This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:14
14 Blotting out [exaleipho] the handwriting [cheirographon] of ordinances [dogma] that was against [kata] us, [hemon] which [hos] was [en] contrary [hupenantios] to us, [hemin] and [kai] took [airo] it [autos] out of [ek] the way, [mesos] nailing [proseloo] it [autos] to his cross; [stauros] KJV-Interlinear
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NASB
In this world there are but two laws. The first is the Law of Grace, in which God makes policy and sustains history and His plan by means of His grace (favor).
And the second law is the Law of Legalism, often times called the Mosaic Law or the Levitical Law, or simply a reference to the laws of society combined with its norms and standards.
There is but one way to get into heaven, and that is through faith in Christ. This is courtesy of the grace of God.
But there are those who believe that they can live the perfect life, obey the Ten Commandments, be good in life, be sincere in life, be basically honest just as long as you do not intentionally bring harm to anyone, be sincere, and that view is bogus and false. Why? Because it is impossible to accomplish.
The Levitical Laws became so vast and numerous, so as to control nearly every aspect of ones life, that they became a huge burden, an impossibility, too complicated to follow, and so much so, that the Priests began writing exceptions to the laws, and then exceptions to the exceptions. They became a legislative regulation nightmare consisting of volumes and volumes of written regulations and ordinances, that even the most proficient expert in them, had difficulty in making interpretations.
In ancient times, when an obligation was fulfilled, the document was nailed to a post, or a knife was run through it in a manner of canceling its authority. This was a public proclamation so that anyone and everyone could see that the obligation was fulfilled and no longer in force.
Today we stamp a document as cancelled, or paid, or satisfied, and record it in a public recording office.
Christ did the same thing with respect to the Mosaic Law.
No one could live the perfect life and therefore be qualified to enter into heaven. Not only is man born spiritually dead, but man cannot even come close to living a perfect life capable of cancelling out his spiritual death. So, humanity is burdened with a tremendous obligation, a sentence as it were, of total and permanent separation from God because of sin.
Jesus Christ came along, was born by means of the seed of the woman (not by the seed of the man – ‘in Adam all have sinned,’ therefore Joseph was left out of the pregnancy process, and thus the virgin pregnancy), and thus Jesus was born without the sin nature.
Jesus went to the Cross a fully honorable man, fulfilling the Law perfectly, and therefore in effect nailed the ‘Law’ document to the Cross, finished, fulfilled, cancelled, completed, void, satisfied, etc., with no further obligation upon anyone ever again.
The Law of Grace, or as we often call it the Law of Christ, is the only currently existing obligation that we are subject to now. And in order to fulfill that obligation, all we need do is ‘believe’ in Christ.
The burden is lifted and gone.
What remains now is Gods grace, which is free.
Or mans arrogance (stubbornness, indifference, self-righteousness, subjectiveness, bias, opinionated, etc.), which is absurd.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Colossians 2:13
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:13
13 And [kai] you, [humas] being [on] dead [nekros] in [en] your sins [paraptoma] and [kai] the uncircumcision [akrobustia] of your [humon] flesh, [sarx] hath he quickened together [suzoopoieo] with [sun] him, [autos] having forgiven [charizomai] you [humin] all [pas] trespasses; [paraptoma] KJV-Interlinear
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, NASB
Death is a separation from something. Physical death is a separation from physical life. Spiritual death is a separation from God, who is life. Sexual death is a separation from the functioning sexual aspects of ones life. An out of fellowship state is a form of death in that it is a separation from your functioning spiritual or fellowship state.
In every aspect of death, life always exists in some form.
At birth, you are born physically alive, but spiritually dead. This is the first aspect of your life.
When you hear the gospel, and believe in Christ, then you are reborn, or regenerated.
A human spirit, which you did not have before you believed in Christ, is formed in you, by God, and He imputes eternal life into that human spirit. This makes you trichotomous – body (with its biological life), soul (with its human life), and spirit (with its eternal life).
Prior to being saved, prior to believing in Christ, you were only body and soul, as you were originally formed from the day of your birth.
Prior to the moment of your salvation, the moment when you believed in Christ, you were dead because of the sin nature resident inside of you, as well as from the transgressions of your sins, which you pursued habitually, on a daily basis, during your life.
You were also dead because of the uncircumcision state of your life. Remember that circumcision is the symbolism of the cutting away of sin from your life, which cutting away Christ accomplished on the Cross.
The moment you believed in Christ, that act was your spiritual circumcision, wherein through Christ’s work, the sins in your life were forgiven. Forgiven here means to be expunged as though they (your sins prior to your salvation) never ever happened.
To quicken means to reanimate, to bring back to life.
Where you once were spiritually dead, even though physically alive, Christ through His work on the Cross, paid the price for sin, making it possible for you to believe in that which He did, and therefore be brought out of your spiritual death state, into a spiritually alive state.
So, when you are initially saved, from the moment when you initially believed in Christ, all of your sins are forgiven and you begin your new life in fellowship with God.
Note that sins were not forgiven by means of the Cross. The Cross only accomplished the payment of the debt for sin. However, when you believe in Christ, that is a form of acknowledgement of your sins, and the need for salvation, because of your sins, and that acknowledgement allows God to forgive you.
Once you have been saved, then a whole new aspect of your life begins. The moment of your salvation, you are physically alive, spiritually alive and in fellowship. The best of all worlds.
But then given a few minutes or hours, you will commit a sin, which separates you from your functioning spiritual life. You are still physically alive, still spiritually alive, but out of fellowship, and that is when the function of confession begins.
Through confession (of ones sins to God the Father), He again forgives you and restores you back into fellowship. That study may be found in 1 Jn.
This verse does not get into the ‘after’ salvation what, but the moment of salvation activity.
Just as Christ arose from the dead, then through your faith, through that initial moment of your faith, you now possess the promise of a resurrection with Christ.
Salvation is a once in a lifetime event. Once born, you do not have to be born again and again. You were born once physically, and once was enough. You were once born spiritually (when you believed in Christ), and once was sufficient.
You cannot undo your birth. You cannot cancel out your birth. You cannot go back to the moment prior to your birth as though it never occurred. Just ask your momma, and if she doesn’t slap the stupid out of you, then she should. And by the way, once born, you do not have to be born over and over, again and again, in order to live.
Once born, always born. Once born again, always born again. You cannot lose your birth. You cannot lose your spiritual birth.
Once you have believed in Christ, you cannot lose your salvation. It is permanent, and to think otherwise is the quintessence of arrogance, to think that there is something that you could do, that God somehow overlooked.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:13
13 And [kai] you, [humas] being [on] dead [nekros] in [en] your sins [paraptoma] and [kai] the uncircumcision [akrobustia] of your [humon] flesh, [sarx] hath he quickened together [suzoopoieo] with [sun] him, [autos] having forgiven [charizomai] you [humin] all [pas] trespasses; [paraptoma] KJV-Interlinear
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, NASB
Death is a separation from something. Physical death is a separation from physical life. Spiritual death is a separation from God, who is life. Sexual death is a separation from the functioning sexual aspects of ones life. An out of fellowship state is a form of death in that it is a separation from your functioning spiritual or fellowship state.
In every aspect of death, life always exists in some form.
At birth, you are born physically alive, but spiritually dead. This is the first aspect of your life.
When you hear the gospel, and believe in Christ, then you are reborn, or regenerated.
A human spirit, which you did not have before you believed in Christ, is formed in you, by God, and He imputes eternal life into that human spirit. This makes you trichotomous – body (with its biological life), soul (with its human life), and spirit (with its eternal life).
Prior to being saved, prior to believing in Christ, you were only body and soul, as you were originally formed from the day of your birth.
Prior to the moment of your salvation, the moment when you believed in Christ, you were dead because of the sin nature resident inside of you, as well as from the transgressions of your sins, which you pursued habitually, on a daily basis, during your life.
You were also dead because of the uncircumcision state of your life. Remember that circumcision is the symbolism of the cutting away of sin from your life, which cutting away Christ accomplished on the Cross.
The moment you believed in Christ, that act was your spiritual circumcision, wherein through Christ’s work, the sins in your life were forgiven. Forgiven here means to be expunged as though they (your sins prior to your salvation) never ever happened.
To quicken means to reanimate, to bring back to life.
Where you once were spiritually dead, even though physically alive, Christ through His work on the Cross, paid the price for sin, making it possible for you to believe in that which He did, and therefore be brought out of your spiritual death state, into a spiritually alive state.
So, when you are initially saved, from the moment when you initially believed in Christ, all of your sins are forgiven and you begin your new life in fellowship with God.
Note that sins were not forgiven by means of the Cross. The Cross only accomplished the payment of the debt for sin. However, when you believe in Christ, that is a form of acknowledgement of your sins, and the need for salvation, because of your sins, and that acknowledgement allows God to forgive you.
Once you have been saved, then a whole new aspect of your life begins. The moment of your salvation, you are physically alive, spiritually alive and in fellowship. The best of all worlds.
But then given a few minutes or hours, you will commit a sin, which separates you from your functioning spiritual life. You are still physically alive, still spiritually alive, but out of fellowship, and that is when the function of confession begins.
Through confession (of ones sins to God the Father), He again forgives you and restores you back into fellowship. That study may be found in 1 Jn.
This verse does not get into the ‘after’ salvation what, but the moment of salvation activity.
Just as Christ arose from the dead, then through your faith, through that initial moment of your faith, you now possess the promise of a resurrection with Christ.
Salvation is a once in a lifetime event. Once born, you do not have to be born again and again. You were born once physically, and once was enough. You were once born spiritually (when you believed in Christ), and once was sufficient.
You cannot undo your birth. You cannot cancel out your birth. You cannot go back to the moment prior to your birth as though it never occurred. Just ask your momma, and if she doesn’t slap the stupid out of you, then she should. And by the way, once born, you do not have to be born over and over, again and again, in order to live.
Once born, always born. Once born again, always born again. You cannot lose your birth. You cannot lose your spiritual birth.
Once you have believed in Christ, you cannot lose your salvation. It is permanent, and to think otherwise is the quintessence of arrogance, to think that there is something that you could do, that God somehow overlooked.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Colossians 2:12
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:12
12 Buried with [sunthapto] him [autos] in [en] baptism, [baptisma] wherein [en] [hos] also [kai] ye are risen with [sunegeiro] him through [dia] the faith [pistis] of the operation [energeia] of God, [theos] who [ho] hath raised [egeiro] him [autos] from [ek] the dead. [nekros] KJV-Interlinear
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. NASB
Continuing the description of our relationship with God, through Christ, we are identified with Christ in His death, through our baptism by faith.
Now, no specific baptism is mentioned here because it is not the type of baptism that is important, but the promise and power of God who executes the baptism.
Baptism is the transformation, beginning, launching of something new in our life. Something which we did not have before.
In life there are many forms of baptism such as full water emersion, sprinkling, surviving through some difficult ordeal, and so forth. All of these things are physical activities. None of them have the power of salvation.
However, baptism is a good teaching aid for describing the spiritual concept of salvation.
There is only one way to be saved and that is through faith in Christ. ‘For by grace are you saved, through faith.’
Baptism, and that means baptism from this world, is an illustration only, of the work of Christ on the Cross as he died to the living world, was buried, and then was raised up from the dead, back to life. Never to die again.
Baptism ties in all three aspects of sin, death, and resurrection. All three of which are the foundation of Christian belief.
We just finished a study of circumcision. That represented the cutting away of something useless, making way for something useful. Likewise, the context continues, with the explanation of baptism, in describing how in faith, we identify with the work of Christ, by believing in who He is and what He accomplished, for us.
And, in our believing that in faith, we are now saved from eternal separation from God and life, that we now possess a future in heaven, that we will one day be resurrected to live forever, and also as far as our current life goes, so that we can live a spiritual life, a functioning spiritual life, advancing to a level of completeness in our life, which God intends for us, and of which is not available anywhere else in this world.
And God even goes further to provide the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which occurred simultaneously with your original faith in Christ, even though you did not feel anything, nor can you. And, this indwelling is often times called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is Gods seal on the salvation contract He issues with every person who believes in Christ.
So, God raised His own Son from death, and likewise in salvation, God guarantees to us, that He can and will raise us up from death - spiritual death during our life, and physical death whenever it occurs for each one of us.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:12
12 Buried with [sunthapto] him [autos] in [en] baptism, [baptisma] wherein [en] [hos] also [kai] ye are risen with [sunegeiro] him through [dia] the faith [pistis] of the operation [energeia] of God, [theos] who [ho] hath raised [egeiro] him [autos] from [ek] the dead. [nekros] KJV-Interlinear
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. NASB
Continuing the description of our relationship with God, through Christ, we are identified with Christ in His death, through our baptism by faith.
Now, no specific baptism is mentioned here because it is not the type of baptism that is important, but the promise and power of God who executes the baptism.
Baptism is the transformation, beginning, launching of something new in our life. Something which we did not have before.
In life there are many forms of baptism such as full water emersion, sprinkling, surviving through some difficult ordeal, and so forth. All of these things are physical activities. None of them have the power of salvation.
However, baptism is a good teaching aid for describing the spiritual concept of salvation.
There is only one way to be saved and that is through faith in Christ. ‘For by grace are you saved, through faith.’
Baptism, and that means baptism from this world, is an illustration only, of the work of Christ on the Cross as he died to the living world, was buried, and then was raised up from the dead, back to life. Never to die again.
Baptism ties in all three aspects of sin, death, and resurrection. All three of which are the foundation of Christian belief.
We just finished a study of circumcision. That represented the cutting away of something useless, making way for something useful. Likewise, the context continues, with the explanation of baptism, in describing how in faith, we identify with the work of Christ, by believing in who He is and what He accomplished, for us.
And, in our believing that in faith, we are now saved from eternal separation from God and life, that we now possess a future in heaven, that we will one day be resurrected to live forever, and also as far as our current life goes, so that we can live a spiritual life, a functioning spiritual life, advancing to a level of completeness in our life, which God intends for us, and of which is not available anywhere else in this world.
And God even goes further to provide the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which occurred simultaneously with your original faith in Christ, even though you did not feel anything, nor can you. And, this indwelling is often times called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is Gods seal on the salvation contract He issues with every person who believes in Christ.
So, God raised His own Son from death, and likewise in salvation, God guarantees to us, that He can and will raise us up from death - spiritual death during our life, and physical death whenever it occurs for each one of us.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Colossians 2:11
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:11
11 In [en] whom [hos] also [kai] ye are circumcised [peritemno] with the circumcision [peritome] made without hands, [acheiropoietos] in [en] putting off [apekdusis] the body [soma] of the sins [hamartia] of the flesh [sarx] by [en] the circumcision [peritome] of Christ: [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; NASB
Circumcision is a physical surgical act, which represents the spiritual principle of salvation. Introduced in Genesis 17, Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself as well as all of the male members of his group, in order to be a representative sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.
Abrahams name was changed from Abram, just as his physical nature was changed (literally in the circumcision) as well as symbolically for his belief in Gods promise.
Moses was ordered (Ex. 12), to be circumcised as was his son and all of the male members of the nation of Israel because they had lost track of the birth ritual of circumcision, during their four-hundred year enslavement in Egypt.
