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Christ Our Victory Over Demons: Colossians 1:13a
Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
“To the child of God who is walking in the light of God’s Word and firmly rejoicing in our Lord’s victory over them, believing God’s promises of triumph, there need to be no fear of demons. They are spirits of darkness and we are children of light. There is not enough darkness in the whole world to put out one little light. Let us ‘walk in the light, as he is in the light’ (1 Jn 1:7)!” (Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, 505.)
Colossians Life Group Week 9: Colossians 1:13a
ASV Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
I. What is the “power of darkness?”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“3. authority, absolute power Mt 21:23, 24, 27; 28:18; Mk 2:10; Ac 26:12.—4. power or authority exercised by rulers, etc., by virtue of their office—a. ruling power, official power Lk 7:8; 20:20; 17:12f.—b. domain, jurisdiction Lk 4:6; 23:7; Eph 2:2; Col 1:13.—c. bearers of authority in the state, authorities, officials, government Lk 12:11; Ro 13:1, 2, 3; cosmic powers above and beyond the human sphere but not unrelated to it 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; Col 2:15.” (Gingrich and Danker, 177)
Illustrations:
1. Minor children who live at home are under the “power” of their parents. The parents’ household is their domain, their jurisdiction. Parents have parental power to enforce their will upon the children.
2. Each state in the US licenses its own drivers and has its own vehicle code that governs the road. Let’s pretend I am driving in California with a driver’s license from the state of Maine, which is okay to do for a short while in California. Let’s also pretend that in Maine it is illegal to turn right on a red light after a complete stop. So, here I am in California and I turn right on a red light. Assuming the police in Maine somehow were able to see me doing this, would I be liable for a ticket when I return to Maine?
3. Let’s say I broke a Chinese law while I was visiting there, and when I got back to California, some Chinese people chased me and wanted to prosecute me while I was still in California. Would they be able to do so? Under what conditional procedures might they be able to prosecute me? [legal extradition]
II. In verse 13, what does “delivered us out of” mean? ___God saved us, rescued us, delivered us, so that we are no longer in the jurisdiction, the realm, the domain of authority, of darkness. In the sense of this definition, the rulers, authorities, spiritual powers of darkness have no hold or legal claim on us. PLUS, we are now in the domain, realm, kingdom, of Christ, who is our Protector in every sense of that word.
“save, rescue, deliver Mt 6:13; 27:43; Lk 1:74; 11:4 v.l.; Ac 5:15 v.l.; Ro 7:24; 11:26; 15:31; 2 Cor 1:10; Col 1:13; 1 Th 1:10; 2 Th 3:2; 2 Ti 3:11; 4:17f; 2 Pt 2:7, 9.*” (Gingrich and Danker, 70)
III. From Duffield and Van Cleave (Foundations, 491-505)
A. Demons—what are they?
Answer: Demons appear to be fallen angels stronger than men but much, much weaker than Christ.
B. What do demons do?
1. They oppose the saints: Ephesians 6:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:18. “Our fight is against” them; and “Satan hindered us.”
2. They seek to cause us to leave our faith in Christ.
a. “some shall depart” 1 Timothy 4:1
b. the antidote: “abide in me” John 15:5
3. They encourage “formalism and asceticism” as a result of false teaching; therefore, they seek to inject false teachers into the pure teaching of the word.
“there will be false teachers among you.” 2 Peter 2:1
4. They lurk behind idols and idol worship in its many forms, tempting saints to worship.
“for forty days he [Jesus] was tempted by the devil.” Luke 4:1-13
5. They cause physical afflictions.
6. Demons sometimes accomplish God’s purpose when they function as instruments in God’s plan to punish the ungodly, and even to chasten the godly.
Peter, Job, the incestuous Corinthian believer (1 Corinthians 5:5) and Hymenaeus and Alexander (1Timothy 1:20) are examples of God’s use of demons for his own ends.
