◄ Colossians Devotional Commentary ►
Colossians 1:4
Having heard of their fervent trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and their love for one another, we read that Paul prayed often for the Colossians Christians. What a wonderful testimony to these saints, and what a challenge to all who are saved by the blood of the Lamb.
It was not their mighty works for which this little group of Christians were commended in these opening verses of his letter, nor was it their great preaching or read more...
Colossians 1:5
As an outpouring of their trust in Christ Jesus as Saviour, this little band of believers demonstrated a deep love for all the saints of Christ. How this rejoiced the heart of the apostle Paul, who kept this group of Christian believers continually in his prayers.
The faith of this little congregation was anchored upon the message of truth; the good news of Christ, the gospel of the grace of God that Christ died for our sins and read more...
Colossians 1:6
The Word of God is alive and has within its pages the germ of godly living, just as a tiny ear of corn has within its kernel an abundant wheat harvest. The gospel of Christ is living and powerful, and when this living, God-breathed gospel of God's grace is planted in the heart of a spirit-filled, born-again believer and watered with living waters from on high, that tiny germ of life will begin to grow and develop and bring forth much fruit, to the glory of God.
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Colossians 1:7
It was by God's will that Paul was chosen to be an apostle of the Lord Jesus. We read of various co-workers in the gospel and fellow bond-servants of Christ, who worked alongside him.
Some accompanied him on his various missionary journeys, while others carried messages, or delivered epistles to different congregations of believers, during his various imprisonments.
Some were commissioned to be a read more...
Colossians 1:8
At the start of his Epistles to the various churches, we discover Paul giving greetings to the people and thanksgiving to the Lord. Very often in his salutation at the start of his letters, we find Paul giving thanks and praise to God the Father and Jesus Christ Whom He sent. Often he gave thanks for the faith of the saints to whom he was writing and frequently we find Paul interceding for the saints and asking God for their continued well-being and spiritual read more...
Colossians 1:9
Paul opens his epistle to the Colossians expressing his profound joy and grateful thanks for them all, because of their sincere faith in the gospel of Christ, the deep love which they showed for one another and because of the obvious future hope they possessed: "Which is laid up for us in heaven."
Paul rejoiced that in the past, these believers read more...
Colossians 1:10
Paul had never been to Colossae, but had received favourable reports from Epaphras, his faithful brother in Christ, of the spiritual condition of this little band of believers. He had heard of their genuine faith in the Lord, their deep love for one another, and their joyful hope in that which was laid-up for them in heaven. Paul had a deep devotional for these dear saints in this insignificant little town of Colossae, and he prayed fervently for them in a very read more...
Colossians 1:11
When Paul prays for his brothers and sisters in Christ, he does not focus on the day-to-day material needs of the saints nor on other physical matters and necessities of life. Paul prays for spiritual blessings, godly wisdom, practical obedience, moral excellence, and a Christ-like character.
Paul's desire for all Christians is that we study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the read more...
Colossians 1:12
As members of a fallen race, we were unfit for the glories of heaven, for sin had disqualified us and rendered us dead in our trespasses and separated forever from our Creator. But through the blood of Christ, we have been qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints, by faith.
There is no merit in any one of us, and all our attempts to please God through religious strivings, self-abasement, fleshly works, or prescribed read more...
Colossians 1:13
Man is a sinner, and only a Saviour is the answer to man's sin problem. Fallen man seeks answers in many different places, but God has purposed that there is one Deliverer Who can release us from the domain of darkness. There is only one Saviour that can rescue us from the terrible, eternal consequences of our fallen state, the 'God-Man' Christ Jesus.
Because of the fall, man was eternally separated from God, and it was only by read more...
Colossians 1:14
Paul's prayers were filled with thanksgiving for his Christian brothers and sisters at Colossae because of their faith in Christ, their love in spirit and truth for one another, and their heavenly hope in their eternal inheritance; a heritage in Christ's kingdom of light which is kept for us, in heaven.
Like us, these believers had heard and understood the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, and Paul longed for them to be read more...
