The Bible is what it claims to be (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is God’s Word. It is true. It contains everything that can be known about God and is sufficient to bring us to Him.
There is a difference in the lives of those who know Christ – are saved/born again – and those who are not – lost/dead in their sin (Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:20-24).
God has authority over His creation. What He intended to be right is right, and what He calls sin is sin (Isaiah 5:20). He is the supreme authority of such (John 1:1-5).
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8), “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9).
If one is in Christ, His surpassing worthiness changes one’s life to the point that the things of this world pale in comparison to knowing Him (Philippians 3:7-11) and God’s Spirit produces change – or fruit (Galatians 5:16-26) – that is evident in real life.
Repentance is, per Wayne Grudem, “a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ”.[1]
Repentance Means Seeking God’s Grace and Mercy (vv. 1-2)
God’s forgiveness is fueled by His “steadfast love” and “abundant mercy” (v. 1).
God’s forgiveness cleanses us from our sin and covers it by the blood of Christ (vv. 1b-2).
Repentance Requires Us to Own Up to Our Sin (vv. 3-6)
If we are in Christ and are filled with His Spirit, we know what we have done and are convicted of its wrongness (v. 3).
If we are in Christ, we understand that He is holy and worthy and that sin is against and opposed to Him – and that His righteous judgment is fair/final and His grace is good (v. 4).
If we are in Christ, we recognize that sin is part of our nature and causes consistent struggles (v. 5).
If we are in Christ, we are loved by God despite our failings and can trust that God delights in hearts changed by Him through salvation (v. 6).
Repentance Desires Restoration and Renewal (vv. 7-12)
Sin damages and dirties, requiring us to need purging, cleansing, and restoration (v. 7).
The process of repentance can be painful, but even the scars produce worship in the end (v. 8).
Repentance is a beautiful picture of a restored relationship with God – from death to life, lost to saved, being distant from the Father to drawn into His embrace (vv. 9-10).
Repentance means turning from sin and seeking God even if the consequences of sin never allow things to return to what they once were (v. 11).
By God’s grace and mercy, joy returns and, by the power of His Spirit, He upholds us and carries us through (v. 12).
Repentance Produces Worship and Worshipful Service (vv. 13-17)
Sin stops service to God. Repentance begins the restart. (v. 13)
Worship is the only fitting response to being delivered from sin and is a result of repentance, which is worship (vv. 14-15).
Repentance is not religion. It is a response to God’s Spirit who gives us “a broken and contrite heart” refining our lives to be holy and acceptable to Him. (vv. 16-17).
Repentance Strengthens the Body of Christ (vv. 18-19)
Individual repentance produces lives that impact the part of the world where God has us, meaning the Spirit of God is active in those who follow Christ and produces fruit in the real world (vv. 18-19).
16He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; 17my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 18so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.”
19Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.”
Invitation | You are My King (Amazing Love) — Scripture Inspiration: Galatians 2:19-20, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 5:17, Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46, Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, 1 John 4:9-10, 1 John 4:19-20
Offertory | Build My Life — Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 47:6, Psalm 18:3, Psalm 105:2, Psalm 145:3, Psalm 150:6, Philippians 2:9, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:21-23, Revelation 4:8, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Exodus 8:10, Ephesians 1:18, Ezekiel 36:26, 1 John 4:19-21, Matthew 7:24-27, 1 John 4:8, Isaiah 64:8
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.[1]
📖 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.
I hope those of you reading this in the US had a good and relaxing 4th last week – and that y’all reading it elsewhere are well, too! As I reflected on the idea of independence and freedom, I found myself thinking of a verse again and again that reminded me of something really beautiful regarding today’s passage. The verse has been Galatians 5:1:
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
This verse reminds me that there is beautiful freedom in Christ that does not come from sin. He is not keeping us from joy or happiness by telling us that the sin we want to commit is sin; He is freeing us from the bondage we do not know accompanies sin.
This comforts me as I ponder my own life and sin (which, if you read or listened to last week’s Bible study was the challenge). I am about to turn 38 at the end of this month, and reflecting is kind of what I do now.
When I was younger, I had plans for where I thought I would be by this point in my life. At 7, I wanted to be a “singing-preacher” (what I thought a minister of music was). At 17, my plans included teaching for a few years, getting my master’s degree, becoming a principal, and having a doctorate by 35 years old. At 27, I wanted to overcome the burnout and depression I was experiencing. I had burned out and quit ministry a few weeks before my 30th birthday in 2015 and moved back home.
If someone had told 2015-me that I would have the contentment and peace I have today in my walk with Christ and in my home life, I would have laughed in their face and probably told them they were full of something. I spent so long wanting to be something that I lost track of who I was. My identity became wrapped up in my job. That is a very modern way of putting the situation. Biblically, workaholism is a form of the sin of pride. Burnout, for me, was when my prideful pursuit of being somebody turned into the realization that work or status could never give me what I was looking for – was never intended to provide the feelings and validation I craved (really, coveted, which is sinful itself).
That sounds really negative (it definitely felt negative), but as I have learned by reflecting, God has blessed me and fulfilled me over the past seven years in ways I never could have imagined. The first blessing was finding Him in His Word and in prayer and realizing that He had never moved. The second blessing is realizing how amazing and beautiful a life God had built me by giving me Candice and the kiddos. There were more blessings than I can possibly list here, but ultimately, finding my identity in Christ helped me see which aspects of my life needed to removed – or put to death. Work had to have its place. Success and recognition had to have theirs, too. Eventually, after a lot of repenting, life rearrangement, correction through the Word, and more than a little training from Candice, I found joy in pastoral ministry that I never had in the years prior to burning out.
I do not want you to miss this: the issue that burned me out was sin. Pride is a dangerous thing. It is like the carbon monoxide of sinfulness – tasteless, odorless, and deadly. It crept in subtly and slyly. It began with a mix of not getting the recognition I felt I deserved. People told me that. Church folks, even. Then, I got a taste of recognition. Humility left quickly. I wanted more. The idea that I could become something quickly overtook my ministerial life. The fulfillment that came from compliments and attaboys was fleeting. The larger my pride became, the smaller my satisfaction. I just wanted to quit – and did! But pride tainted that, too. I faked a sabbatical so I would not have to live with the reality of failure, intending to extend it until I could bear the reality that I was spent.