C. What does the Bible say about casting out demons? (Foundations, 495-96)
1. Jesus cast out many demons Mark 1:34
2. Demons were cast out in the early church: Mark 16:15, 17 “go ye into all the world…cast out devils”
3. The apostles cast out demons Acts 5:16
4. Paul cast out demons Acts 16:16-18
5. Others cast out demons Acts 16:13-16
6. Toward the end of the age demons will be cast out 1 Timothy 4:1
IV. More Questions Concerning Demons
A. Does demon possession differ from demon influence?
1. Answer: “All demon activity does not result in demon possession. There is a vast difference between demon possession and demon influence.” (Foundations, 496)
2. In demon possession the demon enters a body and exerts dominating control.
3. Demon influence is warfare from without (suggestion, temptation, and influence). Example: the fiery darts of the evil one in Ephesians 6:16
B. What is the relation between demon possession and sickness?
Answer: “All sickness…is not caused by demon possession…Thus the practice of some, who in ministering to the sick always try to cast out a demon, is not biblical procedure.” (Foundations, 496)
C. Is there demon possession today?
Answer: There is demon possession today, although a Christian cannot be possessed, or indwelt by a demon. A demon may only harass a Christian from the outside.
D. What about casting out of demons today?
Answer:
“While it may be possible to cast out a demon, very often a person needs more than this…It is the will of a man which makes a way in for the devil, and therefore repentance is required as well as exorcism…demon possession is not the cause but the result or symptom. It is wrong to assume that a particular evil in a [wo]man’s life is the result of demon control. It is more likely that the evil was there first, permitting the entry of Satanic power.” (Foundations, quoting George Canty, 500)
“…the power of the Word of God. The preaching of the gospel is deliverance—it is the power of God in itself ‘unto salvation’ (deliverance) [salvation = deliverance]…It would be absurd to think of a great conversion of a man leaving him with demons still in his heart. Can a man be saved through faith in the gospel and then need a second experience to save him from Satan? [expects a “no” as answer] From what was he saved in the first instance? ‘The anointing breaks the yoke.’” (Ibid.)
[In other words, there is no second experience necessary to save someone from Satan. There are NO demons in a person’s heart after salvation. A brand new baby Christian, and older Christians, may be harassed from outside by a demon, but never from within. Christians already have all the spiritual equipment necessary to fight successfully against such harassment, and where they appear too weak or uninformed to do so, other Christians within the Church may pray and help them in this. It is not necessary and would contradict Scripture to try to exorcise a demon from a new Christian, or from an older Christian. The best way to fight in this situation is by a firm grounding and faith in the written Word of God. Ephesians 6:14–the belt of truth]
“[in Scripture]…nobody was ever given a special gift for ‘exorcism,’ only for discernment, as part of the protection of the church, chiefly against false teachers with lying and deceitful doctrines of demons. Nobody manifested a ministry exclusively for dealing with demons. This would draw attention more to Satan than to Christ. Preoccupation with this sphere of things is a kind of tribute to the power of Satan. ‘The end of our conversation’ says Hebrews 13:7-8, is ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and for ever,’ which hardly can be said of some whose continual thought is about ‘the power of darkness.’” (Foundations, quoting George Canty, 500)
“That the Church will be called upon more and more to cleanse people from foul spiritis may be likely, but the preaching of the gospel is the main means, and this should be the prior activity of all God’s servants.” (Ibid., 501)
E. Can a Christian be demon possessed?
1. Answer: No. (Foundations, 503)
“While one should not blind himself to the presence and power of demonic forces in the world and be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11), he must not underestimate the great salvation and deliverance which God has wrought for him in Christ Jesus. Colossians 2:15; Acts 26:13; Colossians 1:13.” (Ibid.)
“To become Christian is to turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” (Ibid.)
2. The Holy Spirit is the One who accomplishes this turning in us during the process of our being called to God in Christ.
3. Scripture teaches that the Christian has power over the devil: 1 John 5:18; Luke 10:19; 2 Timothy 2:25-26.
4. Scripture teaches that Christians are God’s temple. God would not tolerate a demon to dwell in his temple. 2 Corinthians 6:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:19.
