Your Spiritual Graduation

This week, all over the country, students are graduating. We just got back from Texas watching my brother graduate from college. I, myself, will be graduating next week with my Masters in Bible. Graduation is an exciting time for students who have put lots of work in. It’s the moment where our achievements are realized and honored.

Sadly, many people never make it to their spiritual graduation. In fact, many people never even enroll in school (so to speak). There are some who will never receive their crown in heaven because they never became Christians. But worse than those are the ones who think they’re graduating but never walk the stage. There are many who drop out of the faith before making it to their spiritual graduation. These will not receive their crown of glory. There are many who get all the way to the end, and “senior-itis” takes over, and they fail their final classes. Many Christians get lazy in their faith just before they reach their reward and thus miss out on it.

My encouragement to you to walk the spiritual stage and get your unfading crown of glory - to graduate (so to speak). Don’t give up before you graduate. The Christian walk is a marathon with ups and downs that require endurance and discipline and faith from start to finish. Don’t give up too soon. Don’t get lazy towards the end. Don’t fail the final classes.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

-Kolton Ballance

Forgiveness

The little book of Philemon is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It was written by Paul to a Christian named Philemon (hints the name). But it was written about a man named Onesimus. When you read the short letter you gather a few things about this situation. First off, Philemon was a member of the church at Colossae (Col. 4:9; Phil. 10). Second, Onesimus was a slave of Philemon’s who had runaway and perhaps even stolen some things that belonged to Philemon (Phil. 15-18). Third, we see that Paul had met Onesimus in his travels and converted him to Christ (Phil. 10).

Now the message of the letter is one that gets right to the heart of the title of this article: forgiveness. Paul sends Onesimus back to Colossae to make things right with Philemon, and to be a part of the church in Colossae. And in Onesimus’ hand were two letters, the letter of Colossians and the letter to Philemon. Inside this letter to Philemon was a plea for forgiveness to this runaway slave, Onesimus. Paul said in verse 17, “Accept him as you would me.” Then in verse 18, “if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” Paul’s plea to Philemon is to forgive this new brother in Christ and accept him into the church.

There are many Christians who have been wronged by other Christians. And it can be easy to hold on to that resentment forever, even after they’ve apologized and tried to make things right. But it is equally as hard to go ask for forgiveness. There are two main applications for is in this book. First, if you have wronged someone then it is time to make it right. It’s time to make the trip to Colossae and plea for the forgiveness that Christians ought to have for each other. It is time be like Onesimus and make it right. Second, if you have been wronged then it is time to forgive. It’s time to let go of the anger. It’s time to move forward with a heart of compassion and mercy for a brother/sister in Christ. It’s time to be like Philemon and forgive.

- Kolton Ballance