Bible Study (3) - Authentic (3) - Growing in CHRIST - Colossians 1:9-29 - April 28, 2024

 

Bible Study (3) – Authentic (3) – Growing in CHRIST – April 28, 2024

We should encourage and help one another grow in CHRIST.

Our focus scripture is Colossians 1:9-14, 21-29.

Our physical age is irrelevant when it comes to growing in CHRIST. When a person is Spirit-born into GOD’S Family through faith in JESUS, all are infants and must be nurtured, fed milk and then wholesome Spiritual food, taught how to exercise, tutored, apply what we are being taught, trusting our teacher, The Holy Spirit.

FATHER, help us as we continue to grow in YOU, through the Holy Spirit teach, reveal, and provide opportunities to apply. Build our trust in YOU and what YOU teach us, as we journey through life. YOU are AWESOME!!!

The Apostle Paul was writing to the Christians in Colossae. Young Timothy accompanied Paul. Timothy was Paul’s prodigy.

JESUS chose Paul to be an apostle. Paul saw and was chosen by JESUS as Paul was traveling to Damascus to round up those who were following the resurrected JESUS. These followers of JESUS called themselves “The Way.” Paul’s encounter with JESUS on the road to Damascus turned him from obliterating the JESUS movement to being an ardent follower of JESUS and proclaiming the Gospel of JESUS to all he could. Thank you, Paul.

Let’s read Colossians 1:9-14: Greeting.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:

² To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.^[a]

Thanksgiving - A gracious introduction:

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints ⁵ because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace.^[b] 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your^[c] behalf, ⁸ and he has told us about your love in the Spirit. Epaphras started the church in Colossae.

Epaphras told those associated with Paul about the love of those in Colossae for JESUS. What resulted when Paul and those he was teaching heard about what was taking place in Colossae? They immediately started to pray for the Christians in Colossae.

What a powerful witness. When we hear of the Holy Spirit working in other places, we should pray for them.

Prayer for others is something Christians sometimes neglect for those just born into GOD’S Kingdom.

New Christians are Spiritual infants, and they need care so they will grow to be Spiritually mature, strong, healthy, full of Spiritual wisdom and fully equipped for their journey through life. That is our responsibility as Christians and the church to equip them for this journey.

When the Holy Spirit is leading a person to a saving knowledge of JESUS, guess who is on the other side ready to discourage or prevent that person from growing Spiritually, through faith in JESUS? Satan/devil. The evil world does not want Spirit-born Christians to grow once they are “born-again.” If Satan cannot keep them from becoming a Christian, he will try to keep them from maturing. DO NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN TO YOU!

The Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC) has a study course for those receiving JESUS. It is called “Operation Timothy.” Each one teach one and stand along with those Spiritually born in GOD’S Family through faith in JESUS. Reaching the lost is more than numbers, it is helping them to grow into full Spiritual maturity.

The salvation of a person is just the beginning of that person’s Spiritual journey. Salvation is more than “I got my fire insurance, so I can live like I desire.” NO! Salvation is an ongoing process. I am 86 years old and still learning and discovering the wonders of CHRIST in me, the hope of glory.

The gifts of the Spirit are essential for all Spirit-born believers to use as they journey through life. We must know our Spiritual Gift or Gifts and use it or them, as directed by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer is essential!!! Prayer is entering into the very presence of GOD through our faith in JESUS. We can call GOD the most intimate, loving name of “Daddy.” How precious is that!!!

Prayer for Spiritual Growth

⁹ For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,^[d] 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and 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, joyfully ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you^[e] to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. ¹³ He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. ¹⁴ In him we have redemption,^[f] the forgiveness of sins.

We who are Spirit-born have been redeemed from the darkness to walk and serve in the light. That applies to all Spirit-born Christians. What a joy and privilege. GOD gives each the joy of his/her salvation and the courage to speak to others about salvation through faith in JESUS.

The Centrality of Christ

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
¹⁶ For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he (JESUS) might come to have
first place in everything.
¹⁹ For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
²⁰ and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.^[g]

Paul just stated why we must come along side of Christians, especially newborn Christians. They need to know the Spiritual basics and establish a solid foundation upon which to build and grow into full Spiritual maturity.

Let’s read Colossians 1:21-23:

²¹ Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. ²² But now he (JESUS) has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him— ²³ if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it (The Good News of JESUS THE CHRIST).

Once a person is born in the flesh, his/her nature is hostile to GOD because of the sin of our human parents, Adam and Eve. Their original sin is passed to all humans, and it took GOD’S only Son, JESUS, to pay, in full, that original sin debt for humans. However, every person must accept the Passion of JESUS, HIS death and resurrection by the shedding of HIS blood, as atonement for his/her sins.

I used to argue with GOD, and I asked why couldn’t I give my life for my own sins. Guess what HE said? “You do not qualify because I demand a perfect sacrifice and you do not qualify! Good Point!

Let’s read Colossians 1:24-29 - Paul’s Ministry

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. ²⁵ I have become its servant, according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶ the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷ God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim him, warning, and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹ I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

The Apostle Paul counted it all joy to continue building according to the dictates of the chief cornerstone, JESUS The CHRIST, as led by the Holy Spirit.

We read in Acts 4:11: ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.^[a]

As you may recall, the cornerstone establishes the layout of the walls of the building. JESUS is the Chief cornerstone of the Christian church not built with hands but built by the passion of JESUS and HIS shed blood.

All true Christians are part of the Spiritual building GOD is establishing around the world. Even all nature waits until it is redeemed from decay at the second coming of JESUS.

Romans 8:19: ¹⁹ For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed.

WOW!!! How neat is that all creation waits for that glorious day of full and complete redemption!!!

While we who know the truth wait, let’s share with others the Good News of Salvation and redemption though faith in JESUS THE CHRIST.

We who know the truth are the light to a world of people who are in darkness. FATHER, give us, who know the truth, not to hide it but share it with others as led by the Holy Spirit. This is especially true as we approach the end times and the second-coming of JESUS. Blessings!!!