Category: Bible studies

There is no secret in the fact that America’s families are changing. We are changing the definition of family, and we are changing the expectations that are packed into the word “family. Here is the question: “Does God have clearly defined expectation of how people should relate to one another both in the context of the family, and in the context of the community?” The Scripture text for our lesson today clearly demonstrates that He does.

Key Principle: God has clearly defined His expectations of behaviors in our relationships as Christians.

The small letter of Paul included three parts that can help us recognize God’s plan for our growth and influence on the community:

• In Colossians 1, God revealed that He has both GOALS for believers and the RIGHT to demand our obedience – because of what He has done and because of WHO He is.

• In Colossians 2, God revealed some of the OBSTACLES that hinder us from following Him in obedience.

• In Colossians 3 and 4, God revealed the BENCHMARKS of transformation. We looked at a list of them in the previous lesson, and preserved only one for this week – the transformation in our relationships, found in the final part of Paul’s letter to Colossae.

The last section of the letter can easily be divided into two simple parts – instructions on the transformation of relationships by Jesus (3:18-4:6) and information concerning Paul’s affairs and companions (4:7-18). Take a few moments and examine what Paul wrote, under the influence of God’s Spirit concerning relationships we have as we are sculpted by Jesus into a new man or woman. Paul began with the married women in the Colossian church…

Wives:

Colossians 3:18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Despite our culture’s criticism of their concept of Biblical injunctions in this area, we would do best to look carefully at this command and not tune it out. Remember, it is the work of the church to carefully point to those things that will help us be effective in following Jesus and coming obediently under the scalpel of our Master Surgeon as He cuts away the “old man’s influence” on our decision making. The world has no interest in distinctions between men and women – and sees any Biblical statement about them as increasingly hostile to their militant and exclusive indoctrination of all that any distinction in role is tantamount to inequity in value. Our world seems to plead for a family that is not led by anyone – a government of the home is as paralyzed in leadership as in every other institution. There was a time when it appeared they feared MALE leadership, but there is ample evidence that they fear leadership of ANY KIND – as children are increasingly being made equal to parents. These are the times that require we hit the “reset” button and return to God’s stated intent if we are to be an example of His transforming work in our midst. Don’t shy away. Look carefully. God has our best in mind in every command of every relationship.

First, the terms for wife and husband help define the context of the command. The word “gun-e” is a generic term for women unless used more restrictively (as it is here) with reference to a specific man as husband. In the same way, the term “andros” is a generic term for man – but when used together in this way the term is more defined by the relationship. This woman and this man are connected by relationship and covenant, and in that context the command is given. This is not a statement that women are to place themselves in subjection to men outside of the context of marriage. It offer no command on workplace relationships or other contexts.

Second, this specific direction of the command is not given to men, but to women. The term “hupotasso” is a well-known Greek term (from “hupo” which means “under” and the verb form of “tasso” or to “arrange”. A painfully literal translation instructs a woman to “thoughtfully arrange herself under her husband in rank”. The Biblical story of her origin as his “help-meet” appears in view here. This should press us to recall two important corollary truths. Remember, the issue of subjection is not personal worth or value, but of function. In armed services, a rank insignia affords a marker of respect, but does not mean that the person of rank is personally of higher value as a human being. The issue is function and role, not intrinsic value. In addition to that, also note that the woman is called upon to choose to see her husband as leading in the family; it is completely beyond his ability to force her to do so. This is something a godly woman chooses to do, not something her husband MAKES her do.

Third, the purpose of the command is to “bring something to completion” or “due what is suitable” in God’s arrangement. The term “aneko” is translated “as is fitting”, but the expression is derived from a compound word from “ana” or “completing a process” and “heko” or “come”) – roughly to “do what is appropriate”. The woman was to choose to see her husband as leading in the family because it was appropriate to do so. The word used here is in an “imperfect tense” and can be translated “was fitting”. I mention is because grammarians such as J. B. Lightfoot have noted, this “implies an essential (a priori) obligation” of what was “owed.” This means the woman has a choice, but the right one is unambiguously give to place herself in this functional position in keeping with her obligation to her husband and to the Lord.

The clear instruction from the Lord concerning a wife is this: Choose to honor the Lord by serving your husband. Actively become his helper. Don’t tug for power – help him make good decisions and lead well. Acknowledge in front of him that God placed him in that position, and that you will both honor it and see it as part of your expression of love for your Lord and Savior.

Husbands:

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.

Again we must observe the context of the command, and not that in addressing husbands, the same term is used of the man that was previously used – the one that is defined by the relationship. This is given to a man with a specific relationship to a specific woman in marriage. Though common etiquette can provide an opportunity to treat women with special care, this command to love is given in the context of one covenant couple.

Note that the command to the man is in two parts. The first of those is that a man must choose to “love” his wife. The term is a form taken from the word “agape”. It means “to prefer” as a means to choosing what God chooses for us and thereby obeying Him. We are to do what God prefers as He “is love” (1 Jn 4:8,16).

1 John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

Observing carefully, it appears the case can be made that LOVE of a husband includes actively demonstrating a servant relationship with the Lord. A man who loves God and obeys God loves his wife. Second, that love appears to be a response to what the Lord has shown us – we pattern our love after His kind of love. Our affection, our deliberate choice and selection appears to be part the signal that Christ is living His life through us – and that we are examining His work closely to gain our understanding of how to live. It also appears to bring us specific confidence that when we are called to account before Him at the time of judgment (the Bema seat) of our life’s work, we will be commended for such a choice.

The second part of the command is “do not be embittered against them” which requires some explanation. The term used here is found four times in the New Testament – three of them in the context of making something bitter. One appearance revealed wormwood that embittered the water it struck (Revelation 8), and two concerned upsetting a prophet’s stomach in Revelation 10. The term was used in Greek literature as a metaphor for “becoming exasperated, irritated and grieved.” Perhaps a general term that captures the sense could be “frustrated” – i.e. Don’t be frustrated and irritated in your dealing with them.

Why would Paul add this warning? Concerning her book The Male Brain, Dr. Louann Brizendine quipped: “When I came up with the idea of writing on the male brain, nearly everyone made the same joke: ‘That will be a short book!’ It seems that our culture has come to believe that men are rather simple creature, biologists tell us nothing could be further from the truth. Her research as a neuropsychiatrist and professor of clinical psychiatry, convinced her of the unique brain structures of men that “create a male reality that is fundamentally different from the female one.” Geneticists are utilizing brain mapping technology, but we are at the beginning of this long road to understand the mind.

One area that was carefully studied was that of natural attraction. Men are naturally wired to spot any attractive woman that enters the room, and must carefully learn to redirect their attention from “autopilot” mode to deliberate focus on God honoring pursuits. He may not mean it as a threat to your relationship, but women will often interpret it in this way – and the line between the nature to “notice” and the fallen nature to “lust” is very thin. A good rule of thumb: the first look is a query, the second an invitation to sin in the mind. Don’t frustrate your wife by looking at other women – learn to control your mind and then extend that control to your eyeballs.

