Col. 1:15-20 - The Song of Christ

I believe this is one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament. I've labeled it "the Song of Christ." The following verses deserve being seen all together.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him - all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers - all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven

Vs. 15 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

- "He" refers to Jesus Christ, the beloved Son (v. 13).

- "Image" - no one has ever seen God face to face (see: John 1:18, 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:15,16; 1 John 4:12, 20b). We see God's work in nature. It is very difficult to determine God's attitude toward us from nature itself. We can see that He has immense power and control, but not His attitude. This is the purpose of Christ's coming. This is the purpose of the scriptures - to reveal to us God's attitude toward us.
In Christ we can see the attributes of God (Col.2:6, 9; Heb. 1:3; John10:30, 14:9, 1 John 1:5). Through Christ we can see how much God loves us (Rom. 5:8). The word "image" is from Greek for icon - it conveys the idea of being able to fully reveal who God is. He is unknowable, without special revelation. Jesus is that revelation!

- "firstborn of all creation" - Jesus is not the first created thing as some religions would have us believe, but the first spiritually born person (Heb. 1:6; Col. 1:17, 18; Acts 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:20; Rev. 1:5). That is, the first person that was spiritually raised from the dead. Other people before Christ had been brought back to life - Christ raised up three himself. But best thing that can be said for them is they got to live in this life again. Christ truly was the first raised to eternal life. Jesus came from eternal life to earth. He lived a physical life with we humans, and died on the cross for our sins. He was raised to eternal life. This is totally different than someone dying and going to heaven, or being taken up into heaven (See: Gen. 5:23, 24; 2 Ki. 2:11, 12) Jesus was dead, and then resurrected to eternal life, and then ascended into heaven. He was the first. We will experience the exact same thing! Note: Check the significance of being the firstborn in a family in the first century!

Vs. 16 - For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

- "all things" - In Christ, through Christ, everything that ever came into being, or will come into being exists. (see John 1:3, 10; Eph. 1:10; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6, 11:12; Heb. 1:2,3, 2:10; Rev. 4:11). Both the spiritual realms and physical realm came into being through Christ.

Vs. 17 - He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

- Jesus has been with the Father since the beginning of time. He claimed to be the same as God. He is exactly God, with the same glory and eminence. See John 1:1, 8:58; Heb. 1:3.

Vs. 18 - He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

- Not only is Christ pre-eminent in the group of believers, but in the whole world. The body of believers is called 'the church'. The term 'church' has come to mean organized religion to secular man, and for the most part is derogatory, with negative implication. (Yes, I know that seems redundant.)
However, in the scriptures 'church' means:

1. the entire body, collection, of those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
2. the local congregations, the local small group of believers

Christ is the leader, the authority, and the power of the church.
The imagery in the NT about the church is varied and interesting. The church is a living body, with Jesus Christ as the head of the body. The church is a temple, using each believer as part of the structure. (One of the interesting pictures is that each of us is a temple for Christ, (See: 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19)and each temple is part of the larger temple of the church. (See: 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21)) The church is the 'bride' and Jesus is the groom or husband. There are other images, but these are the main images used.

- "he is the beginning" - Christ is the origin or source of all that has been, or will be created (Rom. 3:14). He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is also the origin of the church, the source, the center. Out of Him all things flow, to Him all must go.

- "the firstborn from the dead" - The first to pass through spiritual death, to be raised to new life with the Father (v. 15). Others are to follow, including us if we should die before Christ returns for His own. (1 Cor 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

- "first place in everything" - For a while, Christ became a servant, voluntarily, and was subjected to hideous treatment. He now reigns supreme over all things - every knee will bow, every tongue will confess - Jesus is Lord.- See: Rev. 5:9-14; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-14).

All things reconciled through Christ alone

Vs. 19 - For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

- The RSV (note 1) says it was "God's" pleasure. In other words: God was pleased, and it was His will that Jesus Christ would have the complete essence, the nature and characteristics of all three 'parts' of the Godhead (Trinity). No part was left out - this was the Father's will. Jesus had the complete nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in him - this is what "pleased" God - God's will was carried to completion.

Vs. 20 - and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

- It was God's will (and pleasure) that everything and everyone would be brought back to God through Jesus Christ.

