Church (Body of Christ) – Page 28

“Adorned with Thankfulness” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.^[1]

Greetings Sojourners!

I am excited for our Refresh & Restore Bible studies to be back in 2024 (even though it sure took me long enough)!

This next section of Colossians has turned out to be quite a beast for me. It is the section, specifically verses 16-17, that led me to choose Colossians to study because of how often I look to it as a source of practical theology to inform what it is we do in corporate worship at Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS. It is the passage I come to with the question of “Can we do ___?” – often “Should be sing ___?” – or to assess whether we are doing what we are supposed to in our worship gatherings. But this passage is not a beast to be tamed; rather, I am finding that God has been taming me and molding me through the study of it.

I have written at least two whole devotions on this section and started two others on this passage since Thanksgiving. One of the full devotions was written out of painful memories and experiences from years of ministry struggle earlier in life. The other was too soft. It is almost as if I have been Goldilocks trying to fit myself for a rocker or to not burn my mouth on porridge. I’ve been trying to write something that is too hot or too cold, but now, I am setting out to do it just right – to walk through the passage as I typically try to, to do as Ezra did with the Word in Nehemiah 8:8: “read from the book…clearly, and [give] the sense, so that the people underst[and] the reading”.

What follows over the course of the next few Bible studies through this section are an attempt to show us what corporate worship – that is, worship as a gathered local church – is meant to be like for those who have put on Christ, those who are saved, born again, in Christ. Lord willing, that will flow into the end of Colossians and inform what all of life is to look like for those who have put on Christ. Essentially, it is to be a basic and simple practical theology for living a life that follows Christ as a church, as a family, and as individuals.

Thankfulness is an Earmark to Christian Worship (vv. 15b, 16b, 17b)

Thanksgiving is a subject that shows up a lot in this passage. In fact, it shows up three times, once in each verse. Just as believers are supposed to put on Christ and wear/bear the fruit that comes from that, thankfulness should be part of that fruit. It seems sometimes that “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness…, patience”, forgiveness, and “love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:13-14) are big fruit that can be seen and visible, but thankfulness, while not necessarily always being visible, is to be a part of the fruit of the new life in Christ – part that adorns everything. Thankfulness is supposed to be fruit that believers wear and bear that shows the impact of what Jesus has done for them, but it supposed to especially adorn the Church – our local churches being the branches where the fruit is most visible. And the Church is who today’s passage is addressing.

In diving into the way that thankfulness shows up in Colossians 3:15-17, we are going to be able to see that we are to be thankful for the Church because of Christ and thankful as a result of Jesus saving us and giving us new life. We are thankful for Christ, because of Christ, in Christ, and with those who are growing up into Him in the body – the Church.

Thankful for the Church Because of Christ

I am thankful for the Church. I am thankful for the local church, Christ Community in Grenada, MS, God has called me and my family to join. I am not talking about a building or traditions or religious rites. I am not even talking about worship services or gatherings at this point. No, the Church is more than all of that. You can have all those things without Christ, but there is no Church apart from Him. Without Christ, there is no body.

The parts, the people, that make up the Church would still be dead in their trespasses and sins without Christ (Ephesians 2:1-2), but “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). The “together” there in those verses is not talking about the Church but the way that God in Christ saves people, giving them new life – the life that comes from Jesus alone stemming from His resurrection. While the “together” in Ephesians 2:5 does not reference the Church, there is a sense of togetherness that comes from gathering in worship of the One who brought us from death in sin to life in Him. There is a certain togetherness that stems from the shared testimony of all believers. And that togetherness should resound in thanksgiving – a thanksgiving that produces unity.

The unity of the Church, the togetherness we are talking about here, comes from all believers of all of time being knit together into a body, a “spiritual house” made of “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) – that is the Church. And Jesus loves the Church in such a way that He calls her His Bride (Ephesians 5:32, Revelation 21:9). A bride is someone special, someone to be treasured. I have a picture of my wife on our wedding day on my phone and in our home. I even have one at work. I officiated a wedding ceremony a couple months ago, and as the groom and I were standing in place waiting for the time when we would walk up to the front, I told him to look for the moment when his bride came out of the doors – I told him that would and should be a moment engrained in his memory for the rest of his life. I still remember the moment that the back doors of Duck Hill Baptist opened and showed me Candice adorned in her wedding dress. Now, I have a vivid memory of most things, but this is different. I can smell the flowers. I can remember the feeling of my breath catching in my chest, the heavy thumping of my heart rhythm. I can hear the creaking wood of the pews as people rose. But most of all, I remember our eyes meeting across the room and being afraid to blink because I was afraid, I would miss something. I am thankful for that memory – more so, I am thankful for my bride.

If that is such a powerful memory for a foolish and fallible husband, how much more powerfully does Christ feel about His Bride, the Church? How should we feel about her?

Thankfulness is Part of the New Life in Christ

I hope you can see how the gratitude in this passage is intended to be an earmark of our worship and flows out of the context of what we have seen in Colossians so far. It is in this passage that we see how real-life flows out of taking off our sin and putting it to death. This passage begins the life application part of the letter that flows out of what we as believers are to put on when we are putting on Christ – how the new life in Christ is meant to be part of real life. As I said above, being a part of the Church, even the local gatherings of the Church, is more than religion, more than ceremony. It really is meant to be part of real life.

Imagine being in a situation where you are facing down certain death, as if you were grabbed and robbed at gunpoint. Fear and realization flood over you all at once. You know you are in mortal danger. You know there are so many ways this can go badly. But all at once you see someone swoop in and take out your assailant. What you thought was a sure and terrifying death surprisingly became a rescue. How would you react to the rescuer? How would your brush with death affect the way you live your life? Surely, it would change things. Well, our sin captured and enslaved us. Our own sin earned us death. And Jesus came in defeating sin and death and offering life. Surely, that changes things. Surely, a group of people who share a Rescuer and the good news that He has saved you will have lives impacted by the experience.

Colossians 3:15-17 show us what life as part of the Church – life of the body of Christ who have been saved by Him, rescued by Him – is supposed to look like. Jesus, because He loves His Bride, tells us the best way to live in that aspect of our lives: thankful. This sort of thankfulness changes us. It alters the way we look at things. When tempted to rail at a brother or sister in Christ because of a wrong done to us, this sort of thankfulness reminds us that Jesus forgave us when we wronged Him in sin. When tempted to be prideful in a way that forgets where we came from and who we were when we were dead in sin, this sort of thankfulness reminds us of Him who made us alive and making our boast in Him alone. This sort of thankfulness is life-altering because of the One who altered our life – who gave us Life.

It is my prayer that this feeble attempt to show you this gives His Spirit the opportunity to work through the studying of His Word and your church life changes to what He would have rather than the traditions or treachery of sin that may plague us. He has a plan for us and for us together as His body. Part of that plan will be seen we begin to look at the essential elements of worship in next week’s Bible study. Part of it will be seen the following week when we look at how worship is not relegated to Sundays or Wednesdays but meant to be an everyday, every moment aspect of our lives. As we look at these things, remember the gratitude to which we are called. How does gratitude to Christ, for Christ, and for the local church He planted us in mark your worship gatherings?

I think back to last summer when a dear part of our church family was able to be with us in-person after being out due to a long and harrowing fight with cancer. There were many tears and more than a little bit of hugging and laughter. But every bit of it was rooted in pleading with Jesus to heal her and thanking Jesus that He had sustained her and given her the strength to be there gathered with us. The time in the Word was sweeter because we were reminded of the work Jesus had done in our lives and hers. The time singing was sweeter because of the same. It was not enhanced because of her. Our local body was fully connected and looking to Jesus like we should every week in good times or bad.

As we ponder that gratitude both for the church and as the church, we need to be reminded again that Jesus is the basis of our gratitude. Yes, we should be thankful for the Church and the local church to which we belong, but I hope you see and remember that all the thankfulness is due to Christ. We are to be thankful in our worship for what Christ has done for us. We should be thankful for the Church because Jesus made us a part of her ensuring we would never be alone in our pursuit of Christ, but Jesus saving us should be the ultimate source of our gratitude. Since He is alive, we should worshipfully show our gratitude directly to Him in our personal worship, corporate worship, and have thankfulness for and to Him marking all that we do!

Wrapping Up

I have no recollection of how my parents taught me to remember to say please and thank you and pair sirs or ma’ams with my yesses and no-s other than a few vague reminders of them telling me before I went somewhere or reminding me when I received a gift. But after having children of my own, I get the picture. I believe a conservative estimate of how many times Candice and I have told our kiddos to thank people would easily be in the tens of thousands. So, my parents must have told me several thousand times, too.

As I said at the beginning of today’s Bible study, we see the reminder to be thankful at the end of each of today’s verses, paired with the importance of keeping the Word central in our worship, paired with what types of songs we should be singing, paired to a clear command to ensure that worship is central to all that we do or say, but why? Well, it is simple: we forget easily because we are easily distracted.

I remember as a kid knowing that Thanksgiving (the holiday) must be getting close when we sang songs like “Count Your Blessings” in big church. Of course, that song was sung a time or two a year other than the holiday, but it was a surefire way to mark us and remind us that we have blessings because of Christ that, were we to count them, would surely move us to thanksgiving (the response). And we do have more blessings than we could probably count if we got started. However, life is not always pleasant. The results of sin and the Fall are seen everywhere. It is hard sometimes to be thankful when terror and sadness seem to reign. Sometimes it is easier to sing “This World is Not My Home” than “Count Your Blessings”. But it is in these times that we should be the most thankful if we belong to Christ. We can be thankful amid pain and suffering and terror and strife and heartache and heartbreak and the worst effects of this world because the King is coming.

I want to close with the words of the hymn “My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Listen to these words and see if your heart is not moved to worship and thankfulness:

Jesus bore our pain; He walks beside us in times of turmoil and pain; He reigns above; and He sustains us day by day.

May we meditate on Him and worship Him and be moved in gratitude to life a life that reflects Him and all He has done for us.

Hallelujah, and amen!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:15–17.

Advent Reading for December 14, 2023 | “Hope in Emmanuel: God With Us” from Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel”

(which means, God with us). ²⁴When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25

“Hope in Emmanuel: God With Us”

As we approach Christmas, seeking solace in the presence of King Jesus amid the trials of this year, our focus turns to the facets of hope, joy, and love that emanate solely from the Lord. To commence this journey, let’s delve deeper into the profound narrative of Joseph, often overshadowed by Mary’s pivotal role.

Joseph, described as a “just man” (v. 19), faced a dilemma when confronted with Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. Despite the social norms and legal avenues available to him, Joseph chose a path of grace rather than justice. In a society quick to condemn and shun Mary, Joseph’s decision to spare her from shame embodies God’s profound mercy and compassion. It’s a poignant reflection of the gospel – choosing redemption over condemnation, displaying the heart of God toward His people.