Zipporah, Moses’ wife, was not pleased with the ritual, and after she circumcised her son, threw the dead cut off skin in Moses’ face, calling him a husband of blood. Which oddly enough is also representative of the work of Christ on the Cross.
Circumcision became associated with the Feast and ordinances of the Passover in Ex. 12, and Ezekiel 44 clearly states that anyone who is not circumcised will not be able to participate in the Passover festivities. Which really means that circumcision is representative of faith in Christ, which further means that without faith, there is no salvation. Therefore, anyone who rejects circumcision, symbolizes an unbeliever. And, anyone who participates in the ritual symbolizes the believer in Christ.
The physical surgical procedure of circumcision is not faith, but only representative of faith. You still have to believe in Christ in order to be saved, regardless of whether you are circumcised or not.
Note, that circumcision is a male surgical procedure, not a female surgical procedure. And even though female circumcision exists, it is nothing more than an attempt to distort the principle of salvation taught in the Bible.
Now, circumcision is the cutting away of the dead skin, which has no useful value, from the male infants’ penis, usually at about eight days of age. This represents the process of doctrine, cutting away the persons unbeliever status (which has no useful value), through faith in Christ. You might be able to find a visual example of the surgical procedure online on You-Tube, which would be a good educational addition to your understanding.
And in so doing makes way for the usefulness of the individual, through spiritual growth. Which growth was not possible prior to salvation.
The circumcision made without hands, is the spiritual circumcision obtained through faith, making it now possible for the believer to advance in their spiritual life, because they have discarded the worthless barrier of unbelief.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:11
11 In [en] whom [hos] also [kai] ye are circumcised [peritemno] with the circumcision [peritome] made without hands, [acheiropoietos] in [en] putting off [apekdusis] the body [soma] of the sins [hamartia] of the flesh [sarx] by [en] the circumcision [peritome] of Christ: [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; NASB
Circumcision is a physical surgical act, which represents the spiritual principle of salvation. Introduced in Genesis 17, Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself as well as all of the male members of his group, in order to be a representative sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.
Abrahams name was changed from Abram, just as his physical nature was changed (literally in the circumcision) as well as symbolically for his belief in Gods promise.
Moses was ordered (Ex. 12), to be circumcised as was his son and all of the male members of the nation of Israel because they had lost track of the birth ritual of circumcision, during their four-hundred year enslavement in Egypt.
Zipporah, Moses’ wife, was not pleased with the ritual, and after she circumcised her son, threw the dead cut off skin in Moses’ face, calling him a husband of blood. Which oddly enough is also representative of the work of Christ on the Cross.
Circumcision became associated with the Feast and ordinances of the Passover in Ex. 12, and Ezekiel 44 clearly states that anyone who is not circumcised will not be able to participate in the Passover festivities. Which really means that circumcision is representative of faith in Christ, which further means that without faith, there is no salvation. Therefore, anyone who rejects circumcision, symbolizes an unbeliever. And, anyone who participates in the ritual symbolizes the believer in Christ.
The physical surgical procedure of circumcision is not faith, but only representative of faith. You still have to believe in Christ in order to be saved, regardless of whether you are circumcised or not.
Note, that circumcision is a male surgical procedure, not a female surgical procedure. And even though female circumcision exists, it is nothing more than an attempt to distort the principle of salvation taught in the Bible.
Now, circumcision is the cutting away of the dead skin, which has no useful value, from the male infants’ penis, usually at about eight days of age. This represents the process of doctrine, cutting away the persons unbeliever status (which has no useful value), through faith in Christ. You might be able to find a visual example of the surgical procedure online on You-Tube, which would be a good educational addition to your understanding.
And in so doing makes way for the usefulness of the individual, through spiritual growth. Which growth was not possible prior to salvation.
The circumcision made without hands, is the spiritual circumcision obtained through faith, making it now possible for the believer to advance in their spiritual life, because they have discarded the worthless barrier of unbelief.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Colossians 2:10
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:10
10 And [kai] ye are [este] complete [pleroo] in [en] him, [autos] which [hos] is [esti] the head [kephale] of all [pas] principality [arche] and [kai] power: [exousia] KJV-Interlinear
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; NASB
In Christ, which is a reference to the written word of God, for the scriptures are often called the written Christ, and by means of the written scriptures which we study day to day, throughout our lives, we are made complete.
By doctrine we become complete. And that obviously implies that without doctrine we are incomplete.
Christ is the living word. Christ is the ultimate sovereign and power in all of existence. We have been looking, in these last several verses, at the philosophic components that exist in the world, as well as the knitting process which takes us from incompleteness to completeness.
And in all of the world, there is no system of authority or power, no knowledge either academically or experientially, that can compare with, or accomplish, what the Bible is able to do.
In all of the world there are guru’s and academics, and controversies, from abortion to global warming to environmental issues, to almost any topic you can think of. And in all of them, none of them solve anything, because they are designed only to divide and conquer the human mind, distracting everyone from doctrine and getting everyone caught up in whatever the current controversy happens to be.
If you are angry or passionate about any given topic, then you are apt to be ignoring your spiritual life as defined by the scriptures. And no matter what your views are toward the weather or politics, or anything else of this world, none of them will complete your life or your person.
And as we have already seen, the world will try to divide your attention and dismantle your life, as an enemy would take his pleasures and spoils from whatever it is that you have or think you have.
Distraction from doctrine leaves you not only incomplete, but empty of meaning and purpose.
In reality, God started the knitting process of your life by starting with process by giving you life beginning with biological life from your parents, but that is not the complete you.
Then He formed you in the womb, but that is not the complete you.
Then at the moment of your birth, your breathed in the ‘breath of life,’ called ‘neshamah,’ or the spark of life, wherein God imputed your soul and human life into that soul, replacing your life support system from your mother through an umbilical cord, with an independent life support system called human life, at the moment of your birth.
Then you began to load your mind with your learning experiences, and you grew up over the years. This is still not the complete you.
Then God introduced Bible doctrine to you, and that began the process of building your spiritual life, allowing you to advance to spiritual maturity. But still this is not the complete you.
Along the way, during your spiritual growth, you utilize doctrine in your daily life. You become productive in your spiritual life, in the things that you do, through doctrine. This production serves to add to and build up your spiritual muscle, your spiritual strength, your spiritual faith, and accelerate your spiritual advancement to maturity. But still this is not the complete you.
One day, you will be called home by the Lord, separating you from your physical body, discarding it and leaving it behind. And one day, soon thereafter, He will replace that physical body with a permanent resurrection body. And this still is not the complete you.
Then you will stand before the Lord, for your inevitable evaluation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There you will receive formal notice of your rewards, blessings, promotions, privileges, etc., all based on your spiritual advancement (or lack of it) from this life. But still, that is not the complete you.
Then when human history reaches its end, when the final judgments have been accomplished, when the universe is destroyed and the next new and permanent universe is created and combined with heaven, then you will receive your final award of whatever it is you are going to receive in eternity, and then you will be complete.
The ultimate completion of your life is to advance as far as possible in your spiritual life now, such that your eternal blessings will be maximized, with nothing withheld. And that will all exceed your wildest dreams and imagination. It is beyond your ability to think or imagine.
And that is what is meant here by ‘complete in Christ.’ Advancement to spiritual maturity in this life, thus qualifying you for maximum blessings both now and in eternity.
Nothing in this world can match that.
But everything in this world will do whatever it takes in order to get you upset, or defensive, or antagonistic, or indifferent, or disagreeable, or controversial, and therefore distracted away from your most valuable possession – your spiritual life.
If the world succeeds, then you lose. And, you lose a lot more than you can even begin to imagine.
Life is a serious matter, unfortunately most folks place more importance on the issues of this world (worldly issues or controversies, which mean nothing), than on the issues of their relationship with Christ through doctrine and all of the principles concerning life, contained within the scriptures.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:10
10 And [kai] ye are [este] complete [pleroo] in [en] him, [autos] which [hos] is [esti] the head [kephale] of all [pas] principality [arche] and [kai] power: [exousia] KJV-Interlinear
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; NASB
In Christ, which is a reference to the written word of God, for the scriptures are often called the written Christ, and by means of the written scriptures which we study day to day, throughout our lives, we are made complete.
By doctrine we become complete. And that obviously implies that without doctrine we are incomplete.
Christ is the living word. Christ is the ultimate sovereign and power in all of existence. We have been looking, in these last several verses, at the philosophic components that exist in the world, as well as the knitting process which takes us from incompleteness to completeness.
And in all of the world, there is no system of authority or power, no knowledge either academically or experientially, that can compare with, or accomplish, what the Bible is able to do.
In all of the world there are guru’s and academics, and controversies, from abortion to global warming to environmental issues, to almost any topic you can think of. And in all of them, none of them solve anything, because they are designed only to divide and conquer the human mind, distracting everyone from doctrine and getting everyone caught up in whatever the current controversy happens to be.
If you are angry or passionate about any given topic, then you are apt to be ignoring your spiritual life as defined by the scriptures. And no matter what your views are toward the weather or politics, or anything else of this world, none of them will complete your life or your person.
And as we have already seen, the world will try to divide your attention and dismantle your life, as an enemy would take his pleasures and spoils from whatever it is that you have or think you have.
Distraction from doctrine leaves you not only incomplete, but empty of meaning and purpose.
In reality, God started the knitting process of your life by starting with process by giving you life beginning with biological life from your parents, but that is not the complete you.
Then He formed you in the womb, but that is not the complete you.
Then at the moment of your birth, your breathed in the ‘breath of life,’ called ‘neshamah,’ or the spark of life, wherein God imputed your soul and human life into that soul, replacing your life support system from your mother through an umbilical cord, with an independent life support system called human life, at the moment of your birth.
Then you began to load your mind with your learning experiences, and you grew up over the years. This is still not the complete you.
Then God introduced Bible doctrine to you, and that began the process of building your spiritual life, allowing you to advance to spiritual maturity. But still this is not the complete you.
Along the way, during your spiritual growth, you utilize doctrine in your daily life. You become productive in your spiritual life, in the things that you do, through doctrine. This production serves to add to and build up your spiritual muscle, your spiritual strength, your spiritual faith, and accelerate your spiritual advancement to maturity. But still this is not the complete you.
One day, you will be called home by the Lord, separating you from your physical body, discarding it and leaving it behind. And one day, soon thereafter, He will replace that physical body with a permanent resurrection body. And this still is not the complete you.
Then you will stand before the Lord, for your inevitable evaluation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There you will receive formal notice of your rewards, blessings, promotions, privileges, etc., all based on your spiritual advancement (or lack of it) from this life. But still, that is not the complete you.
Then when human history reaches its end, when the final judgments have been accomplished, when the universe is destroyed and the next new and permanent universe is created and combined with heaven, then you will receive your final award of whatever it is you are going to receive in eternity, and then you will be complete.
The ultimate completion of your life is to advance as far as possible in your spiritual life now, such that your eternal blessings will be maximized, with nothing withheld. And that will all exceed your wildest dreams and imagination. It is beyond your ability to think or imagine.
And that is what is meant here by ‘complete in Christ.’ Advancement to spiritual maturity in this life, thus qualifying you for maximum blessings both now and in eternity.
Nothing in this world can match that.
But everything in this world will do whatever it takes in order to get you upset, or defensive, or antagonistic, or indifferent, or disagreeable, or controversial, and therefore distracted away from your most valuable possession – your spiritual life.
If the world succeeds, then you lose. And, you lose a lot more than you can even begin to imagine.
Life is a serious matter, unfortunately most folks place more importance on the issues of this world (worldly issues or controversies, which mean nothing), than on the issues of their relationship with Christ through doctrine and all of the principles concerning life, contained within the scriptures.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Colossians 2:9
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:9
9 For [hoti] in [en] him [autos] dwelleth [katoikeo] all [pas] the fulness [pleroma] of the Godhead [theotes] bodily. [somatikos] KJV-Interlinear
9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, NASB
Not to be confused with the term ‘shekhinah,’ the word for dwelleth, ‘katoikeo,’ refers to the total inclusion of the essence of one entity inside another entity which is not a separate entity but one and the same, just in another form. That form being physical rather than spirit.
And so the fullness of God, is all of His essence, became incarnate man.
This does not say that a man was born, and that God simply entered into someone who was already there, but that God Himself became human, and all of the fullness of His existence was included in that person.
They were not separate entities occupying the same body, but one entity, that of God, who manifested Himself as perfect humanity in the person which we know as Jesus Christ.
In all of the philosophies of the world, many aspects of the nature of the incarnate Christ are questioned or even explained away as something that they are not.
In the Old Testament the concept of the ‘shekhinah,’ is a reference to God dwelling or living with His people, and is developed in the stories of God in the clouds, in the mountain, in the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple and so forth. This concept is culminated in the indwelling of all three members of the Godhead, in each individual Christian, beginning at the Feast of Pentecost, just fifty days following the Passover sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.
Today every believer is indwelled by all three members of the Godhead. An event which did not exist in the Old Testament times. And an event which serves to further seal the believers’ eternal relationship with God. That relationship which was promised to Adam and others, and finalized and made secure and permanent at the Cross.
This indwelling does not interfere with the individuals’ intellect or physical functions in life. Both God and person are separate and unique individuals.
However, Jesus was not a man born, and then entered into by God as though they were separate individuals.
Jesus Christ is the unique person of the universe, both God and man in the same person.
And by the way, Gods indwelling of each believer does not give you any advantage in your spiritual relationship or growth. You still must be positive toward your hearing and learning and application, and obedience to doctrine in order to grow up. You can fail in your spiritual growth just as easily as you can succeed, despite the indwelling of the Godhead.
There are of course many implications of this relationship, which will not become manifest to us until eternity. And those implications can be left with your imagination. For now, your relationship with God is tied to your knowledge and understanding and application of Bible doctrine.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:9
9 For [hoti] in [en] him [autos] dwelleth [katoikeo] all [pas] the fulness [pleroma] of the Godhead [theotes] bodily. [somatikos] KJV-Interlinear
9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, NASB
Not to be confused with the term ‘shekhinah,’ the word for dwelleth, ‘katoikeo,’ refers to the total inclusion of the essence of one entity inside another entity which is not a separate entity but one and the same, just in another form. That form being physical rather than spirit.
And so the fullness of God, is all of His essence, became incarnate man.
This does not say that a man was born, and that God simply entered into someone who was already there, but that God Himself became human, and all of the fullness of His existence was included in that person.
They were not separate entities occupying the same body, but one entity, that of God, who manifested Himself as perfect humanity in the person which we know as Jesus Christ.
In all of the philosophies of the world, many aspects of the nature of the incarnate Christ are questioned or even explained away as something that they are not.
In the Old Testament the concept of the ‘shekhinah,’ is a reference to God dwelling or living with His people, and is developed in the stories of God in the clouds, in the mountain, in the Ark of the Covenant, in the Temple and so forth. This concept is culminated in the indwelling of all three members of the Godhead, in each individual Christian, beginning at the Feast of Pentecost, just fifty days following the Passover sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.
Today every believer is indwelled by all three members of the Godhead. An event which did not exist in the Old Testament times. And an event which serves to further seal the believers’ eternal relationship with God. That relationship which was promised to Adam and others, and finalized and made secure and permanent at the Cross.
