Author: David Petts

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

After a quick biblical overview, I have four main points:

1. The privilege we have to enter God’s presence
2. God’s presence brings wonderful blessings
3. The promise of his presence is made only to his covenant people
4. God’s presence is experienced both individually and corporately

A Biblical Overview

At the beginning man and woman lived in and enjoyed the presence of God.

Sadly because of disobedience they were cut off from God’s presence.

Like them we too have disobeyed him and were cut off from his presence.

But God had a plan to make it possible for us to come back to Him.

He sent Jesus to die on a cross and take the punishment for our disobedience.

He now offers all people everywhere his forgiveness.

Those who receive it have:

1. eternal life in his presence when they die
2. access into his presence right now

1. The privilege we have to enter God’s presence

There’s a sense in which God is always present.

He’s omnipresent.

In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17).

That’s true for all mankind – Paul said it when he was preaching to unbelievers.

And he’s promised us

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently” say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me? Hebrews 13:5-6

But that’s not all. In Hebrews 10:19-22 we’re told that because Jesus died for us:

we can have confidence to enter into God’s presence

and we should draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith

because our conscience is clear.

So we don’t need to wait for God to come to us!

He’s already come in the person of Jesus and in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We come to him! Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (James 4:8)

It’s our responsibility. It’s not enough to say, I know God is with me. 

He is, because he’s promised to be. But we need to draw near to him.

2. God’s presence brings wonderful blessings

Old Testament

God worked miracles among his people (Joshua 3:5)

He drove out their enemies (Joshua 3:10) and saved them from their power

(1 Samuel 4:3) Cf. Psalm 9:3.

He assured them that there was no need to fear:

Genesis 26:24

Fear not, I am with you

Numbers 14:9 

…do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8

6. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
7. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

1 Chronicles 28:20

Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.”

Psalm 46:1-2

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea

New Testament

In the ministry of JESUS (Immanuel, GOD WITH US)

He forgave our sins, he calmed our fears, he healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, calmed the storm, walked on water, fed the multitudes, turned water into wine.

And after his death this continued through the power of the SPIRIT through the ministry of his disciples. (But this does not mean that they were immune from suffering – persecution, sickness etc.)

3. The promise of his presence is made only to his covenant people

Old Testament

Numbers 6:22-27

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face (presence) to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

But  There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:21)

Though Jesus did say, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Matthew 5:44

Now two further OT passages:

Isaiah 12

1. You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.
2. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become

 my salvation.”

3. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5. “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.
6. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

The passage is addressed to God’s people (v6)

Note also:

the use of the singular. This speaks of individual salvation.

But God’s presence is manifest in your midst (v6).

Our response should be (v4):

Give thanks to the Lord,     

call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim that his name is exalted

Let this be made known in all the earth (5).

Compare the following passage:

Zephaniah 3:14-17

14. Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15. The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.
16. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
17. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

In both these passages it’s clear that:

• The blessings of his presence were for his covenant people
• His presence is experienced both individually and corporately
• The prophets foresaw a future day in which these promises would be fulfilled

On this last point, note Joel 2:27-29

You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

But that brings us into the New Testament

because we know that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost.

So let’s go the Acts 2.

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Again we see that God’s presence is experienced both individually and corporately.

Let’s explore this a bit more:

4. God’s presence is experienced both individually and corporately

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you (plural) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Ephesians 2:19-22

19. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20. built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21. in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Conclusion

If we are in covenant relationship with God, his presence is with us

The results of this are many and various blessings

We can expect to experience his presence in our individual lives

and when we are gathered together as a church

Our response should be to:

Draw near to God

Give thanks to the Lord     

call upon his name

make known his deeds among the peoples

proclaim that his name is exalted

Gather together regularly with God’s people

Strive to keep in unity

Fulfill our role in the body of Christ

The knowledge that he is with us is the antidote to fear

The church has nothing to fear – even if we suffer persecution

YOU have nothing to fear – even if terrible things happen

God is with us in it all

The final fulfilment of the promise of God’s presence is heaven!