One classic complaint persists: men often accuse women of undue emotionalism while women retort that men aren’t thinking enough about emotional life. It may help to know that we were designed differently – our nature is not all nurture (we aren’t just how we were raised, though that did make a contribution. Dr. Brizendine pointed to research which suggests that our brains have two emotional systems that work simultaneously: MNS (which allows empathy with people); and TPJ (which seeks solutions to emotional problems, or cognitive empathy). In the limited studies we have, the male brain uses the latter far more – men want to find a solution to the problem presented. The direct extension into problem solving appears to hinder thought processes from seeking emotions to help them consider options as these appear to the mind to be a distraction from the task. That can make men appear uncaring.

For reasons scientists cannot yet truly understand, the female brain remains fixed in empathy mode much longer, and her presentation to a male can appear to him to be unduly wallowing in anguish while he is seeking a practical solution to relieving the pain. He thinks he IS caring for her by finding a resolution while she interprets his lack of desire to dwell on the emotional aspects of the problem as a sign of an uncaring and unemotional nature. Don’t get frustrated with her, understand her and SLOW DOWN when it comes to solving presented problems. Listen to her and allow her to echo her frustrations and emotions. Learn to use her ability to feel the problem to bring more sensitivity to your solutions. Learn to hear the heart of your wife if you want to invite her into respecting you and following you.

The clear instruction of the Lord to you, husbands is this: Choose to demonstrate loving preference for your wife above all others. Be patient with her and listen to her heart. Take your time in considering solutions to problems in the home, and don’t try to solve the issues too quickly. Let her emotional warning bring you to a place of greater sensitivity as you solve issues you face. Provide an atmosphere where her value to you is unquestioned.

Children:

Colossians 3:20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

The first thing we see in this command is the addressee – and that defines the “scope” of the command. As with the term for wives and husbands, so here Paul uses the generic term for “children” “téknon” used in the Greek language with frequency. There are three senses the word is used in the New Testament. The most common is the term for a son or daughter not yet of adult age – a boy or girl is a child, and man or woman is not. The second is a figurative use for anyone living in dependence upon our Heavenly Father and illustrates a believer’s need to draw guidance from God – a believer is to be “God’s child”. A third use emphasizes an adult that learns “a childlike” of trust and joyfully submits to the Father’s plan – have “a child’s trust” as we seek the Lord’s will. In this case, the grammar and context appear to completely favor the first definition – that of a “boy or girl”. The text demands obedience, but does not appear to have in mind an adult son or daughter – only a child still under the parent’s care in the home. The term we would apply to the adult child would be to “honor” or “respect” a father or mother – as opposed to OBEY. At fifty-three years of age, I honor my father’s wishes and try not to offend him in any way – but he does not command obedience in my home.

The direct command was for a child to “obey in all things” – a direct and broad-encompassing directive. The word hupakoúō is an intensified form of the verb “to listen” and means to carefully observe the instruction of one and act under their authority with precise accord to what they instruct. Unless the instruction is illegal or immoral, children need not wonder if they are to follow it.

The last part of the instruction offers the underlying purpose – to live a life that is “well-pleasing” to the Lord. That term, euárestos means gratifying and fully acceptable behavior – because it denotes the way of living God mandated for a child. Some choice came from a response to the Fall in the Garden – but not this. God’s plan was always, from the beginning, to have children understand the idea of authority by beginning life with parental authority. It is that area that was first inhibited in our society, and that lack of clear authority line has left us with intensifying rebellion. In societies where authority and obedience to it is not stressed, rebels will flourish. Eventually the society loses both the benefits of order that come from the knowledge of authority and the ability to recognize the root cause of many surface troubles. To have a peaceful society, people need to recognize authority and be prepared to yield to it. People trained to disregard authority are not innovative, they are ultimately destructive.

The clear instruction to children is this: know that God placed you where you are, and that His intention is that you would obey your parents. Unless they direct you to do something that is illegal or immoral, you should simply accept their right as your authority to instruct and direct you for the years you are under their care.

Before we leave this aside, let me say this: some people have the right to be wrong. I don’t mean they have the right to harm you or cause you to do wrong – I mean they have the right to tell you to do it in a way that you deem the wrong way. The coach on the basketball team may not desire your advice from the bench in the last minute of the game – and as the recognized authority of the team he doesn’t have to listen to your brilliant insights. Your boss may tell you to do something in a very inefficient way, simply because he wants you to do it his way – and that is his right. Your parents may restrict you from going somewhere because they don’t have a good feeling about it –that is their prerogative. Obedience for a child isn’t a luxury – it is the foundation of that child’s understanding of authority.

Fathers:

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

The fourth instruction is to fathers – those who had inordinate power under the Roman system. A Roman father in an equestrian or patrician home was considered the “paterfamilias” of the family. He was the legal authority in the home over women and children – but also over the slaves. When a baby was born it was placed at his feet – and he could accept the responsibility for that child or order the child left exposed until dead outside the village. He could beat slaves even to the point of death – and there was no reprisal in the courts. Yet, if he did so in a house full of slaves, he probably should sleep with one eye open and have someone test his meal before he eats… Here is the point: because of the apparent absolute nature of his authority under Roman law, it was easy for him to forget the proper limitations place upon him. Here God made a limitation clear: don’t exasperate your children.

The word “exasperate” erethizó (er-eth-id’-zo) which means to stir up, arouse to anger, or incite. It is possible to stir up a child, and it is possible to break the spirit of that child – if you do not handle the child with understanding. Children are not simply “little adults”. They do not possess the necessary experience to process your stress from work – they think it is about them, something they did to make you mad. Many of them don’t possess the emotional means to process disappointment. When we set the bar high, we can help them. If un-affirmed, that same bar can be used to frustrate them.

The simple command to fathers is this: handle your children with extreme care and understanding. Set goals that are high, but realistic. Not all students are “A” students, but most all can be trained to get all their assignments in on time. Not all can rake a huge yard at the stage of responsibility they are at, but all can be encouraged to do a part that has been selected with care and consideration of their abilities. We must communicate an unbreakable bond of love while creating an expectation of good behavior – all with sensitivity.

Slaves:

Colossians 3:22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who [merely] please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

American Christians are not comfortable with passages on slavery. Some think it embarrassing that the Apostles didn’t try to overturn the slave system. In our activist culture, it doesn’t occur to people that while they were facing the need for the first generation of Christ followers to reach a lost world, the economic reality of slavery wasn’t their first priority. The leaders of the Christian movement obviously recognized the danger of attempting to dislodge a system that was approaching 50% of Rome while 99% of the Roman world was still lost. They had other fish to fry.

At the same time, what slaves were called on to do in this passage is instructive – not only to cultures that allow such servitude – but to all of us. The attitudes are important, and the commands can be attained only when these attitudes are in place.

• First, they were called to heart obedience – not simply external obedience in appearance. They were called to serve sincerely (not hypocritically) and to remember than Jesus is watching.

• Second, they were told to do work with great intensity (heartily is from the word pseuche – or soul as in “put your heart into it!”) and do it all for Jesus.

• Third, they were admonished to recognize that their true reward didn’t need to come from their earth master, for their Heavenly Master would one day reward them adequately!

• Fourth, they were warned that if they didn’t do these things – work with a right heart, doing their best, seeking no earth reward – they would be truly chastised when they stood before the Lord.

The clear command to the servant was this: serve your best as though you are serving Jesus by serving others. What a great work ethic!