5. Once again, the best defense against outside attacks of demonic harassment and temptation is to have a thorough grounding in the Word of God. Cinch yourselves up tightly with the Word of truth. (Ephesians 6:14)
F. More on spiritual warfare: Faith + Obedience = Abiding in Christ
“Disobedience and persistent waywardness provide the enemy grounds from which He can attack and influence the Christian.” (Foundations, 504) (Ephesians 4:27; Acts 5:3)
“The great conflict within us is not between the Holy Spirit and demons, but between the indwelling Holy Spirit and the flesh (that is, all the sensory apparatus that tends toward sin).” (Foundations, quoting an Assemblies of God publication, “Can Born-Again Believers Be Demon Possessed?” 505)
V. CONCLUSION: “Demons Thrive on Publicity.” (Foundations, 505)
“To the child of God who is walking in the light of God’s Word and firmly rejoicing in our Lord’s victory over them, believing God’s promises of triumph, there need to be no fear of demons. They are spirits of darkness and we are children of light. There is not enough darkness in the whole world to put out one little light. Let us ‘walk in the light, as he is in the light’ (1 Jn 1:7)!” (Foundations, 505)
Within the context of this letter, the main point Paul is saying to the Colossians is that Christ is sufficient for all their needs, every single one, both large and small. They have no need to go anywhere else or to anyone else for anything—just turn to Christ and abide in him. God has already given us everything we need in Christ. God gave us a Community of Believers to help us do just this. We are not alone. Christ’s credentials to be the Church’s sole leader are spelled out in Colossians 1:15-20.
Week 8 Life Group: Colossians Bible Study
God the Father and God the Son: Colossians 1:12b-20–High Christology
Chapter 1 Overview
A. In this letter Paul addresses the Colossians as Believers in Christ
B. He recounts how they came to be saved (Col 1:6-7)
C. Paul recounts how he prays for these precious believers
1. He thanks God for their faith and love in Christ through the Holy Spirit (Col 1:3-8, especially 3-4)
2. He petitions God to give them clear understanding of his will and the power to do it with joy and thanksgiving (Col 1:9-12a)
D. Paul spells out the Father’s role in the Colossian believers’ salvation (Col 12b-14)
E. The Father’s role spills over into the Son’s role (Col 1:14)
F. Paul expands upon the unsurpassable excellences of Christ (Col 1:15-20)
Question: In this letter only, which of the three persons of the trinity does Paul present with least detail? second least? the most detail? (For Scripture concerning the Spirit’s role in believers’ salvation, see Galatians 3-6.)
G. The Colossian believers’ position in Christ (Col 1: 13-14, 21-23a)
H. Paul’s role among the Colossians and the kingdom of Christ (Col 1:23b-2:5)
Part 1: God the Father’s Role in Salvation (Col 1:12b-14)
Colossians 12b …[the Father] who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
I. The Inheritance
A. How has God “qualified” the Colossian believers and us to share in the inheritance? (see :13)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
B. Describe some of the differences between the dominion of darkness and the Kingdom of light (the kingdom of the Son he loves)
C. What is the inheritance?
II. The Inheritors
A. Who are “his holy people in the kingdom of light?”
B. How are “redemption” and “forgiveness of sins” related? (vs 14)
Redemption = to loosen, to set free, to release
Forgiveness = to loosen, to set free, to release in exchange for an equivalent payment of some kind
III. Christ is the Mediator Between God and Man
A. OT Israel was God’s son
Exodus 4:22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,
Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
B. NT Israel is Christ, who is God’s Son
Matthew 2:15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
C. The OT Exodus from Egypt
D. The NT Exodus from the dominion of darkness, enslavement to sin, curse of death, release from bondage to the ruler of this world (Satan)
Colossians 1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Other Great Verses:
Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Acts 26:18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Ephesians 1:14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Week 7 Life Group: Colossians Bible Study
Prayer: Part 2 Colossians 1:9-12a The Community of Believers
Colossians 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father…
I. Christians are a Spiritually Organic Community
A. Christ is the head from whom all else flows, the church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24; 2:19; Ephesians 4:16).
B. Christians are in Christ, and he is in them (Colossians 1:4, 1:28, John 17:23; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
C. It is therefore impossible for a Christian to be disconnected from the fellowship of believers (out of touch, out of fellowship–perhaps; spiritually disconnected–never!)
II. The Community of Believers as Exemplified in Colossians
A. How does faith come?
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Colossians 1:5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
Colossians 1:7 You learned
it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
B. Epaphras most likely learned from Paul; Paul from Christ and then from Ananias and the other believers in Damascus.
1. Epaphras reported to Paul and Paul to his “team.”
2. This entire group prays regularly and frequently for the Colossian believers.
3. Christ himself and the Holy Spirit pray for all believers (Romans 8:26-27, 34).
C. This is the New Testament pattern and it remains so today:
1. As believers, we are never cut off nor alone, no matter how we may perceive our situation.
2. We are always connected both to Christ and to his body.
Paraphrase #1 verses 9-10:
Paul and Timothy continue to pray for the Colossians, asking God…
- to fill them with________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- through all (or, in all) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- in order that _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paraphrase # 2 verses 9-12a:
“Basically, his [Paul’s] petition is that his readers might know God’s will and have the power to do it.” (O’Brien, 86)
III. The Petition portion of Paul’s prayer flows naturally out of the Thanksgiving portion (Thanksgiving–Colossians Week 6).
c. Application: Are we remembering to incorporate thanksgiving into each intercessory prayer we make?