- "reconciliation" - the word in Greek actually means to 'turn from enmity into friendship.' Particularly this applies to man and his relationship to God. To be the world's friend is to be an enemy of God (see: James 4:4; 1 John 2:15, 16). Because of man's own self-will, stubborn independent nature, he has separated himself from God, fellowship is broken. Only through Jesus Christ can one know and experience God's love. Through Christ all things have been brought into a right relationship with God. (See Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 2:13-15).

- "having made peace through the blood,of His cross" - Christ promised us peace. But this is in reference to us being enemies of God. Through reconciliation we are no longer enemies - peace had been wrought, and only through Christ's blood is God's perfect justice satisfied. Accepting Christ's sacrifice, his shed blood, turns us from enemies to friends - peace with God. Peace in God comes much later.

- "through Him, I say..." - Paul is simply repeating for emphasis that reconciliation is through Christ only. Reconciliation is sufficient for all men, all creation, but is effective for only those that will accept it.

This 'Song of Christ' may have been a hymn of the first century churches. ("The Supremacy" is my favorite written or arranged by Eric Herron.) It is the centerpiece of Paul's message in this letter.
He starts in chapter 1:4, see the reference to their faith in Christ Jesus. The letter is to encourage the believers to hold fast to their faith in Christ, and to warn them against false teachings (see chapter 2). Similar to the letter to the Hebrews, in which the writer shows how Jesus is better. Better than: angels; better than high priests; better than Moses; better than Melchizedeck; better than Abraham; better than the covenant (Mosaic Covenant).

The message is: keep your faith in Christ alone. Any. (ANY!) teaching that boils down to "Christ plus..." Is going to draw you away from Jesus. "Christ-plus-works" does not equal faith; it equals justification by works. It means you can do something to make yourself worthy of salvation, acceptable to God. It leads to the thinking, "If I do x, then God will see that I am worthy to be in heaven and grant me entrance to the same." That doesn't work any better than the Mosaic covenant. God is perfect, and no matter how hard we try, how hard we do, we can not achieve perfect. Pretty good is totally insufficient.

note 1: Revised Standard Version
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Colossians - Introduction to the Letter

Summary Analysis

The main themes of this letter are: Christ, the head of the church The glory of the person and work of Christ Hold to true wisdom, do not be fooled by worldly or false wisdom. Christ is all that is needed. He is enough

OUTLINE
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Chapter 1 
Vs. 1-2: Salutation
Vs. 3-8: Giving thanks for Colossians believers
Vs. 9-12: Knowledge of Christ, power will bring growth
Vs. 13-14: Forgiveness in Christ
Vs. 15-18: Christ has pre-eminence
Vs. 19-23: All things reconciled through Christ alone
Vs. 24-27: The church is a mystery revealed
Vs. 28-29: Gospel proclaimed
Chapter 2
Vs. 1-3: Working that all may know Christ
Vs. 4-7: Don't fall prey to false teaching
Vs. 8-15: Christ triumphant, all comes through Him
Vs. 16-19: Hold fast to Christ, nothing less
Vs. 20-23: If died with Christ, all other matters are secondary
Chapter 3 
Vs. 1-4: Keep mind on Christ
Vs. 5-11: Become dead to immorality
Vs. 12-17: Put on love, Put on Christ
Vs. 18-25: Guidelines for family living
Chapter 4
Vs. 1: Masters and slaves
Vs. 2-6: Be graceful in all dealings and actions
Vs. 7-18: Closings and greetings.
***

The letter has two main parts

Paul writes about theology first, then practical Christian living based on the theology.
First - an exhortation against false teachings - (1:3-2:23)
Second - exhortation to proper Christian living - &nbsp(3:1-4:17)

The letter is a counter to heresy

A list of the heresies:

1. 'wisdom' (2:3, 23);
2. 'ascetic practices' - severe treatment or deprivation of the body (2:23); including Jewish practices such as - 'circumcision' (2:11, 3:11)
3. false teaching identified as 'philosophy' (2:8)
4. 'human tradition' (2:8)
5. 'Sabbath observances', food, festivals (2:16)
6. 'worship of angels' and 'visions' (2:18)
7. 'harsh human regulations' (2:21-23)

Other aspects of the heresy:

8. Inferior view of Christ
9. Philosophies not built on Christ
10. Legalism
11. False teachers pushing worship of angels, etc.