The angel’s revelation to Joseph validated the truth behind Mary’s conception and urged him not to fear but to embrace his role in God’s divine plan. This narrative mirrors Christ’s embrace of the flawed yet beloved Church, demonstrating the beauty of redemption amid societal scrutiny and judgment.

The significance of the name Jesus reverberates throughout history. Beyond its literal meaning of salvation and divine assistance, it embodies the unparalleled authority and saving grace encapsulated who Jesus is (Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9-10).

Emmanuel – God with us, a promise foretold by Isaiah in 7:14, served as a beacon of hope for Israel amid turmoil. It assured them of God’s presence, dispelling fear and fortifying their spirits against adversity. This promise resonates with timeless relevance today, assuring us that God’s presence transcends circumstances, offering unwavering hope and strength.

To close, let’s meditate on Romans 8:31-34, a profound reminder encapsulating the essence of Emmanuel:

³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

These verses reassure us that with God on our side through Jesus, no force or circumstance can overpower us. Christ’s intercession for us solidifies our hope and assurance in His unwavering love and support. Despite uncertainties that lie ahead, remember this truth: while challenges may arise, the throne of heaven remains unshakeable. God’s sovereignty prevails, and He orchestrates all things, offering us an unshakable foundation of hope.

Embracing the profound truth encapsulated in the name Emmanuel – God with us, let’s find rest, solace, and hope in the promises it holds. In acknowledging God’s abiding presence with us, both now and forever, may this Christmas season be a source of renewed hope and unwavering assurance.

Reflection Questions:

Think about the name Jesus and its meaning of salvation and divine help. What does this name mean for you personally, and how does Jesus bring hope and rescue into your life?
Reflect on times when you have felt overwhelmed or anxious. How does the idea of Emmanuel – God with us – offer comfort and strength in these moments in your life?

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

What to Wear — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹²Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:12-14

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

It seems that as I grow older (although not yet old), it seems that things take a little longer. As Indiana Jones says, “It ain’t the years; it’s the mileage.” This has been especially the case with our Bible studies. Essentially, I mean that I am getting to a stage of life where I am more convinced – maybe convicted – that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Part of that is, as I grow older and my responsibilities and opportunities grow, too, is that I do not have to get everything done. I do not have to check every box on my to-do list. The Lord knows what He wants me to do and how much time each task of His will take. So, I trust that as I spend my time each week nothing is wasted if I spend that time pursuing Him and looking to serve Him well in all areas of my life. Part of that is daily choosing to take off the old self and put on Christ. Just as each day starts with rising from bed, taking off the bed clothes, rinsing off the old in the shower, and putting on what I need for the day – deodorant, clothes, a decent volume of hairspray, bifocals – I must consciously lay out in my mind and meditate on what it means to put on Christ before heading out to meet the day.

My wife is a pro when it comes to laying out what needs to be put on the next day and how what is taken off is to be cleared away. The kids and I are blessed to have her remind us, more of them than me as their trainability leaves her more hopeful, to lay out our clothes for the next day and to remove the old to be washed or discarded as needed. When we do this, there are no distractions or detours when it comes to getting ready. When we listen to her and follow instructions, we can get up, take off the old, and put on the new. It just works. When we get off course, it seems like everything goes awry. Socks cannot be found. Shoes have been misplaced. Questions of whether we even have pants to wear or if homework is in the backpack instead of on the coffee table or if everyone’s teeth are brushed…. It never fails that precious time has been wasted, we are close to running late, or something has been left. It would all be so simple if we just laid out what we need to put on and take with us the next day. Could it be that walking with Christ is somehow similar?

Our past few Bible studies (The Tough Love of Colossians 3, Be Killing Sin & There’s No Such Thing as Imitation Fruit) have walked through the parts of Colossians 3 that tell us how we need to take off the old self and remove the sin that clings to us like dirt. We have also studied who we are supposed to be – “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12) — Who are You? parts one & two Now, we are getting to the practical part of walking with Christ: what to wear.

Because of its practical nature, this Bible study has been hard for me to complete. I want it to be clear. I need to be clear, especially considering that this list of things to “put on” is not a list of practical tips for a better life. In fact, they cannot truly be put on if one is not saved. I do not say this to exclude people. I also do not say that to include. I say it to invite people to come to Christ. I also say that to hopefully help you understand that the Christian life – a life that has been taken from dead in sin to alive in Christ – cannot, hear me canNOT be lived apart from Christ. The commandments will beat you down, suffocate, and smother you because they are meant to be accomplished through God’s power given by His Spirit to those who have put their faith in the Son. So, a big part of this study is helping you understand again what it is to be in Christ. If you find you are not in Him, I would love to help you come to know Him! And if you are in Christ, dear Sojourner, I want to help you lay out what you need to put on, namely Christ, so that you can build helpful habits (not self-help but continual parts of your relationship with Him) that will strengthen your walk with Christ and fulfill what Paul prayed for the Colossians (and I for you) in Colossians 1:10, that you may “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”. So, what to wear?

What to Wear (vv. 12-14)

Those three words – what to wear – can be either a question (as in what should I wear? or what I am supposed to wear?) or an instruction telling us what we need to wear for a certain occasion or for a certain event or activity. This ain’t that, but the analogy is helpful. Our righteousness (because of our sin) is the equivalent of putting on dress clothes after wallowing in mud – without taking a shower or so much as hosing off. The dress clothing will obviously be made dirty because we ourselves are unclean. We can compare putting on Christ then, at least to a small degree, to putting on fresh clothes after being cleaned by Him. In this analogy, Jesus is the one who cleans us and provides us with the clothing to cover us. Jesus justifies those whom He saves and covers their sin and shame with His blood, making them clean.

Paul explained to the church at Ephesus that learning and being taught in Christ helps us learn what it is “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, …and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24). That is the image Paul is trying to get across to us throughout Colossians 3:5-14. Our sinful flesh belongs to the way we used to be before Jesus saved us. We need to take it off. That old life is our grave clothes. Think about it like this: do you think Lazarus (who had been dead in his tomb long enough that his decomposing body had begun to stink – John 11:39) kept on wearing his grave clothes? That would have surely been lovely and appetizing at Martha’s dinner party the week before Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection (John 12:1-2). Nothing says, “Let’s eat”, like the smell of something dead. No, the grave clothes had been discarded – Lazarus went from death to life and came out of his tomb at Jesus’s command (John 11:43-44)! Grave clothes are for the dead. The old self and its former manner of life are products of the wages of our sin – death (Romans 6:23). It is time for those who are alive (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:4-5) to put on Christ. But what does that even mean?

First, we need to understand that putting on Christ is not something that we take on and off. Salvation and the new life that comes from Jesus saving us – from Him taking us who were dead in our sins and making us alive in Him – are reality. They are more than change in status; they are change of nature and our state of existence. Salvation is not something that can be lost because it was not accomplished by us. I know it sounds weird, but salvation is kind of a paradox. Those who are born again have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved by Jesus. There is the moment of salvation when the Spirit convicted of sin, and we repented of that sin and confessed Jesus as Lord. He is continually sanctifying us (a Bible word that the Holy Spirit is supernaturally making us more like Jesus in the new self and less like the old self) and saving us in our daily lives. And He will ultimately save us by taking us from this life into His presence!

Second, putting on Christ means that there will be evidence – fruit – of a relationship with Jesus. This is something that we have looked at in earlier sections of Colossians. In Colossians 1:10, Paul spoke to the Colossian church telling them what he had been praying for them, namely that they “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” and bear “fruit in every good work”. Their continual walk with Him grows them, provides them opportunities to serve Him, and produces fruit in their lives. In Colossians 2:6, Paul told them that they are to walk in Christ as they received Him. Again, the walk – the life – bears fruit that proves it. This is like our talking about putting on Christ and taking off the grave clothes. Dead people have no sign of life. They are dead. Think about what we refer to as vital signs: pulse, respiration, etc. They are vital to life because without them we are dead. In that same way, the fruit of Jesus changing our lives is the vital signs of our walking with Him. He took our heart of stone and gave us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). His works are not written on stone tablets but on and through our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). James made this clear by saying that our faith will be proven – not earned – by works (James 2:14-26). There are outward signs of inward change, or we are dead.

This is important, and I do not want you to be able to miss this. Putting on Christ is not putting on a show. As I have already told you, trying to do the things that come from new life in Christ will weigh you down and beat you down if you have not been saved. That is what religion is and can be. Nothing will burn you out and make you want to quit quicker than trying to accomplish what only God’s Spirit can accomplish. If there is no fruit, there is no life. Jesus told His disciples a parable about a fruitless tree in Luke 13:6-9. A man owning a vineyard had a fig tree that was of fruit-bearing age for three years, yet it never produced a single fig. The vineyard owner told the worker in charge of the fig tree to cut it down because it was a waste of space and soil. The worker convinced the owner to give it one more year, a year where he would try all he could to make the tree healthy and produce fruit, but if at the end of that year there was no fruit, the tree would be cut down because it was dead. So, it is with us. Those connected to Christ – connected to the Vine – produce fruit because of the life He gives (John 15:5). But any who profess to be alive in Christ who are altogether fruitless, they are still dead in their sins (John 15:6).

I know this might sound harsh and judgmental. This section in particular is most of what has taken so long for this Bible study to develop because I do not want you to be beat down with a religious argument. I do not want you to think that I am putting qualifications on you that you cannot meet – or thinking that I am able to give you things to do in and of myself. So, if you are looking at your life and do not see any fruit of Jesus saving you, this is not me trying to hurt your feelings; it is a gift from God if you can come to realize that you are dead in your sins. Turn to Jesus and be saved (Isaiah 45:22)! Behold, “now is the favorable time”, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)! Religion can beat you down, but the mighty hand of God can lift you up (1 Peter 5:6). If you see no fruit of Christ in your life – if you see none of His life and only yours, I beg and plead with you to look to Him, repent of your sin, confess Him as Lord, and believe on Him. He will surely save you.

If you look at your life and see fruit, no matter how small, let us look and see what He would have us wear.