This indwelling does not interfere with the individuals’ intellect or physical functions in life. Both God and person are separate and unique individuals.
However, Jesus was not a man born, and then entered into by God as though they were separate individuals.
Jesus Christ is the unique person of the universe, both God and man in the same person.
And by the way, Gods indwelling of each believer does not give you any advantage in your spiritual relationship or growth. You still must be positive toward your hearing and learning and application, and obedience to doctrine in order to grow up. You can fail in your spiritual growth just as easily as you can succeed, despite the indwelling of the Godhead.
There are of course many implications of this relationship, which will not become manifest to us until eternity. And those implications can be left with your imagination. For now, your relationship with God is tied to your knowledge and understanding and application of Bible doctrine.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Colossians 2:8
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:8
8 Beware [blepo] lest [me] any man [tis] spoil [esomai] [sulagogeo] you [humas] through [dia] philosophy [philosophia] and [kai] vain [kenos] deceit, [apate] after [kata] the tradition [paradosis] of men, [anthropos] after [kata] the rudiments [stoicheion] of the world, [kosmos] and [kai] not [ou] after [kata] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. NASB
Spoil, ‘esomai,’ is a military word used for the spoils of war, when the enemy takes you captive and steals from you, all that you own. Your possessions lost, include all the tangible things you have, your possessions, but also your self-worth, your dignity, everything that makes you an individual.
Philosophy refers to any system of thought that originates from mans imagination or invention or theory.
Back in Pauls day, the philosophies that were common were the Greek philosophies (secular), the Jewish opinions (Levitical works), and the eastern philosophies (oneness with nature). All three approached life from non-Biblical views.
These philosophies, religions and so forth, and more, which have occurred throughout history even into our present day, have rejected the fundamental principles of Christianity, which is Christ.
Tradition simply refers to the custom or practice or lifestyle which exists when Christianity is excluded from ones life.
Christianity is the pursuit of truth. Truth is the application of facts, correct facts, to reality, in order to have a clear picture of what is real and what is not real.
Everything else, every other philosophy or system of belief, is an exclusion of truth, therefore when truth is excluded, then lies are all that remain. You cannot gain a clear picture of life or reality when you base your views on lies.
Pursuit of truth introduces you to the real you, who you are, why you are, what you are. Truth allows you to understand your worth and purpose in life.
Advancing in ones understanding of truth (which comes by means of learning and applying doctrine to your daily life), gains you access to Gods blessings. Gods blessings become your possessions for all of eternity. Gods blessings are real possessions and permanent possessions.
And, unlike the possessions of this world which are temporary, not real, and not eternal, Gods possessions have intrinsic value. Therefore, when you allow the philosophies of this world, the opinions of this world to temp you away from truth, then you are risking phenomenal wealth.
In a war, the enemy can sweep in and take away all that you own, including your dignity and self respect. An enemy can lower you to the level of a slave or a serving animal. And that is what the world does to you, if you allow it, by means of your indifference or disobedience toward God, Christ, and doctrine.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:8
8 Beware [blepo] lest [me] any man [tis] spoil [esomai] [sulagogeo] you [humas] through [dia] philosophy [philosophia] and [kai] vain [kenos] deceit, [apate] after [kata] the tradition [paradosis] of men, [anthropos] after [kata] the rudiments [stoicheion] of the world, [kosmos] and [kai] not [ou] after [kata] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. NASB
Spoil, ‘esomai,’ is a military word used for the spoils of war, when the enemy takes you captive and steals from you, all that you own. Your possessions lost, include all the tangible things you have, your possessions, but also your self-worth, your dignity, everything that makes you an individual.
Philosophy refers to any system of thought that originates from mans imagination or invention or theory.
Back in Pauls day, the philosophies that were common were the Greek philosophies (secular), the Jewish opinions (Levitical works), and the eastern philosophies (oneness with nature). All three approached life from non-Biblical views.
These philosophies, religions and so forth, and more, which have occurred throughout history even into our present day, have rejected the fundamental principles of Christianity, which is Christ.
Tradition simply refers to the custom or practice or lifestyle which exists when Christianity is excluded from ones life.
Christianity is the pursuit of truth. Truth is the application of facts, correct facts, to reality, in order to have a clear picture of what is real and what is not real.
Everything else, every other philosophy or system of belief, is an exclusion of truth, therefore when truth is excluded, then lies are all that remain. You cannot gain a clear picture of life or reality when you base your views on lies.
Pursuit of truth introduces you to the real you, who you are, why you are, what you are. Truth allows you to understand your worth and purpose in life.
Advancing in ones understanding of truth (which comes by means of learning and applying doctrine to your daily life), gains you access to Gods blessings. Gods blessings become your possessions for all of eternity. Gods blessings are real possessions and permanent possessions.
And, unlike the possessions of this world which are temporary, not real, and not eternal, Gods possessions have intrinsic value. Therefore, when you allow the philosophies of this world, the opinions of this world to temp you away from truth, then you are risking phenomenal wealth.
In a war, the enemy can sweep in and take away all that you own, including your dignity and self respect. An enemy can lower you to the level of a slave or a serving animal. And that is what the world does to you, if you allow it, by means of your indifference or disobedience toward God, Christ, and doctrine.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Colossians 2:7
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:7
7 Rooted [rhizoo] and [kai] built up [epoikodomeo] in [en] him, [autos] and [kai] stablished [bebaioo] in [en] the faith, [pistis] as [kathos] ye have been taught, [didasko] abounding [perisseuo] therein [en] [autos] with [en] thanksgiving. [eucharistia] KJV-Interlinear
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. NASB
As you learn doctrine, the principles of spiritual understanding root themselves deep inside of your soul. More doctrine, more application, and more time, all three develop spiritual muscle, which in turn ingrains spiritual knowledge, understanding, and wisdom inside of your soul.
Often times we call this the result of spiritual growth, or spiritual production. This is the creation or fabrication of spiritual resources within your life.
And this is said to be built up in Him, in Christ, who is the living source of Bible doctrine, or truth, which is available to each and every one of us through the written word.
And all of this, gives us faith, or the reliance in life on something that we cannot see or even detect, or measure. We can only believe. And based on faith alone, we look to God for a phenomenal future in heaven, with overwhelming gratitude.
But this overwhelming gratitude is a mirror of the overwhelming provision which God gives to us, or will give to us in eternity.
The word for abounding, ‘perisseuo,’ means super-abound, abundance, excess. And when you match it to eternity, then Gods provision is so vast, that you could never use, or use up, his provision in all of eternity. And that is a lot.
Even in this life, where we seem to be living through an age of narcissism. As people have become so consumed with themselves, with their own desires, with their own ego’s, with their own wants, with their own beliefs, with their own opinions, to the exclusion of anything and anyone else. And, ignoring all of the repercussions.
And yet with all of the worldly things that drive this attitude, which results in absolutely nothing for ones life, there is still the simply written word, the scriptures, with their hidden code, as it were, undiscoverable by any human means, but hold the key to riches and wealth so vast that this universe cannot contain it all.
And people miss it all because of their fixation on their carnal lifestyles and greed, due to their indifference toward truth.
The bulk of the world has been anti-God for generations. The bulk of the world has been in poverty for generations. The bulk of the world pursues religions, not to honor God, but as a means to an end, which is their selfish desires of gratification of sin related pursuits.
Christianity honors God through Christ, and as a result of mindful obedience to His Word, God supplies spiritually mature believers with blessings so vast, you will never be able to measure them all.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:7
7 Rooted [rhizoo] and [kai] built up [epoikodomeo] in [en] him, [autos] and [kai] stablished [bebaioo] in [en] the faith, [pistis] as [kathos] ye have been taught, [didasko] abounding [perisseuo] therein [en] [autos] with [en] thanksgiving. [eucharistia] KJV-Interlinear
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. NASB
As you learn doctrine, the principles of spiritual understanding root themselves deep inside of your soul. More doctrine, more application, and more time, all three develop spiritual muscle, which in turn ingrains spiritual knowledge, understanding, and wisdom inside of your soul.
Often times we call this the result of spiritual growth, or spiritual production. This is the creation or fabrication of spiritual resources within your life.
And this is said to be built up in Him, in Christ, who is the living source of Bible doctrine, or truth, which is available to each and every one of us through the written word.
And all of this, gives us faith, or the reliance in life on something that we cannot see or even detect, or measure. We can only believe. And based on faith alone, we look to God for a phenomenal future in heaven, with overwhelming gratitude.
But this overwhelming gratitude is a mirror of the overwhelming provision which God gives to us, or will give to us in eternity.
The word for abounding, ‘perisseuo,’ means super-abound, abundance, excess. And when you match it to eternity, then Gods provision is so vast, that you could never use, or use up, his provision in all of eternity. And that is a lot.
Even in this life, where we seem to be living through an age of narcissism. As people have become so consumed with themselves, with their own desires, with their own ego’s, with their own wants, with their own beliefs, with their own opinions, to the exclusion of anything and anyone else. And, ignoring all of the repercussions.
And yet with all of the worldly things that drive this attitude, which results in absolutely nothing for ones life, there is still the simply written word, the scriptures, with their hidden code, as it were, undiscoverable by any human means, but hold the key to riches and wealth so vast that this universe cannot contain it all.
And people miss it all because of their fixation on their carnal lifestyles and greed, due to their indifference toward truth.
The bulk of the world has been anti-God for generations. The bulk of the world has been in poverty for generations. The bulk of the world pursues religions, not to honor God, but as a means to an end, which is their selfish desires of gratification of sin related pursuits.
Christianity honors God through Christ, and as a result of mindful obedience to His Word, God supplies spiritually mature believers with blessings so vast, you will never be able to measure them all.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Colossians 2:6
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:6
6 As [hos] ye have [paralambano] therefore [oun] received [paralambano] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous] the Lord, [kurios] so walk ye [peripateo] in [en] him: [autos] KJV-Interlinear
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, NASB
And so you are to knit together a meaningful and purposeful life together by means of studying the scriptures on a daily basis. Doctrine is the food for the soul and food is consumed over and over, again and again, day after day, throughout your entire life.
Do you know of anyone who can eat only occasionally, or perhaps once in their lifetime, or perhaps never eat during their life? Anyone who does not pursue a decent diet will inevitably end up on their sick or death bed.
And Bible doctrine is the only source of foods for the soul that are healthy and good for you and taste good too. Anything else is bad for you, even poisonous.
And since you are to study and grow up, you are also to live your day to day life as Christ expects you to live it.
The full circle of wisdom includes the learning, the understanding, the believing, and the application of the principles and mandates of doctrine to your daily life. This is called faith with works, in James. The ‘works’ refer to the daily application of doctrine to your life.
No one can simply have the information in their minds and never use it, and then expect good results. That would be unreasonable.
In order to have a spiritually productive life, you must combine what you learn, with your daily life, and be consistent between the two.
And this is generally where most folks mess up in their spiritual lives. They are inconsistent in the spiritual functions of their life.
They do not study regularly. They do not confess their sins to God the Father regularly (a must since you have to be in fellowship before any aspects of your spiritual life will function properly). They do not pray regularly.
They do not apply Gods mandates (daily study, study support, charity support, fundamental honesty, objectivity, etc.), to their life (disobedience in effect in its many, many, many subtle forms). They have unreasonable expectations from life. Rather than utilizing the principles of doctrine to judge and gauge their own life, they have a tendency of judging others, of which judgment they have no right. Hasn’t anyone ever pointed their finger at you and said, ‘You better re-read your Bible!’
In order to have a successful spiritual life, you have to look inside of yourself and apply Gods standards and expectations to your own life. And certainly you have to learn and understand Gods plan for your own life as well as Gods plan for humanity and history in general, and adjust your life to God.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:6
6 As [hos] ye have [paralambano] therefore [oun] received [paralambano] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous] the Lord, [kurios] so walk ye [peripateo] in [en] him: [autos] KJV-Interlinear
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, NASB
And so you are to knit together a meaningful and purposeful life together by means of studying the scriptures on a daily basis. Doctrine is the food for the soul and food is consumed over and over, again and again, day after day, throughout your entire life.
Do you know of anyone who can eat only occasionally, or perhaps once in their lifetime, or perhaps never eat during their life? Anyone who does not pursue a decent diet will inevitably end up on their sick or death bed.
And Bible doctrine is the only source of foods for the soul that are healthy and good for you and taste good too. Anything else is bad for you, even poisonous.
And since you are to study and grow up, you are also to live your day to day life as Christ expects you to live it.
The full circle of wisdom includes the learning, the understanding, the believing, and the application of the principles and mandates of doctrine to your daily life. This is called faith with works, in James. The ‘works’ refer to the daily application of doctrine to your life.
No one can simply have the information in their minds and never use it, and then expect good results. That would be unreasonable.
In order to have a spiritually productive life, you must combine what you learn, with your daily life, and be consistent between the two.
And this is generally where most folks mess up in their spiritual lives. They are inconsistent in the spiritual functions of their life.
They do not study regularly. They do not confess their sins to God the Father regularly (a must since you have to be in fellowship before any aspects of your spiritual life will function properly). They do not pray regularly.
They do not apply Gods mandates (daily study, study support, charity support, fundamental honesty, objectivity, etc.), to their life (disobedience in effect in its many, many, many subtle forms). They have unreasonable expectations from life. Rather than utilizing the principles of doctrine to judge and gauge their own life, they have a tendency of judging others, of which judgment they have no right. Hasn’t anyone ever pointed their finger at you and said, ‘You better re-read your Bible!’
In order to have a successful spiritual life, you have to look inside of yourself and apply Gods standards and expectations to your own life. And certainly you have to learn and understand Gods plan for your own life as well as Gods plan for humanity and history in general, and adjust your life to God.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Colossians 2:5
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:5
5 For [gar] though [ei kai] I be absent [apeimi] in the flesh, [sarx] yet [alla] am I [eimi] with [sun] you [humin] in the spirit, [pneuma] joying [chairo] and [kai] beholding [blepo] your [humon] order, [taxis] and [kai] the stedfastness [stereoma] of your [humon] faith [pistis] in [eis] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. NASB
You do not have to sit in front of a teacher or instructor, in order to learn. You do not have to have a pastor, or preacher, or instructor in your presence in order to learn spiritual truth.
The Word of God is also called Christ. Jesus Christ is also called the living word. Christ is called the Word, and so forth. When you have the content of the scriptures in you, you also have Christ in you. They are virtually the same, in effect.
Christ is not with us physically. He has not been on this earth walking and talking among humanity for nearly 2000 years. No one, except those who lived in that first Christian generation, has seen Jesus, nor has anyone heard His voice, since then.
And yet through the generations people have studied the word, learned it, written about it and taught it to untold billions.
Sitting in a beautiful cathedral, or church, in a tent, or even in your own home, will make no difference to your learning potential. There is no advantage in your surroundings, with respect to growing up in life. In fact most of your growing up takes place in your everyday life, which is not in a church, but in your home, on the road, at work, etc.
Most of your growing up, in fact all of your growing up, is based on your thought processes, not your environment.
Paul is pleased with the successful spiritual growth and steadfastness of those folks he knew or had heard of, but you also should be pleased when you advance in your spiritual life, when you hear of others advancing in their spiritual lives, when you participate in the advancement of others in their spiritual life, simply because most blessing comes from God to advancing believers.