Author

Written by Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus), about 60 AD, about 30-35 years after Christ rose from the dead.
Background information: Colossae is in the Lycos River valley in modern day Turkey - it is a farming, agricultural town. Epaphras was saved in Ephesus. He returned to Colossae to start the church. Although Paul had never visited the church, he was pleased for the believers in the church. He was concerned the Colossians would begin to search for "something more". It is in the human DNA to "itch for something more". We just want the next thing, "Is this all there is?"

There was a group of people who followed Paul from town to town saying, "What Paul taught was well and good, but we have what will take you to the next level. Jesus is nice, but there is more, keep looking. We have the secret you need."
Paul insists church members already have everything. They need nothing more. Christ is enough.

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Our pastor, Gene, preached on the introduction to Colossians. My notes from it are below because it goes to the heart of the theme of the letter.
"Jesus Saves..." On a billboard, or spray painted on cliff or bridge along the freeway - sometimes we wince when we see that. We wince because we are embarrassed. Seems kind of crude and vulgar to be placed up there with other stuff. In someway it is too personal - somebody named Jesus saved Me. It says we need to be saved. It seems offensive to say that you need saving. The message is: "You are not at peace. You won't, can't make it on your own." It seems too simple. Paul was proud, but would not be ashamed of the billboard. Paul preached a simple salvation message: Christ Crucified! Christ Resurrected!

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Note: My intent was to have each verse of the chapter included usually in italics, with discussion following. Significant phrases or words are handled separately. Please forgive fractured grammar, and partial sentences. These were notes written as I thought and prayed during the study. The written truncated thought was fully developed in my mind, or so I like to believe.

1 Pet. 5:11-14 - Stand firm in God's grace

11 To him belongs the power forever. Amen.
12 Through Silvanus, whom I know to be a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 The church in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you, and so does Mark, my son.
14 Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
***

Closing comments and greetings

vs. 11 - "To him belongs..." - Praise the Lord! Eternal glory and Power is Christ's as it is the Father's and the Holy Spirit's. It can belong to none other. He is the almighty, eternal, and glorious Lord God. His life, His miracles, His resurrection and ascension all give proof to His being worthy. See Rev. 4:11 - "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!"

vs. 12 - "in order to encourage you" - This letter was written to encourage us during trouble, persecution and suffering.
It seems that 'Silvanus' may also be another name for 'Silas' who had been a helper for Paul on his journeys. Some of the helpers for Paul and Barnabas, or Peter and John moved from apostle to apostle wherever they were needed most.

"this is the true grace of God" - Go back to verse 10 - two important statements (1) you are called to His eternal glory, and (2) He himself will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. That is indeed grace - we are helpless, and He is not. He is not selfish and will give us what we do not deserve - because of His love for us.

vs. 13 - "The Church in Babylon" - The Church in Babylon is the Church of Jerusalem - which is a little bit cryptic.
One commentary (Matthew Henry) claims this letter was written from Assyria, or Babylon, and that the Jerusalem church had been driven out, dispersed and landed in Babylon.
Assyria was not Babylon. They were competing powerful nations during the early Jewish kingdoms. Assyria and Babylonia occupied the approximate same territory, roughly from the area now known as Turkey down to the Perisan Gulf. They ruled at different times, often over-running each other in their quest for dominance. The capital of the nation Babylonia was the city of Babylon, located in the southern portion of the area (now know as Iraq). Assyria's capital was Nineveh, or Assur, (see the book of Jonah) located close to the Black sea in the north.
The city of Babylon no longer existed by the time of the apostles. It appears to have declined to ruins after Alexander the Great conquered (approximately 275 BC) the nation. The name Babylon became a title for the Asian area where many churches were founded by Peter and Paul. Babylon was an important center of the Christian faith until the Islam invasion and destruction in the 700s AD.
Peter was visiting the exiled believers, and wrote this letter to encourage other Christians.

vs. 14 - "Peace to all of you" - The Peace of Christ is with us. Jesus promised His peace. See John 14:27. Paul echoes this promise in his letter to the Philippians. "Do not be anxious for anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus... And what you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things And the God of peace will be with you." Phi. 4:6,7,9. In the midst of trials and persecution, appeal to the Lord, and receive His peace. He will never leave your, nor abandon you. What a marvelous thought to ponder each and every day! If He is for us, who or what can be against us. We are His own family. Praise the Lord!