I was blessed to hear a story at a banquet some time ago. A man sitting beside me shared his testimony, how he came to know Jesus Christ as Savior. He told the most remarkable tale. He shared that he was a vile man with a terrible mouth. He was filled with racial hatred, obnoxious to the core. One day he got an employee transferred to his department who was a Christian. The man was quiet, respectful and hard working. The man I was speaking with told me that he knew he hated the man. He was the wrong color and on top of that he was a “religious nut”. The Christian worked for this man for months. He took everything his boss threw at him. He gave him the worst jobs. He taunted his faith. He called him racial epithets and openly smeared him at every opportunity. One day on the shop floor, one of the men was badly injured. Blood was everywhere as the man was pinned beneath a piece of fallen equipment. The Christian man got on the floor next to the man who was hurting, held his hand and prayed for him while the paramedics came. He helped them pull the man from beneath the machinery, and then stayed and cleaned up all the mess. When the boss looked at his time card, the Christian man had “clocked out” early – before going to the man’s aid. When questioned, the Christian employee replied: “I didn’t want to presume that you would want to pay me for helping the man or cleaning the mess, so I clocked out and went to help.” That changed the boss. It took some time, but it was that day he decided this man had something in his life he couldn’t understand.

We need to remember that Jesus’ hands are most often shown before His voice is heard. When believers act as Jesus instructed them – they can often earn a hearing in the ear of an unbeliever.

Masters:

Colossians 4:1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Though it is true that we are reading another’s mail from long ago, and that mail is set in a cultural context that is different than mine – we mustn’t see the instructions as entirely worthless. A good case can be found in that of the “master’s commands” in the opening of chapter four.

Note the values that were communicated in words like “justice” and “fairness”. Slave owners were to “grant” (parecho is to provide) an environment of “justice” (dikaios is judicially approved by God) and “fairness” (isotés or “ee-sot’-ace”) is proportionality and equality of treatment. Note also that masters were told to see themselves as having a shepherd, or Master themselves. No one is above civility. No one is above the law. No one should consider themselves without accountability for how they treat another. It may not be apparent right away – but people are God’s creation – and He alone gets to be ultimately in charge of all.

The clear instruction to these slave owners was to provide an equitable living situation for their people – a situation which seems to have been reasonably rare in antiquity. Dr. Robert S.J. Garland, Professor of the Classics at Colgate University. shared this about common Roman slave conditions:

“Imagine working down a mine 10 hours a day and then being shackled for the other 14 as you try to catch a bit of sleep or simply huddle with your fellow slaves to keep warm. Or, if you happen to be in a more “favorable” situation, imagine hearing with unimaginable dread your master’s heavy tread and knowing that he is about to force himself upon you yet again, as he has four nights in a row. Or, imagine you’re feeling sick, too sick to get up. You know, however, that if you don’t get up and do your job, your master or your supervisor will leave you to die, whereas if you do manage to struggle up from the ground, he’ll have you beaten yet again for failing to do your job properly. Your bruises haven’t properly healed from last time.” (Lecture: “Being a Roman Slave”, The Great Courses).

All the Church Family:

Colossians 4:2 [All Church Family] Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with [an attitude of] thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Finally, Paul’s injunctions were to all the believers of Colossae. He told them:

• Devote yourselves to prayer.
• Put energy in keeping a positive and thankful tone.
• Keep prayer flowing for the mission beyond your four walls.
• Pray for those who are hurting because of the Gospel.
• Pray for the vigilance and clarity of those believers in peril and captivity.
• Watch out for your testimony before the world.
• Remain open to spotting opportunities to share Jesus with others.
• Speak in loyal ways about other believers and be gracious!
• Let that grace and loyalty instruct you as to how to speak of others.

Look at that list for a moment. Churches are to be about prayer – devoted to it. It cannot be a marginal pursuit if we are devoted to it! Believers are to be positive and thankful in their foundational tone. When hard things must be said, it should pain them – and be unusual. Some people think God has literally called them to complain incessantly about our world, our government, our youth… on and on. That isn’t so! Believers are supposed to care about THEIR CHURCH but also about the church around the world! Those who are suffering persecution should get our prayer attention. Believers are supposed to be seeking ways to share Christ. Believers need to be careful about how we speak of one another.

God has clearly defined His expectations of behaviors in our relationships as Christians.

Instead of a cute story to end, I want to offer a few words of practical wisdom that I think apply some of these truths to each of the people mentioned in the list we have studied:

• To wives: Work hard to show respect to your man – it is what he most needs in a world that makes him feel small all the time.

• To husbands: Thank God daily that He gave you a woman who thought you were good enough to marry. You probably weren’t. If you are smart you intentionally married up. If you are not, don’t worry. She is still smart enough to make you think it was your idea.

• To children: Don’t feel it is your job to evaluate why your parents told you what they did – you don’t have enough experience to understand the command – but someday you will.

• To parents: Don’t feel betrayed when your children become their own people – that is what you were raising them to be! They may not show how much like you they are – but if you get to stick around for a few decades – you will make a comeback in their looks, and probably some of their values and attitudes.

• To workers: Remember that your time has been bought at the job – so give your boss the best you have. Don’t try to run your busy personal life on his or her time.

• To bosses: You aren’t there to make work easy and fun – but you can make the atmosphere enjoyable while everyone works very hard.

I love to take baths – my wife will attest to the fact that I can take a book and monopolize the bathtub for an hour almost anytime – but especially when it is cold and rainy outside, (which is twice a year in our little Florida town)! For reasons I don’t completely understand, I love to read in the bath, and a “hot tub” is a special sanctuary of relaxation for me. I should admit, however, for the sake of honesty, that it was not always so. I used to hate bath time (at about age ten!) There was a time in my early life when we didn’t have a bath – but a shower – and showers were for daydreaming – not for getting clean. I loved to fill the room with steam even as a child. I loved the way hot water always felt good on my skin – even if I ended up looking more like a steamed crustacean than a Smith child. In the process, I was SUPPOSED to use the soap that was provided to actually wash myself. I cannot say why, (perhaps it was the memory of my mom who could remove your skin at bath time to make you fully clean) but I often didn’t wash at all. I stood there and used up a perfectly good hot water heater’s full of steamy water. When I came out, I was red, wet and relaxed. What I wasn’t – was CLEAN. I know this because I failed “mom inspection” on a number of occasions. What I couldn’t figure out was how my mom could wipe behind my ears and figure out if I used soap and a wash rag. As a parent, I now know that she may have been bluffing – but then…those were simpler times, and I was simple enough to match them!

In the end, what I learned from being ten and hating soap was this: cleansing leaves signs – or marks. It produces an effect; a change. Any soap worth its weight cuts through dirt and even changes the aroma of the skin to which it has been applied. Good bathing shows in the “afterglow” and passes a “mom inspection”. I also learned a truth that I can now easily apply in my spiritual life: If I have truly been cleansed, you will be able to tell on a close inspection. Paul taught that in the end of Colossians to believers long ago…

Key Principle: Jesus didn’t just SAVE us, He CHANGES us. Real time with Him leaves the marks of ongoing transformation.