What We Put on When We Put on Christ (vv. 12-14)

This is our wardrobe if we put on Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, patience, enduring care, forgiveness, and love. They stem from what we see in Jesus. Each can be clearly associated with Him, just as the sins of Colossians 3:5-9 are clearly associated with us in our sin. So, I want to treat these words – these articles of clothing as they are presented here – similarly to how we walked through the sins. In those verses, and today’s, I used the same lexicon and Greek dictionary for all the words to present their definitions fairly and not whitling the context to fit any agenda. Even when there are not quotations in the definitions, the information comes from Spiros Zodhiates’ The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament^[1]. More importantly, I want to show you every verse in the New Testament (and a few from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament from the 3^rd century b.c.) that contains these words. As I said in that earlier section, this may seem nerdy and/or boring, but I want you to see what the fruit is supposed to look like. I want you to see what the new life in Christ is supposed to be. I want to show you Him:

“compassionate hearts” οἰκτιρμός (oiktirmós) —
This word is “the pity or compassion which one shows for the suffering of others”. It is not as strong as the word usually used to describe God’s mercy, ultimately because we are not capable of such. But it is a result of having received mercy! The word for hearts here is essentially the word for our insides, meaning that this compassion is not just something we show. As above in mentioning compassion because of receiving mercy from Jesus, this compassion comes from inside of us – out of the new life in Jesus. It is fruit.
- Romans 12:1 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort….
- Philippians 2:1 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy….
- Hebrews 10:28 – Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
- 1 Chronicles 21:13 (Septuagint^[2]) – Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of a man.”
- 2 Chronicles 30:9 (Septuagint) – For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him.”
- Psalm 50:3 (Septuagint) – Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
- Zechariah 7:9 (Septuagint) – “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another….

“kindness” χρηστότης (chrēstótēs) —
This word is translated as “good”, “kindness”, and “gentleness”. It is kind of hard to explain this word with a simple definition. This word is a byproduct of having received grace. The grace of God spreads through one’s whole self, softening the sharp edges of our personalities and mellowing out what was once harsh. It is the word used in Luke 5:39 to talk about why the old wine is better – because it has mellowed with age. This word is not really describing actions but is a description of character. It is fruit.
- Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
- Romans 3:2 – All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
- Romans 11:22 – Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
- 2 Corinthians 6:6 – …by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love….
- Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness….
- Ephesians 2:7 – …so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
- Titus 3:4 – But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared….

“humility” ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosúnē) —
We all think we understand humility or being humble, but sometimes we are falsely humble. Zodhiates does a good job with this explanation by saying this word is the “esteeming of ourselves small, inasmuch as we are so, the correct estimate of ourselves”. To illustrate, this sort of humility is seen in the sinner who realizes he or she is unworthy of the grace of God, confesses that sin to God, and repents of it. This word is especially important to the Colossian church because a fake religious version of this was already mentioned in Colossians 2:18 and 2:23 with the word “asceticism”. This was a fake humility that was meant to make people look holier than they were. The genuine form of this humility cannot be faked. It is fruit.
- Acts 20:19 – …serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews….
- Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
- 1 Peter 5:5 – Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

“meekness” πραΰτης (praǘtēs) —
There really is not a good translation of this word since “meekness” in English is usually associated with being weak or coming from a position of weakness. This ain’t that. Prautes comes from a position of power. It is a heart and mind that demonstrates gentleness and grace because the person knows who they are – more importantly whose they are. It is a confident action. It is fruit.
- 1 Corinthians 4:21 – What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
- 2 Corinthians 10:1 – I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ – I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!
- Galatians 5:23 – …gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
- Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
- 2 Timothy 2:25 – …correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth….
- Titus 3:2 – …to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
- James 1:21 – Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
- James 3:13 – Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
- 1 Peter 3:15 – …but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect….

“patience” μακροθυμία (makrothumía) —
This word is different than we might typically think of regarding patience. Or at least it differs from how we mean patience sometimes. It is less about endurance – just getting through something – than it is about faith or respect for others. It is what the KJV translators called long-suffering – a sense of “self-restraint before proceeding to action”. It is the quality one would have if they were able to avenge themselves after being done wrong but instead refraining to do so. It is fruit.
- Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
- Romans 9:22 – What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction….
- 2 Corinthians 6:6 – …by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love….
- Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness….
- Ephesians 4:2 – …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love….
- Colossians 1:11 – …being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy….
- 1 Timothy 1:16 – But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.
- 2 Timothy 3:10 – You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness….
- 2 Timothy 4:2 – …preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
- Hebrews 6:12 – …so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
- James 5:10 – As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
- 1 Peter 3:20 – …because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
- 2 Peter 3:15 – And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him….

Flowing out of these qualities or attributes are some that are written out in phrases or sentences rather than in words we can break down easily and define. The first of those is “bearing with one another” (Colossians 3:13). The compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience are to be shown to others, especially to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and especially in the context of the local church. There are so many factors and factions in this world competing with and antagonizing the local church. May it not be so that we are warring against one another inside the local church (or that we claim Christ and are not a part of a local church). Yes, churches are made up of people – sinners saved by grace, but sometimes we live and act as if we have never received the grace and mercy of Christ ourselves. This is part of what Paul is talking about here. The fruit of receiving grace and mercy is extending it to others. Oh, what our faith families would be like if we showed grace to one another regularly instead of just when there are extraordinary burdens that need bearing!

Part of bearing with one another is the next quality: “if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:13). This one is tough! So often, we want to look at how we are to confront people (biblically or sinfully), but it is clear here that is more fruitful to just forgive. I think about times, especially a few of recent that I find myself suddenly convicted of, when I wanted to confront someone over some slight or hurt against me. How arrogant and selfish I am sometimes! What gives me the right to confront and call folks to the carpet when Jesus has been so forgiving – so merciful to me? That is part of forbearance: passing over sins. But to do that means that we must “in humility count others more significant than” ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Forgiveness is not easy. It is not meant to be. It is meant to be fruit of Jesus forgiving us – “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13). That kind of tears down our selfish and prideful arguments of who deserves better or who needs to know ___. Paul tells the Colossian church, and us today, that we must forgive, not should forgive, or could forgive if ___. This is imperative. This is fruit.

Wrapping Up

The last item of clothing or last part or quality of putting on Christ really brings the whole outfit together. It is kind of like how my school kids pick at me when I am dressed well (which is not very often). They tell me I need to do a “fit check”. It is usually when I wear a sport coat or a vest that draws attention to my clothing – that item takes the clothes and makes an outfit (again, as I am told by knowledgeable and well-meaning sophomores). Love, Paul tells us, should be “put on” above all the others (Colossians 3:14). The Greek word translated “love” here is one you are likely familiar with: agape. This is the love with which God loves. We only know it and can show it if we have received God’s love – that John 3:16 sort of love where God “gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the love that God demonstrated “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is unexplainable. But, then again, isn’t all love too complex to put into words? Thankfully, those who are putting on Christ have His Word to depend on and explain Him to us and others. Just as John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 show us some aspects of God’s agape toward those He saves, it serves us well to look at the Word to see how His love bears fruit in our lives and helps us to love others. I am tempted here, because I have gone longer than originally planned, to snip at some verses, but as Dane Ortlund rightly says, “the safest way to theological fidelity is sticking close to the biblical text.”^[3] So, we will take a good-sized chunk of 1 John 4 – not to break apart for more Bible study but to build us up to see why agape “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). Look at 1 John 4:7-19:

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us.

Love, complex and simple. But in the context of putting on Christ, it is fruit. 1 John 4:19 sums that up aptly. We are capable of agape only if we have received agape. Those who are chosen of God, holy and beloved (Colossians 3:12) can have compassion welling up within them because God has had compassion on them because He loves them. They can be kind because God, in His love, has been kind to them. They can humbly look at themselves for who they are because who they are is loved by God. They can demonstrate grace and mercy appropriately because God in love pours grace and mercy in immeasurable proportions into their lives. They can patiently endure ___ because God has been, is, and will be patient with them because that is what He does for His beloved. We can bear with others and forgive them because Jesus loved us enough to forgive us and continues to do so as we need it.

Putting on Christ, then, is taking the love He gave us and turning it back toward others. Putting on Christ is showing the love and care Christ has for His Bride, the Church, toward our own local churches. Putting on Christ is showing His gospel love to the world by sharing His gospel so that people will come to know Him. Putting on Christ is more of Him and less of us until we get to the point where we see Him face-to-face – the point where we will not need to put on Christ because He will be right there with us!

Oh, what a day that will be!

[1] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

[2] The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament in the 3^rd-2^nd centuries BC by Jewish scholars who understood Hebrew (and Greek) better than anyone who has lived in the last 1,800 years.

[3] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 14.

“Set Your Mind on Christ” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.^[1]
Colossians 3:1-4

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

I love the way that Paul’s letter to the Colossian church builds and builds and builds. I think our overviews of the larger chunks of chapters one and two help us to see how it builds, but also how it fits together as an epistle or letter. Remember, where we see chapters, sections, passages, and verses there was just a letter from the apostle Paul to a church that needed help. Paragraph by paragraph the help he offers them is pointing them to Jesus. And since Paul’s letter to the Colossians was “Scripture…breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), it is important for us to remember that these words apply to us and the local churches we belong to as well!

Even though we have spent several weeks reviewing the initial chapters of Colossians, it is important that we keep our passage today in correct context:

In chapter 1, we saw Paul presenting Jesus in a beautiful hymn highlighting how Jesus, God incarnate, is preeminent over all and yet cares for them enough to deliver and redeem them (and us) “from the domain of darkness” to His Kingdom (ch 1:13-14).
Chapter 2 saw Paul helping them to understand what it is to be alive in Christ and helped them understand that receiving Christ and walking in Him (ch 2:6-7) is necessary to combat the false teaching attacking their church.

As we begin chapter 3 where Paul lays out for the Colossian church – and again, the church today – what new life in Christ is and is not, the final verse from last week’s passage (ch 2:23) strikes me a bit stronger: “These (human precepts and teaching) have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

We looked at Colossians 2:23 in the context of last week’s passage, and we need to now see it as the hinge that opens the door between last week’s passage and ours today because, contextually, it fits with both passages. The “human precepts and teaching” (ch 2:22) were spoken of in the context of the false teaching plaguing the Colossian church – that people were trying to tack on additional religious practices to the gospel and distract from it. But, as we are about to begin looking at precepts and teaching given by Paul, it is fitting that we clarify the difference between human precepts and those “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Sins are going to be listed – not Paul’s interpretation of a religion but speaking from God as He was “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). We must be careful to focus on and look at what God is saying to the church – then and now – through Paul. We must be careful to recognize the authority of Scripture to teach us what to believe and correct us when we are wrong – to teach us how to live and correct us when we sin – to give us everything we need to live this new life in Him (2 Timothy 3:17).

There is temptation to blunt what God makes sharp regarding sin – to call good what God called evil (Isaiah 5:20). There is also a temptation to take God’s Word and use it to hurt people rather than to point them to Him. Both are dangerous. Both are trying for “human precepts” instead of the divine. God’s Word says what it says, and it has power. But the former, the man-made or man-twisted have “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”. Thankfully, Paul’s answer to both – the answer that has been consistent throughout Colossians and will continue to be through the end is Jesus – is clear in our passage today.