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END OF CHAPTER
END OF LETTER

1 Pet. 5:10 - Christ will perfect you

10 And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
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Christ will perfect you; after you have suffered

vs. 10 - "a little while" - The suffering is only for a short time. The beautiful part is we are God's own, and He will bring us to perfection. He will strengthen us.

"called you to his eternal glory" - Jesus, the Son of God, has been with the Father from infinite eternity to infinite eternity. The glory that is the Father's is also the Son's. "He has taken us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (Col. 1:14)

How glorious is God? Moses who dealt daily with God while leading the Israelites out of Egypt begged to see God. See: Ex. 33:18-23 - "Then Moses said, 'I pray You, show me Your glory!' And He (The Lord) said, 'I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.' But He (The Lord) said, 'You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!' Then the LORD said, 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.'"

The prophet Isaiah had a vison in which he saw the Lord. Isaiah was so overwhelmed he thought he was going to die. Isa. 6:1-5 - "In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.' And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.'"

The prophet Ezekiel also had a vision in which he saw God sitting on his throne. See Ezek. 1:26-28 - "Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking."
In all instances when people "see" the Lord they are overwhelmed by His glory. We cannot adequately describe or comprehend the majesty and wonderousness of God. We are knocked back on our heels or farther. We are blinded by the brilliance - imagine being in a blackened room, total darkness, and suddenly a whole wall of klieg lights turn on. We are blinded and freeze. It is much, much more than that.

We will be in that light. We will not be blinded. We will see clearly! We will be in the presence of God's glory and will rejoice and be glad.

Four things (among others) that Christ does for us.

- "restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish" -

1. restore - This word has the meaning, or sense of "to mend" (what has been broken or rent); "to repair"; "perfect"; "complete"; "make one what he ought to be". -- I love that last one - to make us what we ought to be - beings that have a close and loving relationship with God. That which was lost with the original sin of Adam, has been restored to us. Praise God!
2. confirm - The idea of this action is to "to make stable"; "place firmly"; "set fast"; "fix"; "make firm"; "to render constant" -- We are not to be unstable, wavering in our Christian life. We can be sure, we can be confident that we are Christ's. If we are in His hands, no one, no being (spiritual or otherwise) can snatch us away. He has promised it.
3. strengthen - Our soul is empowered - from the concordance: "to make one's soul strong", "strengthen one's soul". -- Our soul, our spirit, without Jesus is weak and broken, sinful. Our soul, with Jesus, is as as strong as He is. The only reason we do not conquer all, is we still fall prey to our old nature. Stronger is He that is in us, than he that is in the world.
4. establish - God is doing this so we are permanently part of the kingdom. The meaning of the word is "to lay the foundation"; "to found" (to set up, especially with provision for continuing existence); "to make stable". -- Again, I love the idea of provision for continuing existence. God is in this for the long haul. This is not a temporary thing, it is for real. We are encouraged so that we will not just be along for the ride, but given all we need to be full participants in the kingdom. Not serfs, not dummy robots, but fully functioning members that do His will and see the rewards He has promised.

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1 Pet. 5:8-9 - Resist the devil, be alert

Resist the devil, be alert

8 Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.

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Be Sober and Alert

vs. 8 - "the devil... is on the prowl" - Be aware that the devil is constantly alert, trying to trip us up. We hear the description 'roaring lion' and I suspect that many of us make a small quiet smile amd think, "Yeah. Right." By that, I mean we acknowledge that Satan exists, but are not always sure how much effect he has on us. After all, we are saved and are Christians - what can Satan do to us? But Satan has been involved in the downfall and failure of humans from the beginning. A partial list follows;