As I said, there were things in my life that needed to be killed – that needed to be dead to me. There were areas of my life that had to be pruned, cutting away some of the weeds and thorns that were keeping me from growing. And in that is freedom. Christ had set me free from the bondage created by my own sin. Hear that: my own sin. I am not discounting the powers and principalities that are at work in the world – satanic and demonic (Ephesians 6:11-12). I am simply owning how my own sinful desires were leading toward bondage and foolishness I am thankful not to have fully experienced (Jeremiah 17:6, James 1:13-15).
That is what Paul is talking about in this section of Colossians. In the midst of their dealing with false teachers, they had sin of their own that needed to be taken off as well as aspects of being like Christ that they needed to put on. This was not Paul molding the Colossian church in his image but an opportunity to show them what it looks like to set their minds on Christ rather than this world (Colossians 3:1-2). This was, as Paul said in Romans 12:2, an opportunity “not [to] be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of [their] mind”. We, like the Colossian church, need to be active in putting to death the sin in our lives and taking it off so that we can live the life we have in Christ.
Put to Death (vv. 3-7)
There is a famous quote from the puritan pastor John Owen: “Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”[2] Really, the last part of that quote – “be killing sin or it will be killing you” – is the most commonly quoted and most apropos to our study today. In that quote, he describes a daily process of examining one’s life in order to kill – mortify, as he calls it – sin before it kills you. If you compare that to the way we talk about sin today, Owen sounds a bit crazy. How can he take something so seriously that obviously is not taken seriously anymore? Either he is wrong, or the modern view of sin is. Which one lines up with the Bible? Owen, obviously.
We talked last week about how there is a lot of anxiety surrounding calling sin sinful. I have read or heard no fewer than a dozen people – in the last month, mind you – who talked about how things that used to be a sin or actions that people used to consider sin are sins no longer. This is related to the necessary presuppositions we have been talking about. If you believe the Bible really is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), then what it calls sin issin. If you believe that those who are saved are different, as taught in the Bible (Ephesians 4:20-24), then what is taught to be sin in the Bible should no longer be a part of our lives. God knows what we need and how we need to live – and not live. The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but our God specializes in taking those dead in their trespasses and sins and making them alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5)!
So, before we dive into what appears to be the first of two lists of sins, we need to ask ourselves a question: if sin really is as deadly as the Bible says it is (Romans 6:23, James 1:14-15), why would someone want to convince us otherwise?
Really take a second and consider that question. Why would someone want to convince us that what is deadly is safe, and how evil and hateful would that individual have to be?
It reminds me of the difference in the way people talk about cigarettes now versus how they did thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel were cool (or Kool?) culturally and iconic. Then, the dadgum surgeon general decided to attack the tobacco industry and act like cigarettes could cause lung cancer. I remember seeing commercials in the 90s talking about why “big tobacco” wanted to downplay the cancer risk of smoking: they wanted to sell cigarettes. Who would take advantage of us like that in regarding sin?
Ultimately, Satan! Look at the way he is described in Revelation 12:12: “But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). His agenda is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). He is dangerous in that since “he knows his time is short” he is like a predator backed into a corner. But understand this: he is not looking for minions to rule over in hell. He is not going to be in charge there. He is going to be an inmate. And he is spitefully evil and wants to see as many people misled as he can.
Now, we need to acknowledge a few things about these lists of sins – only one of which we will cover today, almost like a referee before a big fight, but instead of prohibiting kidney punches, we need to clarify what is and is not a low blow when it comes to discussing sin. First, God’s Spirit gave the list, not Paul. These were not pet peeves that Paul had and wanted to get rid of or to pick on. We need to be careful and guard against calling “evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Second, we must be careful to present it as it is in the Bible. There is always a temptation to emphasize sins that we hate while making light of sins we either commit ourselves or that we just do not think are a big deal. God alone gets to set the agenda regarding His righteous standard and sin. We must guard against letting our own agendas try to steer the text of Scripture.
I have thought a lot about how to present this information and have decided to list it out in a chart format. I have used the same lexicon and Greek dictionary on 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[3]. More importantly, I looked at every verse in the New Testament and a few from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament, circa 3rd century b.c.) that contained these words. This may seem like a boring way to present the information, but I want to make sure you can see what the information is and keep it as objective and free from bias as I can. Take notice of some of the passages that are used multiple times as it shows that those particular sins were affecting multiple places, people groups, and churches.
These are the sins Paul says we need to put to death – things that are “earthly” rather than godly:
“sexual immorality” πορνεία (porneía) — This is a catch-all term that describes anything sexual that deviates from the intimacy between husband and wife. The WSNTDICT uses “fornication” as a part of the definition, which means any sex outside of marriage, emphasizing that the sin is not merely an issue of timing (like calling it premarital sex) but emphasizing that marriage between a husband and wife is God’s plan for sex. And, for clarity’s sake, every bit of lust or sex outside of that is sin.
1 Corinthians 6:13 – “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” – and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
1 Corinthians 7:2 – But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
2 Corinthians 12:21 – I fear that when my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
Galatians 5:19 – Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality….
Ephesians 5:3 – But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality….
Revelation 9:21 – …nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
“impurity” ἀκαθαρσία akatharsía — This basically means unclean, but it not as clear cut as the idea of being unclean in the OT. This means that something has been tainted by sin and gives a connotation of being rotten. This sort of sin can be by oneself or with others.
Romans 1:24 – Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.
Galatians 5:19 – Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality….
1 Thessalonians 2:3 – For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive….
Matthew 23:27 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
“passion” πάθος páthos — This word is only used three times in the NT. Our passage and the one from 1 Thessalonians imply or include lust while the Romans usage is accompanied by “dishonorable”. The understanding is that these particular passions negatively affect those who participate in them.
Romans 1:26 – For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature….