The more spiritually mature believers there are in the world, the more prosperity there is. Fewer believers advancing means less prosperity, and greater adversity.
The order of ones mind, comes through doctrine in the soul. Doctrine in the soul means more responsibility in ones life. Who you are, where you live, what you do, and how you learn are irrelevant.
With doctrine comes freedom. Freedom brings responsibility. Responsibility brings liberty. Liberty brings opportunity. Opportunity brings success. Success brings prosperity. Prosperity brings wealth. Wealth brings security. Security brings contentment. Contentment brings true happiness.
That is your objective, and it all begins with Bible doctrine. Nothing else in life can produce happiness.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:5
5 For [gar] though [ei kai] I be absent [apeimi] in the flesh, [sarx] yet [alla] am I [eimi] with [sun] you [humin] in the spirit, [pneuma] joying [chairo] and [kai] beholding [blepo] your [humon] order, [taxis] and [kai] the stedfastness [stereoma] of your [humon] faith [pistis] in [eis] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. NASB
You do not have to sit in front of a teacher or instructor, in order to learn. You do not have to have a pastor, or preacher, or instructor in your presence in order to learn spiritual truth.
The Word of God is also called Christ. Jesus Christ is also called the living word. Christ is called the Word, and so forth. When you have the content of the scriptures in you, you also have Christ in you. They are virtually the same, in effect.
Christ is not with us physically. He has not been on this earth walking and talking among humanity for nearly 2000 years. No one, except those who lived in that first Christian generation, has seen Jesus, nor has anyone heard His voice, since then.
And yet through the generations people have studied the word, learned it, written about it and taught it to untold billions.
Sitting in a beautiful cathedral, or church, in a tent, or even in your own home, will make no difference to your learning potential. There is no advantage in your surroundings, with respect to growing up in life. In fact most of your growing up takes place in your everyday life, which is not in a church, but in your home, on the road, at work, etc.
Most of your growing up, in fact all of your growing up, is based on your thought processes, not your environment.
Paul is pleased with the successful spiritual growth and steadfastness of those folks he knew or had heard of, but you also should be pleased when you advance in your spiritual life, when you hear of others advancing in their spiritual lives, when you participate in the advancement of others in their spiritual life, simply because most blessing comes from God to advancing believers.
The more spiritually mature believers there are in the world, the more prosperity there is. Fewer believers advancing means less prosperity, and greater adversity.
The order of ones mind, comes through doctrine in the soul. Doctrine in the soul means more responsibility in ones life. Who you are, where you live, what you do, and how you learn are irrelevant.
With doctrine comes freedom. Freedom brings responsibility. Responsibility brings liberty. Liberty brings opportunity. Opportunity brings success. Success brings prosperity. Prosperity brings wealth. Wealth brings security. Security brings contentment. Contentment brings true happiness.
That is your objective, and it all begins with Bible doctrine. Nothing else in life can produce happiness.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Colossians 2:4
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:4
4 And [de] this [touto] I say, [lego] lest [hina me] any man [tis] should beguile [paralogizomai] you [humas] with [en] enticing words. [pithanologia] KJV-Interlinear
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. NASB
Your primary responsibility in this life, is to God. In that responsibility, God mandates you to be responsible in all aspects of life.
However, there comes into the picture the world with all of its excuses. And remember this for certain. Any argument promoted by the world view, is an excuse and nothing else.
The beguiling aspects of the world encumbers everything from indifference, to plausible arguments which are used to justify whatever it is that you believe, or want to believe, or want to be your truth.
This is the typical excuse for doing whatever it is that you want to do in life, rather than being responsible. You want something and so you justify it with some form of argument. ‘I need it.’ ‘We need it.’ ‘It is for the children.’ And so forth. The argument is entrenched into your mind such that any other priority, any other responsibility is swept aside, even ignored.
Some folks don’t pay their bills, others don’t do their home work for school, others do not attend to their marital responsibilities, and so forth. Society in general dismisses its responsibilities when doctrine is lacking, and the special interests, whether business or unions or cultures, or whatever, make their own interests greater than what may or may not be good for everyone. And they think nothing of the repercussions of their actions. Why is California on the verge of bankruptcy, with all of their wealth? Huge government pension plans, huge government runaway spending programs, huge bureaucracy.
People actually do not believe that there will be any repercussions, at least none that would be their fault. If anything goes wrong, it is obviously someone else's fault.
When Bible doctrine is not real in your soul, then you are open to almost any form of persuasion. You can be fooled easily, because you set yourself up for being fooled easily, so much so, that you don’t care whether or not you are being fooled, while you do not believe that you can be fooled. You simply convince yourself and that is enough.
And who is at fault? ‘Fool me twice …’
And unfortunately, God has to bring the harsh realities into your life by means of devastating disasters, before you will open up your eyes and see your error.
This is bad enough for a single person, or a family to run into hard times, but it is really bad when an entire nation is heading off course down the wrong road.
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Colossians 2:4
4 And [de] this [touto] I say, [lego] lest [hina me] any man [tis] should beguile [paralogizomai] you [humas] with [en] enticing words. [pithanologia] KJV-Interlinear
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. NASB
Your primary responsibility in this life, is to God. In that responsibility, God mandates you to be responsible in all aspects of life.
However, there comes into the picture the world with all of its excuses. And remember this for certain. Any argument promoted by the world view, is an excuse and nothing else.
The beguiling aspects of the world encumbers everything from indifference, to plausible arguments which are used to justify whatever it is that you believe, or want to believe, or want to be your truth.
This is the typical excuse for doing whatever it is that you want to do in life, rather than being responsible. You want something and so you justify it with some form of argument. ‘I need it.’ ‘We need it.’ ‘It is for the children.’ And so forth. The argument is entrenched into your mind such that any other priority, any other responsibility is swept aside, even ignored.
Some folks don’t pay their bills, others don’t do their home work for school, others do not attend to their marital responsibilities, and so forth. Society in general dismisses its responsibilities when doctrine is lacking, and the special interests, whether business or unions or cultures, or whatever, make their own interests greater than what may or may not be good for everyone. And they think nothing of the repercussions of their actions. Why is California on the verge of bankruptcy, with all of their wealth? Huge government pension plans, huge government runaway spending programs, huge bureaucracy.
People actually do not believe that there will be any repercussions, at least none that would be their fault. If anything goes wrong, it is obviously someone else's fault.
When Bible doctrine is not real in your soul, then you are open to almost any form of persuasion. You can be fooled easily, because you set yourself up for being fooled easily, so much so, that you don’t care whether or not you are being fooled, while you do not believe that you can be fooled. You simply convince yourself and that is enough.
And who is at fault? ‘Fool me twice …’
And unfortunately, God has to bring the harsh realities into your life by means of devastating disasters, before you will open up your eyes and see your error.
This is bad enough for a single person, or a family to run into hard times, but it is really bad when an entire nation is heading off course down the wrong road.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Colossians 2:3
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Colossians 2:3
3 In [en] whom [hos] are [eisi] hid [apokruphos] all [pas] the treasures [thesauros] of wisdom [sophia] and [kai] knowledge. [gnosis] KJV-Interlinear
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. NASB
Christ was previously mentioned in the last verse, so the phrase, ‘in whom,’ is in reference to Christ specifically, since the rest of this verse refers to the wisdom and knowledge of God, and to God in general, in that Christ is a member of the Godhead, of whom all members possess these attributes.
Hidden is the reference to Christ, in whom these treasures, are maintained.
Christ does not hide doctrine or the blessings that come from doctrine. But Christ does possess them, and they are not accessible, nor discoverable by anyone who does not approach God, Christ, or doctrine, in the proper way.
To approach God apart from Christ, is impossible.
To approach doctrine apart from fellowship, is impossible.
To approach spiritual maturity apart from the spiritual method authorized by God, is impossible.
They are in effect, hidden or inaccessible, when the wrong approaches are used.
Treasures, is a reference to a deposit of wealth. The deposit is similar to one of money deposited into a bank. Only in this case, the deposit is of doctrine and its application, which results in the construction of a spiritual structure within your soul.]
A deposit into a bank comes with interest earnings. An investment into a profitable venture, returns profits, and wages, and dividends.
And as far as doctrine is concerned, these things are returned to the one who possesses the doctrine, but the person also becomes a partner and owner of the wealth deposited.
Wisdom is the full range of understanding and the ability to apply it to life. Knowledge, ‘gnosis,’ is the full range of the details of information which are the building blocks, or components, that lead one to understanding and then to wisdom.
So in effect, Christ is the one and only source, and path to success in life. Anything else, means absolute failure.
You either commit yourself to Christ (the study of doctrine, the application of doctrine, the growth in doctrine, obedience to His mandates, responsibility in life, and termination of ones whining sin nature anecdotes), and through that approach, to success.
Or, you can continue on your merry way, as you are, and to certain failure in life, regardless of what this world does to you or for you.
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Colossians 2:3
3 In [en] whom [hos] are [eisi] hid [apokruphos] all [pas] the treasures [thesauros] of wisdom [sophia] and [kai] knowledge. [gnosis] KJV-Interlinear
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. NASB
Christ was previously mentioned in the last verse, so the phrase, ‘in whom,’ is in reference to Christ specifically, since the rest of this verse refers to the wisdom and knowledge of God, and to God in general, in that Christ is a member of the Godhead, of whom all members possess these attributes.
Hidden is the reference to Christ, in whom these treasures, are maintained.
Christ does not hide doctrine or the blessings that come from doctrine. But Christ does possess them, and they are not accessible, nor discoverable by anyone who does not approach God, Christ, or doctrine, in the proper way.
To approach God apart from Christ, is impossible.
To approach doctrine apart from fellowship, is impossible.
To approach spiritual maturity apart from the spiritual method authorized by God, is impossible.
They are in effect, hidden or inaccessible, when the wrong approaches are used.
Treasures, is a reference to a deposit of wealth. The deposit is similar to one of money deposited into a bank. Only in this case, the deposit is of doctrine and its application, which results in the construction of a spiritual structure within your soul.]
A deposit into a bank comes with interest earnings. An investment into a profitable venture, returns profits, and wages, and dividends.
And as far as doctrine is concerned, these things are returned to the one who possesses the doctrine, but the person also becomes a partner and owner of the wealth deposited.
Wisdom is the full range of understanding and the ability to apply it to life. Knowledge, ‘gnosis,’ is the full range of the details of information which are the building blocks, or components, that lead one to understanding and then to wisdom.
So in effect, Christ is the one and only source, and path to success in life. Anything else, means absolute failure.
You either commit yourself to Christ (the study of doctrine, the application of doctrine, the growth in doctrine, obedience to His mandates, responsibility in life, and termination of ones whining sin nature anecdotes), and through that approach, to success.
Or, you can continue on your merry way, as you are, and to certain failure in life, regardless of what this world does to you or for you.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Colossians 2:2
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Colossians 2:2
2 That [hina] their [autos] hearts [kardia] might be comforted, [parakaleo] being knit together [sumbibazo] in [en] love, [agape] and [kai] unto [eis] all [pas] riches [ploutos] of the full assurance [plerophoria] of understanding, [sunesis] to [eis] the acknowledgement [epignosis] of the mystery [musterion] of God, [theos] and [kai] of the Father, [pater] and [kai] of Christ; [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, NASB
God gave us the written word, in order that our hearts, the actively functioning or thinking or thought process, of our soul, might be settled, confident, rested, relaxed, poised, not worried, not tense, not intimidated, not stressed, not anxious, about life, about your own life, and about your future, and the certainty of your future with Him.
This level of comfort comes from the knitting together of doctrine, in your soul. This knitting process is the apparatus which God has designed to enable us to learn doctrine, understand doctrine, metabolize doctrine into our soul, to possess doctrine, to apply doctrine, and thus grow up to the ultimate goal of spiritual maturity.
Maturity does not come only from hearing the word, but from the entire method of this knitting process, which ties the spiritual life, in all of its aspects, together.
Pretense of a Christian life is not enough, imitation of a Christian life is not enough, going through the outward actions of the Christian life is not enough. And in fact any one of these or all of these when they exclude Gods total process for growing, are simply evil attempts to generate an artificial spiritual life, which is not a real spiritual life.
Love here, ‘agape,’ is a reference for the principles of doctrine, the mandates, the precepts, the total content of the scriptures as they should be applied to ones life. This is not a reference to anything emotional, or affectionate.
The result of your spiritual growth to maturity, is the blessing, the phenomenal blessings which accompany that spiritual achievement. An immature believer does not receive those advanced blessings.
There are blessings for simply having believed in Christ, that is certain, but there are advanced blessings, beyond ones imagination, for those, and only for those, who advance in their spiritual life.
To be saved is good, but to take your spiritual life seriously, and to pursue spiritual growth with a genuine passion for wanting to grow up, is infinitely better. The word for understanding, ‘sunesis,’ is a complimentary word for the knitting process, the putting together, for the opening of the eyes and being able to tie it all together, to see, to understand, to comprehend life.
All of this resulting in the truth, the knowledge, the wisdom regarding God (the ultimate power and wisdom), even the Father (the author of the divine plan), and Christ (the Son, the one who makes it all happen).
You have been placed on notice, for your life. You have the warnings and the instruction.
You can pursue your daily life in this temporal world, getting easily upset, expecting things from others, wanting your way, allowing your sin nature to rule your life, and consequently defeating yourself and losing your entire eternal future.
Or, you can get your life together, and get serious about doctrine, and become a winner and successful, and gain self control over your life, in the only place that it will count when history and your life are all said and done.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:2
2 That [hina] their [autos] hearts [kardia] might be comforted, [parakaleo] being knit together [sumbibazo] in [en] love, [agape] and [kai] unto [eis] all [pas] riches [ploutos] of the full assurance [plerophoria] of understanding, [sunesis] to [eis] the acknowledgement [epignosis] of the mystery [musterion] of God, [theos] and [kai] of the Father, [pater] and [kai] of Christ; [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, NASB
God gave us the written word, in order that our hearts, the actively functioning or thinking or thought process, of our soul, might be settled, confident, rested, relaxed, poised, not worried, not tense, not intimidated, not stressed, not anxious, about life, about your own life, and about your future, and the certainty of your future with Him.
This level of comfort comes from the knitting together of doctrine, in your soul. This knitting process is the apparatus which God has designed to enable us to learn doctrine, understand doctrine, metabolize doctrine into our soul, to possess doctrine, to apply doctrine, and thus grow up to the ultimate goal of spiritual maturity.
Maturity does not come only from hearing the word, but from the entire method of this knitting process, which ties the spiritual life, in all of its aspects, together.
Pretense of a Christian life is not enough, imitation of a Christian life is not enough, going through the outward actions of the Christian life is not enough. And in fact any one of these or all of these when they exclude Gods total process for growing, are simply evil attempts to generate an artificial spiritual life, which is not a real spiritual life.
Love here, ‘agape,’ is a reference for the principles of doctrine, the mandates, the precepts, the total content of the scriptures as they should be applied to ones life. This is not a reference to anything emotional, or affectionate.
The result of your spiritual growth to maturity, is the blessing, the phenomenal blessings which accompany that spiritual achievement. An immature believer does not receive those advanced blessings.