I am not the caterpillar I was when I was born; nor am I the butterfly I am going to be when the transformation renews me. Right now, I am in a state of change – a transformation from the old man’s domination to the Spirit’s change. Paul wrote to the Colossians long ago, while awaiting a tribunal before Nero, and he noted the evidences of transformation. Before we study it together, it is worth recalling the first two chapters of Colossians offered five major ideas:

The first idea is “God’s goals for His children.” The answers to this particularly question are obvious from Paul’s elegant prayer for the Colossians 1:9-12, where he shares the POINT of God’s work in and through a believer – one who has truly trusted Christ for salvation.

• Understanding: God wants us to know His desires.
• Impact: God wants our life to count.
• Discipline: God wants us to curb our appetites.
• Resolve: God wants us to get stubborn about doing right.
• Trust: God wants us to get our smile back on and trust God in difficulty.

The second idea is “God has a right to “impose” His goals on us” found in Colossians 1:13-29, where God offered through Paul’s quill two basic reasons God’s rights to our lives makes sense.

• First, it is because of WHAT GOD DID FOR US (1:13-14). God orchestrated in Messiah three specific acts that are outlined by Paul: God entered the prison of darkness in Satan’s dominion and set me free (1:13a). God relocated me to a new Kingdom that was part of the estate of His much loved Son (1:13b). God set aside my guilt by considering payment in full through the work of Messiah for me (1:14).

• A second reason is given to explain why God cold expect me to follow His plan for me: WHO OUR SAVIOR IS (1:15ff). It is clear that God has the right to ask each of us to surrender our will because we follow the Incomparable Christ.

Following the “goals” and “rights” discussion, Paul moved in to frame the answer to a problem: “What hinders us from surrendering to Christ?” Chapter two identifies some obstacles:

• First, some of us get our signals (improperly) from the circumstances – but we can’t reliably see the truth through the problems (like the fact that Paul was under arrest didn’t signal anything about Christianity’s future). Some believers attempt to figure out God’s direction based on what they observed in the daily news – and that doesn’t work well (2:1-7).

• Second, like to feel like they “earn standing with God” and that leads them to desire something “more than Jesus” to fulfill their religious impulses (2:8-15). Unsatisfied with Jesus alone – they acted up.

• Third, believers too often seek affirmation from other men and women, allowing others to dictate their practices in following Christ (2:16-23). We can easily seek the “like” button of friends on our life over the approval of Jesus above all.

God has goals and rights, and I must recognize that I will be hindered if I seek His direction through the news and not His Word; I will be delayed if I place religious practice higher than strengthening my relationship with Jesus daily; and I will be stalled if I seek the approval of men over the Divine nod.

Let me pose the questions that I believe dominated the rest of Paul’s thinking in Colossians… What will transformation actually look like? If Jesus is changing me, how can I tell? Can others tell as well? Are there “benchmarks” for the changes?

It all starts with PERSPECTIVE (Colossians 3:1-4).

Paul called people to have eternity’s values in view in this life’s behaviors and decisions. He told them to deliberately make every effort to train their minds to see things from a Heavenly perspective.

Note the words of Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Without clarity on this point – nothing else Paul wrote will make sense. We have to see life from Jesus’ perspective in order to make priorities that please Him. We need to ask the question, day after day, “What is Jesus doing in this circumstance? What I am to learn from it? How would He desire me to respond to it? What proactive action or reactive response would show that I have taken the time to see it from Heaven’s point of view? If that isn’t clear enough, keep reading, because Paul offers yet more clarity…

Transformation is changing my view of “ME” (my body and its “needs” – Colossians 3:5-7).

Paul turned the attention of how a Heavenly perspective is seen directly toward discipline of our thought life, and intentional curbing of our desires. He wrote:

Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

Let’s say it again: There is no accidental holiness! Paul picked out key areas of temptation and self-fulfillment that blanket the advertisements of our day. “You NEED this!” they beckon. “Why wait?” they ask. “If you feel so strongly about it, why deny yourself?” they query. Yet, God made clear that as we are being transformed, our “Heaven glasses” will see more clearly. Look at the five symptoms of the old life Paul mentioned:

• Immorality: porneia, derived from pernaō, “to sell off” – surrendering to body hungers and selling off Godly values.

• Impurity: aka-tharsía, from two words – “not” and katharós, “unmixed, pure” – it holds the idea of mixing sewage in your brownie mix and then claiming that it is just a small amount, so it won’t hurt you!

• Passion: páthos or “raw feelings”) – which refers to being driven by hungers and emotions that are not guided by God (like consuming lust) nor checked by your disciplines. This is the “Give yourself to it – you KNOW you want it!” philosophy.

• Evil desire: kakós from the root for “inner malice” – it is about hungering for things that are innately unsavory in character. This is the one who longs to run off and live “beyond the tracks” and “sow the wild oats” for a time.

• Greed: pleon-eksía from pleíōn, “numerically more” and éxō, “have” – properly, Chasing a driving hunger to have MORE.

Let me be absolutely clear: You cannot claim you have Heaven’s perspective if you are constantly chasing earth’s hungers. You cannot claim to be a growing Christian and have your behavior ever directed by so-called “felt needs”. We must place even our inner hungers under the subjection of Jesus Christ. Do we not remember that our Savior felt the nails and the lash in spite of despising the shame and hating the pain? Why must we insist that Jesus came to feed our feeling, furnish our lust and nurture our unquenchable thirst for more in this physical life? In historic Christianity this message was easily spotted and rebuffed; today it has become enshrined and preached. We cannot be blinded: Jesus didn’t come to transform us into worldly people, but men and women with Heaven’s value system.

Transformation CAN BE HEARD! (Colossians 3:8-10).

Paul made clear that to have new hungers prevail, I must allow the Spirit’s power to be directed in my WORDS… My SPEECH will change…

Colossians 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its [evil] practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

Don’t get all mystical about growing up in Christ. The Spirit isn’t going to change the channel or the website, nor choose your words as you speak – those are YOUR JOBS. Changing clothes for a Roman was something he or she may have anticipated HELP WITH, but it still required their active and deliberate personal participation! In the same way, each of the following SIX ITEMS are ours to TAKE OUT of our mouths:

• Anger: orgḗ – vehement opposition that rises from stubbornness.

• Wrath: from thymós – passion-driven speech.

• Malice: from kakía – underlying evil intent in your words.

• Slander: from blasphēmía which is two words: blax, “sluggish/slow,” and phḗmē, “reputation, fame”). It is to be slow to call something good (that really is good) – or identify what is truly evil as such.

• Abusive Speech: from aischrologia (say: ahee-skhrol-og-ee’-ah) which simple meant “filthy speech” or “foul language”.

• Lying: from pseúdomai – to falsify, lie or willfully misrepresent or mislead.

These items (in this context) regard TONGUE ISSUES, and are the personal responsibility of every believer. We need to learn to speak truth, curb outbursts and kill bad language. This isn’t to earn a place with God, it is because it is evidence of a life being transformed by Christ. Be clear: you can hear a Christian. You will know them, in this context, by how they speak. It isn’t ONLY that, but it SHOULD INCLUDE that!

Transformation KILLS old prejudices and helps me see people in a new way (Colossians 3:11).