If You Have Been Raised (vv. 1, 3)

The first word of today’s passage is “if”. As a parent and a high school teacher, I understand this word with unique clarity.

Daddy, can I go to __’s house Friday? Yes, if, you clean your room. Mr. Harris, if we all make __ or above on the assessment, you should buy us donuts. I sure will if you hold up your end of the bargain. When Friday comes or the assessment is over both sides play the parts of expert lawyer explaining how I am bound to do this or how I should change my mind because of how close they got to the agreement. Yet if leaves extraordinarily little wiggle room. If is conditional. Any agreement containing if means that its completion is contingent upon whatever in-the-event-that occurs.

In the case of today’s passage – “If then you have been raised with Christ”, the condition is if someone is in Christ, whether or not they have been “raised with Christ”. One either is or is not. Think back to the way that Paul has presented this state of being in Christ throughout the letter: either in “the domain of darkness” or “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (ch 1:13), either reconciled to Him through “the blood of His cross” or “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (ch 1:20-21), either “dead in your trespasses” or “made alive together with Him” (ch 2:13). So, to say “If then you have been raised with Christ” is to say you are either dead in your sins or raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) – in Christ or not knowing Him at all (Matthew 7:21-23 ^[2]).

It is important to the message Paul is communicating because the teachings in Colossians 3-4 are for those who have been “made alive…with Christ”, saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:5). These are not principles for a good or successful life. They are not suggestions or even a how-to manual for faith or practice. If one is not in Christ – saved, born again, these teachings are of no value and will only end in discouragement and disappointment because they are contingent on the Spirit’s power only available to those who are His.

This is illustrated through the rest of that conditional statement: “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”. Basically, if you are in Christ, seek Him. Verse 3 clarifies it even further because, once one is saved, the former pre-salvation life is over and life is “hidden with Christ in God” – eternal life is contingent upon His life, our being brought from death to life is contingent upon His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-16).

This is why the new life that comes from being in Christ is not simply a how-to manual or list of instructions – it is real and lasting transformation, life change that occurs when one goes from the “wages of sin”, which is death, to “the free gift of eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Think back to the time spent earlier on the context of ch. 2:23: only new life in Jesus is of value “in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”! Seeking Christ is more than reading His Word or praying to Him as a religious exercise, it is seeking the One who rescued you and redeemed you – who saved you. If you have been raised with Christ, why would you not seek Him?

Set Your Minds (vv. 2, 4)

There is good news in the command to seek Jesus, namely that He will be found! Look at this beautiful passage in Isaiah 55:6-7:

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call upon Him while He is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

This is often viewed as an invitation – and it is – for those who do not know Christ but let us look at what it means for those who do know Him. If you have been raised with Christ, He will be found when sought and near when He is called upon. But also, if one’s wicked ways have been forsaken and unrighteous thoughts laid aside, one surely has sought the Lord and received His compassion and forgiveness – received His life – because human beings do not lay aside their wickedness of choice easily. The latter proves the former. The fruit proves the tree^[3].

The command here moves from seeking Him, though, to setting one’s mind on Him. That word “set” means be mindful of, to be devoted to”^[4]. Think about it like how one would set a thermostat or an alarm. A thermostat ensures that a house stays within the confines of temperatures that will keep us comfortable – that is comfortable to the one who sets the temperature. An alarm ensures that appointments are kept and things that one really does not want to miss. As a resident of Mississippi in June, I am devoted to making sure my thermostat is set correctly as the humidity and heat would quickly overtake my home. Alarms are necessities for things I want to make sure I do not miss and things I must do and are set as needed – as often as needed, as often as I need to be mindful of a time or date. How does this pertain to Jesus?

Paul tells the Colossian church to “set” their minds “on things that are above” – the same thing that he just commanded them to “seek”. The mind of the church, its members, should be set on Jesus “not on things that are on earth”. Set – like a thermostat – to keep one’s mind consistently where it needs to be, on Jesus. Set – like we would an alarm to remind us of where we need to be. Set.

Now, I have heard people say that there is a danger of being so heavenly minded that one is no earthly good, meaning that one can be so focused on “things that are above” that things below are forgotten about. That warning assumes that these heavenly minded people would have a sort of monastery view that would isolate them from the world.

I would argue that I am of no earthly good if my mind is not set on Christ. When we look at the rest of the larger section that today’s passage begins (Colossians 3:1-17), what follows comes from setting one’s mind on Jesus. The sins that are crucified are because of focusing on Jesus and the life He gives. The behaviors that characterize the new life follow in the way that He lived – and lives!

This leads to the ultimate goal: meeting Jesus. If we look at verse 4, this is the goal – the expectation of seeking and setting one’s mind on Christ – “When Christ who is your life appears”.

This is the sort of expectant devotion that reminds me of my son. The first day I spent alone with him was when he was barely a month old on my wife’s first day back at work. He screamed. He cried. He was upset. But everything changed when his mama called to see how everything had gone. He heard her voice over the phone and began to be soothed. For the first time that day (except when a bottle was in his mouth) he was quiet. As soon as he hit her arms when she got home, he was at rest. Now, I know it would be hard to say that as an infant he was thinking this or that. Yet on rare occasions when my wife is gone for a long while, every audible car noise from the street brings questions of whether his mom is back. When my wife and daughter were on a mission trip without us a year ago, every buzz on my phone brought questions whether it was his mama on the other end. And, as hard as he tried to play it cool when we picked them up at the church when they got back, everything was right in his world once his mama was home.

Expectantly setting one’s mind on Christ shows that kind of devotion. While Jesus is away, setting our minds on Him operates on the belief that He really is returning for us and has prepared a place for us (John 14:2). But, more than that, it is a connection between the one you confessed as Lord (Romans 10:9) and the life you actually live (Galatians 2:20). And when He appears – when He returns, He comes to take you with Him. Those who are His will be ready because their minds are set.

Wrapping Up

It is so easy to regiment our lives to fit everything that we want. We can schedule and plan. There are immovable commitments in our lives that will trump anything that comes up. I can be in the middle of something that has everything else in my schedule detouring around it and have it all upended with a single emergency call or text from my wife or kids. In that moment, everything else pales in comparison. The immovable appointment suddenly becomes movable.

But how does God fit in my life? Is time with Him immovable in my schedule? I learned – sadly later than I should have – that there are times that, if I do not schedule time with my wife I will run out of time – the same with my kids. I felt bad when I initially began scheduling this time because it seems so impersonal to schedule things as important as time with my wife and kids. Then, I realized that it is better to schedule than miss something important, which is the reason I had a calendar in the first place: to ensure that important things do not get missed. If I fix my schedule around gathering with my church family so that it is an immovable commitment, why should I be so foolish as to think the precious time I get with my wife and kids should be less of an immovable commitment.

I must do the same with my time with the Lord – in His Word and praying. It has become part of my daily routine (which I know also sounds impersonal). And, if I do not start my day in His Word and in prayer – if I do not set my mind on Him at the very beginning of my day, I will be off. I will be more like the old self than the new.

Important things are set. They are fixed.

And so, it must be for the minds of those who claim to be saved.

If you are reading this and find that you have no desire to set your mind on Christ or that you can make it through days or weeks or months or years without caring about spending time with Him in His Word or praying to Him, there is a problem. If you claim to be a part of His body – the church – and have left it dismembered in your absence, there is a problem. Remember that conditional if. If you are His, you will seek Him. If you are His, you will desire to spend time with Him. If you are His, there will have to come a time when you are set – fixed – on Him. It is conditional. And per His Word, the conditions are set – fixed, immovable.

Maybe there is an issue with repentance that needs to be taken care of so that you can fix your mind on Him. Or maybe, just maybe, you are not in Christ. If you have not truly been born again, it is like I said earlier: these actions are not for you. They will drain you because you do not have the Spirit’s power. They will make you feel empty and dead because those who have not been made alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5) are still dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). If this is you, then there is hope. The Bible is clear on this:

…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:9-13

If this is you, I hope you take these words to heart. If there is no fruit of life in Christ, then there is no life. But this does not have to be bad news. The words from Romans 10:9-13 tell us how to be in Christ. To confess Him as Lord is to submit to Him as the Master of your life, trusting that His ways are better than yours. To believe that God raised Him from the dead is more than mere information; it is trusting that only Him who raised from the dead can give life to those who are dead in their sin. If you call out to Him and tell Him these things, then He will save you just as He promised. Know this, whether you are in Christ or out: I am praying for you. I am praying for you to have a desire to meet God in His Word and talk to Him. I am praying for His Spirit to help you set your mind on Him and seek Him while He may be found. And, if you come to realize that you are not in Him, know that I would love to talk with you and pray for you. I would love to introduce you to Jesus.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:1–4.

[2] The context of Matthew 7:21-23 is interesting here because just prior to that paragraph in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15-20) is a paragraph where Jesus describes the danger of “false prophets” who appear to be part of the sheepfold but are “ravenous wolves”. The context helps us here because Jesus clarifies that one’s fruit defines what type of tree they are. Those who are in Christ bear His fruit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit thrives because those who are in Christ are connected to Him (John 15:5-6). So, based on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, no fruit means no Christ. This is very frightening and damning illustration – or it is assurance.

[3] See the note in footnote 2.

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Refresh & Restore Bible Study — June 8, 2023

Greetings Sojourners!

As I have walked back through these passages in Colossians 2^[1] and dug into the cross-references^[2] again, I am reminded again how beautiful God’s Word is and how poignant His way of saying things through those He breathed the Scriptures through (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:16-21). The way Colossians 1 speaks of Jesus is with such a reverence and awe that it makes my heart ache with longing to see Jesus. I hope that, as you read the words of God – not my feeble commentary, you are moved to worship and awe as well.

There is a shift between the very end of Colossians 1 (v. 1:24) into the beginning verses of Colossians 2, but it needs to be understood that, as Paul talks about ministering and serving and those being served growing in Christ, this is not a shift from faith to works. No, Paul speaks of the suffering (v. 1:24), ministering (v. 1:25), preaching (v. 1:28), toiling (v. 1:29), struggling (v. 2:1), encouraging (v. 2:2), and growth through walking with Christ (vv. 2:6-7) as results of worshiping the Lord. These actions are fruit of God’s Spirit being within a believer (Galatians 5:22-23). And I am humbled and thankful that I can have any part in making “the Word of God fully known” to you, dear Sojourner (v. 1:25).

So, with no further ado, today we will dive back into Colossians 1:24-2:7!