There are blessings for simply having believed in Christ, that is certain, but there are advanced blessings, beyond ones imagination, for those, and only for those, who advance in their spiritual life.
To be saved is good, but to take your spiritual life seriously, and to pursue spiritual growth with a genuine passion for wanting to grow up, is infinitely better. The word for understanding, ‘sunesis,’ is a complimentary word for the knitting process, the putting together, for the opening of the eyes and being able to tie it all together, to see, to understand, to comprehend life.
All of this resulting in the truth, the knowledge, the wisdom regarding God (the ultimate power and wisdom), even the Father (the author of the divine plan), and Christ (the Son, the one who makes it all happen).
You have been placed on notice, for your life. You have the warnings and the instruction.
You can pursue your daily life in this temporal world, getting easily upset, expecting things from others, wanting your way, allowing your sin nature to rule your life, and consequently defeating yourself and losing your entire eternal future.
Or, you can get your life together, and get serious about doctrine, and become a winner and successful, and gain self control over your life, in the only place that it will count when history and your life are all said and done.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Colossians 2:1
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Colossians 2:1
1 For [gar] I would [thelo] that ye [humas] knew [eido] what great [helikos] conflict [agon] I have [echo] for [peri] you, [humon] and [kai] for them at [en] Laodicea, [Laodikeia] and [kai] for as many as [hosos] have [horao] not [ou] seen [horao] my [mou] face [prosopon] in [en] the flesh; [sarx] KJV-Interlinear
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, NASB
The key to this verse is the word for struggle or conflict or agony, ‘agon.’ It refers to the efforts endured by competitors, combatants, contests, struggles, efforts in public games, the toil and conflict required and endured in order to obtain a victory. It refers to the anxious care or mental conflict, the earnest attentiveness which Paul had in their behalf, in view of the dangers that his readers or listeners were exposed to in their daily lives.
Heb. 12:1
12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, NASB
We have surrounding us untold numbers of angelic witnesses, not to mention any human witnesses, that observe our lives from day to day.
Life, in this life, is a contest, with two sides struggling for your attention. It is often said that if you win the minds of the people then you own them. And Satan is a master of propaganda and deception. He doesn’t even have to choreograph the activities of the media, or society, since there are so many people out there who fall all over themselves in doing his bidding, simply because of the lack of truth within them.
On the one hand there is the world, run by the laws of the jungle, following the policies of evil.
On the other hand there is doctrine, run by the laws of Christ, following the policies of truth.
We are all taught through warning and instruction. We covered this concept just the other day. And because of this conflict, there enters into our daily lives, great stresses which make it difficult to advance in our spiritual life, pushing us constantly toward worldly views and philosophies.
Those who are indifferent toward doctrine, unknowingly are caught up in the worlds swift moving current, carrying them further and further away from truth.
Those who try to maintain some semblance of a positive attitude in their spiritual life, discover that there are many obstacles, opinions, views, situations that they have to overcome over and over, day after day, for all of their life. This is the contest for your soul. And what is at stake is you eternal future.
We have never seen Paul, but we read the words he recorded almost 2000 years ago. We have never seen Christ, and yet we look to Him through faith, relying exclusively on faith, in our struggle through this life.
On the side of faith are words written long ago. On the worlds side are the enticements, pressures, stresses, temptations, lures, inducements, incentives, tangible things, instant gratifications, peer pressures and more.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:1
1 For [gar] I would [thelo] that ye [humas] knew [eido] what great [helikos] conflict [agon] I have [echo] for [peri] you, [humon] and [kai] for them at [en] Laodicea, [Laodikeia] and [kai] for as many as [hosos] have [horao] not [ou] seen [horao] my [mou] face [prosopon] in [en] the flesh; [sarx] KJV-Interlinear
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, NASB
The key to this verse is the word for struggle or conflict or agony, ‘agon.’ It refers to the efforts endured by competitors, combatants, contests, struggles, efforts in public games, the toil and conflict required and endured in order to obtain a victory. It refers to the anxious care or mental conflict, the earnest attentiveness which Paul had in their behalf, in view of the dangers that his readers or listeners were exposed to in their daily lives.
Heb. 12:1
12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, NASB
We have surrounding us untold numbers of angelic witnesses, not to mention any human witnesses, that observe our lives from day to day.
Life, in this life, is a contest, with two sides struggling for your attention. It is often said that if you win the minds of the people then you own them. And Satan is a master of propaganda and deception. He doesn’t even have to choreograph the activities of the media, or society, since there are so many people out there who fall all over themselves in doing his bidding, simply because of the lack of truth within them.
On the one hand there is the world, run by the laws of the jungle, following the policies of evil.
On the other hand there is doctrine, run by the laws of Christ, following the policies of truth.
We are all taught through warning and instruction. We covered this concept just the other day. And because of this conflict, there enters into our daily lives, great stresses which make it difficult to advance in our spiritual life, pushing us constantly toward worldly views and philosophies.
Those who are indifferent toward doctrine, unknowingly are caught up in the worlds swift moving current, carrying them further and further away from truth.
Those who try to maintain some semblance of a positive attitude in their spiritual life, discover that there are many obstacles, opinions, views, situations that they have to overcome over and over, day after day, for all of their life. This is the contest for your soul. And what is at stake is you eternal future.
We have never seen Paul, but we read the words he recorded almost 2000 years ago. We have never seen Christ, and yet we look to Him through faith, relying exclusively on faith, in our struggle through this life.
On the side of faith are words written long ago. On the worlds side are the enticements, pressures, stresses, temptations, lures, inducements, incentives, tangible things, instant gratifications, peer pressures and more.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Colossians 1:29
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Colossians 1:29
29 Whereunto [eis] [hos] I [kopiao] also [kai] labour, [kopiao] striving [agonizomai] according to [kata] his [autos] working, [energeia] which [ho] worketh [energeo] in [en] me [emoi] mightily [en]. [dunamis] KJV-Interlinear
29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. NASB
It is for this purpose, the teaching and dissemination of the word of God, that Paul has dedicated his life.
Paul does not do it by means of his own power or ability, but by the power of God within him. That power anchored in doctrine which Paul has learned, and applied, and grown up with these past couple of decades of his life, is the source of his success.
Paul started out his life, on the wrong foot. He at first saw his life as promoting the Levitical principles, which led him to horrendous persecutions of Christians. But his meeting face to face with Jesus set him straight.
Since that time, Paul pursued an intense education from the scriptures, and learned daily from what the apostles taught him from what Jesus had taught them, and Paul excelled tremendously to the point that he traveled and taught and wrote to many hundreds and thousands of people in his day.
And through his writings, many billions have benefited through these many centuries.
God chose the right person for the right job in his time in history. Despite Pauls messed up start in life, doctrine turned him around and that resulted in phenomenal benefit for both you and me and many billions since his time.
God provided Paul with many people who contributed to and supported his ministry. From financial aid to social aid, to educational aid, to nearly every kind of service imaginable, God provided Paul with the necessary help to make his ministry successful, and thus promote the gospel and doctrine to untold billions of people.
Paul was used by God, because Paul was prepared. God placed Paul into history, because Paul was the right person for that time in Gods plan.
Likewise, God chose and placed you into history at the time of your birth and during these past years or decades, because you were the right person for the intended functions God expects of you.
Paul could have been negative and ignored all of his potential, but He was positive toward doctrine and his life resulted in huge success.
You are no different than Paul. Doctrine made Paul, not Paul. Doctrine will make you, not you.
God has plenty of wealth to spread around in this universe and heaven. Even if in eternity He gave a galaxy to every individual for a possession, there would be many trillions of galaxies left over. The potential of Gods blessings has no limit, and that is something that you should take note of.
God placed you into history now, and God placed many other people around you at this time in history to provide support for your life, directly and indirectly, in many different ways. Likewise, God placed you here, so that you could contribute either directly or indirectly, to the support of others.
We are all different, and we all have unique plans for our life. But, God gives us all time and opportunity, and doctrine, to discover what our options and obligations are in life.
We can either accept them, reject them, find excuses for avoiding them, or ignore them, and the repercussions of our blessings (or lack of them) in life, will follow our decisions.
For those who pursue their temporal priorities in life, while ignoring doctrine or pretending observance of doctrine, their immediate satisfactions will be short lived, never fulfilling, and soon turned into disappointment and heartache.
For those who get their priorities in doctrine right, regardless of their circumstances in life, accept their responsibilities in life, recognize Gods plan for themselves as well as for others and their role directly or indirectly, with regard to others, will discover inner peace, and happiness in this life as well as phenomenal blessings in the next.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:29
29 Whereunto [eis] [hos] I [kopiao] also [kai] labour, [kopiao] striving [agonizomai] according to [kata] his [autos] working, [energeia] which [ho] worketh [energeo] in [en] me [emoi] mightily [en]. [dunamis] KJV-Interlinear
29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. NASB
It is for this purpose, the teaching and dissemination of the word of God, that Paul has dedicated his life.
Paul does not do it by means of his own power or ability, but by the power of God within him. That power anchored in doctrine which Paul has learned, and applied, and grown up with these past couple of decades of his life, is the source of his success.
Paul started out his life, on the wrong foot. He at first saw his life as promoting the Levitical principles, which led him to horrendous persecutions of Christians. But his meeting face to face with Jesus set him straight.
Since that time, Paul pursued an intense education from the scriptures, and learned daily from what the apostles taught him from what Jesus had taught them, and Paul excelled tremendously to the point that he traveled and taught and wrote to many hundreds and thousands of people in his day.
And through his writings, many billions have benefited through these many centuries.
God chose the right person for the right job in his time in history. Despite Pauls messed up start in life, doctrine turned him around and that resulted in phenomenal benefit for both you and me and many billions since his time.
God provided Paul with many people who contributed to and supported his ministry. From financial aid to social aid, to educational aid, to nearly every kind of service imaginable, God provided Paul with the necessary help to make his ministry successful, and thus promote the gospel and doctrine to untold billions of people.
Paul was used by God, because Paul was prepared. God placed Paul into history, because Paul was the right person for that time in Gods plan.
Likewise, God chose and placed you into history at the time of your birth and during these past years or decades, because you were the right person for the intended functions God expects of you.
Paul could have been negative and ignored all of his potential, but He was positive toward doctrine and his life resulted in huge success.
You are no different than Paul. Doctrine made Paul, not Paul. Doctrine will make you, not you.
God has plenty of wealth to spread around in this universe and heaven. Even if in eternity He gave a galaxy to every individual for a possession, there would be many trillions of galaxies left over. The potential of Gods blessings has no limit, and that is something that you should take note of.
God placed you into history now, and God placed many other people around you at this time in history to provide support for your life, directly and indirectly, in many different ways. Likewise, God placed you here, so that you could contribute either directly or indirectly, to the support of others.
We are all different, and we all have unique plans for our life. But, God gives us all time and opportunity, and doctrine, to discover what our options and obligations are in life.
We can either accept them, reject them, find excuses for avoiding them, or ignore them, and the repercussions of our blessings (or lack of them) in life, will follow our decisions.
For those who pursue their temporal priorities in life, while ignoring doctrine or pretending observance of doctrine, their immediate satisfactions will be short lived, never fulfilling, and soon turned into disappointment and heartache.
For those who get their priorities in doctrine right, regardless of their circumstances in life, accept their responsibilities in life, recognize Gods plan for themselves as well as for others and their role directly or indirectly, with regard to others, will discover inner peace, and happiness in this life as well as phenomenal blessings in the next.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Colossians 1:28
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Colossians 1:28
28 Whom [hos] we [hemeis] preach, [kataggello] warning [noutheteo] every [pas] man, [anthropos] and [kai] teaching [didasko] every [pas] man [anthropos] in [en] all [pas] wisdom; [sophia] that [hina] we may present [paristemi] every [pas] man [anthropos] perfect [teleios] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus: [Iesous] KJV-Interlinear
28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. NASB
And therefore, Christ, the living person, the living word, are taught from two perspectives.
First from warnings, and second from instruction.
From warnings, look at the miseries of this world. There are some places in the world where life is unbelievably miserable. People, cultures, beliefs are anti-God, anti-Christ, and their predicament is the result. The Lake of Fire is far, far worse, but rejecting Christ is the absolutely worst possible thing that anyone can do.
Also, for those who have believed in Christ, then look at the night sky, at satellite photographs of the universe. Your blessings are more vast than our universe. By rejecting doctrine, by remaining indifferent toward your spiritual responsibilities toward self, toward the teaching of doctrine, toward others, you can easily lose those vast blessings, even though you will still be in heaven.
However, by pursuing Bible doctrine, and advancing in your spiritual life, being obedient to Gods mandates, then your blessings will exceed your wildest dreams.
The warnings are clear. Even the fool can understand what is at stake. Excuses do not exist.
Commitment to this world gains you nothing of value. Commitment to doctrine gains you wealth and blessings of intrinsic and infinite value.
Instruction builds spiritual growth, faith, and transforms your entire life.
To whom God gives much (blessings and the infinite promises of greater blessings), He therefore expects much (dedication of your daily studies, dedication to your commitment to His mandates, dedication to supporting the promotion and instruction of doctrine to others, dedication to the transformation of your life to the one designed for you by God, leaving the old ways [sin nature, greed, lusts, etc.] behind).
Your objective in this life, is to become ‘complete’ in Christ. Complete, is advancing to spiritual maturity (responsibly, mentally, morally, spiritually).
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Colossians 1:28
28 Whom [hos] we [hemeis] preach, [kataggello] warning [noutheteo] every [pas] man, [anthropos] and [kai] teaching [didasko] every [pas] man [anthropos] in [en] all [pas] wisdom; [sophia] that [hina] we may present [paristemi] every [pas] man [anthropos] perfect [teleios] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus: [Iesous] KJV-Interlinear
28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. NASB
And therefore, Christ, the living person, the living word, are taught from two perspectives.
First from warnings, and second from instruction.
From warnings, look at the miseries of this world. There are some places in the world where life is unbelievably miserable. People, cultures, beliefs are anti-God, anti-Christ, and their predicament is the result. The Lake of Fire is far, far worse, but rejecting Christ is the absolutely worst possible thing that anyone can do.
Also, for those who have believed in Christ, then look at the night sky, at satellite photographs of the universe. Your blessings are more vast than our universe. By rejecting doctrine, by remaining indifferent toward your spiritual responsibilities toward self, toward the teaching of doctrine, toward others, you can easily lose those vast blessings, even though you will still be in heaven.
However, by pursuing Bible doctrine, and advancing in your spiritual life, being obedient to Gods mandates, then your blessings will exceed your wildest dreams.
The warnings are clear. Even the fool can understand what is at stake. Excuses do not exist.
Commitment to this world gains you nothing of value. Commitment to doctrine gains you wealth and blessings of intrinsic and infinite value.
Instruction builds spiritual growth, faith, and transforms your entire life.
To whom God gives much (blessings and the infinite promises of greater blessings), He therefore expects much (dedication of your daily studies, dedication to your commitment to His mandates, dedication to supporting the promotion and instruction of doctrine to others, dedication to the transformation of your life to the one designed for you by God, leaving the old ways [sin nature, greed, lusts, etc.] behind).
Your objective in this life, is to become ‘complete’ in Christ. Complete, is advancing to spiritual maturity (responsibly, mentally, morally, spiritually).
