COLOSSIANS

Colossians Chapter 3

Seeking the things of God

• Colossians 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 
• 2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

This is true holiness when we begin to set our minds and hearts on the things from God instead of going about consumed with only the things of this life. Possessions, riches, titles, worldly knowledge will tend to be opposed to the knowledge of God. If one seeks a political office, being a judge, a CEO, manager for example, let it be to serve, not desire to control and dictate. Avoid titles of high authority but rather be humble and kind, serving God in all we do.

• Colossians 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Dead to sin, dead to the old law, dead to be bound by the things of this world. We live in the world but we are not to be married to it. We now walk in the newness of life following Christ in all things.

• Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

The rapture of believers is when He appears to remove us out of the way so the end time events and the rise of the final man of sin can appear and God sends judgment upon all who reject His Son and have persecuted those that believe in Him. There will be believers in Christ mostly Israelis after the rapture of the church. Among those will be the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel and Gentile believers that are saved after they have seen believers disappearing in a twinkling of the eye from all over the world. I realize in saying this that there are those that have different views on the coming of the Lord and the timing of different events in the latter days.

• Colossians 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 
• 6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 
• 7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 

Resist strongly by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, the temptation to return to the filthiness we were in before Jesus brought us the forgiveness of sin and our new life in Him.

Fornication is sexual sins not ordained by God. I don't have to name them here because deep down we know what they are. God's ordained relationships are between a married male and female only. Any other kind brings confusion and such as sexual abuse of children, rape, pornography and any other things that are an abomination to God.

Inordinate affection is unnatural and excessive behavior caused by lust of the flesh.

Evil concupiscence is evil, wicked lust  that is the wrong kind of passion. Things unnatural not ordained by God.

Covetness is idolatry, greed, selfishness, wanting what belongs to someone else enough to get it by deceit or theft.

• Colossians 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 

Vicious anger, wrath, blasphemy, filthy talk, foolish jesting. Vulgar speech. Ugh.

• Colossians 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

Lying is part of the old nature before Christ. Now is the time to depart from it. God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us avoid or return to our old ways but we still have the freedom to choose. God wants us to choose His ways because we love Him and want to live for Him totally.

• Colossians 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 
• 11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

Walk as He would walk. We have become new creatures in Christ. This is for all. No racism. Jews, Greeks, Americans etc. In Christ we are ALL the same.

• Colossians 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Being in Christ makes us part of the elect of God. We should now be living in holiness, mercy, kindness, humble, meek and longsuffering which means putting up with those that are still learning and are weak in the faith.

• Colosians 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Unforgiveness hurts us more than the one that we don't forgive.

• Colossians 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

Love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit comes from God. This is the love we must seek after and walk in. Not the kind the world calls love but the deep, sincere, God given kind that casts out fear and gives us the power to overcome all the above things.

• Colossians 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

Peace that passes understanding.

• Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 
• 17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

This is why we are not to forsake the assembling together all believers to teach, encourage, singing to the Lord and about the Lord, and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. Praying together, giving thanks and just being with each other as we worship the Lord is awesome.

 Christian Households

• Colossians 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

As is fit to my understanding means that they submit in love but only if the submission does not involve sinning against the Lord in any of the above mentioned sins. If a wife is under subjection to a husband not serving the Lord, she has to decide what is godly and what is not. If a husband demands his wife help him rob a bank for example, she must say no. Better not to marry outside of Christ though if possible.

• Colossians 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 

Treat them as Christ treats His followers. In love, patience, kindness, mercy and gentleness.

• Colossians 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 

Respecting parents must be taught to them but when they become of the age of understanding, they must willingly obey and not rebel.

• Colossians 3:21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Being too harsh and strict can cause the exact opposite of obedience and love for parents. Encourage, be gentle and firm when necessary but all done in love.

• Colossians 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 

God does not endorse slavery and unpaid servants but those that do have servants must treat them kindly and fairly so then hopefully they will in turn serve as they would serve the Lord. There are some cases where having servants helped them to make a living and be supported. That doesn't excuse forced kidnapping to obtain slaves as what happened in early American times. Thankfully even though we had to have a terrible war, slavery was abolished in the United States.

• Colossians 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 
• 24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 
• 25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 

In all these things do it unto the Lord not to be praised of men. In the sight of God we all are equal. He is no respect of persons. Being a judge, ruler or owner of a large estate, doesn't impress God. Judgment or reward comes to all the same no matter what our status in live is. God gives us a way through the study of His word to live in peace, it's up to us to believe and walk in it. DC

Colossians Chapter 4