Colossians 1:15
The Lord Jesus in His humanity is the visible revelation of the invisible God. This is a great mystery, but it is a truth that has been given to us from the Creator of the universe. The only way for sinful humanity to be reconciled to a holy God is through the shed blood of the eternal Son of God, Who died to pay the price for our sins so that we might be covered with His righteousness and reconciled back to the Father.
The only read more...
Colossians 1:16
Christ is omnipotent God, the Creator of the universe, the second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of the living God Who was born into the human race to become the perfect Son of Man and our Kinsman-Redeemer. He become the sacrifice for all sin and the Saviour of all who would trust in His name: "For by Him, and through Him, and for Him, all things were created."
Christ is the only begotten of the Father, read more...
Colossians 1:17
The irreducible deity and eternality of Christ is often a stumbling block to the limited minds of men which gives rise to a plethora of false teachings and gnostic gospels. This results in esoteric, mystical confusion about the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man.
And today, as in the time of Paul the apostle, the false teachings that deny the eternal divinity, the supreme importance, and read more...
Colossians 1:18
Christ is the Sovereign Creator through Whom all things were made, and by Whom all things in heaven and on earth (both visible and invisible), hold together. He is the uncreated God Who willingly took upon Himself human flesh so that through His shed blood we might receive redemption of our bodies and the forgiveness of sins.
But Christ is also the Head of the Body, which is the Church, and His headship over the Church read more...
Colossians 1:19
The simple gospel truth is easy for a child to understand, but for the rationally thinking man with his analytical mind, the simple gospel truth is the most complicated and abnormal concept to comprehend simply because it does not fall within the bounds of 'normal' human reasoning. But God's boundless and eternal mind is above the restricted limitations of man.
It was God's eternal plan that in Christ should all the fullness of read more...
Colossians 1:20
What an astonishing truth is wrapped up in this simple verse. Just as Christ was the One through Whom all things were made by His mighty power in the original creation, which was ruined through sin, so also that same Christ Jesus is the One through Whom the new creation is formed and made. Through that same Lord Jesus Christ, God is going to make peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the Cross.
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Colossians 1:21
The passage that precede this verse, reaches to the heights of the glories of God and paints a stunning picture of who we are in Christ. We are presented with a feast of all the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus Who has delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into His kingdom, by grace through faith.
The mountain-top experience of this glorious passage then tumbles headlong into the descriptive valley of read more...
Colossians 1:22
After a brief reminder that they were once alienated from their Creator, bitter enemies with God in thought, word, and deed, and slaves to every kind of evil, the Colossian Christians were reminded that by His immeasurable grace, God had planned for their reconciliation back to Himself through the matchless death, burial, and Resurrection of His dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Like them, we too have been read more...
Colossians 1:23
The good news of the glorious gospel of grace should give every believer a joy and assurance in our eternal security in Christ, and the many precious promises that God Himself has proclaimed are 'yes' and 'amen' in Him. Christ's finished work on the Cross paid the full price for our sins and has already been fully accepted on our behalf by our Heavenly Father: "For there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."
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Colossians 1:24
Paul is able to rejoice in his sufferings because he was counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. Like Paul, we too can know Christ and the power of His Resurrection. We too can fellowship in His suffering: "Filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions."
Participating in Christ's sufferings has nothing to do with His atoning sacrifice. Only the sinless Lamb of God could die for the sins of the read more...
Colossians 1:24
Suffering is part of our passage through life. Suffering, pain, and death is the stark reality of living in a sinful world and there is no-one exempt from suffering, for we live in a fallen world that is: "Lying in the power of the evil one."
Suffering is part of our passage through life, but when we willingly suffer for Christ (Who Himself suffered so that we might be forgiven of our sins and freed from the pain of read more...
Colossians 1:25
Moses was called to be God's chosen servant through whom He gave the ministration of the Law to Israel (a time which is sometimes called the dispensation of the Law). Paul, in like manner, was the God-ordained servant who was entrusted with the administration of God's Word to the Church, which is currently in effect during this dispensation of grace. The dispensation of the Law was for pre-Cross Israel, while the dispensation of the grace of God is for read more...