Friday, May 15, 2009
Colossians 1:27
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:27
27 To whom [hos] God [theos] would [thelo] make known [gnorizo] what [tis] is the riches [ploutos] of the glory [doxa] of this [toutou] mystery [musterion] among [en] the Gentiles; [ethnos] which [hos] is [esti] Christ [Christos] in [en] you, [humin] the hope [elpis] of glory: [doxa] KJV-Interlinear
27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. NASB
To ‘will,’ means to be motivated, to determine, to resolve, to force, to exercise self control, sovereign. And that is exactly what God possesses mastery of, in all of eternity, both future and past.
In every detail, no matter how small or great, God is the sovereign authority and power to determine what is or is not going to occur at any given moment in time.
Rom 9:18
18 So then He has mercy [blessing, discernment] on whom He desires, and He hardens [blindness, discipline] whom He desires. NASB
Jesus Christ controls history. He causes life and He removes it from this earth. And, He does it in accordance with the Fathers divine plan (the Divine Decrees or the master blue prints of history), without hesitation, or deviation of any kind, from the original.
He willed for the life of Abraham to occur in his day. God knew the decisions that Abraham would make. He willed for the nation of Israel to occur in their time. He foresaw their decision to veer away from the truth of the scriptures, and thus forfeit their opportunity to bring the scriptures to the world.
The dispensation of Israel was interrupted in order to allow the gentile nations to take up the lead in promoting the gospel and doctrine to the world, and thus the dispensation of the Church Age was decreed in eternity past.
Kept hidden throughout all of the ages, and why? Because there was going to be a time in history when empires would rule, always warned through active prophecy, and then there was going to be a time in history when doctrine in the written form alone would be used to guide history, through the dark ages, to the enlightened ages, to the age of technology.
Christ in you, is the key to history, and to the life of each individual. Christ is the living person. Christ is also the written word. Christ in you, is both the person of Jesus Christ as God, indwelling each and every believer, as well as doctrine indwelling each individual person who takes upon themselves to learn its secrets.
With each and every reading of the scriptures, with each and every moment of contemplation of the scriptures, new secrets are revealed.
I have often said that reading the Bible alone will do nothing for you. Satan can read the scriptures, and in fact he knows them all by heart, but they do nothing for him.
We read all of the ‘In the beginnings...,’ all of the ‘begats,’ all of the ‘baby Jesus’ stories and they teach us what? Nothing. That is, as far as the academics of their information goes.
But, and this is a big but (don’t look behind you). If you have believed in Christ, and are therefore saved, and if you maintain your spiritual status in fellowship, and read the Bible, or are taught from some authoritative source of scripture, then, and I repeat, then, there comes into play in your life a masterful secret, which the world cannot ever discover. And that secret is the content, the power, the revelation that is inside the scriptures, ready to burst forth within your soul.
You have seen Sci-fi movies where the aliens send a signal to earth, and someone discovers a hidden code within that signal, and then they decode it and discover whatever message is inside, and so forth.
Where do you think those writers of movies got their idea? From doctrine.
God has had a hidden code inside doctrine forever, but that code is not in letters or numbers or sequences in the Bible, it is in the revelation which is supernatural, and revealed by the Holy Spirit, when doctrine channels through your human spirit, and then into your soul.
Gods code is spiritual, not an academic algorithm.
You can explain something that is clear as day to yourself, but an unbeliever or an out of fellowship believer just cannot figure it out. And the reason they cannot figure it out is because they lack the code breaker or translator, if you will, which is the Holy Spirit in control of the soul of the believer in fellowship.
Why do celebrities, successful people, wealthy people, people of society and prominence seem to make screwball decisions, and yet they can be successful in the world? Because they may have book smarts, street smarts driven by their sin natures, which aid them in the jungle activities of life, but they lack the spiritual attributes, which allow them to see the real secrets of life.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:27
27 To whom [hos] God [theos] would [thelo] make known [gnorizo] what [tis] is the riches [ploutos] of the glory [doxa] of this [toutou] mystery [musterion] among [en] the Gentiles; [ethnos] which [hos] is [esti] Christ [Christos] in [en] you, [humin] the hope [elpis] of glory: [doxa] KJV-Interlinear
27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. NASB
To ‘will,’ means to be motivated, to determine, to resolve, to force, to exercise self control, sovereign. And that is exactly what God possesses mastery of, in all of eternity, both future and past.
In every detail, no matter how small or great, God is the sovereign authority and power to determine what is or is not going to occur at any given moment in time.
Rom 9:18
18 So then He has mercy [blessing, discernment] on whom He desires, and He hardens [blindness, discipline] whom He desires. NASB
Jesus Christ controls history. He causes life and He removes it from this earth. And, He does it in accordance with the Fathers divine plan (the Divine Decrees or the master blue prints of history), without hesitation, or deviation of any kind, from the original.
He willed for the life of Abraham to occur in his day. God knew the decisions that Abraham would make. He willed for the nation of Israel to occur in their time. He foresaw their decision to veer away from the truth of the scriptures, and thus forfeit their opportunity to bring the scriptures to the world.
The dispensation of Israel was interrupted in order to allow the gentile nations to take up the lead in promoting the gospel and doctrine to the world, and thus the dispensation of the Church Age was decreed in eternity past.
Kept hidden throughout all of the ages, and why? Because there was going to be a time in history when empires would rule, always warned through active prophecy, and then there was going to be a time in history when doctrine in the written form alone would be used to guide history, through the dark ages, to the enlightened ages, to the age of technology.
Christ in you, is the key to history, and to the life of each individual. Christ is the living person. Christ is also the written word. Christ in you, is both the person of Jesus Christ as God, indwelling each and every believer, as well as doctrine indwelling each individual person who takes upon themselves to learn its secrets.
With each and every reading of the scriptures, with each and every moment of contemplation of the scriptures, new secrets are revealed.
I have often said that reading the Bible alone will do nothing for you. Satan can read the scriptures, and in fact he knows them all by heart, but they do nothing for him.
We read all of the ‘In the beginnings...,’ all of the ‘begats,’ all of the ‘baby Jesus’ stories and they teach us what? Nothing. That is, as far as the academics of their information goes.
But, and this is a big but (don’t look behind you). If you have believed in Christ, and are therefore saved, and if you maintain your spiritual status in fellowship, and read the Bible, or are taught from some authoritative source of scripture, then, and I repeat, then, there comes into play in your life a masterful secret, which the world cannot ever discover. And that secret is the content, the power, the revelation that is inside the scriptures, ready to burst forth within your soul.
You have seen Sci-fi movies where the aliens send a signal to earth, and someone discovers a hidden code within that signal, and then they decode it and discover whatever message is inside, and so forth.
Where do you think those writers of movies got their idea? From doctrine.
God has had a hidden code inside doctrine forever, but that code is not in letters or numbers or sequences in the Bible, it is in the revelation which is supernatural, and revealed by the Holy Spirit, when doctrine channels through your human spirit, and then into your soul.
Gods code is spiritual, not an academic algorithm.
You can explain something that is clear as day to yourself, but an unbeliever or an out of fellowship believer just cannot figure it out. And the reason they cannot figure it out is because they lack the code breaker or translator, if you will, which is the Holy Spirit in control of the soul of the believer in fellowship.
Why do celebrities, successful people, wealthy people, people of society and prominence seem to make screwball decisions, and yet they can be successful in the world? Because they may have book smarts, street smarts driven by their sin natures, which aid them in the jungle activities of life, but they lack the spiritual attributes, which allow them to see the real secrets of life.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Colossians 1:26
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:26
26 Even the mystery [musterion] which [ho] hath been hid [apokrupto] from [apo] ages [aion] and [kai] from [apo] generations, [genea] but [de] now [nuni] is made manifest [phaneroo] to his [autos] saints: [hagios] KJV-Interlinear
26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, NASB
There is a mystery in history, which God kept from humanity for all of the many centuries from Adam to the first advent of Christ.
In all of the Old Testament prophecies, the promised Savior would come, secure salvation for those who have believed in Him, rise up, ascend to heaven to be glorified, then return to claim His kingdom.
In the minds of all Old Testament people this was nothing more than one fluid and continuous time stream that would presumably be fulfilled without interruption. After all, God controls history and Satan would not have any ability or chances for delaying or altering this timeline.
However, there was a mystery, in that God never revealed in the Old Testament that a secret in history existed.
Some would believe that the secret was that God was going to include the gentiles in His kingdom. But that wasn’t it. After all Abraham was a gentile when God promised him that all the nations would be blessed through him. So the intended blessing from God was for all the nations, not to just one nation. Israel would not even exist, let alone exist as a nation, for several more centuries.
Daniel hinted at a mystery in his seventy weeks prophecy, because there was an implied break between the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth week.
Zechariah implies a gap between verses nine and ten, in Zech. 9:9-10, the difference between the first coming of the Savior and the glorified Lord
The word for mystery, ‘musterion,’ is used in religious organizations to describe something that is known only to its members. All others, outsiders, cannot know their most prized secrets.
Paul uses this word to describe the mystery not known to the Old Testament believers, or anyone in those ancient days, for that matter.
John uses this word to describe certain secrets that only the people living in the Tribulation, will be allowed to know. This includes things that we, in our Church Age dispensation, will never know, but will only be revealed after the Rapture. The identity of the anti-Christ is one of those secrets.
Another use of the word for mystery, is Bible doctrine. Only believers can come to know and understand doctrine. Unbelievers cannot understand Bible doctrine and therefore view it as foolishness.
Even within our own dispensation, the secrets of the end of our era will not be apparent until those final generations begin to unfold. Things such as dramatic population increases, a populated world, dramatic increases in knowledge (science, technology, etc.) and so forth.
Paul is referring in these verses, to the mystery of the Church Age. Described in greater detail in Ephesians and Romans, our current dispensation, is commonly referred to, in theological terminology, as the Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, the Age of the Royal Family, or the Church Age.
In Biblical (Old Testament) prophecy, when the Savior first came, He was to secure salvation, having been rejected by all, and then be glorified and assume His throne. That was what the Old Testament believers understood.
Nothing was mentioned, in the Old Testament, about an interruption in history, placing their dispensation on hold, while Christ built up a Bride, Royal Family, Church, preparing a home for us, and while the Father arranged His enemies as a footstool, in preparation for a Second Advent.
And Paul sees this as a significant honor, in that he was not only a minister of the gospel of the Savior, but was given the opportunity to participate in the revealing of such a dramatic change in human history as well.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:26
26 Even the mystery [musterion] which [ho] hath been hid [apokrupto] from [apo] ages [aion] and [kai] from [apo] generations, [genea] but [de] now [nuni] is made manifest [phaneroo] to his [autos] saints: [hagios] KJV-Interlinear
26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, NASB
There is a mystery in history, which God kept from humanity for all of the many centuries from Adam to the first advent of Christ.
In all of the Old Testament prophecies, the promised Savior would come, secure salvation for those who have believed in Him, rise up, ascend to heaven to be glorified, then return to claim His kingdom.
In the minds of all Old Testament people this was nothing more than one fluid and continuous time stream that would presumably be fulfilled without interruption. After all, God controls history and Satan would not have any ability or chances for delaying or altering this timeline.
However, there was a mystery, in that God never revealed in the Old Testament that a secret in history existed.
Some would believe that the secret was that God was going to include the gentiles in His kingdom. But that wasn’t it. After all Abraham was a gentile when God promised him that all the nations would be blessed through him. So the intended blessing from God was for all the nations, not to just one nation. Israel would not even exist, let alone exist as a nation, for several more centuries.
Daniel hinted at a mystery in his seventy weeks prophecy, because there was an implied break between the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth week.
Zechariah implies a gap between verses nine and ten, in Zech. 9:9-10, the difference between the first coming of the Savior and the glorified Lord
The word for mystery, ‘musterion,’ is used in religious organizations to describe something that is known only to its members. All others, outsiders, cannot know their most prized secrets.
Paul uses this word to describe the mystery not known to the Old Testament believers, or anyone in those ancient days, for that matter.
John uses this word to describe certain secrets that only the people living in the Tribulation, will be allowed to know. This includes things that we, in our Church Age dispensation, will never know, but will only be revealed after the Rapture. The identity of the anti-Christ is one of those secrets.
Another use of the word for mystery, is Bible doctrine. Only believers can come to know and understand doctrine. Unbelievers cannot understand Bible doctrine and therefore view it as foolishness.
Even within our own dispensation, the secrets of the end of our era will not be apparent until those final generations begin to unfold. Things such as dramatic population increases, a populated world, dramatic increases in knowledge (science, technology, etc.) and so forth.
Paul is referring in these verses, to the mystery of the Church Age. Described in greater detail in Ephesians and Romans, our current dispensation, is commonly referred to, in theological terminology, as the Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, the Age of the Royal Family, or the Church Age.
In Biblical (Old Testament) prophecy, when the Savior first came, He was to secure salvation, having been rejected by all, and then be glorified and assume His throne. That was what the Old Testament believers understood.
Nothing was mentioned, in the Old Testament, about an interruption in history, placing their dispensation on hold, while Christ built up a Bride, Royal Family, Church, preparing a home for us, and while the Father arranged His enemies as a footstool, in preparation for a Second Advent.
And Paul sees this as a significant honor, in that he was not only a minister of the gospel of the Savior, but was given the opportunity to participate in the revealing of such a dramatic change in human history as well.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Colossians 1:25
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:25
25 Whereof [hos] I [ego] am made [ginomai] a minister, [diakonos] according to [kata] the dispensation [oikonomia] of God [theos] which [ho] is given [didomi] to me [moi] for [eis] you, [humas] to fulfil [pleroo] the word [logos] of God; [theos] KJV-Interlinear
25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, NASB
The church to which Paul is referring, is the gentile component of society. Back in Romans, Paul stated that it was his calling to bring the gospel to the gentiles.
This is something that the Israelites were supposed to do throughout the centuries that they held custody of the scriptures, however they attempted to keep them for themselves, elevating themselves above all of the rest of humanity.
And of course history has demonstrated how this was a big mistake.
But as far as you and I are concerned, we all have a calling from God. Moses had his calling. David had his calling. Mary and Joseph had their callings. Adam and Eve had their calling, and so on and so forth.
Every human being has a calling of some type. God gave each one of us life, but He did not give it to us arbitrarily. God has a plan for your life.
Perhaps you are to be the source of finances. Perhaps you are to be smart and invent something. Perhaps you are to be innovative and discover something. Perhaps you are to be a great parent and raise children. Perhaps you are to be an example for a neighbor.
Whatever your calling, whatever your specialty, talent, ability, etc., God has a purpose for your life. God does not place all of us on the front pages. In fact ninty-nine-point-nine percent of humanity will never see celebrityship in this world. Most will have only two cents to contribute and that is what they do.
God does not need any of us to accomplish His plan, however, God does allow us to participate, and there is the honor of the spiritual life. You can be grateful and accept His offer, and advance in your spiritual life to phenomenal blessings (also courtesy of God), or you can pass them by and gain nothing.
The word for dispensation here means stewardship, specialty, duty. And God gives every human being a gift, a purpose, a role, something with which He can utilize, if they conform with His plan for their life.