Paul’s Ministry to the Church (vv. 1:24-2:5)

^1:24Now ^[3]I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^[4]I am filling up ^[5]what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions ^[6]for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵^[7]of which I became a minister according to ^[8]the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶^[9]the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷^[10]To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are ^[11]the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, ^[12]the hope of glory. ²⁸Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that ^[13]we may present everyone ^[14]mature in Christ. ²⁹For this ^[15]I toil, ^[16]struggling ^[17]with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

^2:1For I want you to know ^[18]how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ²that ^[19]their hearts may be encouraged, being ^[20]knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of ^[21]God’s mystery, which is Christ, ³^[22]in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I say this in order ^[23]that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵For ^[24]though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your ^[25]good order and ^[26]the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Colossians 1:24-2:5

When I see Paul so confidently and boldly talk about suffering, I find myself wrestling with my own desire for comfort and my tendency to avoid suffering. But we need to realize that Paul is not boasting of his own inner strength. He is recognizing the “surpassing worth” of Jesus (Philippians 3:8). I recognize in Paul’s writing here that I have shortcomings in that area. Where I long for strength, there needs to be worship. Where I get to serve, there needs to be worship. Christ is to be the forefront of the Christian life because He is “all and in all” (v. 3:11). In that worship – and this is perhaps the most un-21^st-century, un-American-Dream, un-human-nature thing that I can probably think of – our desire for personal comfort needs to be outweighed by our desire for Him.

Think of all the trouble and effort a bride goes to in preparation to stand before her husband-to-be and be married. In those moments, the discomfort of clothing and shoes are forgotten. It is to be so for the Church. Y’all, if you are in Christ, the groom awaits – and is worthy of all worship, praise, honor, and the worst discomfort this world and Satan could hurl at us. Corey Ten Boom, who knew firsthand the horrors and pains delivered at the hands of Nazis in concentration camps put it well: “I’ve experienced His Presence in the deepest darkest hell that men can create…. I have tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them.”

Reading these words from Paul again and contemplating his struggles and suffering due to his worship reminds me why I am deeply critical of the prosperity gospel, which promises material (especially monetary) blessings in exchange for faithfulness and promises positive declarations free of suffering. This selective interpretation of Scripture overlooks the Bible’s clear teaching about suffering. What about Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael? What about Jesus?!? And what of Jesus’s promises that the world will look at us and treat us as it did Him (John 15:18-25, 7:7; 1 John 3:13)? He is worth it all (Revelation 4:11)!

In writing this, I want to emphasize how far I am from these things on my own. Paul, Daniel – all of those who suffered in the Bible and since for the sake of the Lord – they were far on their own, too. They, like us, needed the power of God through His Spirit (John 15:26-27). I think of Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the early church. Despite his wicked sinfulness, He met Jesus on the road to Damascus and was transformed (Acts 9:1-31) – brought from death in his sin to life in the very Christ he persecuted (Ephesians 2:1-5). He is different as he writes to the church at Colossae because of what God has done and was still doing in him. His is willing to suffer and considers all previous accomplishments and accolades as loss, placing his focus on knowing Christ and sharing in His sufferings (Philippians 3:1-11). His testimony serves as a testament to the transforming power of God’s grace and the hope that comes only from known Christ.

This is why Paul can use his own life and ministry as an example for working faithfully for God’s Kingdom. I highlight Paul’s dedication to following Christ’s example and caring for the church, emphasizing the significance of discipleship and spiritual maturity, and I underscore the revelation of God’s mystery through Christ, extending the opportunity for all people to experience the riches of God’s glory and have Christ as their hope. But I also acknowledge the challenges the Church faces, both externally through persecutions and internally through false teachings (not just in Colossae, dear Sojourner).

His desire for the churches was for them to remain encouraged, united in love, and rooted in the knowledge of God in His gospel – for them to find strength in His Spirit and in the ministry of the Word. That is my desire for those I am blessed to serve at Christ Community, and I hope that you are 1) saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and 2) have a pastor in a local church who desires these things for you and strives in the ministry of the Word to point you to the One who makes it happen!

For more, check out the original Bible studies from this section:

Walk With Christ as You Received Him (vv. 2:6-7)

⁶^[27]Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷^[28]rooted and ^[29]built up in him and ^[30]established in the faith, just ^[31]as you were taught, abounding ^[32]in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7

As a pastor and a disciple of Christ, I find myself reflecting on the goal of reaching people with the gospel and helping them mature in their faith. It makes me wonder, are making disciples and promoting spiritual maturity goals that drive us? And more importantly, is this reflected in my life – not because I am a pastor but because I profess faith in Christ?

In this reflection, I want you to understand that I am not joining in the popular activity of criticizing the church. Instead, I see the church as the Bride of Christ, and it is crucial for us to treat and regard the church with grace and love. Through my own journey with Christ and my involvement in my local church, I have great hope for the church. I have found that Jesus is the source of that hope, and I pray that He would use me to make a difference through my ministry within the local church.

I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and martyr who served during the Nazi regime in Germany. He dedicated himself to helping young ministers grow in Christ. When he left Germany for safety in America, he felt convicted that his true calling was to be in Germany. He repented and returned, ultimately facing arrest and imprisonment – inevitably in Nazi-run prisons and a concentration camp. Bonhoeffer’s example is a testament to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, where everything else pales in comparison.

Knowing Christ and seeking His Kingdom should fill us with hope. It is a treasure worth more than everything we own, and it prompts us to be willing to sacrifice and endure suffering. We must remember that the suffering we experience on earth is temporary, while God’s Kingdom is eternal. My desire is to help others walk in Christ, to see them rooted, built up, and established in their faith – just what Paul points us to in Colossians 2:6-7.

As I reflect on these verses further, I think about the various ways people describe what it means to be in Christ – being saved, born again, or a Christ-follower. Yet, I am aware that some may use these terms to hide their disbelief and navigate “church” culture. I also observe the shift in the southeastern United States from being known as the Bible Belt to a predominant worldview of “moralistic therapeutic deism,” where people speak generically about God and attend churches for community without embracing biblical teachings. Receiving Christ Jesus as Lord is of utmost importance. It goes beyond a mere label or outward profession. It is about submitting to Jesus as Lord, recognizing His sacrifice as a ransom for many and embracing Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Romans 10:9-13). Merely calling oneself a Christian without true submission to Jesus as Lord is incompatible with genuine belief. Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection are the hallmarks of true salvation.

For more, check out the original Bible study from this section:

Refresh & Restore — May 19, 2022

Wrapping Up

I invite you to assess your own life considering Jesus’ teachings and the words we have read from Colossians 1-2 today. Have you truly received Jesus as Lord? Does your life reflect the transformation that comes from knowing Him? Are you putting off your old self and being renewed in the likeness of God? If not, I urge you to repent and believe. It is not too late for you to receive Jesus, to confess Him as Lord, and to be saved.

If you are in Christ, I encourage you to consider the depth of your faith. Receiving Jesus as Lord is the foundation for growth and maturity. Making disciples requires personal investment and time. Being rooted in Christ provides sustenance and support, while building up in Him involves growth and putting His Word into practice. The church is built through love and service, and being established in the faith brings assurance and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Confronting harsh truths offers an opportunity for repentance and faith in Christ. May we all seize that opportunity and worship Christ as Lord, walking in the hope and maturity that He offers!

^[1] All Scripture references unless otherwise noted are from the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 1:1–2.

[2] Cross references show what the Bible says about a particular verse, section, or word. I use the cross references heavily in my study of the Word, especially when preaching and/or teaching the Word. Cross references that parallel the verse, section, or word but do not directly reference it are marked by brackets, for example [1 Peter 2:9-12]. Cross references of similar themes will be designated by the word “See”.

[3] See 2 Corinthians 7:4 – I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

[4] [2 Timothy 1:8] – Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God….
[2 Timothy 2:10] – Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

[5] See 2 Corinthians 1:5 – For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

[6] [Ephesians 4:12] – …to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ….

[7] ch. 1:23 – …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.

[8] See Ephesians 3:2 – …assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you….

[9] Ephesians 3:9 – …and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things….
See Romans 16:25-26 – Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith….

[10] [ch. 2:2]

[11] Ephesians 1:18 – …having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints….
Ephesians 3:16 – …that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being….

[12] 1 Timothy 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope….

[13] ch. 1:22-23 – …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.

[14] See Matthew 5:48 – You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[15] 1 Corinthians 15:10 – But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.
1 Timothy 4:10 – For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe.

[16] ch. 4:12 – Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
[ch. 2:1]

[17] See Ephesians 1:19 – …and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might….

[18] Philippians 1:30 – …engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

[19] ch. 4:8 – I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts….
Ephesians 6:22 – I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

[20] [ch. 3:14] – And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

[21] v. 1:27

[22] Isaiah 11:2 – And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 45:3 – I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
1 Corinthians 1:24 – …but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:30 – And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption….
1 Corinthians 2:6-7 – Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
[Luke 11:49] – Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute’….
[Ephesians 1:8] – …which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight….

[23] Romans 16:18 – For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.
[Ephesians 5:6] – Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
[2 Peter 2:3] – And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

[24] 1 Corinthians 5:3 – For though absent in the body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.

[25] 1 Corinthians 14:40 – But all things should be done decently and in order.

[26] 1 Peter 5:9 – Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

[27] ch. 1:10 – …so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God….
1 Thessalonians 4:1 – Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

[28] Ephesians 3:17 – …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love….

[29] Acts 20:32 – And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Ephesians 2:20 – …built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone….
See 1 Corinthians 3:9 – For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

[30] Hebrews 13:9 – Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

[31] Ephesians 4:21 – …assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus….

[32] ch. 4:2 – Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:20 – …giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….

Songs for Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday – the anniversary of what is known as Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We get the opportunity to remember how His last week on earth began with people shouting “Hosanna!” and praising and celebrating Him. The streets were packed with crowds awaiting His arrival.

“Hosanna” is a Hebrew/Aramaic cry or shout of praise. It originally meant “Help, I pray!” or “Save, I pray!” (Psalm 118:25), but somewhere over the years, that cry for help or salvation became a cry that meant “praise be to God!” Think about it: God’s people cried out to Him for help and salvation, He helped/saved them time and again, and they praised Him out of a spirit of thanksgiving. This happened enough in their culture that their cries for help transformed into cries of praise.

That is what we need today!

Hosanna!

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | Matthew 21:1-10 —

¹Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” ¹⁰And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Song | Hosanna (Praise is Rising) —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Psalm 63:1, Psalm 73:25, Isaiah 26:9, Amos 8:11, John 7:37, Psalm 28:7-8, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 21:9, Isaiah 53:7-11, 1 Chronicles 16:25, Revelation 4:11, Isaiah 64:8, Galatians 2:19-20, Revelation 21:5

Song | Hosanna —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Revelation 19:11-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 8:22, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Psalm 96:1-2, Psalm 86:5, Lamentations 3:22-23, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:4-5, Matthew 21:9, John 12:13, John 1:29, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:1-2, Revelation 1:5, Ephesians 5:29-32, Philippians 2:3-4, Psalm 80:3-7, Psalm 80:19, Jeremiah 3:22-23, Psalm 51:10, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 5:1-2

Scripture | Psalm 118:25 —

Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!