IV. Paul’s prayer of Petition summarizes the saint’s (believer’s) LIFE IN CHRIST
A. CHRIST IS THE MODEL of how we are to live in him.
“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters…” –Matthew 10:24-25a
B. A life in Christ produces FRUIT, just as the gospel does:
the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world–just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. –Colossians 1:5-6
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, –Colossians 1:10
1. fruit carries two meanings
a. reproduction–sharing the gospel with others so that they may come to faith
a) the gospel bears fruit and grows throughout the whole world (v. 6)
b. Christ-like character within the life of every believer (v. 10)
i. walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord in every way
ii. engage in good works
iii. increasing in the knowledge of God
C. A life in Christ leads the believer to the CROSS, just as Christ’s path led him to the cross.
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, –Colossians 1:11
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. —Luke 9:23
1. endurance (ὑπομονὴ, hu-po-mon-ee) is bearing up for a long while under a weight of difficult circumstances without giving up or losing faith in Christ
2. patience (μακροθυμία, ma-cro-thee-me-a) is having mercy, patience, tolerance, and love towards people in our lives who are difficult to deal with, just as God has great patience with us
D. Paul prays for TWO ITEMS that are essential to the Colossians’ successful walk of faith in Christ
a. clear knowledge, understanding, and wisdom concerning the ways and will of God in Christ
i. Christ based his walk on exact knowledge and agreement with the will of God. Can you think of biblical examples that demonstrate this?
b. God’s mighty power acting in grace on behalf of and within each believer
V. All of the above is to be accomplished with JOY and THANKSGIVING to the Father, who qualifies believers to partake in his kingdom of light.
A. Grammatically the joy and thanksgiving can apply to everything involved in the situations that call forth endurance and patience. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 1:2)
B. Grammatically the joy and thanksgiving can apply to the overall walk of faith–to the entire package of blessing and responsibility that is the inheritance of every believer in Christ.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. –the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18
Resurrection Special
Here is a great link that examines a small portion of the massive evidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually occurred in history: Evidence for the Resurrection
Good News!
What is the Gospel? It’s the Good News of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
That is the Gospel in a nutshell.
Also: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.” from Luke 24:46-48
Here is the Gospel from Isaiah. Note how much the same it is! Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
The phrase from Isaiah, “…so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he,” is (mini-Colossians 1:5-6).
In 1 John 5:11 (see the 2nd verse Above) “testimony” is the same word as “witness” in Isaiah. A witness is one that gives testimony. John tells us that the testimony is that God has given us eternal life in Jesus the Son of God. Jesus Christ himself IS the basic Gospel message. Part and parcel of Christ is the fact that as Savior he died on the cross for our sins. When we receive the testimony of Christ, it is with the realization that we are sinners who need to be cleansed, and that cleansing Christ provides. No one else does this.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 is also the Gospel. God-giving-his-Son means that God gave him to incarnation and to death and resurrection on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.
MY POINT: So often when we hear evangelists we hear a focus on ourselves and our sins. This (according to my reading of Scripture) is NOT the focus of the Gospel. The focus is Jesus Christ and who HE is. Presenting Christ–a God who loves us and is for us is tremendously joyful Good News! It is easy to present Christ this way: “Hey, did you know that God loves you?”
As it turns out, the only people who will receive this news are the lowly in heart, those who need a Savior, those who are aware of their sins. Christ IS Savior. What he did as Savior is die on the cross for our sins.
The Good News is that I have eternal life in Christ. That’s what I want to share, because our world is ruled and dominated by death in all its many forms. That my sins are forgiven, is also great news, because my sins are Death. Christ’s defeat of death is the Good News! His love for me is Good News! In order to make those things happen, Christ died on the cross and rose again. Christ and the cross are inseparable. And I do believe that many if not most sinners need to hear about the LOVE of God in Christ before any focus or attention is given to their own sins. It’s about Christ–it’s not mainly about my sin.
May God bless us all richly on Good Friday and on Easter.