As Jesus transforms my life, I stop seeing people as “us” and “them” based on RACE and SOCIAL STATUS – but see the world as those who BELIEVE and those who NEED JESUS. Paul wrote:

Colossians 3:11 [a renewal] in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

People are either believers or they are ensnared and perishing. They are either brothers and sisters in Christ or they are the object of God’s love not yet freed. It is UNCHRISTIAN to view a person of color as less than I am, but correct to view an unbeliever as different than I am. No man or woman is worth less than I am, nor more. Yet, not all will be treated the same by me. Brothers hear different things than neighbors. I share my most intimate thoughts, needs and feelings with family, not the world I am trying to reach. Believers draw a line of distinction around other believers – not based on ethnicity and social status, but based on belief alone.

There is another way that transformation changes my view of people. If Jesus is changing me, I will not see people as “stuck in my way” but “placed by God in my life”:

Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Our eyes are the windows through which we look at life. People who are transformed by Jesus gain a new perspective by a spiritual “eye replacement” surgery – they see life differently. Paul made clear that we begin to see each other with love and compassion – because we recognize how much we have received in compassion from an absolutely perfect and holy God.

• He reminds them, first of all, that their brothers and sisters have been chosen of God.

• Second, Paul reminds them that each were distinct and beloved of God.

On the basis of those two ideas – believers were chosen and separated out by the love of God – Paul placed a list of eight commands of things to PUT ON:

• Put on a heart (splangkh’-non) of compassion (oyk-tir-mos’): includes two Greek words – “bowels” and (oiktirmós) or emotional pity. This is empathy for someone’s difficulty or misfortune.

• Put on kindness (chréstotés): A good way to think of this is “useful kindness” – a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) whereby the believer is empowered to meet the practical needs of another.

• Put on humility (tapeinophrosuné): two terms – tapeinós –”lowly or humble”, but implies becoming God-reliant rather than self-reliant (which ironically brings us true worth, cf. 1 Pet 5:6); and phrḗn – referring (figuratively) as “the parts around the heart”.

• Put on gentleness: praótēs, from pra- (emphasizing the divine origin) and the term meekness, or “gentle strength”. This is a word for power with reserve, ever exercised in controlled measure.

• Put on patience: makrothumía from makrós, “long” and thymós, “passion, or outbursts of anger”. Become one who can wait sufficient time before expressing anger, thus avoiding the premature use of force or retribution.

• Put on “bearing with one another”: anéxomai is from “completing a process” and exō, “to have” – properly it is translated “forbearing” but actually means to “bear up while understanding a process is in action”.

• Put on forgiveness for one another: xarízomai is literally “favor that cancels”. The term is used of God giving His grace to pardon, not based on any merit of the one the gift.

• Put on love – the superglue that holds us together: agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference.

The point is that we need to deliberately PUT ON HEAVEN GLASSES AND SEE differently. Instead of convincing ourselves that we were somehow BETTER and MORE APPEALING to God than other people around us – we must recognize that we have been the recipients of God’s love and care. He pulled us to Himself because of love – and we must see each other as valuable. God said that those who are around you – other annoying believers that you worship with – were worth His love, His purchase, His selection, His Son! If that is true, we must SEE EACH OTHER through the new eyes that reflect that value. Then we must ACT ACCORDINGLY.

Transformation helps us GET ALONG with other believers (Colossians 3:15).

People who are transformed by Jesus are to learn to allow the peace of Jesus rule their heart.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body;

The word PEACE is the New Testament term eirḗnē, taken from the word eirō, “to join, tie together into a whole” and means wholeness, a completion. Something is wrong with a church of believers who are constantly stirred up – they seem to be lacking something. I have been talking to believers, trying to figure out what is keeping them stirred up. Here are a few of the WHOLENESS ROBBERS I have discovered:

• Fear of loss of the past: A great many people in America today live with the constant fear that new government programs, new propaganda planted in our educational system, and an emerging new moral system that is casting off the most basic constraints are about to topple our way of life. They may be right, but the response of fear and constant complaining is not.

• Fear of coming troubles: Akin to the loss of the past is the ever threatening voice of “their going to take your guns”. They are going to take away our religious freedoms. They are going to come and make our children do wrong. You know what? I think you may be right, but that cannot be my focus. My years on this earth are limited, and my purpose is primarily to see that those who need to hear about Jesus, do.

• Fear of loss of control: From health care to guns, from school curriculum to state welfare – we are constantly being campaigned to join a cause. Let me advise you to pick what you are concerned about, and find a practical way to make a difference in that area. Leave the rest for prayer. God is not going to hold you personally responsible for the end times.

During the Second World War, servicemen heard the prayer that originated by Reinhold Niebuhr. A version of it is still circulated in AA meetings:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it. Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

I am not declaring you all alcoholics, but I am saying there are too many believers that are too stirred up, and we are commanded to put on the ruling mastery of peace. Note the language of the text that carefully calls us to allow God’s gift of WHOLENESS to take charge of our heart. It is simple rebellion to resist the ruler ship of peace and turn over the realm to worry.

Transformation can be seen in APPRECIATION! (Colossians 3:15b).

When we learn to see each other differently, and let peace stabilize our daily walk, the third mark will show profoundly… We will learn to be thankful!

Colossians 3:15b “…and be thankful.

The word “thankful” is euxáristos, taken from eú, “well” and xarízomai, “grant freely”. It means you become “thankful for God’s grace working out what is (eternally) good”.

Let’s be honest. You and I have no control over the issues of life. Forget that you don’t control the government… as we age we are struggling to control our own “plumbing”. Don’t be embarrassed by the fact that as we age, we realize that control is an illusion lived in the minds of the young. Yet, we are not to panic – we are to face facts. We were NEVER truly in control! A thankful heart isn’t about having control, but about being grateful you know Who does. You DO know what His big purposes in the world are, if you know His Word. If you know Him, how can you look at eternity with Him and not be unbelievably thankful?

Transformation makes me HUNGRY for His Word! (Colossians 3:16).

With a thankful and peace guarded heart, I must learn that as a follower of Jesus I need to fill my mind with the Word of Christ daily. When I do that, I will want to recite it in three ways:

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Did you see the three recitations of God’s goodness? They are found in the words “Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”. What are they?

• Psalms: the term “psalmós” was originally Scripture sung and accompanied by a plucked musical instrument (typically a harp). It was an old Hebrew tradition that made its way into the early church.

• Hymns: hýmnos is a word taken from hydeō, which means “to celebrate”. In antiquity, these were generally songs that praised heroes and conquerors. The emphasis was they were “historically well known” songs. Many church hymns were set to tunes known in celebrations and even pubs. Luther encouraged the German church to place Christian words to already popular tunes.

• Spiritual Songs: An ōdḗ was a ballad that wove a tale with a moral exhortation. In some ways, it was like a ballad that unwound a story in song. The term was used of spontaneous, impromptu (unrehearsed) melodies of praise, giving testimony about a walk with God to other worshipers.

Whether we sing out the Word of God (something I wish we did even more than we do), sing historic and well-structured hymns and songs of the faith, or whether you are simply “making music as the Lord leads” in “spiritual songs” about your journey with Jesus, your mouth will reflect what is going on inside – transformation!

