rules

So, after Paul lays down the law on how to avoid succumbing to the law, he lays down some guidelines to follow. What?

At the end of Colossians 3 Paul gives some words to married couples, children, slaves and masters. The important part is verse 23, in everything "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

Men, love your lives for the Lord.

Women, respect your husbands as unto the Lord.

Children, obey your parents to make God look glorious.

Slaves, work with your hearts directed towards Christ.

Masters, treat your slaves well because it makes Jesus look awesome.

In all these things, Paul keeps us trained on the one thing that will keep us from succumbing to asceticism: Jesus Christ, high and exalted.

I'll get to chapter 4 tomorrow.

-joe

how to live holy without succumbing to asceticism

It's a hard question. How do we live holy lives, pleasing to God, without ending up counting the rules we've followed at the end of the day?

Thankfully, Scripture is clear on the issue. Paul, in Colossians 2 and 3, warns against asceticism and the art of discipline...and then he tells us to put to death sexual immorality, greed, obscene talk, covetousness...and so on.

How can he put these two things right next to each other and not be crazy? Because he grounds our disciplined lives in the Gospel. The death of Jesus gives us victory over sin.

WE HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, therefore those sins in us (like sexual immorality, greed, obscene talk and covetousness) are dead. That's our old self. That's not us. We are free from it.

And so, it is no longer a matter of trying to follow the rules, it is a matter of realizing that those sins are dead and we are no longer bound to it.

To quote from Romans "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

How do you avoid rule keeping? By keeping the Gospel in front of you. Jesus took away the POWER of sin in our lives. We get the joy of killing sins. That makes a world of difference.

-joe

the first chunk of colossians 2

Last Sunday I walked the Senior High through the first chunk of Colossians 2 (I'll be going over the same thing with the Junior High this coming Sunday.)

Colossians 2

(1)For I want you to know how great struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, (2) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (5) 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.

Alive in Christ
(6) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (7) rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

(8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (9) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (10) and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses (14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.


Questions to consider:
1. What is Paul's hope for people?
(Knit together for the purpose of knowing the Gospel more intimately.)

2. Why does he have this hope?
(So that they aren't falsely persuaded.)

3. What is the "good order" and "firmness of faith" that Paul is talking about?
(Behavior that evidences their faith and grounding in Christ.)

4. What does it mean to "walk" in Christ?
(To show a growing change of attitude and behavior as you know Christ more.)

5. What is the overriding mark that Paul desires to mark the Colossians?
(Abounding in thanksgiving.)

6. What does it mean to be "filled in him"?
(That nothing else can ever satisfy our longing for complete joy except Christ.)

7. What is the relationship between baptism and circumcision?
(Baptism of the Spirit is something that happens to us and not something we can perform.)

8. What did Christ accomplish on the cross? Why is it important?
(Fulfilled the legal demands. He reconciled us from enemies at war to friends at peace with God.)

-----
Application
1. How can you apply this to your prayer life (for yourself and others)?
(Praying for others to love one another with no ultimate purpose is hard. To pray for someone to be knit together for the purpose of knowing Christ and making Him look glorious gives weight to our prayers.)

2. What will this do to your obedience to Christ?
(Realize that obedience isn't done to earn favor but is done in joy and as evidence to sincere faith. If you're not showing signs of obedience over a long course of time then it is likely that you are not firm in the faith and are still enemies of God.)

3. Relating back to Chapter 1, what are the things that we need to jealously guard about Christ and his image?
(The transactions occurring at the cross, penal substitutionary atonement.)


-joe

week two in colossians

Yesterday evening the youth and I discussed the second half of Colossians 1.

The Preeminence of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul’s Ministry to the Church
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.(ESV)

And some questions to think about:

1. Why is it important to understand that Christ is "the image of the invisible God"? How does this relate to the second commandment (Exodus 20:3-6) and Romans 1:21-25?

2. What is the meaning of "for him" in v. 16? How does this relate to salvation in Ephesians 1:11-14?

3. What does it mean for Christ to be preeminent in all things? For him to hold all things together? As head of the church? Firstborn of the dead?

4. What is the gospel of reconciliation here? (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:11-24)

5. How does the phrase "if you continue" relate to John 6:35-40? Does it mean you can fail at continuing?

6. What does it mean to "fill up what is lacking"? Was Christ not sufficient in all things?

7. What is the great mystery and glory that is revealed?

8. How does this change how your view God?

9. How does this change how your view yourself?

10. What does this lead us to do?

-joe

an encouragment

Today in Sunday School I taught of the necessity of Christian encouragement through the Gospel. So, tonight/today I'm giving you some encouragement. Here is where your hope lies:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created thorough him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Colossians 1:15-20

May the God of peace be with you and give you comfort and wisdom today.

-joe

sunday school

Well, it will be week two of teaching a new Sunday School class (which, I recently thought, is the only Sunday School class I've ever taught.) We're studying the book of Colossians and made it through v. 14 on Sunday. I stressed the order that Paul states things, that he prays for their knowledge and strength so that they can do things pleasing to God. Without the desire and the power given by God, then we are unable to please Him. Oh, how glorious the ways of grace.

This week we'll probably be stuck in v.15-25. The supremacy of Christ in all things, his sovereign rule and his creation of all things and how we are saved through faith in his atoning sacrifice.

May the Gospel become more precious to you than it was yesterday and may it continue to build as the Holy Spirit convicts and teaches you in all things.

-joe