Colossians 1:26
Paul was surrounded by a host of enemies, both physical and spiritual, and experienced the most acute hardships and persecutions during his God-appointed ministry. He had been chosen to be the missionary to the Gentiles who were formerly alienated from God, hopelessly dead in sins, and engaged in evil deeds, but by God's grace, many were reconciled to Him through faith in Christ for their salvation.
Paul's singular purpose in read more...
Colossians 1:27
Many of the fundamentals of Christianity are discovered in the epistles of Paul, for he received certain truths directly from the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ; mysteries which had been hidden in ages past. Even Peter, who was Christ's leading apostle, chosen by God to unlock the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius the centurion, found some of the mysteries given to "our beloved brother Paul," difficult to understand.
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Colossians 1:28
While incarcerated in prison, Paul lifted up his heart in earnest prayer for the Colossian Christians: for spiritual intelligence, practical obedience, moral excellence, and that Christ may be crowned Lord of all in their lives. He prayed that they might become complete in Him and attain spiritual maturity.
He reminds us that Christ is our Saviour Who died to redeem us from the punishment of sin and rose again to live in us, read more...
Colossians 1:29
God gave Paul a unique ministry and appointed him to be the administrator of His plans and purposes during this Church age. Just as Moses was God's chosen servant to administer His will to Israel during the dispensation of the Law, so Paul was God's chosen servant to administer His will during this dispensation of grace. He laboured tirelessly and strove unswervingly to spread abroad the gospel of grace that he received directly from the glorified Jesus Christ, read more...
Colossians 2:2
Much doctrinal truth is reflected within the prayers that Paul prayed for the family of God, and much instruction and wise counsel on how to live the Christian life in a manner that is honouring to the Lord is similarly couched within the content of Paul's intercessions for the saints of God.
Paul laboured hard to preach and teach the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, and he warned unceasingly of the many false teachers who read more...
Colossians 2:3
Paul had never met the Christians at Colossae and yet he had a personal interest in their spiritual maturity. Paul offered many prayers to the Lord on their behalf and wrote an instructive letter to encourage their hearts, develop their spiritual understanding, guide them in the truth of the gospel of Christ, warn them of the dangers of false teachers, and unite them together in love.
Paul knew that one of the best safeguards read more...
Colossians 2:4
Jesus told us: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The truth of God is found in His Word and points us to Jesus, Who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; and the truth shall set us free. It was for that reason that Paul and the other apostles who authored the Scriptures, spent little or no time going into the finer details of the many false doctrines that were starting to infiltrate the Church of their day. For the Word of truth read more...
Colossians 2:5
We live in perilous times when false teachings abound, and Paul's message to the Colossian Christians reminded them that Christ is sufficient, even when we find ourselves battling unbiblical doctrine and the God-hating, Christ-rejecting world-view of the day.
No matter what problems we meet and no matter what situations we may have to face, whether it be political, philosophical, religious, legalistic, economical, mystical, or any read more...
Colossians 2:6
We are called to walk worthy of our Lord and to be fruitful in our Christian life, but this can only be achieved as we abide in Him, rest in Him, trust our lives into His safe-keeping, and walk in spirit and truth. It is only as we willingly choose to be submitted to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we can truly walk worthy of our Lord, in spirit and in truth. It is only as we receive from Him can we can walk in Him.
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Colossians 2:7
Having trusted Christ for salvation, we are to walk in spirit and truth. We are to conduct our lives in a manner that is well-pleasing to the Father, and we are to be holy for the Lord our God is holy. We are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and we are to abide in Him and He in us.
We are to establish, strengthen, and build-up our faith in our Lord Jesus, through Whom we have received read more...
Colossians 2:8
Paul does not spend time teaching the errors of false doctrine, rather He sets out very clearly and concisely the truth contained in the gospel of God. Paul does not spend time outlining the various errors that were evident in Judaism, Gnosticism, Pantheism, Polytheism ad nauseam, nor does he expound on the content of the various philosophies, idle fancies, wild imaginations, and convincing arguments that are rooted in human traditions and spring from a fallen read more...