1 Thessalonians 4:5 – …not in the passions of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God….
The word “pathos” does not always reference sin. Note how “dishonorable” and “lust” clarify the context. Passion is good. It can be beautiful. But only in fitting with God’s plan and intent. We must ask the questions of Proverbs 6:27-28: “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?”
“evil desire” ἐπιθυμία epithumía — This word is stronger than the English portrays. There is a longing – almost lustfully so – that accompanies this desire. It is like an appetite that needs to be satisfied. Think about the context of some of the instances of this word being translated as “passions” and consider the connotation of passionate hunger.
1 Timothy 6:9 – But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction….
2 Timothy 3:6 – For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and lead astray by various passions….
2 Timothy 4:3 – For the time has come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions….
Titus 3:3 – For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
James 1:14-15 – But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
1 Peter 1:14 – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance….
1 Peter 4:2-3 – …so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensualities, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
2 Peter 1:4 – …by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 3:3 – …knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
Jude 16-18 – There are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires, they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”
“covetousness, which is idolatry” πλεονεξία pleonexía — It means covetousness or greediness, but it has a kind of inherent meaning of being the root of other sins – like greediness that sparks a desire to do other sins. Or wanting something that belongs to another with a twinge of bitter rivalry that believes they don’t deserve to have it as much as we would. It is idolatry because it seeks to forsake God as the object of worship by being filled or satisfied by things of earth.
Romans 1:29 – They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips….
Ephesians 5:3-5 – But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
Luke 12:15 – And He said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Wrapping Up
He follows this list saying that “on account” of these sins “the wrath of God is coming” (v. 6). The wrath of God is not to be taken lightly. It describes the attitude of God toward sin. He hates it (Psalm 5:4). That hatred drives His wrathfulness toward sin. That sounds harsh, doesn’t it? How could a God who is literally love (1 John 4:16) hate? Isn’t that contradictory? If you have a loved one beset by some sickness, do you love it? I want to be careful in my wording here because God does show love toward sinners in salvation, but I also want us to understand what the Bible says. Those He shows love toward in grace and mercy – those who have confessed Him as Lord and believed in their hearts that Jesus has risen from the dead (Romans 10:9) have been, in love, “saved by Him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9).
I mentioned earlier how we need to be careful not to over-emphasize or de-emphasize sin but rather to look at it the way it is presented in the Word. There are many preachers who use sin and fear of God’s wrath (which is an appropriate fear) to, in a sense, scare the hell out of people – to motivate them to follow Christ out of a fear of God’s wrath and eternal damnation.
What I want you to see here is that, for those who put their faith in Jesus, He bore the wrath of God our sins deserve on the cross (Colossians 2:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:26, Isaiah 53:10-11). We are all of the things represented – all of the wickedness – in the lists above. Jesus is none of those things. But “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Love is a much better motivator than fear, which brings us full circle to consider the beauty of Galatians 5:1! Christ has set us free for freedom – not in bondage to sin. John Donne was an English poet and pastor from the turn of the late 1500s and early 1600s. He wrote a poem[4] that describes God seeing us in our sin as captives in a labor camp built out of a conquered town. In this poem, we have Stockholm syndrome – we have grown to love our captor and embrace the labor camp as life when it is our death and demise. Donne writes of God coming in and busting down the doors to bring His bride home to Him, essentially saying to Hell with Death because He will never leave or forsake His bride. What a beautiful image! God coming to earth to redeem His Bride from this world of sin. Amen!
So, if you read through those sins and looked at the verses that show them for what they truly are – that show us sinners who we are, you can either decide to ignore what you know about the wrath of God or you can embrace the offer of love and forgiveness. You can choose to sit in the squalor of the labor camp or embrace the conquering King!
I do not sit here and type this in judgment. There is no ulterior motive of condemnation. I am a sinner, too. The difference is that I have put my trust in Jesus – what He has done on the cross, His resurrection, and what He is doing and going to do. I have given my life to Him. And little by little, day by day, year by year, He makes me more like Him. The sin that I clung to so closely becomes distasteful. And He appears more lovely and dear and brings freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17)!
Will you take an honest assessment of your life? I hope that in doing so you realize your need for Him.
If you would like to talk to someone, reach out; I would love to help you. If you realize that you have become distant from Him, repent and turn back; He has not moved. Remember the warning from John Owen: you better be killing the sin in your life because it is surely killing you.
[4]The poem is one of Donne’s “Holy Sonnets”. Here is the text with / marking the end of a line: “Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you / As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; / That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend / Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. / I, like a usurp’d town to another due, / Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end; / Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, / But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue. / Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov’d fain, / But am betroth’d unto your enemy; / Divorce me, untie or break that knot again, / Take me to you, imprison me, for I, / Except you entrall me, never shall be free, / Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.”
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to grant to those who mourn in Zion– to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Scripture | Galatians 5:1 —
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered Him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly. truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5I acknowledged by sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — 8but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. 11More than than, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
📖 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.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.[1]
Colossians 3:5-11
Greetings Sojourners!
I cannot speak for you, but it has been an interesting week trying to set my mind on Christ. It almost seems like the more I try to make Him my focus 1) the more distractions arise, and 2) the more opportunities to serve Him are noticeable. It has been a challenge for me, and – as bad as this is going to sound, I hope it has been challenging for you, too! It is, after all, my hope that our time spent studying the Bible has an impact on your life.
That being said, we are continuing farther into Colossians 3. If you have been on this journey with us in this study, you know that I thoroughly enjoy this epistle. I do. I love to read it, study it, write about it, preach from it. But this book can be tough – it is meant to be, yet it is loving in its toughness. The section we are beginning to look at today, though…. I am not particularly excited to write on it. Why? It deals with sin.
Oftentimes, if asked, church folks would remark that sin is a constant topic in sermons they hear. And it may be in some places. I am reminded of an episode of The Andy Griffith Show that features Barney Fife, sitting right on the front row, sleeping through the sermon of a prestigious visiting preacher. As they were filing out of the church, Aunt Bee, Andy, and Barney stop to talk to their pastor and the visiting preacher:
The studio audience’s laughter follows as does Andy’s embarrassment, but this reveals something about the nature of people’s attitudes toward preaching and studying the Bible – especially within the church. There is a hellfire-and-brimstone view that has left many callous toward talking about sin, in some cases injured by a misuse of talking about sin, or ignorant of it because some pastors refuse to talk about it at all.