Ephesians 4: 29 reminds: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” For those who have struggled with a “bad mouth” before Jesus (and sometimes after), I suggest you change your musical diet. Sing God’s Word more! Sing Praises more! A new vocabulary comes with practice!

Transformation changes my PURPOSE! (Colossians 3:17)

When I look at life through HEAVEN GLASSES, and I allow Jesus to work in my transformation – I start doing all that I do to please Him, to glorify Him, to honor Him!

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Note that Paul carefully covered every word and every deed. Your faith on Monday should sound like your “church faith” on Sunday. Also note that Paul talked about a testimony of acting out truth – DOING SOMETHING thankfully.

The final way you can see transformation is for our next lesson: It changes my relationships in life! (Colossians 3:18-4:18).

Colossians 3 says that the redeemed show it in actions and attitudes – not just labels and memberships…

Jesus didn’t just SAVE us, He CHANGES us.

Let me close with a story and a request…There is an old tale an eagle that had been captured when it was very young by a farmer who snared the bird to keep it from growing and harming his small animals. He put a restraint on the eaglet so it couldn’t fly, and loosed to roam in the barnyard with his chickens. In short ordern the eagle began to act like a chicken. It scratched about and pecked at the ground. A majestic bird that for a short time soared high in the heavens became satisfied with live in the barnyard. One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd, who lived in the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, “What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go?” The farmer agreed, and they cut off the restraint. Yet the eagle didn’t leave! It continued to wander about the yard, scratching and pecking. The shepherd picked up the bird and took it up to a high precipice. As the eagle saw from its former height perspective, it lept into the grand expanse of blue sky and flew toward the glowing sun. With wings spread, it soared off into a tremendous spiral flight. Finally it was acting like an eagle again.

Man was made to walk with God, and to live a full life with Him. Jesus came and took off your restraint. Isn’t it time you took off back to the high place to which you were called? Why not drop the idea that something is blocking you, and look at your wrists – your chain are gone. It is time to fly again!

When we lived in a village on the southern edge of Jerusalem, we had an olive wood stove that warmed us during the cold and rainy winter months. I loved that little stove! It sucked the dampness out of the air, and filled the whole house with a sweet smell that wafts from that oil-laden wood. Because trees in Israel are in short supply, I bought wood chips and refuse from the shops in Bethlehem that carved olive wood figurines for the pilgrims that came to learn about Jesus in that town. The spare parts of the wood were excellent for burning, and they could be purchased relatively cheaply. In the pile of throw away pieces were any figurines that were improperly cut or marred in the process of carving. Some were only half carved.

One day I asked my son to get me some of the wood chips from the bag, and he brought me a little Jesus figurine that was holding a lamb across His shoulders. Aaron asked me what it was, and I described it as a “little Jesus” from the “Good Shepherd” teaching of John’s Gospel. He giggled! He thought the idea of a “little Jesus” was one of the funniest things EVER. Though he grew up in Jerusalem, the Jesus he knew was a powerful and immense Savior – and while this figurine displayed gentleness, this little statue didn’t communicate any of that power he heard about – and it didn’t SEEM like Jesus to him. Yet the truth is that a tiny Jesus (in the lives of those who claim to follow Him) isn’t nearly as uncommon as you may think. MANY people, even many Christians, have a “tiny Jesus”. They recognize the baby in the manger, and they identify with the lifeless crucified form on a cross – but they don’t see Him as He is – the powerful and High King of Heaven –the Master of salvation. Lost in the Lamb, they cannot see the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

It is worth noting that marred view began shortly after the church spread from those who saw Jesus after the resurrection to other places in the Roman world. The message spread about His Resurrection, His power and His glory in the Heavens, but believers struggled, almost from the beginning, to see the Master more clearly than the earth and its powerfully tugging fleshly enticements. The Apostle Paul could see it clearly as he traveled and encountered the “tiny Jesus” problem. Too many believers were too fixated on this world – and the problem became clearer as visitors came describing the events of the first century churches to Paul in chains. He knew that believers needed to be encouraged to see the physical world properly – by seeing it through the “lens” of a powerful Savior. Here is a truth he taught to the believers at Colossae, a truth we touched on in the previous lesson…

Key Principle: When we see the Savior clearly (as He truly is!) we see life clearly. We must learn to see earth and its history in the perspective of its larger Heavenly context – or we won’t understand the story properly.

Let’s face it – life here doesn’t make sense without the record of our true origin from above – out of the mind and purposes of God. I am not saying there is no other posited explanation for humanity – I am saying that all explanations come down to the same thing. We are here. We exist. The material world is here – and it either got here from nothing and has no purpose or plan – or it got here by intelligent intention. I believe unapologetically that we who believe in the Bible as God’s proclamation and trust in God’s prophecy of the destiny of all things are not casting into a dark sea without solid evidence – quite the contrary.

Men and women, left to themselves, will use the modern conventions they are inventing to paint themselves into awkward corners and be quickly be reduced to absurdism. A story was related to me last week of a man who stood before a local council asking that he be granted “special minority status”, with all the privileges it entails for assistance to his business, because he feels as though he is African-American. There he stood – blonde hair, blue eyes, and boldly claimed if he could not be denied rights to a women’s restroom based on what he “felt about his own sexuality” then he should be able to claim “minority rights” provisions under the council if he felt himself to be a person of color. The council deliberated and could not find a way to deny him the special provisions without hindering their other accepted positions. Do you see where we are going? The absurdity of self-definition erases logical identity – and we have only begun to step off the precipice. Soon, anyone who feels like they are a horse will claim they should be given “stable privileges” – and there is little in the modern thought process to stop them from getting what they request. Reason dies – not with belief in God – but with the absence of God and His implanted moral definitions.

My point is simple: either there is a Creator or there is not. Either there is an objective definition of right and wrong that transcends popular vote and strong opinion, or there is not. That leads us to the Bible. So that you will grasp our approach, we are going to state up front that we believe we were created by a personal, loving and purposed God. We believe He both created earth and later came to earth. We believe He spoke and that He preserved His words. It is to those words we turn to learn from whence we have come, why we are here, and to what end we have been made.

With our Bibles open to Colossians 2, let me admit something. In our last lesson, we went too quickly (in my view) through something that is far too important for our time…so I want to re-visit a teaching of Paul from the second chapter of Colossians. For simplicity, if you reduce the chapter to its essential components, Paul related that there were essentially three problems the early believers in that time were facing that I believe we can still readily relate to:

• Some believers were confused by the circumstances and couldn’t figure out God’s direction based on what they observed in the daily news (2:1-7).

• Other believers were distracted by a focus on “their felt needs” that led them to desire something “more than Jesus” to fulfill their religious impulses (2:8-15). They weren’t satisfied with Jesus alone – and that was pushing them to act up.

• Still others were frustrated by seeking affirmation from other men and women, allowing others to dictate their practices in following Christ (2:16-3:1). They wanted to fit in, and that meant they sought the “like” button of their neighbors instead of the approval of Jesus above all.

If you look at these three issues, they have one root – where can the truth be found that will affirm us and guide our thinking? That is at the heart of this chapter – and it is worth more time and consideration. Consider these important questions:

• Do circumstances always reveal what God is doing? Paul addressed that is 2:1-7.