Colossians Talk 7. The Means of Spreading the Gospel – how?

Welcome to the final talk in our series, Themes from Colossians.

So far in this series we have considered:

• The Supremacy of Christ – who he is (Talk 1)
• Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us (Talks 2&3)
• Living for Christ – what we should do for him (Talks 4&5)

Our final theme is:

Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – what, why, where, how (Talks 6&7)

In Talk 6 we considered:

What is the gospel – what?

The purpose of the gospel – why?

The universality of the gospel – where?

Today our subject is:

The Means of Spreading the Gospel – how?

1. There are those who are especially called and gifted to preach the Gospel

Ephesians 4:11 Apostles … evangelists

Paul was an obvious example of this:

Colossians1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…

Colossians 1:28-29

28. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Colossians 4:3-4

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

1. But we are all called to play our part in the spread of the Gospel

How?

1. By prayer

Colossians 4:2-4

2. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

12. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”

2. By our behaviour

5. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

3. By our words

6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

4. By making the most of every opportunity
5. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

5. By discovering and fulfilling the role God has for us

17. Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

6. By hard work and dependence on the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:29

To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Conclusion

As we saw last time:

We were alienated from God by our attitude and actions.

But God by his grace has provided the basis for reconciliation through the death of his Son

This becomes effective for us when we believe.

God’s ultimate purpose is that we might be presented perfect before him

This good news is to be communicated to everyone – the whole world.

And today we have seen that:

Some people are especially called to do this, but every Christian must play a part by:

Praying for the spread of the gospel

Being wise in our actions in relation to those who don’t yet know Jesus

Kind words and knowing how to answer people’s questions

Making the most of every opportunity

Discovering and fulfilling the role God has for us

Hard work and dependence on the Holy Spirit

What are YOU doing to help spread the good news?

Colossians Talk 7. The Means of Spreading the Gospel – how?

Welcome to the final talk in our series, Themes from Colossians.

So far in this series we have considered:

• The Supremacy of Christ – who he is (Talk 1)
• Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us (Talks 2&3)
• Living for Christ – what we should do for him (Talks 4&5)

Our final theme is:

Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – what, why, where, how (Talks 6&7)

In Talk 6 we considered:

What is the gospel – what?

The purpose of the gospel – why?

The universality of the gospel – where?

Today our subject is:

The Means of Spreading the Gospel – how?

1. There are those who are especially called and gifted to preach the Gospel

Ephesians 4:11 Apostles … evangelists

Paul was an obvious example of this:

Colossians1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…

Colossians 1:28-29

28. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Colossians 4:3-4

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

1. But we are all called to play our part in the spread of the Gospel

How?

1. By prayer

Colossians 4:2-4

2. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

12. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”

2. By our behaviour

5. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

3. By our words

6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

4. By making the most of every opportunity
5. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

5. By discovering and fulfilling the role God has for us

17. Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

6. By hard work and dependence on the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:29

To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Conclusion

As we saw last time:

We were alienated from God by our attitude and actions.

But God by his grace has provided the basis for reconciliation through the death of his Son

This becomes effective for us when we believe.

God’s ultimate purpose is that we might be presented perfect before him

This good news is to be communicated to everyone – the whole world.

And today we have seen that:

Some people are especially called to do this, but every Christian must play a part by:

Praying for the spread of the gospel

Being wise in our actions in relation to those who don’t yet know Jesus

Kind words and knowing how to answer people’s questions

Making the most of every opportunity

Discovering and fulfilling the role God has for us

Hard work and dependence on the Holy Spirit

What are YOU doing to help spread the good news?

Colossians Talk 6. Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – what, why, where

This is the sixth talk in our series on Themes from Colossians.

So far we’ve considered:

• The Supremacy of Christ – who he is (Talk 1)
• Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us (Talks 2&3)
• Living for Christ – what we should do for him (Talks 4&5)

Our final theme is:

Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – what, why, where, how

Today we’ll consider:

What is the gospel – what?