Colossians 2:9
The syncretism and traditions of men do not have Christ as the focal point, and Paul was warning the Colossian believers not to adopt these basic, world philosophies of men or their legalistic laws, because they cloud the true concept of Christ, distort the biblical truth of the Lord Jesus in the mind of the believer, and they rob the Christian of a proper understanding of the wonderful sufficiency and amazing adequacy of Christ in the life of ALL believers.
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Colossians 2:10
Following his severe warning to beware of false teaching traditions and the spiritual dangers enwrapped in the hollow deceptive philosophies of occultic mysticism, Paul reminds us that the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, and that our union with Him has made us complete, and has brought us into the fullness of God. Through our union with Christ we lack nothing, for He has granted to us all things that pertain to read more...
Colossians 2:11
Circumcision, like the sacrificing of animals, was given by God to Abraham and Israel as a sign between the Lord and His chosen people that they were to be a family that were separated from the world – a race that was sanctified unto the Lord – a peculiar people - an adopted son of God who trusted the Almighty Yahweh and not the world systems.
Though circumcision was initially a physical mark that sealed the covenant promise read more...
Colossians 2:12
It is very important to get a biblical understanding of the word 'baptism' as recorded in the Bible. Some baptisms are wet, such as John's 'baptism of repentance'. Other baptisms are dry, such as the baptism of the Spirit when we are placed into Christ's mystic Body by the Holy Spirit, at salvation.
Paul records that, "by one Spirit," (the baptism of the Holy Spirit) "we were all read more...
Colossians 2:13
The death and Resurrection of Christ was a complete and final victory over sin, for Christ not only died FOR our sins so that we might be reconciled to God and saved from the consequences of sin (which is eternal separation from God), but He also died UNTO sin so that His life would become our life, and the strangle-hold that sin held over us would be broken forever.
Jesus died for our sins: to take the punishment that we deserve. read more...
Colossians 2:14
The requirement of God's Law was total perfection. It was the finger of God Who wrote the ten commandments on the two stone tablets, and it was the hand of Moses that recorded God's Law in its entirety. The Law may have been given to Israel, but that Law condemns every human soul, for ALL have sinned and all fall short of His glory.
The Law was written by the hand of God on tablets of stone, and that handwriting condemned every read more...
Colossians 2:15
The crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ freed us from the righteous demands of the law by nailing them to the Cross, permanently erasing the un-payable certificate of debt that we owe so that all who believe in Him are no longer under law but under grace.
Christ fulfilled the law on our behalf, not so that we could live lawless lives, but to enable us to obey the Lord in spirit and truth and live godly in Christ Jesus out of love read more...
Colossians 2:16
Paul often lays the foundation and fundamentals of faith early in his writings. He then identifies anything that has caused his readers to stray from the truth, or has diverted their attention away from Christ. Finally, he explains how these truths should be applied to our individual, everyday lives.
Here, Paul has come to the conclusion that we should, "let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an read more...
Colossians 2:17
A shadow is an intangible image of something that is real. It is a dark area or hazy shape, produced when something or someone comes between rays of light and an object. A shadow of a tree is not the actual tree, but simply a flat, colourless representation of the real thing which has a textured trunk, inner sap, and exterior bark. A tree is so much more than its shadow. A tree has twiggy branches, deep roots, and colourful leaves - and it produces buds, blossom, read more...
Colossians 2:18
There are many subtle ways that the enemy of our soul is able to defraud us of the heavenly prize that awaits the children of God. There are those that seek to captivate our minds through men-inspired philosophies and other empty deceptions, all of which emanate from the proud traditions of man and which are according to the elementary principles of this fallen world's system, rather than from Christ.
It is in Christ Jesus that read more...
Colossians 2:19
This verse of Scripture is part of a passage that denounces a range of heretical teachings and lays out the criteria for living a high and holy life in Christ Jesus. It seeks to prevent these believers from becoming captive to false teachings or duped by deceptive philosophies, while encouraging them to develop an inner, spiritual, and sacrificial life in Him.
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Colossians 2:20
Every member of the human race is connected to Adam by birth. All are imputed with a sin nature, and the wages of sin is death. As members of the first fallen creation, we are all irrevocably identified with Adam and the eternal consequences of his rebellious fall.
