Bible Study - Christ the Center - Center of My Life - Colossians 3 and 4 - February 26, 2012

Bible Study - Center – Center of My Life – February 26, 2012

This is our final lesson in our series entitled “Christ The Center.”

Our scripture is Colossians 3:5-10, 14-15, 17; 18-21 and 4:5-6.

This study challenged me to ponder the fullness of CHRIST in me. As Christians, we have all of CHRIST that we will ever receive at the instant of salvation. At that same instant we receive the righteousness of CHRIST. Christians are redeemed but living in a body of flesh. Therefore, Christians need to choose who they will serve their flesh or GOD, as led by the Holy Spirit. A battle takes place in the mind and Christians must choose who will be the referee in the game of their life when decisions confront them. Will they yield their will and allow CHRIST to rule or their flesh?

CHRIST told those who desire to be HIS disciples that they must die daily and take up the cross and follow HIM. It could be stated that since Christians have the fullness of CHRIST in them and they have put-on the clothes of righteousness, don’t cover up your new clothes by putting on the old clothes of your new life in CHRIST.

All Christians have the fullness of CHRIST in them but why don’t they reflect CHRIST? Often, Christians are cover up with their old life and As they study the Bible, pray and obediently serve GOD as led by the Holy Spirit the process of sanctification peels away the layers of their old life to reveal more of their new life in CHRIST.

Cultivate a Christ-centered Character.

Let’s read Colossians 3:5-10, 14-15 and 17 (Focus scripture):

The Life of the New Man

¹ So if you have been raised with the • Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.
² Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.
³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.
⁴ When the Messiah, who is your^[1] Other mss read our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
⁵ Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly:^[2] Lit death, the members on the earth sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.
⁶ Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient,^[3] Other mss omit on the disobedient
⁷ and you once • walked in these things when you were living in them.
⁸ But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.
⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices
¹⁰ and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator.
¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,^[4] A term for a savage slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

Paul used the word “if” in verse 1. At times the word “if” can be read as “since” and this is the case here. Paul was not questioning their salvation but confirming the fact that “since” they had received salvation through their faith in CHRIST and HE was sitting at the right hand of GOD, HIS Father, they should set their minds on their new home, heaven. Their citizenship was in heaven. Heaven was not some place they were trying to get to through rituals, observing certain customs, traditions, rules and the list goes on, in essence, they were already there.

As a Christian, you died when CHRIST died and HIS fullness is in you. HE fully occupies your body in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Repeat of last week’s lesson.

When CHRIST is revealed at HIS second coming so will all Christians. When this will happen, no one but GOD knows, therefore, let your lifestyle reflect the fullness of CHRIST that is in you. Put to death your former lifestyle, which consisted of sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. You know that such a lifestyle invokes GOD’S wrath and you embraced this lifestyle. You know the truth. Since you have the fullness of CHRIST in you, you “must put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.
⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices.”

Paul was reminding the Christians they had been forgiven and saved from their old lifestyle. They had taken off their old life and put on the new clothes of righteousness that GOD had given them through their faith in what CHRIST had done for them. As Christians, they were in the process of being made more CHRIST-like, through the renewing of their minds. If they keep covering up their new clothes by putting on their old clothes, they will never make Spiritual progress.

In CHRIST, every Christian, regardless of being a Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,^[4] A term for a savage slave and free has the fullness of CHRIST in them. The Scythian was a very bad bunch of people. They were ruthless, savages with no respect for life. They were known for not bathing. They were a stinky bunch of people, so how could they ever become Christian? Regardless, CHRIST died for all who would believe in HIM. HE washes all who will accept HIM with HIS shed blood and makes them whiter than snow and gives them a new fragrance.

The Christian Life

¹² Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
¹³ accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must [forgive]^* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. .
¹⁴ Above all, [put on]^* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. love—the perfect bond of unity.
¹⁵ And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.
¹⁶ Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or indeed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Paul used “therefore” to remind the Christians who they were in CHRIST and to “put on” a CHRIST-like lifestyle. Then he listed a number of examples. He concluded with a challenge for Christians to put on love. Every day we decide what we will wear for the activity we will be facing that day. As Christians, we have been clothed with new clothes of righteousness that GOD provided as a gift through CHRIST. Another way of looking at this is, since Christians have the fullness of CHRIST in them and they are clothed in HIS righteousness, don’t cover HIM up by putting on your old clothes. This is very difficult or impossible to do in our own strength. That is why we need to have and maintain the right relationship with HIM.

When a Christian is in unity/harmony with his/her physical and Spiritual self, then there will be peace. The peace of CHRIST results when Christians bring their flesh under the control of the Spirit. Then CHRIST’S peace not only applies to the individual Christian but it extends from the Spirit led Christian to their fellow Christians within the living body. This does not mean a Christian has to roll over, play dead and never have an opinion different from the living body. It means that in dealing with matters of differences, a Christian needs to let the peace of CHRIST control his/her heart. Some translations use the word “rule.” Rule is a good word because in the Greek it relates to athletics and those who enforce the rules of the game. Paul was saying that Christians need to let CHRIST be the referee in their game of life. The battle or game of life is fought in the mind where decisions are made.  It is in the heart or the center of a Christian’s being where he/she decides how he/she will respond to life’s situations and circumstances. Christians must remember where they came from and be filled with gratitude for the love GOD has for them. Then make your decision on how to respond based upon what GOD has done for you.