The purpose of the gospel – why?

The universality of the gospel – where?

Next time, how?

What is the gospel? – what?

Colossians 1:6

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

The word gospel means good news.

It’s the good news of God’s grace.

God’s grace is God’s unmerited favour shown to us in the forgiveness of our sins on the basis of Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. This is made clear in Colossians 1:22-23.

Colossians 1:21-23

21. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.
22. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-
23. if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature (in all creation) under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

So we were enemies by our attitude and actions (21)

But Jesus died for us and we have been reconciled to God (22)

This all started with God’s grace (6)

We received it by faith (23)

As a result we will be presented holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (22)

This is conditional upon our continuing in our faith. We must not move from the hope held out in the gospel (23). Our salvation is by faith from first to last (Romans 1:17).

The Purpose of the Gospel – why?

Colossians 1:28-29

28. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

What does Paul mean by present everyone perfect?

Note the word everyone. The saved and the unsaved. His purpose is twofold:

• To proclaim Christ (28) to those who do not yet know him
• and to those who already know him.

It is only in Christ that we can be presented perfect.

We must come to Christ and continue in Christ.

Jesus died to cleanse us from our sin

When we received him as our saviour we were washed (made clean), justified (declared righteous) and sanctified (made holy) (1 Corinthians 6:11)

But our sanctification is an ongoing process

So Paul labours to present everyone perfect in Christ

He does this by proclaiming Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone

The universality of the gospel – where?

Colossians 1:6

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing,

Colossians 1:23

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature (in all creation) under heaven

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Compare Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, Acts 1:8).

How seriously are you taking this command of the Lord Jesus? Our aim should be the same as Paul’s, to present everyone perfect in Christ.

Next time we’ll be considering how.

Talk 5. Living for Christ – what we should do for him (2)

Welcome to Talk 5 in our series on Themes from Colossians.
In Talk 1 we saw the Supremacy of Christ – who he is.
In Talks 2&3 we considered our Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us. We saw that on the cross:

Jesus defeated the enemy
He has redeemed us from his power
He rescued us from his dominion
He has forgiven our sins and set us free from the Law of the OT
He has made us alive with Christ
He has qualified us to share in his inheritance
He has brought us into his kingdom
He has given us fulness in Christ

Last time we were considering Living for Christ – what we should do for him. We were looking at Colossians 3:1-17. We concluded by saying:

It’s as we allow the word of Christ to dwell in us that the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts. As Christians it’s God’s word that informs and authenticates our beliefs and actions and to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus means that we seek constantly to live our lives subject to the authority of his word (cf. vv.15-17).

Today we continue with same theme and the passage we’re considering is Colossians 3:18-4:1. In these verses Paul applies the principles he has been teaching to three specific groups of people:

wives (18) and husbands (19)
children (20) and fathers (21)
slaves (22-25) and masters (4:1)

In each of the three relationships here, those who are told to submit (or obey) are mentioned first. This is then balanced by instruction to those who are in authority.

Although these instructions must be interpreted bearing in mind the culture of the day, the principles underlying them are clear.

Wives and husbands
18. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Paul’s instruction that wives should submit to their husbands must be understood in the light of his wider teaching on the subject. Note:

A. The parallel he draws between husband/wife relationships and divine relationships within the Godhead

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

As Christians we believe that Christ is coequal with God. Yet here we see that God is the head of Christ. There is no contradiction here. It’s part of the mystery of the Trinity. In a similar way, husbands and wives are equal, yet Paul says that the husband is the head.

B. The parallel between husband/wife relationships and the relationship between Christ and the church

Ephesians 5:21-24
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

But this is to be seen in the light of what Christ does for the Church:

Ephesians 5:25-26, 29
25 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word
29 After all, no-one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church

C. The responsibilities Paul places on husbands to love their wives
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

D. The liberation that has been brought to millions of women through Christian teaching (as distinct from Judaism and Islam, for example)

Children and parents

Instructions to children
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

In Ephesians Paul links this directly with Exodus 20:12.