Song | Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One) —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 11:28-30, John 19:30, Colossians 2:13-14, 2 Corinthians 4:15, Hebrews 12:28-29, Isaiah 1:18, Jeremiah 13:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ezekiel 11:19, Revelation 4:10-11, Romans 6:4, Revelation 5:9-10

Song | His Mercy is More —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Lamentations 3:22-23, James 2:13, Romans 5:20, Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 40:28, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 145:8-9, 1 Timothy 1:15, Luke 14:21, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Colossians 2:13-14, Psalm 107:9, Ephesians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 2:20-21

Invitation | O the Blood —
Scripture References/Inspiration for the Song: Isaiah 1:18, Colossians 2:13-14, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 5:1-5, 1 John 1:7, Ephesians 2:13, John 3:16-17, Romans 6:23, John 1:29, John 15:13, 1 John 2:1-2, Romans 3:23-25, 1 Corinthians 15:57

Offertory | Blessed Redeemer —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 27:32-44, Isaiah 53:4-12, Job 19:25, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 44:26, Psalm 69:18, Psalm 78:35, Proverbs 23:11, Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 44:22-24, Jeremiah 50:34, Lamentations 3:58, Luke 1:68, Galatians 3:13, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:15, Luke 23:34-49, 1 Peter 2:24, John 15:13, 1 John 4:10, Romans 14:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:10, Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 89:1, Revelation 5:9-13

Christ Community Church

Songs for Sunday, July 24, 2022 @ Christ Community Church

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | John 3:16-21 —

¹⁶“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Song | God So Loved —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 11:28-30, John 7:37-38, John 4:7-15, Matthew 9:10-13, Psalm 28:6, Luke 13:29, John 6:35-40, Isaiah 58:11, Psalm 34:8-9, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 10:11-14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 55:22, Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 2:13-14, Isaiah 40:11, Luke 15:20, John 14:3, Matthew 25:23, Revelation 20:14, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, 3 John 2, Galatians 5:13-16, 1 John 4:9-10, Luke 2:14, Psalm 150, Psalm 17:7

Scripture | Galatians 2:20 —

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Song | Lead Me to the Cross —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23, John 1:14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Song | At the Cross (Love Ran Red) —
Scripture References/Inspiration for the Song: John 4:14, Romans 5:21, 1 Timothy 1:16, Galatians 2:19-20, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19

Scripture | Philippians 2:5-11 —

⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Song | O Praise the Name (Anastasis) —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, John 19:17, Isaiah 53, Romans 5:6-10, John 20:24-27, Galatians 3:13, Psalm 6:6-7, Matthew 27:57-61, Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Revelation 5:9-13, Luke 24:46, 1 Corinthians 15:55-56, Revelation 19:1-6, Revelation 19:12-14, Romans 6:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Invitation | O My Soul —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 22:1-11, Isaiah 41:10-14, Lamentations 3:57, Luke 12:32, Psalm 23:4, Ezekiel 37:1-14, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Song of Solomon 8:7, Matthew 8:23-27

Offertory | Fear is a Liar —
Scripture References / Inspiration for the Song: Psalm 14:2-3, Romans 3:10-18, Proverbs 12:1, Jeremiah 10:23, 1 Timothy 6:12, John 1:27, Romans 5:6-8, Psalm 139:14, John 8:44, Revelation 12:9, Ephesians 6:11-18, Job 14:5, Matthew 16:23, Matthew 11:28-30, James 1:2-4, Revelation 20:10, Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, John 14:6, Acts 2:38, 1 John 4:18, Acts 2:1-3

If you have not been gathering, consider gathering with your church family again. We have a 10:00 Bible study where Jamie Harrison is walking us through the book of Revelation. If you are at-risk, this Bible study would be perfect for you so you can spread out (and even dip out the side door before the 11:00 worship gathering begins).

Christ Community Church

Refresh & Restore — July 7, 2022

¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.^[1]
Colossians 3:1-4

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

I love the way that Paul’s letter to the Colossian church builds and builds and builds. Where we see sections or passages, there was just a letter from an apostle to a church that needed help. Paragraph by paragraph the help he offers them is pointing them to Jesus.

In chapter 1, we see Paul presenting Jesus in a beautiful hymn highlighting how Jesus, God incarnate, is preeminent over all and yet cares for them enough to deliver and redeem them (and us) “from the domain of darkness” to His Kingdom (ch 1:13-14). Chapter 2 saw Paul helping them to understand what it is to be alive in Christ and helped them understand that receiving Christ and walking in Him (ch 2:6-7) is necessary to combat the false teaching attacking their church.

And, as we begin chapter 3 where Paul lays out for the Colossian church – and again, the church today – what new life in Christ is and is not, the final verse from last week’s passage (ch 2:23) strikes me a bit stronger: “These (human precepts and teaching) have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

We looked at it in the context of last week’s passage, and we need to look at it as the hinge that opens the door between last week’s and ours today. The “human precepts and teaching” (ch 2:22) were spoken of in the context of the false teaching plaguing the Colossian church – that people were trying to tack on additional religious practices to the gospel and distract from it. But, as we are about to begin looking at precepts and teaching given by Paul, it is fitting that we clarify the difference between human precepts and those “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Sins are going to be listed – not Paul’s interpretation of a religion but speaking from God as He was “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). So, as we talk about what is taught in Colossians, we must be careful to focus on and look at what God is saying to the church – then and now – through Paul. We must be careful to recognize the authority of Scripture to teach us what to believe and correct us when we are wrong – to teach us how to live and correct us when we sin – to give us everything we need to live this new life in Him.

If You Have Been Raised (vv. 1, 3)

The first word of today’s passage is “if”. As a parent and a high school teacher, I understand that this word carries the utmost importance.

In the case of today’s passage – “If then you have been raised with Christ”, the condition is if someone is in Christ, whether or not they have been “raised with Christ”. One either is or is not. Think back to the way that Paul has presented this state of being in Christ throughout the letter: either in “the domain of darkness” or “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (ch 1:13), either reconciled to Him through “the blood of His cross” or “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (ch 1:20-21), either “dead in your trespasses” or “made alive together with Him” (ch 2:13). So, to say “If then you have been raised with Christ” is to say you are either dead in your sins or raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

It is important to the message Paul is communicating because the teachings are for those who have been “made alive…with Christ”, saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:5). These are not principles for a good or successful life. They are not suggestions or even a how-to manual for faith or practice. Look at the rest of that conditional statement: “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”. Basically, if you are in Christ, seek Him. Verse 3 clarifies it even further because, once one is saved, the former pre-salvation life is over and life is “hidden with Christ in God” – eternal life is contingent upon His life, His resurrection.

This is why the new life that comes from being in Christ is not simply a how-to manual or list of instructions – it is real and lasting transformation, life change that occurs when one goes from the “wages of sin”, which is death, to “the free gift of eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Seeking Christ is more than reading His Word or praying to Him as a religious exercise, it is seeking the One who rescued you and redeemed you – who saved you. If you have been raised with Christ, why would you not want to seek Him?

Set Your Minds (vv. 2, 4)

There is good news in the command to seek Jesus, namely that He will be found! Look at this beautiful passage in Isaiah 55:6-7:

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call upon Him while He is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

This is often viewed as an invitation – which it is – for those who do not know Christ but let us look at what it means for those who do know Him. If you have been raised with Christ, He will be found when sought and near when He is called upon. But also, if one’s wicked ways have been forsaken and unrighteous thoughts laid aside, one surely has sought the Lord and received His compassion and forgiveness – received His life – because human beings do not lay aside their wickedness of choice easily.

The command here moves from seeking Him, though, to setting one’s mind on Him. That word “set” means be mindful of, to be devoted to”.^[2] Think about it like we would set a thermostat or an alarm. A thermostat ensures that our house stays within the confines of temperatures that will keep us comfortable. An alarm ensures that appointments are kept and things that one really does not want to miss. As a resident of Mississippi in July, I am devoted to making sure my thermostat is set correctly as the humidity and heat would quickly overtake my home. Alarms are necessities for things I want to make sure I do not miss and things I must do and are set as needed – as often as needed, as often as I need to be mindful of a time or date. What about Jesus?

Now, I have heard people say that there is a danger of being so heavenly minded that one is no earthly good, meaning that one can be so focused on “things that are above” that things below are forgotten about. They would have a sort of monastery view that would isolate them from the world.

I would argue that I am of no earthly good if my mind is not set on Christ. When we look at the rest of the larger section that today’s passage begins, what follows comes from setting one’s mind on Jesus. The sins that are crucified are because of focusing on Jesus and the life He gives. The behaviors that characterize the new life follow in the way that He lived – and lives!

This is the sort of expectant devotion that reminds me of my son. The first day I spend alone with my son, he was barely a month old. He screamed. He cried. He was upset. But everything changed when his mama called to see how everything went. As soon as he hit her arms when she got home, he was at rest. Now, I know it would be hard to say that as an infant he was thinking this or that. Yet last week while my wife – his mama – was chaperoning a youth mission trip for my daughter, every audible car noise from the street brought, “Are Mama and Keri home?” Every buzz on my phone brought questions whether it was his mama on the other end. And, as hard as he tried to play it cool when we picked them up at the church when they got back, everything was right in his world once his mama was home.

Expectantly setting one’s mind on Christ shows devotion. But, more than that, it is a connection between the one you confessed as Lord and the life you actually live. And when He appears – when He returns, He comes to take you with Him. And those who are His will be ready.

Wrapping Up

But how does God fit in my life? Is time with Him immovable in my schedule? I learned – and sadly later than I should have – that there are times that, if I do not schedule time with my wife I will run out of time – the same with my kids. I felt bad initially because it seems so impersonal to schedule things as important as time with my wife and kids. Then, I realized that it is better to schedule than miss something important and that was the reason I had a calendar in the first place – to ensure that important things do not get missed.

I must do the same with for my time with the Lord – in His Word and praying. It has become part of my daily routine (which I know also sounds impersonal). And, if I do not start my day in His Word and in prayer – if I do not set my mind on Him at the very beginning of my day, I will be off. I will be more like the old self than the new.

Important things are set. They are fixed.

And so, it must be for the minds of those who claim to be saved.