God is not interested in your magnificent accomplishments. After all if you accomplish anything in this life, it is only because of Gods grace and arrangement of the details that allowed you to accomplish them. Not because of any uniqueness or effort on your part.
Boasting is arrogance, and boasting is an attribute of one who is confused about reality and truth. After all, what have you really invented, sustained, maintained, controlled, created, in life. Paul had to be hammered before he discovered his role. Do you also have to be hammered, before you discover your role or your responsibility?
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:25
25 Whereof [hos] I [ego] am made [ginomai] a minister, [diakonos] according to [kata] the dispensation [oikonomia] of God [theos] which [ho] is given [didomi] to me [moi] for [eis] you, [humas] to fulfil [pleroo] the word [logos] of God; [theos] KJV-Interlinear
25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, NASB
The church to which Paul is referring, is the gentile component of society. Back in Romans, Paul stated that it was his calling to bring the gospel to the gentiles.
This is something that the Israelites were supposed to do throughout the centuries that they held custody of the scriptures, however they attempted to keep them for themselves, elevating themselves above all of the rest of humanity.
And of course history has demonstrated how this was a big mistake.
But as far as you and I are concerned, we all have a calling from God. Moses had his calling. David had his calling. Mary and Joseph had their callings. Adam and Eve had their calling, and so on and so forth.
Every human being has a calling of some type. God gave each one of us life, but He did not give it to us arbitrarily. God has a plan for your life.
Perhaps you are to be the source of finances. Perhaps you are to be smart and invent something. Perhaps you are to be innovative and discover something. Perhaps you are to be a great parent and raise children. Perhaps you are to be an example for a neighbor.
Whatever your calling, whatever your specialty, talent, ability, etc., God has a purpose for your life. God does not place all of us on the front pages. In fact ninty-nine-point-nine percent of humanity will never see celebrityship in this world. Most will have only two cents to contribute and that is what they do.
God does not need any of us to accomplish His plan, however, God does allow us to participate, and there is the honor of the spiritual life. You can be grateful and accept His offer, and advance in your spiritual life to phenomenal blessings (also courtesy of God), or you can pass them by and gain nothing.
The word for dispensation here means stewardship, specialty, duty. And God gives every human being a gift, a purpose, a role, something with which He can utilize, if they conform with His plan for their life.
God is not interested in your magnificent accomplishments. After all if you accomplish anything in this life, it is only because of Gods grace and arrangement of the details that allowed you to accomplish them. Not because of any uniqueness or effort on your part.
Boasting is arrogance, and boasting is an attribute of one who is confused about reality and truth. After all, what have you really invented, sustained, maintained, controlled, created, in life. Paul had to be hammered before he discovered his role. Do you also have to be hammered, before you discover your role or your responsibility?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Colossians 1:24
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:24
24 Who [hos] now [nun] rejoice [chairo] in [en] my [mou] sufferings [pathema] for [huper] you, [humon] and [kai] fill up [antanapleroo] that which is behind [husterema] of the afflictions [thlipsis] of Christ [Christos] in [en] my [mou] flesh [sarx] for [huper] his [autos] body's [soma] sake, [huper] which is [ho esti] the church: [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. NASB
Paul rejoices. Why?
Because in all of human history there have been those who reject truth, those who invent their own truth, those who treat others with bias and prejudice, those who ridicule, those who gossip with maliciousness, those who abuse authority and power, those who take advantage, those who believe themselves to be the quintessence of creation, and this list could go on and on.
The result of all of these attitudes? Zero.
Nothing that man ever does, to the exclusion of God, will ever amount to anything of significance.
Just recently we have witnessed the media going bananas over a couple of pictures and a comment regarding marriage, from Miss America. We are witnessing the unparalleled takeover of business by the government. We are witnessing a policy of spending, the magnitude which exceeds everything in our countries history.
Instructors continue to ridicule Jesus, creationism, prayer, and everything that is fundamental to Christian beliefs. Marriage is extending not only to same sex couples but to threesomes, with impunity. The federal government is pressuring states to do as they instruct, or lose federal funds. Specific groups are receiving their payback in return for their votes in prior elections. The media has totally lost all objectivity. Public speakers suggest that the bad times are behind us, and that good times are just ahead.
The corruption, the dishonesty, the deceit, the evil is so rampant in society, that nearly everyone is accepting it as normal public policy.
And on the flip side of this coin? Jesus Christ controls history.
Were it not for Christ, all of these things, and more, would destroy humanity, and one day, when the Tribulation begins, these same and similar policies will be increased dramatically (even to the point of violent enforcement), and humanity will indeed border on total self-destruction.
But Paul teaches doctrine. Paul teaches something that not only helps folks survive the current day stresses and problems of life, but will enhance ones life dramatically, forever.
The world pursues evil in the form of lusts on the one hand, and self-righteousness on the other.
And Bible doctrine pursues true life, liberty, happiness and more, while having to tolerate all of the evil doings in this world.
Several years ago, the Hubble telescope took a deep space picture while being pointed at a seemingly empty point in the sky. That image revealed tens of thousands of extremely distant galaxies never before known or even expected. I use that image as my background picture for my computer desktop.
The image demonstrates the vastness of our universe, and that is exactly the example I want to put into your minds, describing the vastness of the work and result of Bible doctrine.
The world will pursue their lusts for power, and greed, and physical pleasures, and will end up with absolutely nothing.
The spiritually positive believer will pursue Bible doctrine, and end up with blessings so vast, that the magnitude of our own universe could not even begin to compare to them.
The world, human opinion, is so entrenched such that is excludes truth, that it will do anything, and accept anything in its own eyes, even when darkness (the inability to discern between right and wrong, truth and lies, good decisions and bad) saturates society.
The world will make your life miserable, but it can only do that for a short time in this life. Your life, now, will be made tolerable, by Christ, and phenomenal in eternity.
God is far greater than anything in this world, and simply being a part of Gods plan is more than an honor, and actually being able to advance yourself, and especially assisting in some way, the advancement of others in their spiritual life, is by far the greatest honor that can be bestowed on anyone.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:24
24 Who [hos] now [nun] rejoice [chairo] in [en] my [mou] sufferings [pathema] for [huper] you, [humon] and [kai] fill up [antanapleroo] that which is behind [husterema] of the afflictions [thlipsis] of Christ [Christos] in [en] my [mou] flesh [sarx] for [huper] his [autos] body's [soma] sake, [huper] which is [ho esti] the church: [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. NASB
Paul rejoices. Why?
Because in all of human history there have been those who reject truth, those who invent their own truth, those who treat others with bias and prejudice, those who ridicule, those who gossip with maliciousness, those who abuse authority and power, those who take advantage, those who believe themselves to be the quintessence of creation, and this list could go on and on.
The result of all of these attitudes? Zero.
Nothing that man ever does, to the exclusion of God, will ever amount to anything of significance.
Just recently we have witnessed the media going bananas over a couple of pictures and a comment regarding marriage, from Miss America. We are witnessing the unparalleled takeover of business by the government. We are witnessing a policy of spending, the magnitude which exceeds everything in our countries history.
Instructors continue to ridicule Jesus, creationism, prayer, and everything that is fundamental to Christian beliefs. Marriage is extending not only to same sex couples but to threesomes, with impunity. The federal government is pressuring states to do as they instruct, or lose federal funds. Specific groups are receiving their payback in return for their votes in prior elections. The media has totally lost all objectivity. Public speakers suggest that the bad times are behind us, and that good times are just ahead.
The corruption, the dishonesty, the deceit, the evil is so rampant in society, that nearly everyone is accepting it as normal public policy.
And on the flip side of this coin? Jesus Christ controls history.
Were it not for Christ, all of these things, and more, would destroy humanity, and one day, when the Tribulation begins, these same and similar policies will be increased dramatically (even to the point of violent enforcement), and humanity will indeed border on total self-destruction.
But Paul teaches doctrine. Paul teaches something that not only helps folks survive the current day stresses and problems of life, but will enhance ones life dramatically, forever.
The world pursues evil in the form of lusts on the one hand, and self-righteousness on the other.
And Bible doctrine pursues true life, liberty, happiness and more, while having to tolerate all of the evil doings in this world.
Several years ago, the Hubble telescope took a deep space picture while being pointed at a seemingly empty point in the sky. That image revealed tens of thousands of extremely distant galaxies never before known or even expected. I use that image as my background picture for my computer desktop.
The image demonstrates the vastness of our universe, and that is exactly the example I want to put into your minds, describing the vastness of the work and result of Bible doctrine.
The world will pursue their lusts for power, and greed, and physical pleasures, and will end up with absolutely nothing.
The spiritually positive believer will pursue Bible doctrine, and end up with blessings so vast, that the magnitude of our own universe could not even begin to compare to them.
The world, human opinion, is so entrenched such that is excludes truth, that it will do anything, and accept anything in its own eyes, even when darkness (the inability to discern between right and wrong, truth and lies, good decisions and bad) saturates society.
The world will make your life miserable, but it can only do that for a short time in this life. Your life, now, will be made tolerable, by Christ, and phenomenal in eternity.
God is far greater than anything in this world, and simply being a part of Gods plan is more than an honor, and actually being able to advance yourself, and especially assisting in some way, the advancement of others in their spiritual life, is by far the greatest honor that can be bestowed on anyone.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Colossians 1:23
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:23
23 If [eige] ye continue [epimeno] in the faith [pistis] grounded [themelioo] and [kai] settled, [hedraios] and [kai] be not [me] moved away [metakineo] from [apo] the hope [elpis] of the gospel, [euaggelion] which [hos] ye have heard, [akouo] and which [ho] was preached [kerusso] to [en] every [pas] creature [ktisis] which is under [hupo] heaven; [ouranos] whereof [hos] I [ego] Paul [Paulos] am made [ginomai] a minister; [diakonos] KJV-Interlinear
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. NASB
Now, ultimately we are driving toward a conclusion in this chapter, located in verse 28, ‘complete in Christ.’ This is synonymous with spiritual maturity, ‘firmly established, and steadfast.’
Spiritual maturity is your ultimate objective for this life. Advancing to spiritual maturity is like running a race. And who receives the prize for winning a race? The person who never begins the race? The person who starts the race but drops out along the way? Or, the person who starts the race, sees it through to the end and ultimately wins the race?
Now, this is a trick question, but only if you want to argue with the simple illustration. Obviously the person who enters, runs, and wins the race will get the prize offered to the winner. Not a complicated concept. But then your spiritual life is just as simple. Unfortunately too many people want to complicate life, and that is where they get all screwed up, by stumbling all over their own arrogance and stupidity.
‘If you continue?,’ and that is the real question. You and you alone have to begin your spiritual advance, and you and you alone, have to continue through it for the rest of your life.
You cannot transfer your spiritual obligations or responsibilities in life, onto someone else. That is where most folks mess up in their spiritual growth. They make excuses for not obeying Gods mandates, presuming that they do not apply to them, or that someone else will take care of their responsibilities for them.
People become indifferent. People look for proofs or signs. People want to argue with Biblical principles. People are born into this world, knowing absolutely nothing, then grow up for twenty, or forty, or eighty years, etc., and then somehow along the way, presume that they know enough to question God, or life, or even perhaps that they know it all.
In one respect, since the world is full of deceit and phony religious players, then being fooled or questioning, is a natural reaction to all of the propaganda that is floating around out there. But then, if you really, really want to know the truth, then you get started with a spiritual program and stick with it.
The key is your genuine (or lack of it) desire to want to learn, but not from just anything that comes along, but from God and from no other source.
If you are driven by your sin nature, then you will latch onto anything that is compatible with what you have wanted all along. But if you have an objective side of you, then you will tend to sort through the media traffic and discover Gods truth, which, by the way, He will bring you to, or bring to you.
The key again is, whether or not you have a genuine desire for truth, or whether you are just a pretender.
You have no excuse. Paul herein states that the gospel has been proclaimed to everyone. The how’s and when’s you and I do not know, But God managed to get the gospel delivered throughout the world. And just because it is not documented in the scriptures, there is enough historical evidence in every culture, to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the principles of the gospel.
Paul states that He was made a minister, for the communication of the gospel as well as doctrine, and he states it in terms of honor. It is a privilege that God has bestowed on Paul, and on anyone for that matter, to even have an active role in the advancement of Bible doctrine for others.
And I might add, you should feel honored, to even have a role in your own spiritual life, because your life impacts others, even if you do not know it, and that spiritual impact lasts someone else, forever.
You can write the greatest novel ever, you can film the greatest movie ever, you can do anything in life that qualifies as the greatest as far as this world is concerned, but inevitably your efforts will be forgotten sooner or later. Only your spiritual heritage, can have a lasting (eternal) impact on someone else.
And by the way, your role is courtesy of Gods grace, not because of any effort on your part.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:23
23 If [eige] ye continue [epimeno] in the faith [pistis] grounded [themelioo] and [kai] settled, [hedraios] and [kai] be not [me] moved away [metakineo] from [apo] the hope [elpis] of the gospel, [euaggelion] which [hos] ye have heard, [akouo] and which [ho] was preached [kerusso] to [en] every [pas] creature [ktisis] which is under [hupo] heaven; [ouranos] whereof [hos] I [ego] Paul [Paulos] am made [ginomai] a minister; [diakonos] KJV-Interlinear
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. NASB
Now, ultimately we are driving toward a conclusion in this chapter, located in verse 28, ‘complete in Christ.’ This is synonymous with spiritual maturity, ‘firmly established, and steadfast.’
Spiritual maturity is your ultimate objective for this life. Advancing to spiritual maturity is like running a race. And who receives the prize for winning a race? The person who never begins the race? The person who starts the race but drops out along the way? Or, the person who starts the race, sees it through to the end and ultimately wins the race?
Now, this is a trick question, but only if you want to argue with the simple illustration. Obviously the person who enters, runs, and wins the race will get the prize offered to the winner. Not a complicated concept. But then your spiritual life is just as simple. Unfortunately too many people want to complicate life, and that is where they get all screwed up, by stumbling all over their own arrogance and stupidity.
‘If you continue?,’ and that is the real question. You and you alone have to begin your spiritual advance, and you and you alone, have to continue through it for the rest of your life.
You cannot transfer your spiritual obligations or responsibilities in life, onto someone else. That is where most folks mess up in their spiritual growth. They make excuses for not obeying Gods mandates, presuming that they do not apply to them, or that someone else will take care of their responsibilities for them.
People become indifferent. People look for proofs or signs. People want to argue with Biblical principles. People are born into this world, knowing absolutely nothing, then grow up for twenty, or forty, or eighty years, etc., and then somehow along the way, presume that they know enough to question God, or life, or even perhaps that they know it all.
In one respect, since the world is full of deceit and phony religious players, then being fooled or questioning, is a natural reaction to all of the propaganda that is floating around out there. But then, if you really, really want to know the truth, then you get started with a spiritual program and stick with it.
The key is your genuine (or lack of it) desire to want to learn, but not from just anything that comes along, but from God and from no other source.
If you are driven by your sin nature, then you will latch onto anything that is compatible with what you have wanted all along. But if you have an objective side of you, then you will tend to sort through the media traffic and discover Gods truth, which, by the way, He will bring you to, or bring to you.
The key again is, whether or not you have a genuine desire for truth, or whether you are just a pretender.