However, through spiritual rebirth, we are immutably connected to Christ and imputed with His perfect righteousness. Our sins have been forgiven by faith, and our read more...
Colossians 2:21
The enemy of our soul seeks to ship-wreck the life and testimony of believers by whatever means he can, and Paul's counter-measure to satanic influences, worldly philosophers, deceptive arguments, and false doctrines, is to know and practice the truth. We are called to be aware of the multiplicity of unbiblical teachings and demonic doctrines awash in Christendom today, but the best way to discern a lie is to know the truth. The best way to read more...
Colossians 2:22
There are many appealing philosophies, human commands, Jewish procedures, and aesthetic practices, that can deceive a believer into wrong thinking and cause them to adopt unbiblical ways, particularly with regard to food and drink, customs like circumcision, a fascination with angels, visions and feelings, the requirement to adopt sabbath-day rules, or the mandatory participation in feast days.
However, Paul warns us that these read more...
Colossians 2:23
Paul is eager to make a clear distinction between the sufficiency we have in Christ, and the empty futility of worldly philosophies and deception of human wisdom. He wants to instil in our heart the perils of legalism, mysticism, asceticism, and every other kind of man-made rite, religious ritual, or self-imposed mortification of the flesh.
He is keen to expound the supremacy of Christ over the restrictive nature of human read more...
Colossians 3:1
Even though Paul never visited the Colossian Christians, he had a deep love for the believers there, keeping them continually in his prayers. He had heard that the church at Colossae had bought into some heretical teaching that appeared to diminish the deity and preeminence of the Lord Jesus, and so he wrote to them to inform them of the centrality of Christ - in Whom is hidden all the wisdom of God and the mysteries of God.
Paul read more...
Colossians 3:2
There is a reason that Paul is calling those that are born of the Spirit to keep their hearts and minds focussed on heavenly things and not on earthy pursuits and interests. We have been raised up into a new life in Christ because we are Christ's spiritual seed, because we have become a brand new creation, and because we have exchanged our former earthly residency for a glorious new citizenship which is reserved for us in heaven.
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Colossians 3:3
This beautiful verse is in a section of Scripture where Paul deals with one of the basic aspects of the Christian life; believers are in union with Christ, we are one with Him.
Christ died on the Cross and because we are His children (His seed), we also died with Him. We were with Christ and we were in Him when He was nailed to the Cross, for we are His seed. We died at the same time that Christ died on Calvary. read more...
Colossians 3:4
Christ died for our sins as our substitute (substitution), but He also died unto sin by breaking the power of sin over us (identification). When we trusted Jesus as Saviour we were placed in HIM. The moment we were saved, we were baptised into the Body of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Is this not glorious?
Not only are our sins forgiven through His blood because of read more...
Colossians 3:4
As the physical seed of Adam, we were in Adam when he walked in the garden of Eden and when he sinned. As part of that old creation in Adam, we died spiritually in him and were imputed with his unrighteousness. However, as the spiritual seed of Christ we died with Him on the Cross at Calvary. We were buried with Him and raised with Him into newness of life at His Resurrection. Now, we are seated with Him in heavenly places, and as part of the new creation in read more...
Colossians 3:5
When we were saved, we were given a new life - the new life in Christ. Old things were passed away, behold all things have become new. Our old sin nature was replaced by a new Christ-like nature, and Paul tells us in many places to reckon ourselves dead to the old sin nature and alive to the new life in Christ.
Therefore, we have to consider every member of our earthly body to be dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, read more...
Colossians 3:6
Because we are children of God we are to look to Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He rose from the dead and broke the power of sin and death in the lives of all who place their trust in Him.
Today, Jesus is seated on the right hand of the Father in heavenly places, and the dear desire our hearts should be set on heavenly things, and not on issues that are intertwined with this broken world system, which lies read more...
Colossians 3:8
All of Paul's epistles are laid out in a structured way. He gives a general reminder of our position and privileges in Christ, and then continues by instructing us on how to live godly lives and what worldly actions and attitudes need to be avoided. Earlier, we are reminded that we have been raised up with Christ Who is seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father, and we should set our minds on things above and not on earthly matters.
