For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Colossians 2:5 (ESV)
 
     This verse holds great encouragement for believers. First, it assures us that we who are in Christ are not separated by space. Paul's presence could be known and acknowledged by the saints even though he was not physically there. Does that sound too spooky for you? Well, we who have been born of the Spirit live in a world that is not limited to what the physical senses detect. There is reality beyond the physical. Note another reference by Paul:

For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.  When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus...
1 Corinthians 5:3-4  

     There is great comfort knowing that we are part of a covenant family whose unity is greater than time and space.

     Second, we are encouraged by the description of what the apostle affirmed as appropriate living. He was impressed by their good order and firmness of faith. In a day when bling and zing are featured by so many ministers, it helps to know that God is impressed by those who are ordering their lives according to the teachings of Christ and are more firm than flashy in their faith. In a culture where entertainment and intrigue are in vogue many ministries get caught up in those features that appeal to success and the spectacular.

     Paul has just mentioned the danger of being misled by "plausible arguments". There are lots of those around. You can hear many justifications for the questionable messages and methods being used. For instance:

• "Isn't it better to have lots of people coming to our meetings than few? There is not a premium on small." 
• Or "Look at the success of my ministry. People are coming and money is rolling in. God is obviously blessing."
• Or "I know this bit of revelation is true because I received it in a dream."
• Or "God is a blessing God and he would never want lack or sickness to touch you."
  
  
      

     You could add to this list many times over. Listening to these plausible arguments can disturb your faith and even disorder your life. When all the glitter and glamour has faded, the thing that matters is whether our lives are ordered by the Spirit who produces his fruit in us and whether our faith is stable.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23  

     Order need not be boring. God specializes in order. Remember, in the beginning God spoke and order came out of disorder. When Jesus came the final Word began to bring order in all of creation. We are recipients and agents of that order. So, it is only right that our lives reveal an order that a sinful world cannot explain, but will envy.

     Firm faith may not impress the masses looking for another sign, but it impresses our Lord who enjoys our trusting in him in the daily walk. He reveals himself in the ordinary events of life and we discover they are truly supernatural though not always spectacular. He refuses to be limited to fuzzy feelings and ecstatic experiences. He has given us a faith that withstands every conceivable circumstance and promises that it will more than conquer in them all (Romans 8: 31ff). In fact, the real supernatural nature of our lives is proven in the steady confidence we exhibit when the world's system throws its best shot at us.

     I congratulate you today if you are described by these phrases. Your Father has noticed that you are ordering your life around his Lordship and that your faith in him is firm.