• Since life is relatively short and the end of it is certain (I have never met someone who is 212 years old), should I chase my inner hungers, feelings and desires to find purpose and truth – and then somehow hope I have “done enough good” to be recognized and accepted by God as I leave this life? Paul peeled that open in 2:8-15.

• Since the sea of life is so big and I feel my boat is so small – shall I simply lean on the wisdom of others and seek to follow a path that pleases them? Paul unpacked an answer in the balance of the chapter.

Paul simply addressed the answer to a HUGE question people face…How do I move through life with meaning, purpose and anticipation of an end that will offer me grace and not reward my true inner selfishness?

Distracted by the Circumstances (2:1-7)

As we open to the first seven verses of Colossians 2, don’t forget that Paul was under a “light chain” of arrest, awaiting a hearing before Nero. He waited two years, and that slowed his travel plans and made it difficult for him to be on the front line of spreading the Gospel. Add to that, some were making noises in the church that Paul was actually in hiding, or afraid to be bold during his incarceration – as if any of them could have done better. The cheap seats are often occupied by loud critics!

Paul knew that every believer could get distracted and lose a clear understanding of the work of Jesus in the pile of confusing circumstances. In fact, when we see life through the lens of this world alone – we lose HOPE, we lose PERSPECTIVE and we can even lose our grip on THE TRUTH. Mature believers CANNOT let circumstances shape their view of the world. Take a look…

Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.

Three truths are perfectly clear.

First, Paul was greatly struggling in 2:1a – that is what the text said. Did that mean the message he was preaching was unreliable, because he emotionally struggled? Not at all! On our best day, we who know and love Jesus are broken vessels carrying a whole and perfect truth.

Second, Paul made clear his concern that some had never seen him or met him face to face in 2:1b-3. Did that imply they would be unable to grow to full maturity in his absence? If you read the verses carefully, Paul recognized that his work among them would be encouraging, but was not necessary for them to be fully completed in Christ. No man provides what God can do without a man. His Spirit and His Word can bring us into completion – and the body of Christ will shape us in our gifts and service functions. We are blessed to have each other – and we do help each other grow – but the reality is that God is doing the work. Paul’s concern was that “their hearts may be encouraged” (that is that they would have full and positive HOPE), that they would join with the others in the body “having been knit together in love” and that they would grow into a full and intimate understanding of Jesus “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” They needed to see Jesus clearly, not Paul. Godly leaders know they have a function – but it is NOT to give you more of THEM. They are to point you to Jesus – because He is Who you need.

Paul had a third concern. His emotional struggle surfaced because some were being misled (2:4-5) by evil men who were trying to pervert the truth for their own purposes. Did that mean the Colossians would be lost to persuasive arguments and perversions of truth? Not necessarily! Without Paul’s presence, yet some were exhibiting “good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

Here is the point: Men can mislead when troubles arise. Things aren’t what they seem to be – they are what God says they are. Close up, you cannot often see the truth – so God has revealed it in His Word.

The day that Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane – the devil danced and those who knew the One Who is truth incarnate were pushed aside and wept in hiding. The night Jesus was slapped about in the house of Annas and Caiaphas, He looked stripped, broken and weak while those men looked powerful in their colorful religious costumes. The early morning when they drove nails in the hands of the Savior as He cried out in excruciating pain, Rome looked powerful, and Jesus looked weak and broken… but things aren’t as they appear, they are as God declares them in His Word!

Rome was ridding itself of a nuisance. The High Priest was removing a public challenge and political distraction. Crowds spat and cursed to hurl insults upon another and hope they could feel better about themselves. Yet that wasn’t what was truly happening at its core. You see, in a place of filth God was saving mankind. It didn’t look like Jesus was King – but He was, and He is still.

Fast-forward to Paul’s time. He was under arrest. He couldn’t be with them, and others were preying upon young believers and confusing them. It looked like the Christian message was about to meet its end in Colossae – but it didn’t. Paul told them: “6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.”

He said: “In the same way you accepted by faith”, now they must daily walk in light of that faith.” They were told not to look at the circumstances – but to look more deeply at Jesus as God had revealed Him and live according to the knowledge that He is alive and at work changing them! “Just as roots grew in the tenderness of your heart”, Paul said, “so they should encourage those roots to grow deeper and stronger.” Just as they learned first steps in Christ, now they should allow each new lesson to take hold. They needed to add back the WONDER and the OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE they had when they first recognized Who Jesus is and what He did for them. Can we do any less?

Dear ones, we must not build our faith upon men – but on a deepening of our surrendered walk to Christ Himself. Don’t despair as God’s men lose their voice. Billy Graham’s voice is now all but silent – but Jesus is still speaking loudly to those who are lost and in need of a Savior. As you mature, more and more, walk on the solid words and teachings of Jesus – and spend your time listening to His voice from His Word. In Heaven you will have neither a Pastor nor a teacher – you will have Christ Himself. As you grow, get more and more used to the sound of His voice. You will find it in His revealed Word.

Discontented by Choices (2:8-15)

For some people, they matured past the point of looking at the circumstances. They were mature enough to know that whether it looked positive that day or not – God was very much at work. Yet there was still temptation to be drawn away from fullness in Christ. They weren’t distracted as much as discontented… and it was still rooted in their desire to be affirmed and accepted by others. Discontent was planted in them by men who desired to draw them away from Christ. Look at the words Paul wrote to them. As you do, notice the difference in the TONE from what we read in the first seven verses:

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Did you notice how much more DIRECTIVE the sound of Paul’s speech when he addressed this second problem. The first paragraph was tender and concerned – but this paragraph was more like a dictate than an encouragement. There is a good reason.

Truth isn’t something you can negotiate. You can’t add a little sewage to the water and still have a safe drink from that fountain. It takes more diligence, more tenacity to get to the truth and block the diseasing influences of the lies of the fallen world. Think of it as “spiritual hygiene”. Do you want your doctor to use clean tools in your surgery? If you do, then do you also want your teacher to use the cleanest moral tools in the training of your heart?

Paul cited specific traps that were set for them:

First, there were deliberate deceivers at work to trap them while appealing to “sensual tug points” in their still fallen hearts. Just because we love Jesus and trust Him for salvation does not mean we won’t still be tugged toward sinful practices – as though these will fulfill us. Paul warned: 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” The term “taken captive” implies a hunter is at work, and they are intentionally looking to ensnare your life. In truth, captivity necessitates a hunter, a plan and an ultimate goal.

Let me say it plainly: As a believer, you walk with a target on your back. The enemy of Christ is the enemy of Christ’s people – never forget that. The brutality of that enemy on Jesus during the passion is no more content today than two thousand years ago. He wants to destroy you, your family, your testimony, your nation – everything you treasure. He wants to frustrate you, make you impatient for God’s assistance, and push you toward doubting God’s goodness. If he cannot have your soul in eternal destruction (because you have trusted Jesus as Savior) he will work to cut your progress down, and punish your every disciplined step if he is able.

Don’t forget also that he has familiar agents. Some come in lab coats and professor’s robes. I had a fifth grade teacher who did all he could to persuade me the Bible was false, and I was just a child! Some have erudite speech and persuasive arguments – but they do not know where man came from, why man is here and where mankind is going. They are both smart and clueless, educated and ignorant. They offer the best the “tradition of men” can dispense – but without Christ they do not offer life. They have the ABC’s of the world – but lack even the first syllable of an eternal vocabulary.

