an angel of light from a demon of darkness. These three are _faith_,
_hope_ and _love_; but of these Paul says that "love is the greatest."
This they had in large measure, because it extended "toward ALL the
saints." It is natural for every Christian to love SOME of the saints
when he is free "to pick and choose;" but to love ALL is quite another
thing.

If you will thoughtfully read this first chapter through, you will see
the high place these Colossian brethren held in Paul's confidence, not
only as to faith and love, but also as to the enlightenment of their
understandings with heavenly wisdom. He sets forth our Lord Jesus
Christ as the triune God--Creator, Redeemer and Savior--in loftier
terms than are to be found anywhere else in his epistles. Had there
been any doubt in his mind as to their ability to understand these
revelations, and thus profit by them, they would have been withheld.
He would have fed them with milk, as he did his Corinthian and Hebrew
brethren, and not with strong food.

My text says: "As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk ye in him." They had received him in _faith_, and _hope_, and
_love_. So were they instructed to walk in him. "Ye have been buried
with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through
faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead." "Inasmuch
then, as ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that
are above where Christ is seated on the right hand of God." "Set your
affections on the things above, not on the things that are upon the
earth. For ye died; and the new life which ye now live, ye live by
faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you."
"Avoid fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness
which is idolatry; for the wrath of God is revealed against all these