When we talk about sin, read about it in the Bible, or listen to sermons from passages that deal with sin, what do we say, understand, or hear about it? If asked, most who are part of a local church would say that they believe the Bible is true and what it says is necessary to live, but what about when we get out into the world? What about our lives and the lives of those around us? When the rubber hits the road, the majority of us would definitely disagree with Barney and feel that we have had enough talking about sin.
Before we get into this passage, I believe we need to have a brief reminder of the presuppositions – “basic beliefs that are essential for a particular type of study to be conducted”[2] – that we have stated to be necessary to study the Bible.
The Bible is what it claims to be (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is God’s Word. It is true. It contains everything that can be known about God and is sufficient to bring us to Him.
Notice what I did and did not say. I did not say that the Bible contains God’s Word. That is a different view entirely that invites people to say that some parts of the Bible are true and others are open to individual interpretation.
The presupposition I am presenting here is that the Bible is exactly what God intended it to be. It teaches what He wants taught. It means what He meant. It is more than a book; it is “living and active”, discerns “the thoughts and intentions of the heart”, and all of one’s life is exposed by it (Hebrews 4:12-13).
There is a difference in the lives of those who know Christ – are saved/born again – and those who do not – are lost/dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:20-24).
Again, notice what I did and did not say. I did not say “There is supposed to be a difference in the lives of those who know Christ and those who do not”, giving the impression that one could be a Christian and not bear fruit (John 15:4-6, Galatians 5:19-24). Read the references listed on this point, and the Bible is clear and plain on this.
The presupposition I am presenting here is that there is a difference between when one was dead in their trespasses and sins and when they “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) as a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). Are those who are in Christ perfect? Unfortunately, no. Romans 7:15-25 describes the struggle between the spirit and our sinful flesh. While we understand we are not perfect, though, those who are in Christ grow to be more like Him because “those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” instead of “the things of the flesh” (Romans 8:5, cf. Romans 8:1-11). Setting one’s mind should sound familiar. It is directly related to the context of this section of Colossians!
Today, we add to those presuppositions the fact that God has authority over creation, which He Himself created. What He intended to be right is right, and what He intended to be wrong is wrong. What He says (see presupposition one) goes. That means He has the authority to declare what sin is. Again, most church folks would say they agree with those statements, but what about when His Word declares an activity you enjoy as a sin? What if it was your family, friends, or kids?
What happens when one of your presuppositions or your world view is challenged by something you come across in the Bible? I am quick to say that, when confronted with this in theory, my beliefs will change if I find they are contradictory to God’s Word. That is theory; what about when that theory intersects real life? You see, I am not uncomfortable writing about sin because I am worried about offending you; I am uncomfortable because my own heart is exposed and laid bare when I study the Word (Hebrews 4:13). I am uncomfortable because I am confronted with the reality of my own sin.
This is why the pre- part of our two presuppositions is extremely important. These beliefs need to be nailed down before the rubber hits the road. Look at people in the Bible who we would call “heroes” whose beliefs before their trials and tribulations made the difference in how they made it through.
Joseph survived his brothers faking his death, selling him into slavery (Genesis 37:12-28), being slandered by his master’s wife (Genesis 39:1-21), and ending up forgotten in Pharaoh’s dungeon (Genesis 40). Yet he was faithful throughout all of those trials because of the beliefs that came before, and he could say to the very brothers whose jealousy set all those terrible events in motion – that led to Joseph being exalted by Pharaoh: “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:19-20).
Job’s worship of God was tested in ways we never hope to experience. God Himself described him as being unlike any other person on earth – “a blameless and upright man” (Job 1:8, 2:3). Satan took his children. Job’s great material wealth was brought to nothing. Satan asked even to be able to attack his health because if one were to “stretch out [their] hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face” (Job 2:5). In that vein, Satan made it so their were sores from the tip top of Job’s head to the soles of his feet (Job 2:7). Yet despite all the loss and pain – including three knot-headed friends and a disparaging wife – Job never recants his faith in God.
Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) were taken from their homes, imprisoned, indoctrinated, and made into eunuchs (Daniel 1). Their names that spoke of Yahweh were traded for names proclaiming gods of Babylon (Daniel 1:7). Yet they continued the faith in Babylon as they “had done previously” (Daniel 6:10) and saw God strengthen their bodies (Daniel 1:8-21), answer their prayers (Daniel 2:17-18), give interpretation to dreams (Daniel 2:19-45, 4:19-27), stand with them in the midst of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:16-26), and shut the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:16-24).
The faith and beliefs that comes before matters when it comes time to live it out.
For that reason, today’s Bible study will serve as a reminder of what the Bible teaches about sin and why Paul wrote Colossians 3:5-11.
Most of the time when we talk about sin, we talk about it generically, but Colossians 3:5-11 does not leave that as an option. If you or I have ever done anything sexually immoral, impure, driven by our own passions and desires for evil, or if we have ever coveted anything, these verses are talking to us. I cannot speak for you, but as I wrote this Bible study and studied these verses, the reality of my sin in those categories came to my mind. As if the first list in v. 5 was not enough, it is expanded in vv. 8-9 to include “anger, wrath, malice, slander, …obscene talk”, or lying – we are all covered in at least one of those categories. But while we would like to deny our own sinfulness, if asked in church who is a sinner, we are quick to remark that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
At Christ Community, if one of our pastors asks the congregation what the “wages of sin” is, there is a resounding “death” (Romans 6:23). But that is generic. That is hypothetical sin. What about when it gets personal like when we consider our own lives compared to the lists in vv. 5, 8-9? We see it in other people’s lives and are well-acquainted with their sins. But, when it comes to recognizing it in ourselves, we are like the hypocrite Jesus describes in Matthew 7:1-5; we have a giant log stuck in our eye (unconfessed sin we are willfully ignorant of) while trying to point out the sawdust in the eye of another (sin we would rather recognize).