Ephesians 6:1-2
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 ‘Honour your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise
3 ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’

Taking these two passages together we see that children should obey and honour their parents. The instruction to obey ends with adulthood. The instruction to honour lasts a lifetime! They should do so because:

it pleases the Lord
it’s the right thing to do
it will go well with them if they do.

It pleases the Lord
Perhaps Paul had in mind the example of Jesus in Luke 2:51-52

51. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

It’s the right thing to do
This follows from both the OT commandment and the example of Jesus.

It will go well with them if they do

Ephesians 6:2-3
2 ‘Honour your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise
3 ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’

Of course, the command and the promise were originally given to the nation of Israel.

Exodus 20:12
Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

In its original context it could well mean that Israel would not survive long in the land of Canaan if children did not honour and obey their parents. Family life is vital to the health of any community.

But Paul seems to be taking the promise to refer to individuals.
Does this mean that all who honour their parents will enjoy long life?
This raises the whole question of how we understand God’s promises and how we apply them in our lives. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend you listen to the series of podcasts I gave last year on the promises of God. So today please forgive just a brief comment.

The NIV translation on the earth, though permissible, is probably not the best. Compare ESV in the land which is preferable. (Greek ge can mean either land or earth). Understood this way Paul isn’t promising that all who honour their parents will have long life on earth. The Christian emphasis is on life beyond the grave! We have eternal life!

Consider the many who like Stephen were martyred for their faith.

Instructions to parents
Colossians 3:21
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

While children are instructed to obey their parents, it’s the fathers who are told not to embitter or exasperate their children. In the culture of the day with the heavy emphasis on male authority it was much more likely to be the fathers who were guilty of this. But the exhortation could equally well apply to mothers.

Discipline is essential in the home, but not unnecessary rules and regulations and endless petty correction by which children are discouraged.

‘Parents should care more for the loyalty of their children to Christ than for anything besides, more for this than for their health, their intellectual vigour and brilliance, their material prosperity, their social position, their exemption from great sorrows and great misfortunes’. (RW Dale, 1883).

Slaves and masters
Colossians 3
22. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord
as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
25. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favouritism.
4:1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

As we saw when we were talking about wives and husbands, Paul’s instructions must be understood within the framework of the culture prevalent at the time. Today they may be perhaps more meaningfully applied to employers and employees.

We may well ask why New Testament writers like Paul and Peter (1 Peter 2) did not denounce slavery as did William Wilberforce in the 19th century. I think the most likely answer to that question is that NT writers clearly believed that the Lord’s return was imminent (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Social reform was, therefore, not at the heart of their concern. What was more important for Paul was the fact that as believers we are in Christ and that in Christ there is neither slave nor free.

Colossians 3:11:
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Instructions to slaves
Slaves are instructed to:
obey their earthly masters in everything (22)
do it with sincerity of heart (22) and work at it with all their heart (23)
do everything as for the Lord (23) out of reverence for him. It’s the Lord Christ you are serving (24).

They are encouraged by two facts:

They will be rewarded
24. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord
as a reward.

There will be ultimate justice
25. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favouritism.

Compare Ephesians 6:5-9 which is virtually identical.
See also 1 Peter 2:16-25.

Instructions to masters
Colossians 4:1
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Ephesians 6:9
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

What does Paul mean by in the same way?
Like the slaves, they are to do what they do ‘as for the Lord’.
What Paul means by this is further clarified in the following passages:

Philemon 15-16
15. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for ever – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.
16. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

See also 1 Corinthians 7:17-23

Concluding thoughts on this section
Whatever our role in the family or in society, the important thing is that we live in right relationship with each other and God has given us guidelines to show how we can do that.

It is interesting that whatever our role may be, it may not be the same forever.
For example, a child is not always a child and a slave may not always be a slave.
Whatever our role, it is important that we view it from a heavenly perspective rather than merely an earthly one.
Whatever we do, whether it be within the family or in the workplace, we should do everything as for the Lord. This is because we are in Christ.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (3:17).

