Tag: Colossians

(KJV) Colossians 1:2

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote to the Colossians because false teachers were coming in among the believers in the church there and proclaiming that devotion to Jesus Christ and loyalty to the teachings of Christ’s apostles (Acts 14:4; 2:42) were not enough for a true Christian’s faith and spiritual salvation. This false teaching mixed human “philosophy and “tradition” with the gospel (Colossians 2:8) – the true message of Christ – and called for the worship of angels as mediators between God and humans (Colossians 2:18). These imposters (pretenders who presented themselves as true Christians) also demanded a strict obedience to certain Jewish religious requirements (Colossians 2:16, 21-23). They justified their misguided rulers by claiming to have received special revelation through visions (Colossians 2:18).

1. The same basic philosophy behind these errors appears today in the teaching that Jesus Christ and the original message of the New Testament are not completely adequate to meet our spiritual needs (2 Peter 1:3).
2. Paul speaks out boldly against this heresy (false teaching that contradicts the true and proven basis of faith as revealed in the Bible). He does so by showing that Christ is not only our personal Savior (the One who forgives sins and rescues us from spiritual death), but also the head of the church and Lord ( the supreme authority) of the universe and all creation. For this reason, Jesus Chist (and His power in our lives) – not human efforts, ideas or wisdom – rescues us from sin’s power, puts us in a right relationship with God and saves us eternally. We do not need any other mediator – human or spiritual – to go between us and God. We may approach Him directly. 
3. Being a believer means showing true faith in Christ and His message by actively yielding the guidance and keeping of our lives to Him, loving Him, obeying Him and living by His purpose. We must never add anything to the gospel – the “good news” and true message of Christ – nor support any other experience, teaching or philosophy that is offered in its place. 

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1. THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION / COLOSSIANS 1:15
2. SLAVES, OBEY YOUR EARTHLY MASTER / COLOSSIANS 3:22
3. FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS / COLOSSIANS 1:13-14
4. GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY / COLOSSIANS 3:5
5. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
6. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
7. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Paul is not saying that Christ was a created being. The term “firstborn” carries the Old Testament meaning of being “first in position,” “heir” or “supreme” (Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9) As the eternal Son of God, Christ is heir and ruler of all creation (Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-20) and is sovereign over all things (He has complete authority, control and power to do as He desires; Colossians 1:16; 2:9-10; Matthew 28:18; 1 Peter 3:22; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 1:4).

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1. SLAVES, OBEY YOUR EARTHLY MASTER / COLOSSIANS 3:22
2. FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS / COLOSSIANS 1:13-14
3. GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY / COLOSSIANS 3:5
4. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
5. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
6. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Colossians 3:22

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Paul does not approve of slavery, nor does he authorize revolt against masters. He simply instructs slaves and masters how to conduct themselves in a Christ-honoring way. By doing so, he attempts to change this undesirable situation from within (Philemon 1:10; Philemon 1:12; Philemon 1:14; Philemon 1:15-16; Philemon 1: 17-19; Titus 2:9-10). In the meantime, Paul aims to regulate it to the benefit of all involved (Ephesians 6:5-9; Titus 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:18-19).

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1. FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS / COLOSSIANS 1:13-14
2. GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY / COLOSSIANS 3:5
3. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
4. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
5. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Central to our spiritual salvation and renewed relationship with God is our rescue and liberation from the power and control of Satan and his forces of evil (Matthew 4:8-11; Matthew 4:10; Luke 22:52-53; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). We are now in Christ’s kingdom and under His rule (Romans 6:17-22; Acts 26:18).

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1. GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY / COLOSSIANS 3:5
2. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
3. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
4. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Throughout the Bible, idolatry refers to worshiping false gods, images of gods or anything else in place of the one true God. It represents open, unashamed rejection of God and defiance toward Him, and it is worthy of severe judgment. So, what does idolatry mean in practical terms for us today?

1. It means giving priority to anything in place of God. It is allowing things to become the focus of one’s desires, values, and dependence, taking the place of reliance on and faith in God Himself (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 7:25-26; Isaiah 40:18-23). For this reason, greed is called idolatry.
2. Idolatry can involve people claiming to be loyal to God and His Word while at the same time giving equal or greater loyalty to persons, institutions, traditions, or earthly authorities. Nothing may be given higher priority in life than one’s relationship to God and His Word as revealed in the Bible (Romans 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:5).

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1. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
2. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
3. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Within family, church, school, employment, and all other social relationships (Colossians 3:12-25), God expects His people to show love, justice, and fairness to one another. If taken seriously, these verses would eliminate much of the unloving and unjust treatment of others. Specifically, we learn that:

1. Mistreatment of others by Christians is a serious matter affecting our future in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10).
2. Those who treat others in love and goodness will receive a reward from the Lord (Colossians 3:24; Ephesians 6:8).
3. Anyone who mistreats and does wrong to another believer “will be repaid for his wrong.” Those who are guilty of such behavior will be judged and will bear the consequences without bias or partiality (Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11).
4. The fact of future accountability to God should motivate our love, kindness, and mercy toward all human beings (Galatians 6:7; Matthew 22:37, 39; John 13:34).

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1. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
2. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Colossians 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Notice that the types of rules Paul says do not apply to Christians are called “the basic principles of this world.” For the most part, these principles have to do with outward religious rituals, regulations, routines, and customs (“do not handle … taste … touch,” Colossians 2:21). By Paul’s time, they had become the extreme human-imposed guidelines of the Old Testament laws. However, the elaborate set of restrictions Paul addresses here were mostly the creation of the false teachers themselves. Relying on such rules – even God’s laws – in an effort to gain spiritual salvation or favor with God is called legalism (Mark 7:6). However, we must be careful not to misapply or abuse the spiritual principles behind Paul’s God-inspired instructions. For example, the fact that we need not follow outward physical regulations such as circumcision (Colossians 2:11; Galatians 2:4, 12: Philippians 3:2) or food restriction (Colossians 2:16; Romans 14:6; 1 Corinthians 10:25) does not excuse us from living by the moral standards of God’s commands. Following the commands does not save us spiritually; yet, if we are truly saved and in a right relationship with God, we will obey His commands out of and gratitude to Christ and because they are good and right (Romans 8:4). In addition, the freedom from rules about what to eat or what days to celebrate (Colossians 2:16) is not meant to mean “freedom” from standards that have true moral significance and spiritual consequences. Often, passages dealing with Christian freedom (1 Corinthians 8-10) are misinterpreted, abused, or taken out of context to justify behavior that truly does compromise or cross moral boundaries. Food simply goes in and out of the body and has little, if anything, to do with spiritual matters. However, when people try to apply this principle to morally questionable activities and behaviors that actually do affect the mind and spirit, they are seriously missing the point (Colossians 2:23; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 8:7).

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1. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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