1. Gen. 3:1-15 - Satan deceives Eve. She succumbs to her desires rather than obeying the Lord.
2. Gen 4:2-9 - Cain murders Abel. He dos not control his anger. Cain's 'woe is me' turns to rage, and then feigns ignorance and indifference. Again, suggested and fueled by Satan.
3. Gen. 16:1-12 - Sarah tries to 'help' the Lord to fulfill His promise to Abraham. The result was a son by a servant woman, and this son has been a thorn in the side of the Jews ever since. She didn't believe God any better than Eve.
4. Gen. 27:6-30 - Rather than believing God's promise, Rachel convinces Jacob to cheat his brother. This lack of trust in God, resulted in enmity between Jacob's and Esau's descendants, that has lasted through the present day.
5. Exo. 32:4; Num. 13:27-14:12 - The Jews lose faith in God and Moses, multiple times - making the golden calf, and refusal to enter Canaan the first time and 38 years of wandering in the desert.
6. Judges - the whole book...) - The Jews 'fall away' from God, and suffer at the hands of oppressors. God rescues them by raising up a judge, a charismatic leader. This pattern repeats for hundreds of years.
7. 1 Sam. 8:4-9; 10;17-19 - The Jews demand to have a king, even though God says He is their king. The desire to be like everyone else is another lie from Satan.
8. 1 Sam. 13:8-14 - Saul doesn't obey God's instructions, and his kingdom is stripped away. He just couldn't wait another day - impatience encouraged by Satan.
9. 2 Sam. 11:2-11 - David commits adultery, and has the woman's husband killed. The temptation was laid before David, and his lust led him into sin.
10. 2 Kings 17:5-23, (see especially verses 7-18 and the list of their offenses). 2 Kings 24:1-25:20 - The Northern and Southern kingdoms are evil, turning their backs on God. The Northern kingdom disappears courtesy of the Assyrians (who weren't as nice as the Nazis a couple of thousand years later.)
11. Mark 8:32-33 - Peter tries to talk Jesus out of His mission - the cross.
12. Matt. 26:67-70 - Peter denies Christ during the 'trial'.

Although this is a limited list, it's enough. You can see that Satan is alive and working. Ever since Satan rebelled against God he has endeavored to destroy the works of God. He tries to delude a human from accepting Christ as Savior. If that fails, his next tasks are to keep the Christian from living a fruitful Spirit-filled life. The book "The Screwtape Letters" reads like a manual on what Christians can do to be unfruitful, struggling, unhappy believers. (Actually, I recommend the audio version of "Screwtape Letters" as read by John Cleese. He provides the 'right' amount of snark and disdain for Jesus and believers. You can almost feel his anger and hate for us and our Lord.) Satan is constantly at work, as are the fallen angels who serve him.
Don't despair. Jesus came into this world to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) But Jesus didn't just destroy the works of the devil, He provided the start of a new world that will have no influence of Satan, who will be in the burning lake of fire, for eternity. Praise the Lord!

Resist the Devil

vs. 9 - "Resist him," - Resist the devil by faith in Christ. Sometimes believers try to take on Satan by themselves, thinking the issue is not that big. This is a big mistake! Paul says in "Ephesians", "Our battle is not against flesh and blood..." (See: Eph. 6:12) The devil is far more powerful than we are. Satan cannot make you DO ANYTHING. But he is clever, and the father of lies (See:John 8:44), and he will deceive you. Rely on Jesus to resist the devil. In fact, use Jesus and His power to stop the devil in his attempts to draw you into sin. Use the name of Jesus and all that implies. Start a prayer when Satan is attacking you with, "In the name of Jesus...", and finish with the request that will free you. Satan has no power over Jesus. He is helpless against Jesus. Satan does not want us to turn to Jesus.

"because you know ..." We are not alone in our sufferings. Fellow Christians are going through the same thing.

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1 Pet. 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves before God

6 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand
7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