Second, Paul made the point that some of the most profound traps are found in philosophical systems that are carefully constructed to compete with and even attempt to defeat a Biblical world view. These “air filled” systems are carefully constructed deceptions that offer a life devoid of any eternal values, push against any personal accountability to God, and even distort temporal value systems. We live in a time when “smart men” can argue wrong into being right, and right into being silly. We are spending millions to invent a morality without God, and an existence without a Creator. Modern philosophies of naturalism (hoisted over an obviously created world), hedonism (as if one can ever get enough pleasure to stop focusing more and more on SELF), and humanism (as if some new technology can take away our basic penchant for violence, hatred and injustice) – all these have been carefully placed in our path to replace God and His Word in our public square. Some of our most educated men and women act as if all that was created on this continent was done by godless men – when the opposite is the record they left behind for us to follow. They need only read of William Bradford’s commitment to Christ to recognize they are fabricating their own history.

Bradford completed a work on the “Plymouth Plantation” in 1651, some six years before his death, and told us why he did what he did: His driving force was “a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world–yea, though they should be but even stepping stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.” Find that in a modern text book. You won’t, because it doesn’t fit the pagan narrative re-written for the upcoming generations. Modern history books are far too often fashioned on cleverly devised mythical scenarios – but the truth lives in the quills of our founders – and that truth can be a stubborn thing.

Note that 2:8 makes a clear statement that the goal of worldly philosophies is singular – to reduce the world to THIS LIFE. The goal is to ERASE any real thought of a spiritual world – to relegate it to the “hocus pocus” of superstitious fools. Look at the prescription Paul left – the inoculation every believer can have that will gain them resistance against the virulent power of the lies… It is the Person, work and Word of Jesus Himself.

Paul made clear that Jesus was the agent of Creation – so in Him the answers about origin, purpose and destiny lie open in the book of the past. The point of Colossians 2:9 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form…” is that He has all that we need to get to the truth – because the Truth is His very name.

He is enough – we need nothing more. Paul wrote in Colossians 2:10 “…and in Him you have been made complete…” there is nothing more, nothing better, no additional parts necessary. Jesus alone will bring you safely home to God when life’s journey is done.

He cannot be overruled – as Paul continued in Colossians 2:10b “…and He is the head over all rule and authority.” No other prophet, book or work needed to be completed for salvation to have its full effect. Buddha offered nothing more. Joseph Smith didn’t need another document to explain the contribution of Jesus. It was over when Jesus was done speaking His Word.

Note as well that He isn’t “part” of your sin solution – as Paul made clear in Colossians 2:11: “…and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” There was no need to add practices, even good ones, to the payment Jesus made. He cancelled the full debt of our sin. He took the dead and gave them life.

Jesus triumphed over every spiritual authority – Paul made clear that we march in a triumphal procession because the war has been won. He wrote: “15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” Jesus isn’t competing with the devil for the world – He patiently awaits the devil to play his last card. His Father will raise His hand from Heaven’s throne and in a mere hour the religious rebellion around the world will be stripped of power and splendor. When the Father speaks, the markets of the world-wide economy will be crushed in short order. Jesus has won, and in a day soon, every knee will bow –without exception. No one is powerful before the Creator. No one is His rival. No one else will win in the final day. It will be as He has promised. The text of 2:15 declares there is a public spectacle coming when the world will marvel that it followed the enemy after he has been broken by the Savior.

Let me get to the point: If you want more than Jesus, it is because you do not truly understand Who Jesus is. You only want something other than Jesus because you neglected truly grasping the Person of Jesus! The careful gaze upon Christ will quench the thirst of your heart. We must come to recognize the great prize of salvation is not Heaven – it is Christ Himself. When we DIE to self, we are raised in new life with Jesus. He becomes our life, our hope, our satisfaction. That brings us to the last concern… some were…

Derailed by Consensus (2:16-3:1)

We don’t get salvation from others accepting our way to doing things. We don’t get it from religious accolades and lists of rules that define us. We are defined by Christ, by love for Him and trust in His Person and work alone. That is why lists don’t replace relationship with Christ. That is why though we are called to love one another, and to respect one another – we must carefully follow what Jesus told us to do in His Word, and not to take our cues from those who cannot show us from Scripture the path we should take. He argued:

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—17 things which are a [mere] shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. The celebrations God called upon Israel to learn of Him were no replacement for the relationship with the Savior God gave to the Colossian believers. They were given to Israel to help them see Who God is – but they were not intended to replace God in them.

God wasn’t against the disciplines, rules and celebrations He instituted in the Law. He simply didn’t want people to think that by following them people cooperated in their own redemption. We don’t. You and I do NOTHING to make God happy with us but believe Him and trust the payment Jesus made on our behalf. The bottom line is that anything that tries to provide “something more” is a FRAUD. People who bind us into other things DEFRAUD us from the prize – having and trusting Jesus for our salvation. Paul said it this way:

Colossians 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head…20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all [refer] [to] things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

Here is the issue:

• Some will offer a prescription of DENIALS – acceptance by NOT DOING a list.
• Others will offer a perversion of WORSHIP – seeking another in the place of Jesus.
• Still others offer a personalization of TRUTH – THEY ALONE saw and heard from God – and you need to trust THEM to get to HIM.

People often prefer to obey rules instead of seeking Christ. Why? Because some religious lists appear to offer wisdom and make us look humble and austere as we harshly treat ourselves in self-denial – thereby making an attempt to earn God’s favor. The truth is that ANYTHING WE DO THAT REPLACES CHRIST’S WORK IS SHEER IDOLATRY – no matter what it looks like. When we look at life – we need to see it through the lens of what God says is right – not what others say. Chapter two tells us WHY we need to see life through Jesus – because circumstances cannot lead us; because a choice for anything other than Jesus will lead astray; and because there is no other consensus we need to be affirmed by other than Christ Jesus.

Chapter three opens with two verses that are not about WHY, but rather about HOW! How do we see life properly? We look at here through the lens of there.

3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

That is the way to view life… I was sorely tempted to close this message with a cute story – because it has been heavy. I will tell you a story, but it isn’t cute – it was a real story.

Let me tell you of a man who made his living as a fisherman until he met Jesus one day. He followed Jesus, sometimes incredibly badly, but he kept at it. God used him mightily, though his flaws and weaknesses were ever obvious. He was with Jesus. He walked on water with the Savior. He saw Lazarus raised from the dead! He ate bread multiplied by the hands of Jesus Himself…and one day, he heard God’s voice over Jesus’s head, declaring Him to be God’s Son. Peter told the story until he was ready to die. His last letter made it clear:

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things…14 knowing that the laying aside of my [earthly] dwelling is imminent…16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 [So] we have the prophetic word [made] more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”

Peter was dying, and he wasn’t lying. He knew Jesus was real, and that made everything else in life clear – including his life’s purpose. When we see the Savior clearly (as He truly is!) we see life clearly. We must learn to see earth and its history in the perspective of its larger Heavenly context – or we won’t understand the story properly.