Week 6 Life Group: Colossians Bible Study
Recap
I. From
II. To
III. Greeting
IV. Body
A. Introduction–Laying a Good Foundation
B. Issues
Expanded Outline
A. Introduction–Laying a Good Foundation
1. Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians (vv 1:3-12a)
a. Thanksgiving (1:3-8) THIS LESSON
b. Paul describes his Supplication for them (vv 1:9-12a)
Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving–Colossians 1:3-8
I Statement of the Prayer: We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, (v 3 NIV)
II Paraphrase: We always include you in our prayers, and when we do, we always thank God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you.
III Paul’s Reason for his Thanksgiving: because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— (v 4)
A. Their faith in Christ Jesus
B. The love they have for all God’s people
IV Explication of Faith and Love: 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. (vv 5-6)
V The Means by which the Colossians Heard the Gospel: 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. (vv 7-8)
VI Chronological Order of the events leading up to and resulting in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Colossians (mostly working backwards through the text, vv 3-8)
- Epaphras learned the gospel from Paul and discipled with him, possibly while Paul was in Ephesus for two years (Acts 19:1-10, specifically vv 1 and 10)
- Epaphras was from Colosse (Colossians 4:12) and returned there to spread the true message of the gospel (v 5) in his own neighborhood
- The gospel grew and bore fruit among the Colossians, just as in the whole world (v 6)
- The Colossians realized the hope stored up for them [you] in heaven (v 5)
- This realization resulted in the Colossians’ faith in Christ Jesus and … love…for all God’s people (v 4)
- Paul heard about their faith and love from Epaphras (vv 4 and 8)
- Paul began regularly praying for them (v 3)
- Paul wrote his letter of thanksgiving, encouragement, and exhortation (encouragement and instruction) to them
VII Key Words: hope, faith, love, gospel, fruit
A. Hope
1. as a verb–an attitude and activity of heart and mind
2. as a noun–here in this verse–not mere wishing
a. the full Christ-centered assurance and yearning for the fulfillment of the promises of God
b. a “living and sanctifying force” (Hendriksen, 49) (1Peter 1:3)
c. the thing hoped for; the object of hoping, the inheritance all saints receive in Christ (Colossians 1:12)
i. Jesus himself (Colossians 1:27) 
ii. Jesus’s heavenly treasure, the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)
iii. the inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and that can never fade (1 Peter 1:4)
iv. the glory which shall be revealed to us (Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:18)
v. we see this hope from far away (the present) and greet it joyfully (Hebrews 11:13)
3. The living hope produces faith and love within the believer’s heart.
B. Faith — saving faith in Christ in response to hearing the Word preached, the Gospel of life in Christ
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” -Acts 16:31
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. -Romans 10:9
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. -1 Corinthians 1:21
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. -Romans 10:17
C. Love — Christ-like actions, speech, motives towards others, inspired by the presence of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers (Colossians 1:8)
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. -1 John 3:10
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. -1 John 3:11
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” -Mark 12:30
D. Gospel — Can you state the gospel in no more than one or two sentences?
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. -Romans 1:1-5
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. -1 Corinthians 1:17-18
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -2 Corinthians 5:21
He has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. -2 Timothy 1:9
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, -2 Timothy 2:8
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-31
E. Fruit …the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world–just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. Colossians 1:6
1. within the lives of individual believers as they become more fully conformed to Christ’s nature and character through Scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit
2. within communities of believers (local churches) as they express the love of Christ in word and actions among themselves and to other communities of believers
3. to the unbelieving world at large through acts of love and through the preaching of the gospel
4. in this way, the quality of Christ-like character increases in believers throughout the world, and the numbers of believers increase throughout the world
VIII Key Points
A. How did the Colossians arrive at their belief? (Colossians 1:6-7)
1. hearing (So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. -Romans 10:17 )
2. understanding – ἐπέγνωτε (e-peg-no-te) = full knowledge, no mysteries left untold
3. learning – ἐμάθετε (e-math-e-te) = discipleship, not a quick dip and I’m outta’ here, detailed lessons and practice and life application over time, what the disciples did in the years that they spent with Christ
B. Initial faith can be instantaneous and there is nothing simpler in the whole world: believe that Jesus Christ is Son of God, was born as man, died for our sins, rose again, and is preparing an eternal place by his side for all who believe.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, –1 Corinthians 15:3
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. -John 14:2
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” -John 11:25-26
C. Discipleship–fruitful increase in faith and love–is an ongoing process that lasts one’s entire life.
IX How does Paul in this portion of his letter, this prayer of thanksgiving, lay a good foundation for the key issues he brings up in Chapter 2 and beyond?