If you are reading this and find that you have no desire to set your mind on Christ or that you can make it through days or weeks or months or years without caring about spending time with Him in His Word or praying to Him, there is a problem. Remember that conditional if. If you are His, you will seek Him. If you are His, you will desire to spend time with Him. If you are His, there will have to come a time when you are set – fixed – on Him. It is conditional. Know I am praying for you. I am praying for you to have a desire to meet God in His Word and talk to Him. I am praying for His Spirit to help you set your mind on Him and seek Him while He may be found. And, if you come to realize that you are not in Him, know that I would love to talk with you and pray for you. I would love to introduce you to Jesus.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:1–4.

^[2] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Refresh & Restore — June 30, 2022

¹⁶Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
²⁰If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ²¹“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²²(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? ²³These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.^[1]
Colossians 1:16-23

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

I have started and restarted today’s Bible study in my head several times. Over the past few weeks, I have seen several examples of why today’s text is important, and I want to be careful to communicate exactly what it is saying and why it is so important in the life of a believer. It is extremely important to understand that the Bible serves as the guide for Christian practice and not outside sources or traditions.

Before we go any further, there are two passages that are important to form context for this passage. The first is 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We enter every conversation, every interaction with something called a presupposition – “basic beliefs that are essential for a particular type of study to be conducted”^[2] or assumptions we already hold that affect our thinking on a subject. For the Christian, it is imperative – vitally important – that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 be our presupposition; we need to have the belief that the Bible is God’s Word. What we believe about the Bible affects the way we interact with the Bible. Do we see it as important or merely a valuable influence? Does it contain absolute truth, or can it be of value to us as we form our own truth? That matters.

The second passage we need to help us with today’s passage is Ephesians 4:17-24:

¹⁷Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ¹⁹They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²²to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

There are two statements Ephesians 4:20-21 that is vital to us, especially when it comes to passages like ours today: 1) “but that is not the way you learned Christ!”, and 2) “assuming that you heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus”. For the church in Ephesus – and the church today, Paul’s statements clarify that there is a difference between knowing Christ (learned Christ, were taught in Him) and not knowing Him. Furthermore, there is a difference in one’s way of life not knowing Christ and knowing Him.

This is an unpopular view, but the Bible means what it means. It had specific meaning for its original audiences and for us today. It is supposed to inform our beliefs and behaviors (part of that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 presupposition). Now, there is freedom within some of those beliefs for variety of action among the saints – grace to practice differently within the confines of Scripture. But there are some beliefs that are so fundamental to the faith that there is no wiggle room. For example, the Bible is clear on salvation and the message of the gospel – no wiggle room. There are, however, choices of personal conviction – or even conviction on the part of a local church – that do not contradict Scripture but take staunch stances on that every church does not have to take. For example, worship style or instrumentation.

For the Colossian church, there were added difficulties, and we have touched on them before. First, their pastor did the best he could with the limited knowledge he had. Second, false teachers saw that limited knowledge and lack of depth in discipleship as an invitation to bring wolves to attack the sheep. The Colossian church had learned Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-21) but there were gaps. And it is the false teaching shoved into those gaps that Paul has been correcting in our passages for the past two weeks. We have looked at what it means for doctrine to be “not according to Christ” (v. 8). We discussed how the false teachers were seeking to take the church “captive by philosophy and empty deceit” (v. 8). Today’s passage is going to get a bit more specific.

Due to the nature of today’s passage and my desire to be even more careful than usual in dealing with them, I want to streamline the way we break down today’s passage. I usually write out the Bible study like I would say it if I were teaching it or preaching it. Today, we are going to take it phrase-by-phrase or sentence-by-sentence through this passage and give brief clarification and application for each.

Phrase-by-Phrase/Sentence-by-Sentence Clarification and Application

Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (v. 16)

The “therefore” points back to verses 13 and 14 that explain what Jesus did for us in salvation and verse 15 that tells us the result of Jesus’ finished work on the cross and through the empty tomb on Satan and his forces. It is because of Jesus’ work that we do not have to allow people to be able to pass judgment on us – because He is the Judge – and His Word prescribes what needs to be prescribed.

The issues of eating and festivals falls into the way that some of the false teachers seemed to try to implement the Jewish dietary laws and Old Testament festivals and observances as necessary for salvation. The point here is not that believers are above judgment – again Jesus is judge and there are issues He has called His church to be watchful over their fellow believers; the issue is that we must be careful who we let prescribe practices to the church. That is part of that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 presupposition: God prescribes practices and gives mission to the church through His Word.

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (v. 17)

The Old Testament practices that the false teachers were trying to add to the Colossian church’s practice were not meant for them. Many things in the Old Testament were meant to point to Christ. They were shadows – opportunities to see glimpses of what would be when God’s promises would be fulfilled, but shadow is not tangible (Hebrews 8:1-5). Shadows have the shape of the substance but are not the thing they point to. Jesus is the substance. He is the embodiment – literally – of the Law, and all the Scriptures (OT and NT) point to Him (Luke 24:27).

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head…. (vv. 18-19a)

The most important phrase in these verses is “and not holding fast to the Head”. This begins Paul’s description of the Church as the body of Christ with Christ Himself being its head. So, before we look at the specific religious beliefs that people wanted to use to disqualify the Colossian church, understand this: they were religious beliefs not centered on Jesus. That needs to sink in, so you may need to hear it again: Jesus is at the center of Christianity. If there is no Christ, there is no Christianity – not Jesus+ but Jesus-centered.

The religious practices in these verses were common in people trying to exhibit their own worthiness and how superior their religious practice was over others around them. That is still common today with people wanting to be holier-than-thou in their practice. In ancient Colossae, these were the practices that the false teachers thought put them above everyone else and, from their perspective, put everyone else below them:

Asceticism is the “voluntary abstention from the satisfaction of bodily and social needs, including food, drink, sexual activity, sleep, clothes, wealth, and social interaction”^[3]. It was purposefully doing without to appear humble and more righteous or pious than those around them.
The worship of angels is meant to elevate them to seem like they have a closer connection to heaven. It is a lot like name-dropping in the present to elevate one’s status. It was a means to give the impression that there was a higher plane of religion than following Jesus.
When it says “going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind”, it is referring to people who claimed that they had a vision from Jesus that altered everything that had been proclaimed 1) by Him as contained in the gospels, and 2) by His apostles in the early church. This points to self-made religion created in the image of Christianity. Wicked men wanted to piggyback on the perceived success of Christianity and branch out on their own. It was the equivalent of selling time-shares and staged faith-healing but back in first century Colossae.

…not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (v. 19)

As I said earlier, there were people who noticed the growth and spread of Christianity who wanted to try to recreate it in their own ways. But Jesus is not a business model; He is God. He saves people and adopts them into His family. They become a part of His body – the church. Think of how vital a human head is in the operations of a body, all the things that we do not have to think about like breathing, walking, talking, swallowing, keeping our hearts beating, etc. that we take for granted because the brain just makes it happen and keeps it going. Jesus is that for the church.

This highlights the foolishness of the false teacher’s message. Would you rather be put on a ventilator so that you can free your brain up to work on different things? No, that would be a last resort in life-saving efforts. Jesus is the head. He is God and the originator of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We need to follow Him.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations – “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used) – according to human precepts and teachings? (vv. 20-22)

Think back to our previous passage (vv. 13-14a): “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, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.” Paul clarifies that believers were formerly dead in their sin until Jesus made them alive “together with Him”. If you were dead and are now alive, why seek after the things and ways from your death?

Imagine being dead and being resurrected at your wake or funeral. There would be people who were scared, but there would be rejoicing. What if you told your loved ones that, as much as you were glad to see them, you would rather just go on and lay back down in your comfortable coffin, get them to shut the lid, and just carry on? That would be unheard of – you are alive, why take part in the rest of the funeral? If you are in Christ, your being raised to life with Him means that you have died to the old self and the old ways. Trying to go back to the old normal is the same as getting back in the coffin. Following the same old “human precepts and teaching” that did nothing to bring you life is dabbling with death.

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (v. 23)

All the practices a false teacher offers can seem to offer hope or seem to be of value. But eventually the false teacher is going to want what he or she was after. I compared the false teachers to people selling time shares earlier. Essentially, they want you to buy into their program and promise benefits, but they often take the money and run leaving the followers poor and dejected and alone. There are people who want to try to improve on Christianity, but how does one improve on resurrection? What is better than moving from life to death?

Religious practice can look really good and have attractive qualities, but without Jesus we are still dead in our sins (2 Timothy 3:5). He has value. He has the power. And it is Him alone we need.

Wrapping Up

We are quickly moving to a close in our study of Colossians. As we get into chapter 3 next week, you will see that, like today’s passage, things are moving from beliefs to practice. Things will move a bit more quickly than in chapters 1 and 2. But, before we do, I would like to offer you something different than the false teachers offered the Colossian church.

As we have seen, the false teachers saw the lack of knowledge of the Colossian church and the limitations of their pastor’s knowledge. I would like to offer a few practical applications that can help you not fall into the same traps:

You have access to the Bible. You have something that no one in the Bible had – the entirety of Scripture. You have access to everything than can be known about God, what He has done, and what He has called His church to do. You do not even have to read it because there are so many audio options available, many of which are free (YouVersion, ESV.org). If you claim to be in Christ, you need to be in His Word. Non-negotiable. No excuses. Know what it says or find yourself in danger of either falling prey to a false prophet or finding that you were never saved in the first place.
I am (probably) not your pastor. Unless you are a member of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, I am not your pastor. Even if you are a member of CCC, I am not the pastor but one of the pastors there. You need a pastor. The word pastor means shepherd. Pastors are just men – they fail and are not perfect, but their job is to protect their flocks from the wolves and to teach them what it is to be in Christ. If you are not part of a local church, you are in danger. If you are reading this and are currently rationalizing your position of technically being a member but never gathering with your flock, you are in danger. A lone sheep is an invitation for wolves. Or, as in the case of the Bible above, a lack of desire to gather puts you at greater risk of being swayed by outside sources or false teachers and may show you that you were never saved in the first place.
Do not neglect – or grieve – the Holy Spirit. He is better than a pastor because He is God dwelling in the hearts of His people. If you are in the Word and walking with Christ, His Spirit will prompt you when something is not right with someone’s teaching, preaching, or critiques of your faith. That is a good thing. Even better is that, since the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, someone in your flock may be better situated in the Word to recognize danger before you do (which highlights another reason believers are meant to gather). Trust the Spirit to lead you away from danger. Follow His guidance. If He says run, it is best not to stay. If you have never felt His guidance, seek Him in His Word.

Remember that today’s passage fits in the context of our last two sections and leads to next week’s. If there is something in the discussion of today’s verses that is sticking with you, I urge you to test whether it is issue with the way it is presented, maybe a disagreement or issue, or possibly the Holy Spirit convicting you. Remember that the basis of today’s passage, again, is how it fits in this particular section of Colossians. There were false teachers distracting from following Jesus. Are you distracted by the world or dedicated to Him? Jesus is enough – in fact, He is everything. I love you and hope that this was helpful to you. As always, know I am praying for you. If you are not a part of a local church, I would love to help you connect with one!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 2:16–23.