We know how sin works in the lives of others, but all too often fail to recognize it – and repent of it – in our own lives. It is important for us to know and understand how the Bible talks about sin and let our lives – “assuming that you have heard about [Jesus] and were taught in Him, as the truth is” (Ephesians 4:21).
If we were to describe the workings of one’s life, we call it the life cycle. James 1:13-15 clearly defines the cycle of sin from temptation to death:
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.[3]
In this brief passage, we see three things that are necessary for our understanding of sin.
First, we see that sin does not come from God. To see it one needs only to look back to the Fall in Genesis 3 and the first sin ever to be committed. God told Adam what was right. He gave Him the idyllic garden of Eden and every tree in the garden for food – except one. God told Adam that to eat of that tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, would cause him to “surely die” (Genesis 2:16). There has been debate as long as there has been a Bible as to who made whom sin: Adam, Eve, or the Serpent. The serpent had his role, to be sure, but Adam and Eve each made their own decisions to disobey the commandment of God. But, as we said in our third presupposition above, God has the right and authority as Creator to declare what is right in His creation – and to command against going against that as sin. Adam, who heard the command from God Himself, willingly disobeyed. And every one of his descendants from the beginning until the return of Jesus has dealt with the repercussions and struggles that come from their own sin (Romans 5:12).
Second, we get a picture of what exactly temptation is. Temptation originates in our “own desire”. James gives a fishing analogy. Temptation is like a lure attached to a fishing pole. Fishing lures are designed to look like the most appetizing food for certain types of fish. When a fish sees the lure moving through the water, it cannot help but bite it. Then, the hook hidden within the lure is set, and it is too late for the fish. They are reeled into the real-life consequences of biting onto the lure.
For humans, it is not a shiny lure attached to nearly invisible fishing line but be assured: there is a lure. It looks like what we desire most – what we want that we either know we should not have, or our wants wrapped in a way we should not have them. Do not be mistaken; the sins we desire are attractive to us. So often the struggle one has with sin is because of the great desire they have to commit that sin. Think of the time spent thinking or fantasizing about sinning – not planning to commit said sin, of course, just looking.
Think about King David. He could have easily made the list of “heroes” above as Joseph, Job, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were all sinners, but David gives a better example of what it looks like to be hooked. David was described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David’s lure was lust and desiring sexual sin.
Early on in David’s narrative, he married Saul’s daughter Michal (1 Samuel 18:27). Later, he met Abigail who was described as “discerning and beautiful” (1 Samuel 25:3). She helped keep him from making mistakes due to her husband Nabal’s treachery, and Nabal’s death happened to coincide with Michal marrying another (1 Samuel 25:44 – though 2 Samuel 3:13-14 shows David never stopped considering her his wife). It would make sense if David simply married Abigail, yet David married her and a woman named Ahinoam at the same time (1 Samuel 25:43). God never supported polygamy but intended marriage to be between a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24-25). David obviously wanted three wives to support his appetites.
Fast forward to 2 Samuel 11, and we see David chose to stay home rather than be where he should be – at war with his soldiers, on his roof with a clear view of a naked woman – Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, and his sending of his servants to take her (2 Samuel 11:1-4). In 2 Samuel 11:2, it says “It happened, late one afternoon”. What happened? Sin. His looking gave way to taking. David’s sin had him hook, line, and sinker. And what he thought would be casual sex – that 2 Samuel 11:4 seems to say he thought could not result in conception – produced live evidence of their union.
That is a good segue into the third thing James 1:13-15 teaches us about sin. The fishing analogy gives way to the analogy of conception and birth. That desire that lures in verse 14 is compared to conception – to human biology. Conception is when a man’s sperm fertilizes a woman’s egg. Lust does not do this. Sex does. Conception is supposed to lead to birth. The baby has a life. But sin is about death. The conception of sinful desire in the mind and heart ultimately leads to committing the sin. It is rarely enough to just enjoy the guilty pleasure of sin once. The behavior grows into a lifestyle. And sin, “when it is fully grown” brings forth death. That life of sin earns – remember “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23) – death.
Wrapping Up
When we look at sin, it is tempting to question all this talk of sin producing death and doubt and whether a good and loving God would allow such – whether He would really let the consequences of sin be death. To that, I would remind you 1) of the existence of death, and 2) what our good and loving God did for sin was to give Himself as a sacrifice to bear the death we deserve on the cross, not ignore it.
In our next Bible study, we are going to dive into the specifics of Colossians 3:5-11. The sheer volume and span of the lists (there are two, remember) of sins will hit us all more than once. It will not be enjoyable. It will be uncomfortable. You may even be mad at me before it is over. I promise you that I have been mad at me in studying this, too.
I want to give you some homework in the meantime. Consider what we have studied regarding the two necessary presuppositions and what the Bible teaches regarding sin in passages like James 1:13-15. Meditate on that passage an on Colossians 3:1-11. As you do, consider the Holy Spirit’s motives for giving such a passage to the church at Colossae and to us today. Why would He take the time to tell us here – and again and again throughout Scripture – what we should be putting to death in us (Colossians 3:5) and what we should be taking off as if it were a filthy garment (Colossians 3:8)? Does He just not want us to get to do what we want to do and be happy? Or does He just know more than us?
God is the Creator. He knows how He designed life to work best. He knows what truly brings happiness – following Him, and He knows what brings death and sorrow – sin. He knows how to take lost sinners who are dead in their trespasses and sins and make them alive together by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-10).
So, I pray that God grants repentance for you where you need it. I pray the same thing for me. And I ask God to help us learn to pray like David in Psalm 139:23-24:
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements — surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, 9when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, 11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
12“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, 13that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? 14It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. 15From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken.
16“Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this.
25At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal to Him. 28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.[1]
📖 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.
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 – “Ifthen 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.
[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.
We are almost caught up to where we need to be to finish our Colossians study! It has done my heart and mind good over these past few weeks to dig back into the letter to the church at Colossae. As I have stated numerous times, Colossians[1] is my favorite book, but there is always a temptation in Bible studies – whether verbal or written – to try and get through passages. I am thankful for this opportunity to get the book of Colossians through me rather than me teaching through it. And I pray it gets through to you as well.