A. He establishes his approval of the Colossians
1. He commends the Colossians’ faith, love, and hope.
2. He commends the Colossians’ pastor, Epaphras, on whose gospel message and discipleship training their beliefs are based.
3. Paul approves of them so much that whenever he prays for them he gives thanks to God.
B. He lays out the main realities of Christian belief–grace, faith, hope, love, truth, the gospel, fruit, the Spirit, Christ—to be developed later.
C. He introduces the themes of learning and full understanding, which were themes used by the false teachers to entice the Colossians into compromise.
1. He states that the Colossians already have full knowledge.
2. They have this in Christ.
X Application
A. Take a dipstick test of my love for “all the saints.” Name specific ways – make a list – of how I regularly and frequently express this love in action. Where do I fall short? Where should my prayer focus be?
B. If not already doing so, begin incorporating statements of genuine thankfulness in my intercessory prayers for others, naming specific qualities or facts about them.
C. Am I doing my part to share the spoken-out-loud Gospel of Christ with others, so that they too may hear and believe?
D. Do I spend more time with my thoughts fixed on worry or on the hope that is stored up for me in heaven?
NEXT WEEK: We will be having a Fellowship Dinner, so no new lesson.
Link to (Colossians Bibliography)
Week 5 Life Group: Colossians Bible Study
B. Two Kinds of Biblical Peace for Humans: these are covenantal peace (think peace treaty) and subjective peace (think peace of mind)
1. Covenantal Peace–(legal peace, our standing with God, our position with God).
a. In Christ the paradox between God’s eternal, untouchable, unchanging peace and his being able to have fellow-feelings (emotions) with humans is resolved (see above.)
b. In Christ we not only have peace; he is our peace.
i. Jesus is the logos of God, the full expression and outward manifestation of the Triune Deity.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, (Colossians 2:9)
ii. As God incarnate, God in a human body, Christ is the intermediary between God eternal and man.
iii. Along with the attribute of peace, God also has attributes of perfect holiness and justice.
a) Humankind’s sinful nature and acts of sin (anything that contradicts the Ten Commandments) are incompatible with God’s nature.
b) Sin cannot live in God’s presence, and indeed, must be cast out. Such casting out is punishment, because God is light and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
Whoever is cast out from the presence of God abides in eternal darkness.
iv. Christ voluntarily died on the cross to save us from sin, from the inevitability of sin, and from the consequences of sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) (Romans 5:8)
v. Apart from Christ, there is only enmity and wrath between us and God. (As concerns we humans, NOT everything we do is okay with the God who is peace–a paradox? If so, it lies with us, not within God.) (Isaiah 57:21) (Romans 5:9-10) (John 3:36)
vi. Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection into life fulfills the terms of the everlasting covenant between himself and God the Father.
a) Those who are in Christ (those who believe in him) are beneficiaries with Christ of his eternal reward, according to the terms of the everlasting covenant between Christ and God the Father.
b) This is LEGAL peace. (Hallelujia!!)
c) Scripture
1) Hebrews 13:20–the eternal covenant,
2) Titus 1:2 (verses 1-3 for context),
3) Mathew 26:28 (Christ’s blood of the covenant),
4) 1 Corinthians 11:25 (the blood of the covenant)
c. Why did God make an everlasting covenant with Christ that includes Christ’s people, “whomsoever wills” (everyone who wants to be included–see Harry Potter’s Sorting Hat)?
i. The only reason lies in God himself–it is his nature to be kind, loving, generous, spectacular, merciful, and good.
ii. God’s grace is displayed in his opening the means of peace–the doorway to peace–through Christ’s blood of the cross. This blood through the Holy Spirit regenerated our spirits, the part of us that died when our first parents rebelled against God.
iii. God’s grace is displayed by means of the Holy Spirit, who prepares our hearts to receive God’s gracious gift of reconciliation (making up after a H-U-G-E fight) in Christ.
iv. Without God’s grace, his own freewill gift to us, we would still be his enemies by our own choosing.
