Hello Friends!
Welcome back! This week we’ll continue to work our way through the
powerful
book written by the Apostle Paul to the Colossians as we consider the PERSON and WORK of “Jesus Christ” as decreed throughout this excellent
Epistle – “The Supremacy of Jesus
Christ!”
This
week we will begin our reading of verses 12-17
in chapter 3 as
we consider our NEW Character IN Jesus Christ…
Colossians: The Supremacy of Jesus
Christ! (Chapter 3:12-17)
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: The main idea
throughout chapter 3 of “Colossians” is that as true “believers” in “Jesus
Christ” we have been GIVEN
our “eternal life” lived IN
Him. And thus, Paul now outlines these very vital principles
of PRACTICE for “Christian”
willful LIVING of which demands
a certain “walk” and pattern
of behavior.
For instance, Paul also had this to say to the Ephesian
fellowship:
This I say therefore, and
testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness – Ephesians
4:17-19
Our
CONVERSION unto “Jesus
Christ” is a TRANSFORMATION
and REGENERATION celebration! Therefore, the
Apostle Paul will now “teach”
us how to “put on” the Position, the Progress,
the Partnership, the Performance
and the Perfection of our “new man” in “Jesus
Christ” our Lord – A NEW life IN
Him!
As
we’ve learned in our previous study, Paul demonstrates how the OLD man “puts
off” his OLD
garments of the FLESH but the NEW man “puts
on” his NEW
garments of GRACE from “God” Almighty Himself. And here in these poignant passages Paul moves from what God has
DONE for the “new man” and into what God EXPECTS of the “new man” to DO through a “repentant” response:
Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if
any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye –
Colossians 3:12-13
This
phrase “Put on therefore” simply
means to adopt a proper LIFESTYLE
consistent with your NEW
life empowered
by the “fruit of the Spirit” from
God:
But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law – Galatians
5:22-23
Therefore,
we MUST leave our OLD
habits BEHIND and throw away
the OLD garments from our FORMER lives! As the “beloved” and sovereignly “elect of God” who are the “holy” ones set apart for God,
“we” are to exhibit a “righteous”
God-honoring BEHAVIOR to match a “righteous” precious POSITION
coupled with an OUTWARD mighty manifestation
of the INWARD tremendous transformation
in “Jesus Christ” our Lord – Praise His HOLY Name!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: The term “bowels of mercies” literally means “tender mercies” in the original Greek
Received Text. In “Hebrew” thinking it had to
do with the organs and stomach around the abdominal area. The “Jews” understood the “bowels”
to be the seat of COMPASSION
and SYMPATHY of a humble “heart” attitude. WHY?
Because they related everything to an emotional response that
manifests itself in the physical realm. Therefore,
the “Hebrews” always expressed their
communications & thoughts from an ATTITUDE
or EMOTION in reference to physiological
symptoms, never in abstractions such as in the “Greek”
culture – Merciful manifestations!
In
fact, the “Jewish” Apostle Paul used a
“record” of similar sentiments
concerning the “bowels”
of our Lord Himself when addressing the Philippian
congregation:
For God
is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ – Philippians 1:8
As
“God” Himself says is TRUE
for “Jesus Christ”
and His MERCY of “heart” towards us, we too MUST have a deep, gut-level
feeling of COMPASSION full of “tender mercies” toward “one another” in our Lord! We MUST be full of loving “kindness,” meek “humbleness
of mind,” patient “longsuffering,”
calmness in “forbearing one another”
coupled with a WILLFUL act of “forgiving one another” fully WITHOUT a “quarrel
against” another “believer”
in “Jesus Christ” our Lord. WHY? Because, as Paul denotes elsewhere, “God” too is “longsuffering” toward His own:
And be
ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you – Ephesians
4:32
Howbeit
for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth
all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him
to life everlasting – 1
Timothy 1:16
The
Lord “Jesus Christ”
has COMPLETELY “forgiven”
us unto “life everlasting”
with Himself. Therefore, we should WANT
to respond in “kind” towards our “brethren” in Him – True LOVING
fellowship!
Up
to this point in this epistle, Paul has masterfully demonstrated the Position, the Progress,
the Partnership and the Performance
of the “new man” in “Jesus Christ” our Lord. And now we find
the Perfection of the “new
man” in Him:
And above all these things put
on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in
your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful – Colossians
3:14-15
Here
Paul says “above all these things put on charity”
of which is the loving “bond of
perfectness” through “Jesus Christ”
our Lord. In other words, “Once you've put on
these new garments, go ahead and throw on a robe to bring it all together!”