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Colossians 3:9
God is truth and the Author of truth, and He delights in truthfulness. Scripture tells us that the Lord hates liars and those that deceive others with a lying tongue. Paul instructs us not to lie to one another because as believers, we have laid aside the old Adamic nature and the evil practices that accompany our former - pre-salvation life.
We have died with Christ and have been raised up together with Him into newness of read more...
Colossians 3:10
The moment that we are born again, we are made a new creation in Christ. The second we are saved we are given a new nature, the resurrected life of Christ within. But also the Holy Spirit of God comes to indwell our body to teach and train us, to guard and guide us, and He also disciplines, chastens, and corrects our new life in Christ.
Oh! He will never teach and train the old sin nature that we received as a member of the old read more...
Colossians 3:11
By faith in Christ, we have been renewed. We have been made a new creation. Indeed, the differences between the old creation in Adam and the new creation in Christ is astounding. The former creation is dead in trespasses and sin. The latter creation is born again of the Spirit of God.
The first creation lies in the evil one, is at enmity with God, and is enslaved by the law of sin and death... while the second creation is read more...
Colossians 3:12
What wonderful truths are shared about the believers position in Christ and our special relationship to our Heavenly Father. We discover that at rebirth we not only died with Christ, but we are raised up into newness of life in Him. Our new life in Christ, our born-again nature, is positioned in Him.
Our old sin nature was severed at the Cross, and our new life in Him is hidden with Christ in God, to His praise and glory. One read more...
Colossians 3:13
Paul presents us with some important doctrinal issues on the superiority and pre-eminence of Christ and the sufficient strength He gives to each one of us, day by day.
He encourages all who are in Christ to stand fast in this evil day. He warns us against the various, destructive philosophies of the world and describes the practical conduct that should be outwardly manifest in each one of our lives - from a heart that is walking read more...
Colossians 3:14
What an amazing privilege it is to be a new creation in Christ; forgiven of our sin, loved by the Lord, accepted in the Beloved, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus. Paul lays out in no uncertain terms, our duty and delight towards the preeminent Christ Who is our life.
As believers, we have been placed in union with Christ and imputed with His own righteousness, and Paul sketches out a brief outline of the main read more...
Colossians 3:15
Peace WITH God is our permanent possession when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, but the peace OF God is conditional upon a believer being in a relationship with the Lord Jesus; as we abide in Christ, trust His Word, depend on His guidance, die to self, and live for Him.
Isaiah explained to Israel: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: read more...
Colossians 3:16
The Lord Jesus was meek and lowly, full of compassion and great mercy – and the gracious words that fell from His lips were life and health and healing. We are exhorted to let His Word dwell in us richly, both His spoken and written Word, for they produce in us an abundance of life and the spirit of true wisdom.
The Holy Spirit has made His dwelling place in our hearts, and He teaches us and leads us in all truth: "You have read more...
Colossians 3:17
This little verse sums up in a nutshell what the Christian's life should look like and how the born-again believer should behave moment by moment, in word and in deed, in mind and in motive.
The question should not be, "What would Jesus do?" but, "Can this action be carried out in the name of Jesus and to His glory? Can the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be done in the name of Jesus? Is what I say and do read more...
Colossians 3:20
There is no excuse for the born-again child of God to argue that they do not know the privileges that are ours in Christ. As Christians, we should know the God-given rules for holy living which are written for our learning in the Word of God. We should know the truth and we should be applying these biblical principles for godly living in our everyday lives - because they are very clearly laid out for our learning in all the New Testament epistles.
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Colossians 3:21
Biblically based practical Christianity and our fundamental relationships at home, in Church fellowships, and in the wider community, is an important theme Paul addresses in this section. He starts by identifying certain general standards of godly behaviour for all Christians, before addressing roles and responsibilities that specifically relate to married couples, children and parents, and servants and their masters.
In this read more...
Colossians 3:22
There are many social issues in the world today, that the Church rightly approves or justly condemns. Slavery is certainly a practice that is condemned, especially enforced or unjust slavery.