For more on this theme see 1 Peter 2:13-15, 18-25, 3:1-7

Talk 4. Living for Christ – what we should do for him

Welcome to the fourth talk in our series on Themes from Colossians.

In Talk 1 we saw the Supremacy of Christ – who he is.

In Talks 2&3 we considered our Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us. We saw that:

On the cross

Jesus defeated the enemy

He has redeemed us from his power

He rescued us from his dominion

As a result

He has forgiven our sins and set us free from the Law of the OT

He has made us alive with Christ

He has qualified us to share in his inheritance

He has brought us into his kingdom

He has given us fulness in Christ

Today and next time we’ll be considering Living for Christ – what we should do for him.

The passage we’re considering today is Colossians 3:1-17

Colossians 3:1-4

1. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

v 1  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ

Then = therefore. Paul is referring back to what he’s already taught about who Christ is and what he’s done for us (cf. Talks 1-3).

The supremacy of Christ is summarized by:

Christ is seated at the right hand of God (v 1)

What he has done for us is summarized in 3 different tenses:

Past.   Present.   Future

1. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

These wonderful facts must affect our entire way of thinking:

1. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

And a change of attitude will result in a change of action:

Colossians 3:5-9.   Things to be avoided

5. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
7. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Colossians 3:9-14.   Things to embrace

9. 9. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10. and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

But what’s the secret to avoiding the bad and embracing the good? Notice what Paul says:

5. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

8. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

12. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity

Notice that in telling us to do these things, he’s telling us to do what we’ve already done!

9. 9. …you have taken off your old self with its practices
10. …have put on the new self

So why does he tell us to put on what we’ve already put on?!

He’s telling us to be what we are!

In Christ we already are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Paul is telling us to live accordingly.

If Christ had not already changed me, I could not possibly be what he wants me to be. But because he has already made us holy, we can live holy lives.Trying to live a holy life doesn’t make us holy, but because God has already made us holy, we can live holy lives.

Colossians 3:15-17

15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

It’s as we allow the word of Christ to dwell in us that the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts. As Christians it’s God’s word that informs and authenticates our beliefs and actions and to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus means that we seek constantly to live our lives subject to his word.

Summary

Because of who Christ is and because of what he has done for us, Paul encourages us to set our hearts and minds on heavenly things rather than earthly things.

This is possible because, since we received Christ as our Saviour,  God sees us as identified with him in his death, burial and resurrection. We have been raised with Christ, who is seated at God’s right hand.

So we’re to stop thinking and behaving in an earthly way. A right attitude will lead to right actions. Paul calls this putting off the old self and putting on the new. We’re to be what we are in Christ.

Things like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lying are totally incompatible with our heavenly status. Whereas compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love and peace are qualities that reflect who we truly are in Christ.

Whatever we do we’re to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. We can only do this as we let his word dwell in us and as we teach and encourage one another in love.

Talk 3. Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us (2)

Welcome to the third talk in our series Themes from Colossians.

In our first talk we considered The Supremacy of Christ – who he is. Basing our thoughts mainly on Colossians 1:15-20, we saw that:

• Jesus is God
• Jesus is eternal
• Jesus is creator
• Jesus is sustainer
• Jesus is head over all things
• Jesus is our saviour

In Talk 2 we began to examine our freedom in Christ and what he has done for us. We concentrated on Col. 1:12-14 and saw that he has:

• Qualified us to share in his inheritance
• Rescued us from the dominion of darkness
• Brought us into his kingdom
• Redeemed us and forgiven our sins.

In today’s talk we’ll be concentrating on Colossians 2:9-23.

We’ll start by reading vv. 9-15

9. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
10. and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
11. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
12. having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14. having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The key to this passage is understanding that God has given us fullness in Christ

10. and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Or You are complete in him…

What does this mean?

It means that if you are in Christ you don’t need anything else.

This is because Christ is the head over every power and authority.

Cf. He is head over all things (1:18).