Before the sinner can be reconciled to God and enter into participation of the peace which Christ has made with Him, he must cease his rebellion, throw down the weapons of his warfare, and yield to God’s rightful authority. But, in order to do that, a miracle of grace must be wrought in the sinner by the Holy Spirit. As the Father ordained peace, as the incarnate Son made peace, so the Holy Spirit brings us into the same. He convicts us of our awful sins and makes us willing to forsake them. He communicates faith to the heart whereby we savingly believe in Christ. Then “being justified by faith, we have peace with God” (Romans 5:1) objectively. (Pink, 34)
2. Subjective peace
a. What is it? Subjective peace is how we feel inside when we are at rest with ourselves and with God–happy, secure, safe, joyful.
b. How do we get it? One result of covenantal peace, the legal peace described above, is the feeling of peace we receive.
c. Subjective peace is the feeling of contentment and well-being we have when we know that God is pleased with us and we know that we are in his company, his presence, in “fellowship” with him, in communication with him.
3. How do we maintain this feeling of subjective peace?
a. Obedience to God and his way (his precepts, principles, commandments)
i. Since humanity lost objective (external, formal, legal) peace with God as a result of their fall into rebellion (sin) when they chose to disobey God and believe Satan’s word above that of God, it makes sense that we would lose our subjective peace whenever we disobey God’s precepts, thinking and acting in ways not in agreement with his nature and sovereignty (sin).
ii. Therefore, obedience to God and his precepts is the best way to maintain subjective peace with God. Those who believe in Christ never lose their objective (covenantal) peace with God.
b. Forgiveness
i. When we sin, we need to confess our sin quickly and receive God’s forgiveness and restoration (see scripture below).
ii. When we fail to forgive another and harbor a grudge or bitterness, or when we nurse our wounds and live out from the broken places in our lives, we forfeit peace with God, ourselves, and others. Our physical health also suffers.
a) not forgiving others brings our spiritual growth to a standstill (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant)
b) forgiving others frees us up to move on in Christ and to experience joy and peace unspeakable
c. How do we restore subjective peace once lost?
i. Turning quickly to God in repentance to confess and receive forgiveness of our sins. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:8-9)
ii. Keeping at prayer asking God by his grace to help us forgive so-and-so for such-and-such until that prayer is fully, 100% answered, which, if we fight on courageously, it will be!
iii. Spending time with God in Scripture, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers results in subjective peace with God.
“Now the God of peace be with you all” implies that the saints must conduct themselves in harmony, that amity and concord must prevail among them, so that there be no grievous failure on their part that would offend God and cause Him to withdraw His manifested presence from them. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Individuals as well as a corporate company of believers must be in subjection to the divine authority and maintain scriptural discipline if they would enjoy the peace of God (see 2 Corinthians 13:11). Charles Hodge well said, ‘It is vain for us to pray for the presence of the God of love and peace unless we strive to free our hearts from all evil passions.’” (Pink, Gleanings from Paul, 34) (Bibliography).
God Sketched Me, So I Am Safe
I ran into this verse the other day, “”No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
Yes, I have come to Christ, although many times and many days I do not feel as though I am a Christian. Other times, I feel that I am such a bad person that I don’t know how God could possibly love me, and…am I really a Christian after all? This verse tackles those kinds of doubts with complete assurance in Christ.
Starting Point: Have I come to Christ? Yes, I have; it is a fact of my personal history that at a certain time and place I received Christ into my heart. And, Christ is my witness, because he was there.
Next, the verse tells me that I could not have received Christ in my heart on that occasion unless the Father had drawn me. Therefore, knowing that at one time in my life I did go to Christ and I did receive him, I know that the Father himself has drawn me.
We think of drawing as the physical or spiritual action of pulling someone towards themself. That is what the dictionary tells us for this verse. But on this occasion, I want to think of “drawing” as the homonym definition of drawing with a pencil on paper.
Copyright Jack Neubart
God created me; therefore, he did have a plan or design. And he fashioned me according to his design. Genesis tells us that God created us in his own image. Therefore, God gave me a shape and form that functions a bit like predestination. For example, if I were a potter and I threw a clay pitcher, it would be highly unlikely that my pitcher would spend its life being used as a plate. A life of pouring water–yes, but a life of carrying people around on its back as a donkey would–no.
So God drew me–he designed me–in a certain way, so that at the right moment in my life, when he was ready to draw me in the sense of pulling me towards himself, I was ready to be pulled. The verse tells me that my coming to Christ is only because God drew me in.
