was three fold a syncretistic heresy. The heresy had elements of paganism, judaism and christianity. Epaphras was believed to be the pastor of this church according to COLOSSIANS 7. Epaphras takes a trip to Rome to visit the apostle Paul in prison and gives him a heads up on the condtion of the church in Colossae. The Pagan heresy was an early form of Gnosticism=gnosticism asked about the personage of Jesus Christ" If he was God how could he die and if he died how could he be God". The second part of this heresy was an element of Judaism retained the law of Moses and was legalistic in nature . The third part of this heresy was elements of Christianity they didn't deny Christ they dethroned him and this took away his power to be the savior of the world. When Epaphras told Paul these problems the apostle started writing. The difficulty of this problem brought the greatness out of Paul and he began to reveal things through the Holy Spirit that we would have never known without the Colossian Problem? The apostle Paul wrote in verse 17 " And he is before all things, and by him all things cosist". Cosist= to hold things together , that Jesus Christ is holding you together. Your greatest problem will bring God's greatness out of you, don't allow circumstances to discourage you there is greatness on the inside of you and your problem will bring it out!!