COLOSSIANS TEACHING

THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS Chapter 1 Col. 1:10-11 Col. 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 1:10 Go on a walkabout tour to explore the extent of the land that is yours under his Lordship. Now you can conduct yourselves appropriately towards him, pleasing him in every harvest of good works that you bear. Meanwhile, you continue to increase in your intimate acquaintance with that which God knows to be true about you. This results in the most attractive and fulfilled life possible. (The word, peripateo, means to walk about everywhere. The knowledge of God is not our perception of him, but his knowledge of us; to know even as we have always been known. [Jer 1:5, 1 Cor. 13:12) Mirror 1:10 That you might tread around in life, equal to our Father Creator in your entire being, being agreeable in every effort producing good fruit and waxing strong in the full discernment and fellowship with Father, the supreme Divinity in and as all. RERichmond Tree of Life Bible Walk Worthy of the Lord--What is it to walk worthy of the Lord? 1. Walk in love. 2. Walk in purity. 3. Walk in peace. 4. Walk in faith. In other words, walk in the Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” (John 6:63). The flesh being led by the 5 senses as discussed earlier. But just a bit of review: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:1, 2, NKJV). For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:13-15, NKJV). Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. The mind must be renewed to this fact. We can choose to live in the flesh ( led by the 5 senses) really the law of sin and death or we can live and walk in the Spirit, the law of life in Christ Jesus. Instead of realizing the spiritual potential that God has intended and which empowers saints to walk in His steps, a belief in this illusion guarantees that one will continue to struggle needlessly and live far beneath his calling. The same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to all who come to Him. Accompanying that power is an ability to walk free from all the elementary things to which one was bound before. It is not as though the world, the flesh, and the devil no longer exert any influence or carry an ability to tempt. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV). The marvelous promise of the New Covenant is that Jesus Christ has paid for our release from the prison of sin--NOW. The sentence against us has not just been suspended; it has been cancelled altogether. We are not merely emancipated from the penalty of sin, but also from its power. Fully Pleasing Him Related Scriptures: “Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10 “We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” 1 John 3:22 What pleases God? You do. For on the 6th day God said after creating mankind: Gen.1:31, KJV: "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And when we displease Him. He is a person. He has moral sensitivities. We please him, and we displease him, moment by moment. Within the gospel framework of his grace, inside the relationship of his fatherly acceptance, he is fully capable of confronting us. Not rejecting us, not casting us off, but correcting us. Because He’s a Good Father. Fruitful in Every Good Work--If we are to live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing unto him, we must know God and his will (intimacy), be strengthened in our innermost being (character), and bear fruit in every good work (contribution). The word “work” in this passage means “work, task, employment, deed, action.” God does not desire for us to grow in intimacy and Christ-likeness (who we ARE) while not actively engaging with the world around us (what we DO). He wants us to also be productive. Out of my being comes doing. James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Works here is corresponding action of the Holy Spirit. Work-2041 érgon (from ergō, "to work, accomplish") – a work or worker who accomplishes something. 2041 /érgon ("work") is a deed (action) that carries out (completes) an inner desire (intension, purpose) of Holy Spirit. Increasing in the Knowledge of God--The knowledge of God is like a garment we put on that is way too big for us. We need to continue to grow into it. But the interesting thing is that for a Christian, the growing process never stops. The knowledge of God is a garment that you could never possibly grow all the way into. The knowledge of God is so vast, and deep, and wide, and high that you could spend a hundred lifetimes growing in your knowledge of God, and you would still have an incredible amount of growing yet to do. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans chapter 11:33-34: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?' 'Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?' For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Yet, we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Col. 1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 1:11 You are empowered in the dynamic of God’s strength; his mind is made up about you! He enables you to be strong in endurance and steadfastness with joy. (His glorious power, or doxa, comes from dokeo, to recognize for what it really is, true opinion; God’s intention—his mind made up). Mirror 1:11 In this state of being, with miraculous power to enable great vigor Himself, we can continue in permanent bliss. RERichmond Tree of Life Bible Strengthened with All Might--“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Rom. 12: This is similar to what Paul is writing to the Colossians. He wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding and strengthened with His Might. Here we are renewed in our minds - made new in our minds - so that we might prove, test and discern what the will of God is. It takes a power beyond your own to walk in a manner worthy of God and that is pleasing to Him in all respects, We are not able to live lives that are pleasing to God in our own strength. We are not able to live lives that accomplish God's purposes in our own strength. We must be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might. There is a repetition of words here. The first two words strengthened and power are forms of the same word. We have in English dynamite, dynamo/ dunamis, from this Greek word. We might say strengthened with all strength or empowered with all power to get the idea of the same words used but strengthened with all power gives you that sense. "...according to His glorious might...." The word might is a word used of the power of God in the Old Testament. His might, His power, His strength. According to His Glorious Power--Many times in Scripture God is referred to as Almighty. In other words, He is the God of not just some might or a lot of might, He is the God of ALL might. He is only able to strengthen us with all might because He is almighty. Our ability to walk in accordance with the will of God is only through the almighty God living in and through us and working in us according to His glorious power! Almighty- having absolute power over-all. Related Scripture: Eph. 1:19-21 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality[a] and [b]power and [c]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. I. Three Greek Power words A. Vs 19 Greatness of His POWER 1. Def Power: #1411 dunamis: miraculous power B. Vs 19 mighty POWER 1. Def POWER: #2904 kratos: dominion / a ruling power C. Vs 21 POWER 1. Def Power: exeusia #1849: authority, influence II. Vs 19 Dunamis /dynamite power: exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. A. Speaking of the power God manifests toward believers of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1. Rom 1:16 the gospel of Jesus Christ” for it is the power (dunamis) of God unto salvation. 2. Dunamis power does not stop with salvation, but is toward us setting us free from strongholds: a. John 8:31 truth (you know) makes your free. b. Acts 10:98 anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and power (dunamis) .... healing all that were oppressed of the devil. B. This same dunamis power is to flow through our life as we witness and minister: 1. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power (dunamis) after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. a. We are to operate in the same dunamis power that Jesus flowed in: Mark 16:15-18. III. Eph 1:19 Kratos power: is described as mighty power. A. Def Mighty: strength Def Power: dominion, ruling power 1. This dominion was first given to man in the garden of Eden: Gen 1:26. B. Through the New Birth ( realizing we are born from above) we can retake our kratos power to rule: 1. Rom 5:17 reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. a. Def Reign: king, to rule C. With our spiritual weapons of warfare: we activate kratos dominion / power to rule: 1. Eph 6:10 Be strong in the Lord, and in the power (kratos) of His might. a. Eph 6:11 teaches us how to be strong in The Lord: Put on the whole armor of God. IV. Eph 1:21 POWER exusia: authority and influence. Eph 2:2 in times past you walked according to the course of this world, living in the sense realm, according to the prince of the power (exusia) of the air. 1. That enemy influence has been broken off of the life of the believer: a. Col 1:14 Who (Jesus) hath delivered us from the assumed power (exusia) of darkness. B. Now the Lord expects each of us to operate in exusia / authority / power as He did: 1. Jesus ministered the Word of God with exusia / authority / power: Luke 4:31-32. 2. The early Apostles ministered the word in exusia / authority / power: 1 Thess. 1:5. 3. Jesus has given us the same exusia / authority / power He ministered in: a. Luke 10:19 I give unto you power (exusia) ... over all the assumed power (dunamis) of the enemy. 4. The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given unto us as a source of delegated authority exusia power. a. Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power (exusai) and might, and dominion, and Every name that is named.. a. It does not matter what its name may be: sin, addiction, defeat, sickness, poverty, or whatever demon, you have POWER /DUNAMIS over it.