And as a result, we “let the peace of
God” have absolute “rule”
in our “hearts” toward others. The “peace of God” is both a
STATE and an EXPERIENCE. It's
both a FACT and a FEELING. Thus
the word
"rule" literally means
to umpire.
Therefore, we are to allow the “peace”
of “Jesus Christ” be our – Divine Umpire!
QUIZZING QUESTIONS: Do you have a problem
to solve? Do you have an important decision to make? Are you
caught in the midst of a difficult situation? If so,
Paul instructs US to “let” the “peace
of God” perfectly “rule”
in our lives. WHY? Because we are “called in one body” and thus are to be “thankful” for God’s – PROVISION
and KINDNESS!
Beloved,
we must NOT be CONTENT with shallow and silly
spiritual SNACKS!
Rather, we MUST
be constantly
and consistently
set to FEED upon God’s “wisdom” found IN
His Word! Therefore, the “word of Christ”
is ALSO to “dwell”
in “us” abundantly:
Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord – Colossians 3:16
In
fact, the “things” I myself personally
have “learned” the BEST are the “things”
of “God” through His Word in which I willingly
have DESIRED to “put”
into – OBEDIENT OPERATION!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: How is the “word of Christ” going to accomplish ALL of these amazing PROMISES
in our lives? First, we've got to read His “word” for ourselves. Then we've got to study
His “word” for ourselves. Finally, we've got to
live
His “word” for ourselves! Therefore, here are FOUR
ways God’s wonderful “word”
will “dwell” in us “richly” as we “let”
it affect
our lives:
ONE: To HEAR
God’s Word ~ Who hath ears to
hear, let him hear – Matthew 13:9
TWO: To HANDLE
God’s Word ~ Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth – 2 Timothy
2:15
THREE: To HIDE
God’s Word ~ Thy word have I
hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee – Psalm 119:11
FOUR: To HOLD
God’s Word ~ Holding forth
the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run
in vain, neither laboured in vain – Philippians
2:16
And
when we “seek” to DO these, we’ll have God’s wonderful “word” dwelling “richly
in all wisdom” within our lives. But it doesn't stop there!
We're not just walking encyclopedias of Biblical information. As a REAL result, we’ll REJOYCE
in the “teaching and admonishing” of
“each other” through personal MINISTRY and thus will JOYFULLY join with “one
another” in heavenly “psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs” with God’s great “grace”
as we SING from our “hearts to the Lord” of which is both
a BLESSING to “men”
and – PLEASING
unto God!
Finally,
Paul further instructs “us”
as he simplifies all these great “teachings”
down to this single amazing admonishment:
And whatsoever ye do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father
by him – Colossians 3:17
In
other words, we MUST do EVERYTHING in “the
name of Jesus Christ!” with “thanks
to God” for His Glory – Praise the Lord!
POINGNANT POINT: In fact, the Apostle
Peter joins the Apostle Paul in similar sentiments concerning
the “people of God” living in the “marvellous light” of God’s great “mercy” towards His “chosen”
church:
But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people
of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy – 1 Peter
2:9-10
Brethren,
may our
deep DESIRE be for “Jesus
Christ” as we “seek”
to be like HIM in this lost
world of “darkness” and doom. Let’s “put on” the “Lord
Jesus” in such a way that when they see US
it is HIM they
see! May we LONG to “learn” how to “live”
for Him CONSISTENTLY in WHO He IS
and “whatsoever” He may WANT
from our lives – THANKS be to GOD our FATHER!
In closing:
There
is something very INTIMATE and PERSONAL here in these wonderful
passages! We're not just supposed to saunter thoughtlessly
through the Sovereign PLAN
of our Almighty God. There's also a Biblical “love”
in RELATIONSHIP here that is to prompt
us to and drive us towards a PERSONAL
godly “holiness” of life. We as “believers” are the OBJECTS
of God’s divine AFFECTION. And although
I don't fully “understand” this amazing TRUTH nor do I “know”
why God is so madly in “love”
with me, I'm certainly NOT
going to FIGHT His “love” for ME
and neither should YOU!
We are indeed – Accepted BY His Grace!
The
Bible says that “God so loved…” WHOM? The “whole
world” of which belongs to Him! And the ONLY reason that we are any different
than a “lost” person is because we
have RESPONDED to His great GRACE of eternal “life”
found ONLY in His Son. And
that fantastic FACT of “salvation” indeed RESTS
upon His perfect PROVIDENCE and SOVERGN sense to “save”
us by HIS willful choice – His faith GIFT to believe!
REAL REFLECTIONS: Beloved, may God give
US the courage
and boldness to “contend
earnestly for the faith” that was signed, sealed
and delivered some – 2000
years ago…
Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints – Jude 3
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
With
this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 12-17 in the third of the excellent book to the Colossians.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
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