You have no excuse. Paul herein states that the gospel has been proclaimed to everyone. The how’s and when’s you and I do not know, But God managed to get the gospel delivered throughout the world. And just because it is not documented in the scriptures, there is enough historical evidence in every culture, to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the principles of the gospel.
Paul states that He was made a minister, for the communication of the gospel as well as doctrine, and he states it in terms of honor. It is a privilege that God has bestowed on Paul, and on anyone for that matter, to even have an active role in the advancement of Bible doctrine for others.
And I might add, you should feel honored, to even have a role in your own spiritual life, because your life impacts others, even if you do not know it, and that spiritual impact lasts someone else, forever.
You can write the greatest novel ever, you can film the greatest movie ever, you can do anything in life that qualifies as the greatest as far as this world is concerned, but inevitably your efforts will be forgotten sooner or later. Only your spiritual heritage, can have a lasting (eternal) impact on someone else.
And by the way, your role is courtesy of Gods grace, not because of any effort on your part.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Colossians 1:22
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:22
22 In [en] the body [soma] of his [autos] flesh [sarx] through [dia] death, [thanatos] to present [paristemi] you [humas] holy [hagios] and [kai] unblameable [amomos] and [kai] unreproveable [anegkletos] in his [autos] sight: [katenopion] KJV-Interlinear
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach — NASB
Of the seven holy days throughout the year (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles), the Day of Atonement was the most significant.
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered into the second room of the Tabernacle (the Holy of Holies) twice, and sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal, onto the Mercy Seat.
Day of Atonement means to cover. Today the holiday is called Yom Kippur, which means the day of covering.
Jesus Christ went to the Cross on the Passover, was placed into the grave just as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread began, and arose three days later, which is the celebration of First Fruits. Forty days later, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given and that is when the Church Age began.
In the fall of the year, the celebration of Trumpets (the calling out) will occur, and this is representative of the Rapture. The Day of Atonement is representative of the Judgment Seat of Christ, while the Feast of Tabernacles represents the regathering for the Millennial reign of Christ.
All of these things were made possible because of one reason and one reason only, and that is because Jesus Christ, who is God, became man in the flesh, just as you and I are members of the human race.
And in so doing went to the Cross as true humanity, and paid the price for sins in our place. That set the stage for Jesus Christs’ conquest of sin (corruption), spiritual death (separation from God), and physical death (limitations in life).
Christ redeemed man from the slave market of sin, reconciled man to God with the destruction of these barriers, and propitiated God on behalf of us, with His work.
When the blood was symbolically sprinkled onto the Mercy Seat, that represented the complete covering as a result of Christs’ work on the Cross.
Above the Mercy Seat were two angels on either end, one representing the Righteousness of God and the other representing the Justice of God.
Both (righteousness and justice) looking down on the Mercy Seat and seeing the covering of the Mercy Seat, with the work of Christ from the Cross, and all of this symbolically representing the satisfaction (propitiation) of God as to the sufficiency of the work of Christ in obtaining salvation (redemption, reconciliation, propitiation) for mankind.
Christ’s work satisfies Gods stringent demands. Righteousness demands perfection. Justice demands punishment. And all of this in such a manner as to provide a legitimate restoration of mans relationship with God, without compromising Gods perfect character and truth.
Those who are disinterested in God or truth will be typically liberal minded. Not political liberalism, but spiritual liberalism. Liberalism is the tendency to compromise away all principles of value, in exchange for lesser values designed for convenience or expediency.
Gods values are strict and unchangeable, and maintain the highest of standards, and do not follow the course of mans relative values or arguments.
As a result, you and I have the opportunity (potential), of being made perfect (without blemish, untainted, blameless), and thus presentable before God Himself, in a manner of His choosing and not of our choosing.
All religions of the world, all cults, all philosophies, etc, differ from Christianity because of these principles. The sin nature drives their principles, which fundamentally reject the work of Christ altogether.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:22
22 In [en] the body [soma] of his [autos] flesh [sarx] through [dia] death, [thanatos] to present [paristemi] you [humas] holy [hagios] and [kai] unblameable [amomos] and [kai] unreproveable [anegkletos] in his [autos] sight: [katenopion] KJV-Interlinear
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach — NASB
Of the seven holy days throughout the year (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles), the Day of Atonement was the most significant.
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered into the second room of the Tabernacle (the Holy of Holies) twice, and sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal, onto the Mercy Seat.
Day of Atonement means to cover. Today the holiday is called Yom Kippur, which means the day of covering.
Jesus Christ went to the Cross on the Passover, was placed into the grave just as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread began, and arose three days later, which is the celebration of First Fruits. Forty days later, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given and that is when the Church Age began.
In the fall of the year, the celebration of Trumpets (the calling out) will occur, and this is representative of the Rapture. The Day of Atonement is representative of the Judgment Seat of Christ, while the Feast of Tabernacles represents the regathering for the Millennial reign of Christ.
All of these things were made possible because of one reason and one reason only, and that is because Jesus Christ, who is God, became man in the flesh, just as you and I are members of the human race.
And in so doing went to the Cross as true humanity, and paid the price for sins in our place. That set the stage for Jesus Christs’ conquest of sin (corruption), spiritual death (separation from God), and physical death (limitations in life).
Christ redeemed man from the slave market of sin, reconciled man to God with the destruction of these barriers, and propitiated God on behalf of us, with His work.
When the blood was symbolically sprinkled onto the Mercy Seat, that represented the complete covering as a result of Christs’ work on the Cross.
Above the Mercy Seat were two angels on either end, one representing the Righteousness of God and the other representing the Justice of God.
Both (righteousness and justice) looking down on the Mercy Seat and seeing the covering of the Mercy Seat, with the work of Christ from the Cross, and all of this symbolically representing the satisfaction (propitiation) of God as to the sufficiency of the work of Christ in obtaining salvation (redemption, reconciliation, propitiation) for mankind.
Christ’s work satisfies Gods stringent demands. Righteousness demands perfection. Justice demands punishment. And all of this in such a manner as to provide a legitimate restoration of mans relationship with God, without compromising Gods perfect character and truth.
Those who are disinterested in God or truth will be typically liberal minded. Not political liberalism, but spiritual liberalism. Liberalism is the tendency to compromise away all principles of value, in exchange for lesser values designed for convenience or expediency.
Gods values are strict and unchangeable, and maintain the highest of standards, and do not follow the course of mans relative values or arguments.
As a result, you and I have the opportunity (potential), of being made perfect (without blemish, untainted, blameless), and thus presentable before God Himself, in a manner of His choosing and not of our choosing.
All religions of the world, all cults, all philosophies, etc, differ from Christianity because of these principles. The sin nature drives their principles, which fundamentally reject the work of Christ altogether.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Colossians 1:21
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:21
21 And [kai] you, [humas] that were [on] sometime [pote] alienated [apallotrioo] and [kai] enemies [echthros] in your mind [dianoia] by [en] wicked [poneros] works, [ergon] yet [de] now [nuni] hath he reconciled [apokatallasso] KJV-Interlinear
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, NASB
This principle of, lost to God, applies to everyone who has ever been born alive into this world.
Eph. 4:18
18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; NASB
The content of your mind determines the nature of your life. Darkness means lack of light. Light is used as the content of the scriptures. Therefore, lack of light means simply the lack of doctrine in your soul.
Lacking Bible doctrine, means that your thinking processes will be abused by the sin nature within you and that abuse leads to sin and everything that is anti-God.
No matter how smart you think you are, no matter how smart you actually are, if you lack Bible doctrine in your soul, then your intellect will lead you into only one direction, and that direction is evil.
Why do people who are wealthy, successful, intelligent, talented, and so forth, seem to support things that are anti-God, or anti-biblical principles? Because they lack truth within their soul.
Truth is light and light allows you to see the difference between truth and the lies of the world. In total darkness you cannot see the difference, because you can’t see. And seeing means the ability to discern, or tell the difference between one thing and another.
Without doctrine, functioning doctrine, within your soul, then you are by default automatically in opposition to God.
Without the work of Christ on the Cross, you would have no access to Bible doctrine, and therefore no access to light. Without a saved soul, without a regenerated human spirit within you, then you would have no means of metabolizing Bible doctrine into your soul.
The unbeliever is totally lost. The unbeliever has to be saved, before Bible doctrine can begin to function within him. Before salvation there is only one question that is important to the unbeliever, ‘What do you think of Christ?’
To reject Christ means eternal separation from God and eternal darkness. Darkness in this life means functioning without truth. Darkness in eternity means far worse.
However, when a person believes in Christ, then the second question that applies to their life, is a daily question, ‘What do you think about Bible doctrine?’ Without Bible doctrine there is none or very little spiritual growth and an incomplete life, however, with Bible doctrine, there is advancement to the ultimate completion of ones life.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:21
21 And [kai] you, [humas] that were [on] sometime [pote] alienated [apallotrioo] and [kai] enemies [echthros] in your mind [dianoia] by [en] wicked [poneros] works, [ergon] yet [de] now [nuni] hath he reconciled [apokatallasso] KJV-Interlinear
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, NASB
This principle of, lost to God, applies to everyone who has ever been born alive into this world.
Eph. 4:18
18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; NASB
The content of your mind determines the nature of your life. Darkness means lack of light. Light is used as the content of the scriptures. Therefore, lack of light means simply the lack of doctrine in your soul.
Lacking Bible doctrine, means that your thinking processes will be abused by the sin nature within you and that abuse leads to sin and everything that is anti-God.
No matter how smart you think you are, no matter how smart you actually are, if you lack Bible doctrine in your soul, then your intellect will lead you into only one direction, and that direction is evil.
Why do people who are wealthy, successful, intelligent, talented, and so forth, seem to support things that are anti-God, or anti-biblical principles? Because they lack truth within their soul.
Truth is light and light allows you to see the difference between truth and the lies of the world. In total darkness you cannot see the difference, because you can’t see. And seeing means the ability to discern, or tell the difference between one thing and another.
Without doctrine, functioning doctrine, within your soul, then you are by default automatically in opposition to God.
Without the work of Christ on the Cross, you would have no access to Bible doctrine, and therefore no access to light. Without a saved soul, without a regenerated human spirit within you, then you would have no means of metabolizing Bible doctrine into your soul.
The unbeliever is totally lost. The unbeliever has to be saved, before Bible doctrine can begin to function within him. Before salvation there is only one question that is important to the unbeliever, ‘What do you think of Christ?’
To reject Christ means eternal separation from God and eternal darkness. Darkness in this life means functioning without truth. Darkness in eternity means far worse.
However, when a person believes in Christ, then the second question that applies to their life, is a daily question, ‘What do you think about Bible doctrine?’ Without Bible doctrine there is none or very little spiritual growth and an incomplete life, however, with Bible doctrine, there is advancement to the ultimate completion of ones life.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Colossians 1:20
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:20
20 And, [kai] having made peace [eirenopoieo] through [dia] the blood [haima] of his [autos] cross, [stauros] by [dia] him [autos] to reconcile [apokatallasso] all things [pas] unto [eis] himself; [autos] by [dia] him, [autos] I say, whether [eite] they be things in [epi] earth, [ge] or [eite] things in [en] heaven. [ouranos] KJV-Interlinear
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. NASB
Having made peace, means to have laid the foundation, the ground work, for the reconciliation of the relationship between heaven (the divine) and earth (humanity).
When man sinned, a barrier was erected between God and humanity. This barrier applied to humanity only. God is perfect and the principles of Gods essence dictate that He can only have a relationship with something that is also perfect, untainted, blameless, without flaws, without blemish, etc.
By mans own means, man cannot accomplish the reestablishment of a relationship. The penalty is too great, such that no person can carry the load for the justice demanded, for themselves, let alone the entire human race.
To look the other way, is to reduce Gods standards, and to reduce Gods standards, would mean that perfection in the universe and in heaven would be wiped out. God would no longer be God, but just another compromising creature where the compromises never end, but just keep on getting lower and lower until there are no standards left. The law of the jungle would rule, rather than truth.
But we are in luck. God will never reduce His standards, and He came up with a plan which can make each one of us perfect, and therefore restoring us back into a relationship with Him. That plan is often times called the Blood of Christ.
But this blood is not literal blood, but a reference to the very dramatic and extensive work which He accomplished while hanging on the Cross. Blood also has the connotation of life and death, and therefore, Christ gave His life into death, a very real death (spiritual death), such that the foundation could be laid for the reconciliation between man and God.
The work finished, leaves only the acceptance of that work by mankind.
Acceptance comes in the form of our belief in Christ. There is no work on mans part, only faith, which is a mere thought expression of faith, ‘Father, I believe in Jesus Christ.’ Now, it takes no effort whatsoever, to think those six little words. It does however, take a great deal of effort, to reject them for all of ones life.
Which choice should anyone take, for the most rational, logical, and sensible approach to life? And yet it is arrogance that raises the barrier preventing belief, or spiritual growth, whichever applies to your life.
What can anyone possibly gain, by rejecting Christ? There is absolutely no basis in fact or truth, for any other alternate philosophy, religion, cult, etc.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 1:20
20 And, [kai] having made peace [eirenopoieo] through [dia] the blood [haima] of his [autos] cross, [stauros] by [dia] him [autos] to reconcile [apokatallasso] all things [pas] unto [eis] himself; [autos] by [dia] him, [autos] I say, whether [eite] they be things in [epi] earth, [ge] or [eite] things in [en] heaven. [ouranos] KJV-Interlinear
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. NASB
Having made peace, means to have laid the foundation, the ground work, for the reconciliation of the relationship between heaven (the divine) and earth (humanity).
When man sinned, a barrier was erected between God and humanity. This barrier applied to humanity only. God is perfect and the principles of Gods essence dictate that He can only have a relationship with something that is also perfect, untainted, blameless, without flaws, without blemish, etc.
By mans own means, man cannot accomplish the reestablishment of a relationship. The penalty is too great, such that no person can carry the load for the justice demanded, for themselves, let alone the entire human race.
To look the other way, is to reduce Gods standards, and to reduce Gods standards, would mean that perfection in the universe and in heaven would be wiped out. God would no longer be God, but just another compromising creature where the compromises never end, but just keep on getting lower and lower until there are no standards left. The law of the jungle would rule, rather than truth.
But we are in luck. God will never reduce His standards, and He came up with a plan which can make each one of us perfect, and therefore restoring us back into a relationship with Him. That plan is often times called the Blood of Christ.
But this blood is not literal blood, but a reference to the very dramatic and extensive work which He accomplished while hanging on the Cross. Blood also has the connotation of life and death, and therefore, Christ gave His life into death, a very real death (spiritual death), such that the foundation could be laid for the reconciliation between man and God.
The work finished, leaves only the acceptance of that work by mankind.
Acceptance comes in the form of our belief in Christ. There is no work on mans part, only faith, which is a mere thought expression of faith, ‘Father, I believe in Jesus Christ.’ Now, it takes no effort whatsoever, to think those six little words. It does however, take a great deal of effort, to reject them for all of ones life.
Which choice should anyone take, for the most rational, logical, and sensible approach to life? And yet it is arrogance that raises the barrier preventing belief, or spiritual growth, whichever applies to your life.
What can anyone possibly gain, by rejecting Christ? There is absolutely no basis in fact or truth, for any other alternate philosophy, religion, cult, etc.
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