Our overview of Colossians 1:1-23 focused on the supremacy of Christ – who He is, what He has done, and how He is worthy of all worship, honor, and praise. Our overview of Colossians 1:24-2:7 reminded us how following Christ brings suffering like that which He bore on our behalf and how Jesus is One for whom we should be willing to suffer. Today, we are going to give our final overview before we dive back into our usual weekly Bible studies where we try to do what Ezra and Nehemiah did when Israel came out of Babylonian exile; they “read from the book…clearly” and “gave the sense” (Nehemiah 8:8). Let us get about that work today!
Captivated by Christ – NOT Captive to False Doctrine or Traditions (vv. 2:8-10)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by [2]philosophy and [3]empty deceit, according to [4]human tradition, according to the [5]elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For [6]in him the whole fullness of deity dwells [7]bodily, 10 and [8]you have been filled in him, who is [9]the head of all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:8-10
The Colossian church faced the danger of false teachers because their knowledge of the Word was limited. If you remember, this church was not established by Paul, who typically spent more time teaching and discipling the churches he started. Epaphras, who was saved (likely in Ephesus) and brought the gospel home to Colossae, started this church. False teachers saw this limited discipleship as an opportunity to undermine the Colossians’ understanding of the gospel by promoting their own false gospel. Examining how Paul addressed this struggle can provide us with protection against similar threats today, as Satan and false teachers continue to seek such opportunities. Let us explore how Paul’s message to the Colossian church can safeguard us and our communities.
The command to not be taken captive might seem straightforward, but it is not as simple as it appears. Considering how much evil there is in today’s world, the command alone is insufficient to protect people. Just as I would not send my daughter off with a casual warning of avoiding kidnapping, but instead provide extensive guidance and precautionary measures, Paul does the same for the Colossian church. He commands them to guard themselves against being captured and provides a list of specific dangers and captors who are attempting to lead them astray with false gospels.
His list of trustworthy individuals is concise: Jesus. Before delving into the various false teachings, it is crucial to grasp this concept. Rather than focusing on all the details of each false teaching, the key is recognizing that they are not aligned with Christ (v. 8). Knowledge of Christ – as presented in the Bible and its teachings – is vital for protection against false doctrine.
Paul has already emphasized the deity of Christ through a beautiful hymn (Colossians 1:15-20). Now, through the Holy Spirit, he helps the Colossians discern the danger that exists within their midst. The false teachers appealed to human logic and reasoning, attempting to confuse them with plausible arguments. This is why it is so important to test teachers, examining whether they proclaim Christ or argue against His Word (1 John 4:1-6). You should evaluate me and what I teach! Because without engaging with the Word yourself, one is vulnerable to believe whatever is taught. This is a primary way to ensure we are not captured.
The false teachers also used empty deceit, making empty promises that exploit their lack of biblical knowledge. Today, many false teachers deceive others under the guise of faith healers, prosperity gospel preachers, or authors promising health and prosperity within a “Christian” context. They manipulate the vulnerable, while lacking true understanding and adherence to Scripture. The Colossian church struggled to distinguish between false promises and the genuine promises of God due to their limited access to sound teachers and the Word. However, we are blessed with abundant access to both. Thus, we must be vigilant and not be captured.
Human tradition can be potent and resistant to change. Yet, it is crucial to evaluate our sources of information and ensure they align with the whole Bible, rather than relying on opinions or popular beliefs. We must adopt the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17, eagerly receiving the gospel but diligently examining the Scriptures daily to confirm the message’s truthfulness. Unlike the Colossians, we have numerous resources to study and understand God’s Word. Yet we fall into deception because we prefer to listen to false teachers who tell us what we want to hear. Let us strive to rely on the entirety of God’s Word and not be captured.
The term “elemental spirits” (v. 8) refers to basic principles or childish beliefs. Choosing to abandon the gospel of Jesus Christ for these lesser things is akin to returning to preschool after earning a high school diploma. Paul is questioning here why the Colossians, who have died with Christ to these elemental spirits, would continue to submit to regulations as if they were still alive in the world. The gospel requires faith, as it deals with unseen matters, while elemental spirits can be observed. It is easier to feel the warmth of the sun than to comprehend that Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. Satan exploits the desire for tangible proof, leading individuals to worship created things rather than the Creator. We must guard against being captured by our desire for our finite human minds to make sense of all the things that are only learned by remaining steadfast in our faith.
The false teachers employed human logic, empty deceit, human tradition, and appeals to elemental spirits to deceive the Colossians. However, we have the privilege of extensive access to the Word of God and various resources to study it. By remaining vigilant, testing all teachings against Scripture, and holding fast to the Truth, we can protect ourselves from being captured by false doctrines.
For more, check out the original Bible study from this section:
11 In him also [10]you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by [11]putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 [12]having been buried with him in baptism, in which [13]you were also raised with him through faith in [14]the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And [15]you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God [16]made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by [17]canceling [18]the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 [19]He disarmed the rulers and authorities and [20]put them to open shame, by [21]triumphing over them in him.
Colossians 2:11-15
As I reflect further on the letter to the Colossian church, I am reminded of the importance of focusing on Christ when encountering false teachings. Paul warns against being swayed by philosophies, empty deceit, human traditions, and elementary principles that are not aligned with Christ. It is a reminder that the Bible challenges us to examine our beliefs and directs us to encounter its Author. It is my prayer through all of the Bible studies we produce that they help those reading to personally encounter Jesus and grasp the hope found in Him for eternal life and to be “delivered…from the domain of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son” (ch. 1:13-14).
I had the opportunity a few weeks back to discuss the gospel with a non-believer who was fully entrenched in a dangerous cult. As we dug into Scripture, he was clearly hungry. Yet his family was unwilling to let go – nor he, his family. Rather than embracing the God of the Bible and coming to a knowledge of the truth, he remained blindly allegiant to the works-based gospel and false teachings of the “church” he came out of. So, discussing how easy it can be for one to get captured by false teaching or entrenched in worldly religion is not a moot subject for me. This is eternal life or death (John 3:16-21). And just like this young man, sometimes the religion is not entirely man-made but based on the Old Testament traditions that were meant to point to Christ.