Sadly however, in this fallen world slavery has always been a part of humanity's unhappy landscape. Because of man's free-will and fallen nature, slavery became a common practice in the human realm, and the Bible gives believers instructions on how to conduct read more...
Colossians 3:23
Having set out all the many advantages of being in Christ in the first two chapters of Colossians, and laying before us the glories of God's grace and the heavenly privileges of which we are all beneficiaries, Paul turns his attention to practical application in the final two chapters of his epistle.
At first, he deals with the responsibilities, duties, and mutual respect of wives and husbands towards each other, parents with read more...
Colossians 3:24
As Christians, we are to be pure in our inner hearts and holy in our outer lives. As children of God, we are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. And in this Church Age, we are given ample teachings on how to live the Christian life so that we are inwardly pure, outwardly holy, and set apart unto the Lord.
Earlier in the passage, we are given practical instruction on our interpersonal roles, responsibilities, and read more...
Colossians 3:25
This section in Scripture is addressing the attitude and behaviour which should epitomise the godly man or virtuous woman, irrespective of their status in life or their position in society.
God's children will be rewarded for the good work they carry out in spirit and truth, but will suffer loss for those times when they were walking in the flesh or living for their own selfish reasons. Only works which are carried out in the read more...
Colossians 4:1
The Lord is no respecter of persons. There is no one that is excluded from His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ... and there are none that are given extra-special treatment based on their status, skills, colour, parentage, gender, intellectual capacity, political leanings, business acumen, or charismatic personality.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul had already outlined the importance of read more...
Colossians 4:2
In our Christian life, we are entreated to continue steadfastly in prayer, to pray continuously, to present our needs before our heavenly Provider, to lift up others to the eternal throne of grace, and to bend our ear to His gentle promptings. This is proposed by Paul as a duty and responsibility, and yet it is the greatest privilege given to the believer to come before the throne of grace with petitions, prayers, and pleas for our fellow-man and our brothers read more...
Colossians 4:3
In the final chapter of his Colossians letter, Paul reminds his readers of some important things Christians should practice in life. The first thing is to devote ourselves to prayer and to keep alert in the exercise of prayer while maintaining an attitude of thanksgiving and praise. Prayer is the Christian's lifeline to the Lord, without which it is impossible to live in the light of His love and in unity with one another.
Through read more...
Colossians 4:5
Paul equips the saints to recognise false teaching and doctrines of demons by teaching the truth of the gospel of God to the saints. He teaches of the exaltation and perfection of Christ, the deity and the sufficiency of Christ, and the wisdom and glory of Christ. He teaches of our reconciliation by Christ and our membership in the Body of Christ. He details the importance of a believer's prayer life and testimony for the Lord.
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Colossians 4:6
It was the Lord Jesus about Whom it was said: "No man ever spoke like this man," and it was the Lord Jesus who spoke in spirit and truth. Jesus only said what He heard the Father say, and He only did as the Spirit of God instructed Him.
Some people think this showed that Christ was less than God. NEVER! He is co-equal with the Father in every respect, but while on earth, the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to the will of the read more...
Colossians 4:8
Love for his brothers and sisters in Christ was clearly seen in all of Paul's writings and in this letter to the Colossians, his heart's desire was that these beloved believers would gain great spiritual strength. He knew that many blessings and benefits follow those who continue earnestly to pray in faith and for those who are vigilant in their worship, praise, and thanksgiving.
Paul knew that it is God's will that His blood-bought sons and daughters read more...
Colossians 4:15
As Paul draws his epistle to a close, we see his deep love and concern for the little flock of God at Colossae. Not only does he give them a final reminder of their Christian duty; to devote themselves to prayer, maintain an attitude of thanksgiving, conduct themselves with wisdom and grace, and make the most of their opportunity to speak of Christ, but he also asks them to pray for his own ministry; that the Lord would read more...
Colossians 4:16
The letter Paul wrote to the Colossians suggests that the believers there, as well as those in Laodicea, had never met Paul in person, although he prayed regularly for them and wrote letters to them to give them personal encouragement and instruction in Christian living.
Paul sent Epaphras to preach the good news of the gospel at Colossae, but he wrote his epistle to further instruct them on essential doctrines concerning the read more...