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In Due Time

vs. 6 - "humble yourselves under his mighty hand" - Submit yourselves to God. I think Americans have a problem with submitting ourselves to anybody. Our heritage, starting with the Revolution, the Civil War, extending to today's 'Resist" movement has been "No one tells me what to do!" What is the aim of many people? To be their own boss. We have a strong independence streak running through us. Ask yourself, "Who is in charge of my life, of my behavior?"
Don't glibly answer, "God is." In some ways we act as practical atheists - Campus Crusade for Christ describes this as being a 'carnal man'. Not carnal in the sense of immoral, sexual behavior, but in the sense that we have put our own ego or self on the throne of our life, and not Jesus. "I can take care of this," or, "I can do this" are symptomatic of believing the lie.
The lie is that we are in control. The poem Invictus by William E. Henley is about standing firm in the face of overwhelming odds and circumstances. It is an anthem of courage and defiance. Yet, the most famous line, and the strongest sounding cry, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul..." is also the saddest. While it exhorts us to never give up, it also is a rallying cry of defiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not saying that Christians openly stand and shake their fist at God. We do it more subtly, quietly, in the form of passive resistance. The resulting defiance is the same whether it is 'in your face', or sneaky and hidden.
Our problem (especially my problem) is that we can go through the day without thinking to much about it. We operate by rote. We do what we have always done. Jesus is saying there is a better way. "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him". (Psa. 37:7) "In his heart man plans his course, but God determines the steps." (Prov. 3:5,6)
Two prayers I have learned from a devotional book are part of the secret of living for Jesus: "Help me, Jesus," and "I trust You, Jesus." Paul says it clearly in Gal. 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". Humbling ourselves is believing and committing to the fact that Jesus is in control. The reward for believing in Him and thereby yielding to Him, will come.
Please do not misunderstand, the rewards are not relegated to the future only. Rather than standing and shaking our fist at life, we can be comforted in His arms, because we can trust that He cares for us. Jer. 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' If we would only pay attention to Jesus our well-being would be like a stream that never runs dry. (See: Isa. 48:18)

vs. 7 - "cast all your cares..." - Worrying is a form of practical atheism. Fretting about tomorrow's events will not make them go away, or improve them. (See: Matt. 6:34) In fact, fretting may lead anger, revenge, and other evil in your life. (See Ps. 37:8) That does not mean we should take a "What? Me worry?" attitude. The problems can be confronted and overcome if we give them to the Lord. See: Phil. 4:6-7.

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1 Pet. 5:1-5 - Elders take care of your flock

1 So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you:
2 Give a shepherd's care to God's flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God's direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
3 And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.
4 Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.
5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

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vs. 1 - Peter identifies himself himself as an elder (not a pope). He emphasizes that he was present with, and an eye witness to, the life of Christ. He also agrees with Paul that there is glory to come for those who believe. (See: Rom. 2:7, 10, 6:4; 8:18, 9:23; 2 Cor. 3:18, 4:17; Eph. 5:27)

Advice to Elders

vs. 2 "Give a shepherd's care" - Guide and protect those in your care. Don't do it as a burden, nor consider it so. Don't do it for personal gain - monetary gain. (See: Matt. 19:7-30; Mark 9:33-35; 10:28-31) Peter fully understood what he was saying to the leaders of the churches - Peter and the other disciples had argued over who would be the greatest in the new kingdom. (Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46)
Peter finally understood Jesus' words - after Jesus appeared to them in the upper room, after He ascended into heaven, after Pentecost when they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to earth to save us, not to rule over us. When He returns again it will be in power and glory - returning to establish His kingdom, ruling with an iron rod. Compare: Matt. 20:28, Luke 19:10 with Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15! Ruling "with an iron rod" does not mean Jesus will be cruel or vindictive. It means He will be strong, effective, sure and decisive.

vs. 3 "do not lord it over" - More advice: Lead the flock. Don't drive them. Jesus called Himself the good shepherd. (John 10:11, 14) Peter understood his role was to guide and protect the church. He was to guide by teaching the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, and Him only. He was to protect by preparing the members to handle the trials which were coming upon them. He was to protect them from false teachings that would lead them astray. That is still the job of the elders and leaders of the churches. He understood that many believers will not throw themselves into study and prayer. He understood that many believes will grow and mature only through the teaching and ministry of their leaders. That is why leaders must be chosen carefully, groomed and prepared to lead and protect the church - so that none are lead astray. See: Matt. 9:36; John 10:11, 14; 21:16; Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:20.

vs. 4 - "Chief Shepherd" - Christ. The King is coming. The worker and elder who has done Jesus' bidding in caring for and protecting the flock will be rewarded. See: Matt. 25:14-29

vs. 5 - More advice: "Others first" seems to be the key to humility. See: Rom. 12:9-10; Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:4-8