He has disarmed them, made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by his death on the cross (15).

And through your faith in him and obedience to him in baptism you are identified with him:

12. having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

So because you are in Christ, the head over all things:

• You don’t need circumcision
• You don’t need the law of the Old Testament
• You don’t need man-made rules and regulations.

You don’t need circumcision (11)

11. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,

Cf. 13 in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham

To be uncircumcised was to be outside the covenant

But when we came to Christ we entered into a new and better covenant

So by faith we have been ‘circumcised’ not in the flesh but in our hearts.

You don’t need the law of the Old Testament (14)

…having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

The written code refers to the Law of the Old Testament.

The Greek is cheirographon. This was a statement of debt, signed by the debtor to acknowledge his indebtedness. It was often fixed to the doorpost of his house for all to see. That’s why Paul says that the Law was against us and stood opposed to us.

The Law not only stated our guilt. It demanded the penalty for our guilt!

But by his death on the cross Jesus has canceled it, taken it away, nailing it to his cross! The debt was now chargeable to the cross!

(When the debt was paid the cheirographon would be folded over and nailed down, thus making the debt invisible).

You don’t need man-made rules and regulations (16-23)

16. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
17. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
18. Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:
19. “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?
20. These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

N.B. Jesus would not let the Pharisees judge him or his followers with regard to the Sabbath.

If these benefits of being complete because we are in Christ seem rather negative, thank God, there are wonderful positive benefits as well.

All our sins have been forgiven

13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…

We have been made alive with Christ

13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…

God has not only forgiven all our sins. He has made us alive with Christ.

Cf. 12 buried with him… raised with him

Our enemy has been defeated

15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Quote from Just a Taste of Heaven

“To appreciate fully what Paul means by this we need to understand who the powers and authorities are, and the significance of his use of the word triumph. It is clear from Ephesians 6:10-12 that when Paul uses the phrase powers and authorities in this way he is referring to the satanic forces which are fighting against us as Christians. But what does he mean by saying that Christ triumphed over them by the cross?

In using the word triumph Paul was deliberately calling to the mind of his readers the picture of a great military victory. In the Roman world a triumph was rather like a modern military decoration which someone is awarded either for bravery or for great achievements on the battlefield. To help understand this further, let us imagine that Caesar, the Roman Emperor, has learned that in a certain distant corner of the empire one of the tribes has rebelled against his authority. So he calls his most senior general and gives him instructions to take a legion of soldiers in order to suppress the rebellion. Accordingly the general goes and conquers the rebellious tribe, taking many prisoners and begins to lead them back to Rome.

Before reaching Rome, however, he sends a herald in advance to inform the emperor of his victory. On hearing the news, the emperor decides to award the general a triumph. He proclaims a public holiday so that all the citizens of Rome can welcome the general on his return. Then, on the appointed day, the people line the streets of the city awaiting the return of the general. As he arrives in his chariot at the head of his legion, the people cheer and applaud, they almost worship the general because of his great victory.

But behind the general and his legion come the captives. They have been stripped of their weapons. Their hands are tied, their feet are shackled. They are totally subjugated and are forced to walk with head bowed low beneath a symbolic ‘yoke’ created for this purpose [1]. They have truly become a public spectacle. This is the picture that Paul calls to mind when he tells us that by the cross Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities and triumphed over them making a public spectacle of them. As citizens of heaven we have nothing to fear from such an enemy. Rather, we stand back in awe and marvel at the mighty victory our general has won for us, and we worship him. Understood this way, Colossians 2:15 is a wonderful revelation of the victory Christ accomplished on the cross over Satan and all his forces”.

Summary of what Christ has done for us

In the last two talks we have seen that:

On the cross

Jesus defeated the enemy

He has redeemed us from his power

He rescued us from his dominion

As a result

• He has forgiven our sins and set us free from the Law of the OT
• He has made us alive with Christ
• He has qualified us to share in his inheritance
• He has brought us into his kingdom
• He has given us fulness in Christ

Next time: What we should do for him.