One example from this section of Colossians (I must acknowledge the discomfort that may accompany discussing this topic) is circumcision. I hope this discussion will shed light on the significance of circumcision within the covenant God made with Abraham in the Old Testament while pointing to how it is a foreshadowing of the work of Christ.
Throughout the ancient Near East, covenants were sealed in a solemn and bloody manner, signifying the commitment of both parties involved. This was often called a covenant of halves because of the bloody nature of an animal being cut in half for the parties making the covenant to walk through signifying their agreement. The basic idea was that whoever broke the covenant suffered a fate like the animal. Yet, there was a fundamental difference in God’s covenant with humanity – only He walked through the halves of the sacrificed animals, expressing His faithfulness and foresight that mankind would inevitably break the covenant (Genesis 15).
Circumcision served as a reminder of the costly sacrifice God would make to reconcile people to Himself. It was not a means of salvation, but rather a symbol pointing to Jesus, who fulfilled the covenant and became the ultimate source of salvation. However, the Colossian church faced false teachings from Judaizers, who claimed that salvation required both Jesus and circumcision, along with adherence to the Mosaic Law and festivals. It is crucial to reinforce the truth that salvation is found solely in Jesus and that any addition or alteration to the gospel distorts its message.
The issue really was a question of equations (which should please my Algebra-teaching wife):
Jesus + nothing = EVERYTHING Jesus + anything = nothing
It may have seemed like a small thing for these false teachers to add circumcision to the gospel since the practice was prescribed to Israel in the Old Testament (Genesis 17:10-14; Exodus 4:24-26, 12:43-49; Leviticus 12:3; Joshua 5:2-12). But the Bible is clear even in the Old Testament that there was more to the practice than the removal of a male’s foreskin. Look at Deuteronomy 30:6: “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Even then it was really an outward symbol of what God alone could do in their hearts. Once Jesus came, it was clear that people were to be set apart by their faith in Him (Galatians 5, 6:15; Romans 2:29).
This passage also draws a parallel between circumcision and baptism, highlighting their roles as outward symbols representing inward faith. Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:4), proclaiming our faith in Him. Through repentance and belief in Jesus, we are saved and experience a spiritual transformation, being raised from spiritual death to new life in Christ. It is essential to understand that salvation is exclusively found in Jesus, and any attempt to dilute or alter the gospel diminishes its power.
Furthermore, this passage brings to light the abundant grace and mercy of God demonstrated through Jesus. In Christ, we find forgiveness and the cancellation of our debts. The record of our sins is wiped away through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. We must appreciate the righteousness and justice of God, who paid the price for our sins to justify those who have faith in Jesus. As a result, believers are set free from condemnation and live in the freedom and righteousness that Christ provides.
This passage also highlights the victory of Jesus over Satan and the rulers and authorities. The nails on the cross symbolize the final defeat of Satan, as Jesus disarmed the spiritual forces through His sacrifice. His resurrection abolished death and brought forth life by grace through faith in Him. This truth resonates powerfully, offering believers a message of triumph and good news.
In summary, this passage delves into the spiritual significance of circumcision, baptism, and the redemptive work of Jesus. It emphasizes that salvation is found exclusively in Jesus and urges us to reject any attempts to add to or modify the gospel. Through Jesus, we experience transformation, forgiveness, and victory over the powers of darkness. It is a testament to the love, grace, and victory of God, offering hope and new life to all who believe in Him. May we hold fast to the truth of Jesus’ sufficiency and His unparalleled role in our salvation.
For more, check out the original Bible study from this section:
More Reminders Regarding Faith & Practice (vv. 2:16-23)
16 Therefore let no one [22]pass judgment on you [23]in questions of food and drink, or with regard to [24]a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 [25]These are a shadow of the things to come, but [26]the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one [27]disqualify you, [28]insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, [29]going on in detail about visions, [30]puffed up without reason by [31]his sensuous mind, 19 and [32]not [33]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. 20 If with Christ [34]you died to the [35]elemental spirits of the world, [36]why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “[37]Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ([38]referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to [39]human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in [40]promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are [41]of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Colossians 2:16-23
Today’s last section emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of the Bible as the guide for Christian practice. We need to believe that the Bible is God’s Word, as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Our beliefs about the Bible shape the way we interact with it and determine whether we see it as important or merely a valuable influence.
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They 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. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! – assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
This passage distinguishes between knowing Christ and not knowing Him, highlighting the difference in one’s way of life. It is crucial to recognize that Jesus is at the center of Christianity. If there is no Christ, there is no Christianity. Our practices and beliefs should be centered on Him.
We are advised in this passage not to let anyone pass judgment on us regarding questions of food, drink, festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths. The false teachers in Colossae were trying to impose Jewish dietary laws and observances (like circumcision in the early passage) on the church, but these practices were meant to point to Christ, who is the substance. We must be cautious about who prescribes practices to the church and ensure that God’s Word is our ultimate guide.
The false teachers in Colossae also advocated asceticism, worship of angels, and visions, claiming superiority over others in their religious practices. However, Paul emphasizes the importance of holding fast to the Head, who is Christ. Jesus is the originator of our faith, and the church, as His body, should follow Him.
Are you seeing a trend here? Jesus is greater than religious practices (even practices that once pointed to Him.
We need to be continually reminded that if we have died to the old self and the old ways, they no longer need stake in our lives (and especially not our worship). Seeking after human precepts and teachings that do not bring life is like dabbling with death. The false teacher’s practices may seem attractive, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Only Jesus has the power and value we need.
Again, it is essential to have access to the Bible and engage with it. Additionally, being part of a local church and having a pastor or shepherd who guides and protects us is crucial. That is right, God gave us the church for a purpose! Gathering with fellow believers and receiving instruction helps protect us from false prophets and deepens our understanding of what it means to be in Christ. Having and engaging with one’s faith family – church – also adds protection and accountability we need against false teachers who are actively seeking to destroy people!