Christians must keep the message of CHRIST in their minds, which is the message of forgiveness and salvation. They must live it and share it as they live in the world around them. CHRIST gave HIS life for each person who will accept HIM as his/her Savior, regardless of their degree of sin or how bad they may smell (Scythian). CHRIST’S love is unconditional and everlasting. Just as HE forgives, Christians in turn need to forgive others. Sometimes, Christians need to forgive themselves. Christians need to be grateful to GOD for what HE has done for them and be open to share the Good News with others as the opportunity occurs. 

The message of CHRIST can be lived, taught, preached, sung or expressed in many different ways. The power is in the message; GOD’S Word produces the results. GOD’S Word combined with the power of GOD equals an opportunity for a person to choose salvation. Keep in mind that GOD never overrides a person’s right to choose. Christians should be on the alert to respond to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as GOD provides opportunity to minister. 

In verse 17, Paul stresses the importance of a Christian’s lifestyle. Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. What they say or do should be done with the fact in mind that they represent GOD to the world. Therefore, they are to live accordingly. Again, that is why Christians must have and maintain the right relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

Paul addressed the home life of Christians. It is one thing to act like a Christian should outside the home but what about inside the home?

Be a Christ-centered Home.

Let’s read Colossians 3:18-21:

Christ in Your Home

¹⁸ Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and don’t become bitter against them.
²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.
²¹ Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.

In the old days, the men loved for the preacher to preach on “wives being submissive” to their husbands. Our thought was that our wives were to be our slaves and hop to our every command. This is not what Paul was talking about. GOD made women or our wives to be our helpmates. They are co-equals and work along our side.

Notice in verse 19, that Paul told the men to LOVE their wives. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell wives to love their husbands. But husbands are to love their wives. When the word “love” was used in the Greek literature, it carried the idea of focusing on a person’s well-being and needs as being more important than their own. If the husband loved his wife accordingly, then it would be easy for the wife to be submissive to him.

The word submissive is important. Yes, GOD’S plan for the family is for the husband to be head of the household. The Christian husband is under the authority of GOD and submission to GOD. In turn, the wife is to be submissive to her Christian husband. In light of this chain of command, wives are to submit to their Christian husbands to accomplish GOD’S plan for their home and for the world as led by the Holy Spirit. It is difficult for those in a home to be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit if one spouse is not a true born-again believer.

In many homes, the wife is the Spiritual leader and often is on the receiving end of the wrath of her not so Spiritual husband when she tries to serve GOD as led by the Holy Spirit. This can be a very difficult situation. Unity is broken and often leads to a dysfunctional household.

Paul told the Christians in Colosse not to become bitter toward their wives. Women are generally more social than men. It is easy for a woman to try to help another woman or a family that is in need. The husband of the woman trying to help may think his wife is neglecting him. That is why the husband needs to have heart in harmony with GOD through his relationship with CHRIST. Not to say that things cannot get out of hand but going back to our previous scripture regarding the peace of CHRIST, the matter needs to be addressed and settled in peace. It is a matter of communication, which most men are poor communicators. A real man does not hit a woman, except in self-defense.

Paul told the children to obey their parents and for the fathers not to exasperate their children. Don’t ride them to the point that they become discouraged and give up. Just as GOD cuts the Christian slack, then as a husband and father, use that same wisdom in your household. Be consistent. If you tell your child if they do so-and-so again certain restrictions will happen. If they violate your rule, then follow through with what you said the restriction would be. We must keep in mind that Paul was writing to the Christians in Colosse. He was considering that the father/husband was a true born-again Christian. The father is the head of the household and under the authority and accountability of GOD.

Be a CHRIST Centered Witness:

Let’s read Colossians 4:5-6:

Speaking to God and Others

² Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.
³ At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the • mystery of the • Messiah—for which I am in prison—
⁴ so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.
⁵ • Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time.
⁶ Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Paul challenges the Christians in Colosse to communicate with GOD and recognize the blessings and care that GOD provided, as well as, the opportunities to obediently serve HIM. As Christians, we have many opportunities to rejoice in the things that GOD reveals to us and to pray for the things that GOD calls us to pray for. Paul was telling the Christians to pray for each other and especially for those who are called to carry the Gospel to others. They were to pray that doors would open where the Gospel could be presented. This is true today.

Prayer is such a delight. If you hear a siren that means a possible fire, accident, police officer en-route to something, you can pray. As we watch the news on television or read the newspaper, we can pray for certain things that come to our attention. A person’s name may cross our mind during the day, pray for that person. We may see a sign about an upcoming event, we can pray. We may see a clerk in a store having a bad day, we can pray. A person is going to the doctor or having a procedure, pray. A couple is having marital problems, pray. Someone is caught in a sin, pray. There are so many opportunities to pray.

Paul admonished the Christians in Colosse to walk with the full knowledge that they had the fullness of CHRIST in them and for them to be open to any opportunity to share the Gospel with others as the opportunity presents itself. When you interact with the world on a daily basis then keep in mind that you represent GOD, so let your speech and lifestyle reflect HIM. Don’t be confrontational but let your speech be seasoned so what you have to say will be savory. Do not cover up your clothes of righteousness by putting on the clothes of your old life. Walk in the Spirit and HE will give you the right words to say as opportunity presents itself. But you must decide whether or not you will respond to the opportunity. Blessings as you grow in CHRIST and serve HIM.