Well, proceeding, if my salvation is utterly dependent upon God from start to finish, then I know that I am secure, because God is God. He takes good care of his “stuff.” I am “stuff” that belongs to God, and I know that he will neither lose me, nor break me, nor toss me on the junk heap, nor abandon or otherwise destroy me. I belong to God, and he takes the best of care of what belongs to himself. So, my salvation is safe and secure in his hands.
The rest of the verse bears this out, because Christ promises to raise me up on the last day. And we all know that Jesus doesn’t lie.
I spoke here from my own point of view, and what I said is true for all Christians. May this verse bless and encourage you on what can at times be a difficult path. Know that you are safe and secure in the most capable hands of Father and Son.
Blessings of reassurance, joy, and peace!
Week 4 Life Group: Colossians Bible Study–Holiness, Grace, and Peace
Colossians 1:2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Outline
I. God’s Holy People: What does holiness mean in this verse? (See separate post on “Holiness”)
II. Grace
A. Popcorn: What is grace? What words or short phrases come to mind when you think about God’s grace?
1. God’s undeserved goodness
2.a wonderful, saving surprise against the flow
3. GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
4. Mercy when least expected
5. The giving of “slack”
6. Hospitable
7. Tender
8. Loving
9. Forgiven
10. Debts forgiven
III. Peace
A. What Is God’s Peace?
1. God is himself the “Fountain of peace.” (Pink, 30)
a. Peace is an attribute of God. Peace describes his nature.
b. God is impassible–he himself is never perturbed and he does not suffer.
c. God is immutable–he does not change.
d. Scripture
i. with God there are no surprises (Acts 15:18 (NKJ))
ii. with God there are no disappointments (Romans 11:36)
iii. with God there are no disturbances (James 1:17)
iv. with God there is no change (James 1:17)
2. How does this attribute of God and these verses reassure us?
a. Our salvation is not based on us nor upon our behavior but upon God’s own eternal decision within himself.
b. We can’t surprise God, nor disappoint him, nor cause him to change his mind about us. Once adopted into his family–always in his family, always loved.
c. Are we then robots, completely controlled by another? No. Modern example of “predestination” (think Calvinism) coexisting with “free choice” (think Arminianism): Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat. Although the hat made the ultimate decision, it never went entirely against the wishes of the student, but took his or her desires into strong consideration. (Decision of the Hat)
3. Is God then completely mechanical, cold, and unmoving towards us? No. Church Father Cyril of Alexandria always spoke of “qualified impassibility,” or, “God suffered without suffering.” The Council of Chalcedon (Council of Chalcedon 451) adopted his thought concerning the two natures of Christ in one person, one nature divine and one human, united yet distinguishable, which remained the norm in the Christian church for one thousand years. From Scripture, we see that both Yahweh of the Old Testament and Christ in the New suffered and experienced emotion. Yet, paradoxically, God in himself, God eternal and sovereign, remains always unperturbed, always at peace as the fountain of peace.
Think of planet Earth as viewed from space. How does it appear? Completely smooth, having a level and even surface. From earth, however, steeply elevated mountains and precipitous canyons abound. Earth is also home to severe earthquakes and tremendously destructive storms. Likewise, the eternal God, in and of himself, never changes and is always at peace, at rest, within himself. Yet in his interactions with us, when he relates to us at our own level, he often responds to our storms with storms of his own. (Psalm 18) (“Our Great God” by Fernando Ortega)
God in grace, mercy, and love accommodates our frailties and finiteness by using a translator to interpret and express himself to us. This translator is divine, God himself. He is Christ, the Word, the logos, the expression and outward manifestation of God. Christ became flesh and lived among us.
As noted above, God expresses and manifests himself as Yahweh, I Am That I Am, in the Old Testament, and as Christ in the New Testament. God-in-relation-to-human-beings suffers with us and responds to our repentance, prayers, and petitions. Nevertheless, in his eternality, He is always at peace. He is like a father who can fully comprehend, sympathize with, and have compassion for the suffering of his little child, without he himself in his being ever becoming “shaken to his core,” nor disturbed in any way.
The Good News of Jesus Christ, the Gospel message, is that God did indeed “come down” to us.
God in his infinite holiness, unchangeableness, and purity of peace did come down, all the way down, to Planet Earth in order to participate fully in the humanity of people, except for their sin.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (Galatians 4:4-5)
Next Week: Two Kinds of biblical peace for humans–1) covenantal peace (think peace treaty) and subjective peace (think peace of mind)
One Small Voice 