For more, check out the original Bible study from this section:
I know that there was a lot of information in this section, but think about what parts of it cycled into each section:
We have been given everything that can be known about God in the Bible. We must utilize it by reading or listening to it. This is how we hear from God because He has already spoken. Anyone who proclaims that they have a fresh audible word of God, especially one that presents current information not present in Scripture, is a false teacher. Get away from them. Do not listen to them. The Word is how we measure whether teachers are teaching truth or lies. Any truth about Christ apart from the Bible is a lie.
Jesus is not just supreme in the universe. He must be supreme in our faith and practice. He is who the Bible says He is, and we need to keep Him as central in our lives. Anyone who is trying to promote a different Jesus than the Bible contains is a false teacher. He or she is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Those who promote a false Christ and false gospel are antichrists and not to be trifled with (and largely not engaged with).
God has made us a part of the body of Christ here on earth. This is called the Church. Yes, the Church is the body of Christ world-wide and throughout time, but there are local expressions of this. Church is not a building or an event but a people. Our sinful selves and false teachers want us to go rogue or solo on this subject, but we must remain vigilant. Anyone who tries to separate us from the fold (church) is a wolf (false teacher).
I am not trying to be an alarmist, but I want to sound the alarm. Paul did not write flippantly about this, and neither do I. It is my prayer that this Bible study will help you to be vigilant and to know Christ. Jesus, “who is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4), is our hope. Hold fast to Him!
[1] All Scripture references unless otherwise noted are from the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 1:1–2.
[2] [1 Timothy 6:20] – O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’….
[3] 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.
[4] See Matthew 15:2 – “Why do your disciples break tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”
[6] ch. 1:19 – For in Him all the fullness of God was to dwell…. | John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[8] Ephesians 3:19 – …and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
[9] See Ephesians 1:21-22 – …far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave him as head over all things to the church….
[10] [Ephesians 2:11] – Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands…. | See Romans 2:29 – But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
[11] v. 15 | ch. 3:9 – Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices….
[12] 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.
[13] ch. 3:1 – If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. | [Romans 6:5] – For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.
[14] [1 Corinthians 6:14] – And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. | See Acts 2:24 – God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. | 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….
[15] See Ephesians 2:1 – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins….
[16] See Ephesians 2:5 – …even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved….
[17] See Acts 3:19 – Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out….
[18] See Romans 7:4 – Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
[20] [Genesis 3:15] – I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” | [Psalm 68:18] – You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. | [Isaiah 53:12] – Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. | [Matthew 12:29] – Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he may plunder his house. | [Luke 10:18] – And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. | [John 12:31] – Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. | [John 16:11] – …concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. | [Ephesians 4:8] – Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” | [Hebrews 2:14] – Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil….
[21] Ephesians 2:16 – …and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
[22] Romans 14:3 – Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. | Romans 14:10 – Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…. | Romans 14:13 – Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
[23] Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. | Hebrews 9:10 – …but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. | See Leviticus 11:2 – “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.
[24] Leviticus 23:2 – “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. | Romans 14:5 – One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
[25] Hebrews 8:5 – They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” | Hebrews 10:1 – For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered ever year, make perfect those who draw near.
[26] [v. 2] – …that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ….
[27] 1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
[29] [Ezekiel 13:7] – And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem…. | [1 Timothy 1:7] – …desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
[30] [Ephesians 4:17] – Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
[31] [Romans 8:7] – For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
[32] See Ephesians 4:15-16 – Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
[33] Revelation 2:13 – “’I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. | Revelation 3:11 – I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
[34] See Romans 6:2 – By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
[36] [Galatians 4:9] – But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
[37] v. 16 | 1 Timothy 4:3 – …who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
[38] 1 Corinthians 6:13 – “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” – and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
[39] Isaiah 29:13 – And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…. | Matthew 15:9 – …in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” | [Titus 1:14] – …not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
[41] [1 Timothy 4:8] – …for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens! Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!
Song | Blessed Be Your Name — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 72:18-19, Psalm 36:8, James 1:17, Romans 5:3-5, Psalm 107:8-9, Psalm 23:4-6, Job 1:21-22, Daniel 2:19-20, John 10:10, Hebrews 3:7-10, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12-19
Song | O Praise the Name (Anastasis) — Scripture/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
Scripture | Philippians 2:5-11 —
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Song | Your Great Name — Scripture/Inspiration for the Song: Acts 4:12, Luke 19:10, Psalm 106:8, John 3:17, Romans 8:1, 1 John 4:18, James 4:7-8, Revelation 5:9-10, Philippians 2:9-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-11, Psalm 107:9, Psalm 68:5, Matthew 4:24, John 11:1-44, Job 19:25, Psalm 103:3, Revelation 11:17, Proverbs 23:11, Revelation 17:14
Song | What a Beautiful Name — Scripture/Inspiration for the Song: John 1:1, John 10:30, John 1:14, John 1:3, John 1:10, Matthew 6:13, 1 Timothy 6:15, Isaiah 40:18-20, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, John 14:6, Philippians 2:5-11, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:36-39, Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:18, Matthew 27:51, Romans 6:9, Revelation 19:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16, Deuteronomy 11:25
Invitation | Grace Has Called My Name — Scripture/Inspiration for the Song: Galatians 1:15-16, Isaiah 64:6, Zechariah 13:1, Romans 5:1-5, Ephesians 2:11-14, Colossians 1:19-20, Romans 8:1, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 55:6-7, John 8:31-38
Offertory | Yet Not I But Christ in Me — Scripture/Inspiration for the Song: Genesis 15:6, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:4-9, Titus 2:11, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-255, John 3:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 119:45, Romans 8:1-4, Psalm 17:7, Psalm 36:5-7, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:8, John 14:27, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14-15, Acts 4:10-12, John 14:6, Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 4:6, Psalm 107:10-16, Psalm 118:7, Hebrews 13:5-6, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 10:11-18, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Nahum 1:7, 1 John 5:18, Psalm 23:4, Matthew 20:28, John 1:29, Acts 20:28, Colossians 2:14, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 John 2:1-2, Revelation 5:9-13, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 21:3-4, Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 116:16, Romans 6:20, Galatians 5:1, Luke 21:33, Revelation 6:14, Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:9-11, John 10:30
Just Keith Harris 