Talk 2. Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us (1)

Welcome to the second talk in our series Themes from Colossians. Last time we considered The Supremacy of Christ – who he is. Basing our thoughts mainly on Colossians 1:15-20, we saw that:

Jesus is God

Jesus is eternal

Jesus is creator

Jesus is sustainer

Jesus is head over all things

Jesus is saviour

Today and next time we’ll be looking at Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us

Today’s passage is Colossians 1:12-14

Next time we’ll examine Colossians 2:9-15

Colossians 1:12-14

12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints 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.

1. He has qualified us to share in his inheritance (12)

As we saw last time, Jesus is described as the firstborn (1:15, 18)

15. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

We saw that this is strongly connected with inheritance and supremacy. But as Christians we are also described as firstborn:

Hebrews 12

22. But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
23. to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven

Romans 8

17. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Sunkleronomos joint heir. By sonship, marriage, grace.

1. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness

13. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness

In the NT light and darkness are frequently metaphors for good and evil (e.g. John 3:19, Romans 13:12, Ephesians 5:11 etc.)

Note the significance of the word dominion here.

Gk. exousia means sovereign authority, control

1. He has brought us into his kingdom (13)

13. and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves

Kingdom, Gk. basileia, refers to his kingly authority rather than a geographical location. We were under the control of evil, but now we’re under the kingly authority of Christ

The kingdom is present wherever the King is present.

In the NT it’s referred to in three tenses: Past, Present, Future.

In the ministry of Jesus it was manifested in deliverance from demons, healing, raising the dead, power over nature, forgiveness of sin.

This ministry continues through the church by the power of the Spirit.

When Jesus returns, his kingdom will be manifest in all its fullness.

1. He has redeemed us and forgiven our sins

14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins

This is another way of saying the same thing

To redeem = to buy back.  When Jesus died on the cross he paid the price to buy us back from the power of evil. This is primarily to do with the forgiveness of our sins as the verse makes clear. Cf.

Romans 3:24

all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:7

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

But there’s an aspect of our redemption which is yet future:

Romans 8:23

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

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 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Themes from Colossians

Welcome back to Great Bible Truths with (me), Dr David Petts.

Today we’re starting a new series with the overall title of Themes from Colossians. We’ll be considering four major themes from this wonderful letter which Paul wrote to the church at Colossae.

Outline

The Supremacy of Christ – who he is

Talk 1: Colossians 1:15-20

Freedom in Christ – what he has done for us

Talk 2: Colossians 1:12-14

Talk 3: Colossians 2:9-15

Living for Christ – what we should do for him

Talk 4: Colossians 3:1-17

Talk 5: Colossians 3:18-4:1

Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – what, why, where, and how

Talk 6: Colossians 1:6, 21-29

Talk 7: Colossians 4

Today our subject is:

The supremacy of Christ – who he is

We’ll begin by reading Colossians 1:15-20.

15.He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
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.

He is God

15. He is the image (eikon) of the invisible God, the firstborn (prototokos) over all creation.

Cf. Heb. 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation (charakter) of his being

What do these words mean?

Eikon (image) and charakter (exact representation)

These mean more or less the same thing

That which identifies someone as who they are

Illustration: the other Dr David Petts!

Prototokos is a bit more complicated

It means more than ‘born first’. 

It does NOT mean that he is a created being (as the JWs suggest)

Quite the opposite!

The idea connected to supremacy, springing from the rights and privileges of a firstborn son

firstborn = prototokos         prototokia = birthright  

Cf. 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy

He is God – two more verses

1:19

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.

2:9

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form

He is eternal

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Not ‘he was‘. He IS.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Two more verses:

John 8:58

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Revelation 1:8, 17-18

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!

He is Creator

16. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

John 1:2-3

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Hebrews 1:2

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

He is Sustainer

17. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

He is head over all things

16. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

18. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

2:10

and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Cf.

Revelation 1:5

Jesus Christ… is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

He is Saviour

1:20 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.