#313 Colossians Series# 6, Living In Christ

#313 Colossians Series# 6, Living In Christ
By: Pastor D. Karl Thomas

Got some serious problems in the world … how dose fix it?
The gambling industry around the world is huge, but the biggest market is the United States, where gamblers lost a staggering $119 billion in 2013 This Week Magazine Feb 5, 2014

Prescription opioid overdose, abuse, and dependence carries high costs for American society, with an estimated total economic burden of $78.5 billion, according to a study in the October 2016 issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

Epaphras work in Colosse. Gospel of Jesus Christ at risk.
Paul sends a letter that asserts the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.
Jesus is Lord!  Therefore He is fully able qualify us as saints.

Colossians 1:28-29  “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Perfect (teleios):— brought to its end, finished wanting nothing necessary to completeness, perfect, full grown, adult, of full age, mature.

“It may be that the Deity can forgive sins, but I do not see how.” Socrates, to Plato, 500 B.C.
Colossians 1:26-27 “…the mystery …now has been revealed to His saints. … which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
Complete:— (pleROo) to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, render perfect in every particular.

Colossians 2:11 (NIV) 2011 “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,”

Colossians 2:11 (CEV)“Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body.”

Donʼt get deceived, cheated, judged, or condemned. THE COLOSSIAN HERESY … MORE THAN…
What you have is great!  Thatʼs what Paul was saying! The FULL life is in Christ!
Being in UNION with Him alone leads to COMPLETENESS!

Colossians 2:23b “But they provide no help in conquering a personʼs evil desires.” (NLT)
“… but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (NKJV)
“But they donʼt really have any power over our desires.” (CEV)

It is all done in Christ!   Be Rooted!    Stay Rooted!     Been Rooted!

Paulʼs pattern of writing:  Indicative and Imperative   /    Theology and Ethics    /   Doctrine and Duty
Positional and Practical   /   Belief and Behaviour   /   Freedom and Responsibility /  In Christ and In The Lord
Good News and Good Advice

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what He has done and zero in on what weʼre to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in Godʼs prior action, and …   “…forgetting that truth results in self- righteousness, pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.” E. M. Fitzpatrick
Isaiah 61:10  “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

  Luke 15:22-24  “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again;…”

Ephesians 4:20-24  “But you have not so learned Christ, … as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Colossians 3:1-17  “If then (since) (IND) you have been raised with Christ, seek (IMP) the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  

Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” 

Romans 6:10-12  “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves RECKON (It is exactly as it says … In the book as in the bank) dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”

Martin Luther – Galatians Com.  “This is the truth of the Gospel. It is also the principle article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.”

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You donʼt become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.” Neil T Anderson

Back to Chapter 3 “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Not a complete list)  On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.”  

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

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

“And let the peace of Christ rule (Makes the calls UMPIRE) in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ  (Only Found Here — Ephesians “Be filled with Spirit and…” dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  

“…And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Everything you do is done in His power and for His glory!

A Sunday School teacher asked his class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?”
“NO!” the children all answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?”
Again, the answer was, “NO!”
Again the teacher asked, “Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?”
Again, they all answered, “NO!”
“Well then how can I get into Heaven?” A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

313 Colossians Series 6, Living In Christ, PowerPoint Slides

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