^[2] F. Leroy Forlines, Biblical Systematics: A Study of the Christian System of Life and Thought (Nashville, TN: Randall House Publications, 1975), 5.

^[3] Mathias Nygaard, “Asceticism,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Refresh & Restore — June 16, 2022

¹¹In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²having 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. ¹³And 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, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.^[1]
Colossians 2:11-15

"Kept Through the Trial: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Philadelphia" (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Greetings Sojourners!

I know that I have mentioned time and again how Colossians is one of my favorite books of the Bible and that my walk with Christ is seemingly married to this book. Today’s passage gets right to the heart of that. It also illustrates again one of the most beautiful aspects of Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae: Jesus is at the heart of the issues they are facing, He is the solution to their troubles, and He is the hope they have for the future! Jesus – period!

This passage is sandwiched inside of Paul’s response to the false teaching infiltrating the Colossian church. Just prior to this was our passage from last week that told them (and us) what to watch out for that is seeking to capture the church – philosophy, empty deceit, human tradition, elementary principles (v. 8). The issue was that those things were “not according to Christ” (v. 8) who is God (v. 9) and is above all things as “the head of all rule and authority” (v. 10). This highlights something beautiful and important about this letter: every opportunity Paul gets, he makes much of Jesus. He could have offered them philosophies or traditions or strategies to try to fend off false teaching. No, “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Philippians 3:7) stays at the forefront of his writing because that is the foundation of his worship. And what we worship is clearly seen in our lives – and in the solutions we seek ourselves and offer to others.

There is a temptation when looking at passages like this one to dismiss it because of words that seem foreign or that challenge our presuppositions or maybe even hurt our feelings. We need to remember that the Bible is not concerned with keeping our status quo. It is not meant to be twisted and contorted to fit human agendas or to support things contradictory to it. It is, however, meant to point us to its Author, and, in meeting with Him, there are going to be things that challenge us.

My prayer for today’s Bible study is that you find yourself willing to come face to face with Jesus, “the founder (or Author) and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and see what He has done for those who put their hope in Him. Knowing Jesus – not knowing information about Him or following in the footsteps of people who knew Him – is the only way to eternal life, the truth that transcends everything the world has to offer, and the only hope in the face of the wages of sin.

Let’s Start with Circumcision

I can promise you that this is one of the last subjects I wanted to write about today. It is awkward. It is a little weird to talk about in general. It comes off as very old-covenant, and many preachers and teachers just kind of loosely compare it to baptism and stay on the baptism side of the discussion. I have been one of those guys. But the older I get and the longer I walk with Christ – the more I grow into Him and find my mind renewed by His Spirit (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23-24), I want to hold onto and dig into every part of Scripture I get to study. So, study this we will.

Look at the way Paul brings up this subject. He is writing to the members of the Colossian church – to those who have been saved. He reminds them that not only have they been “filled in Him” (v. 10), but they were “also” circumcised “with a circumcision made without hands” (v. 11). Circumcision was introduced in Genesis 17. God had already made His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 to give him offspring that would number like the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5), promised the trials of Egypt and the prosperity that would follow (Genesis 15:13-16), and now He continues that covenant calling for Abraham (at this point ninety-nine years old) and all of the males in his household to be circumcised as a sign of their covenant.

Covenants at this time in history were done in very bloody and threatening ways. Throughout the near and mid-East at that time, covenants were known as covenants of halves. If you go back and read Genesis 15, you can see why:

⁷And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” ⁸But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. ¹¹And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
¹²As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. ¹⁴But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
¹⁷When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram….

The covenant of halves is illustrated in the way the animals – in this case a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon – were, well, halved. They were slaughtered and cut in half, leaving a bloody path between the halves. When two parties were going to make a covenant, they would both walk through the bloody halves before agreeing or promising to keep the covenant, giving the understanding that whichever party broke the covenant was forfeiting their life. The one who broke the covenant would share the same end as the animals.

It was a very bloody picture, but it was meant to hold both parties in a covenant to their word. I imagine it was quite a convincing scene! But think about man covenanting with God. Mankind is sinful and deceitful and prone to break covenants. God is the opposite. If God covenanted with mankind like men did with one another, He would have to pour out His wrath again like He had on the world in Noah’s time (Genesis 6-9) but with all mankind and no ark. There is an important difference in God’s covenant and the covenant of men, and it is through two easily overlooked details in Genesis 15:12 and 17: God put Abraham to sleep, and God alone (see the smoking fire pot and flaming torch – that’s Him!) walked through the halves!

God never intended on His covenant needing man to be faithful. He alone is faithful. He already knew that mankind would break the covenant, and He had already decided “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) everything that He would do in Jesus on behalf of the world. God Himself walked the bloody path between the halves. Thousands of years later, He would walk a path to a place called Golgotha to reconcile people to Himself and make peace “by the blood of His cross” (ch 1:19-20).

So, as far as circumcision went from Genesis 17 to the cross, it was a symbol of the bloody sacrifice God took upon Himself. Mankind could not keep the covenant nor would man’s death as a result of breaking the covenant do any good. Circumcision was a way to (forgive the pun) give man opportunity to have a little skin in the game – to have a reminder that there was cost involved. Understanding that circumcision does not equal salvation was important for Israel, but, for the church at Colossae, it was important because there were false teachers known as Judaizers who were proclaiming that they needed Jesus plus circumcision to be saved, which led to Jesus plus the Law and Jesus plus festivals and so on and so forth. Our passage today reminds us of the formulas we saw back at the beginning of this study:

Jesus + nothing = everything Jesus + anything = nothing

Circumcision pointed to the covenant God made with Abraham. But the blood pointed to Jesus. He alone is what the Colossian church and every sinner has ever needed for salvation. To add to Him, to add to His gospel is to give a different one (Galatians 1:6-9). There is no other Jesus (Titus 2:13). There is no other way (John 14:6).

The Importance of What Jesus Did

When we go back to today’s passage, it makes what Paul was saying clearer. The circumcision he is talking about in his letter to the Colossians is not the physical removal of the foreskin of males but “a circumcision made without hands” (v. 11). It reflects the way God through Ezekiel talks about the new covenant that would be made through Jesus: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The idea was not cosmetic surgery; it was a transplant! God knew we could not keep His covenant, so he kept it for us. He knew the “wages of sin is death”, so he prepared a way – through Himself – to transplant people from death to eternal life!

As I mentioned earlier, circumcision and baptism are often talked about together, and the Bible clarifies how. They are both outward symbols of things that occur in the heart, but, more importantly, those activities are supposed ways to proclaim faith in Him. In the Old Testament, circumcision pointed to the way that God ratified His covenant with Father Abraham as we discussed above. But, now with baptism, we see a reflection of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection in the way He saves people (see picture below). When one repents of their sin and believes in Jesus, they are saved. That means that when it says that “having been buried with Him in baptism…you were also raised through faith in the powerful working of God” (v. 12), that means you were raised from being dead in your trespasses and sins (v. 13, Ephesians 2:1-2) to be “made alive” in Christ (v. 13, Ephesians 2:4-5)! Paul says it beautifully in Romans 6:4: “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” That’s good news!

The rest of the picture shared in our passage today is good news, too! Our trespasses – times when we have strayed from the path of what is right and good by sinning – and uncircumcision – lack of faith/covenant in God – produced death in us, just as it did in all people since Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. The emphasis Paul is making to the Colossian church is not that they are still dead and not that they have lost salvation when being led astray by false teachers. He is emphasizing to them that those who are “filled in” (v. 10) Christ have been “made alive” in Him (v. 13)!

This beautiful picture continues to unfold with layer upon layer of God’s love, grace, and mercy through Jesus! He who makes lost sinners found and the dead in sin alive has “forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands” (vv. 13-14). This is something we need to understand. If we are in Christ, it is because He has forgiven us – He has changed our standing – He has brought dead sinners to new life in Him! His forgiveness is important because it is God we have sinned against (Psalm 51:4). The “record of debt” and its “legal demands” are results of our sin – death (Romans 6:23). The righteous and holy God who declares what sin is must not shirk payment. It would not be just for Him to simply let people off the hook – payment has been demanded. Thankfully, He is not only just but also the one who justifies (Romans 3:26) those who have faith in Jesus! He paid with His life to cancel our “debt”, “nailing it to the cross” (v. 14, Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 2:1-2).

Once one has put their faith in Christ and believed upon Him, they find themselves living in new territory: freedom. Romans 8:1 tells us that there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. He was condemned in our place covering us with His righteousness in the exchange (2 Corinthians 5:21). No one on earth would – or even could – do that for us. And this changes our lives. Galatians 2:20 describes the change: our flesh is “crucified with Christ” that we may live since “Christ lives in [us]”; and the lives we live from that moment forward are lived “by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us]”. It changes everything.

Satan hates those changes. He hates what God has accomplished in Christ. I often hear people talking of something being final and they describe the circumstances by saying that the final nails have been driven into a coffin, sealing it. The nails on Jesus’ cross (v. 14) ring with that sort of finality for Satan, his demons, and his followers/false teachers. As the Roman hammer nailed Jesus – God in flesh – to the cross, Jesus was disarming “the rulers and authorities and put[ting] them to open shame” – the cross was not a loss for Jesus but triumph (v. 15)! When He arose from the tomb, He “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10)! Once again, that is good news!

Wrapping Up

There are so many opportunities to argue and debate over what is and what is not true belief or true religion. I used to be very interested in the field of apologetics and giving a reasoned defense for what the Bible says versus what other religions or other worldviews believe. But I find myself more and more coming back and pleading for the gospel – the good news of Jesus – like Paul did here.

Now, I am not saying that there are not times to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3); there are times and places for that. What I am saying is that there is immense value in sharing what Christ has done. I want to see people come to know Christ more than I want to win a debate. I hope that there would be opportunity for faith in Christ through these Bible studies more than refuting false belief. I specifically pray for this Bible study to be used to point people to Jesus.

But I recognize Paul’s context here. Wolves had entered the sheepfold. False teachers were attacking the Colossian church. The church needed – and needs today – to be protected. But the answer is still the same – the debate is only over one thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, I ask you, dear Sojourner, as I close today: do you believe in Christ – are you in Christ?

It is easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life. It is easy to get side-tracked by focusing on so many distractions that we lose sight of the big things. False teachers are convincing, but our own deceitful hearts are even more convincing. Today is a good day to look at your life and assess where you are – or where you aren’t – with Christ. But, if He has granted you today, there is opportunity for salvation!

That’s good news!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 2:11–15.