Gracefully Truthful

  • #HisWordsBeforeOurs
  • contact@gracefullytruthful.com
  • Register!
  • Today’s Journey
  • Previous Journeys
  • Faces of Grace
  • GT Bookstore
  • Our Mission
    • Our Mission
    • #HisWordsBeforeOurs
    • Our Beliefs
    • Translations Matter
    • #GTGoingGlobal
    • Our Team
#GTGoingGlobal

Colossians

Anchored Day 9 Yoked & Equipped: Digging Deeper

February 28, 2019 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Yoked & Equipped!

The Questions

1) What is meant by “if you have been raised”? (verse 1)

2) How is your life hidden in Christ and how does it appear? (verses 3-4)

3) How are “putting on the new self” and “renewed in knowledge” connected? (verse 10)

Colossians 3:1-11

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

5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

Original Intent

1) What is meant by “if you have been raised”? (verse 1)
Paul is known throughout Scripture for his logical persuasive arguments, taking his audience step by step into a greater understanding of the fullness of the gospel. You can generally spot his points with words like “therefore” or “if”. The latter is a little harder for us to understand in our western way of processing, but if we get in the mindset of seeing Paul building a solid argument, it’s easier to grasp. Paul uses “if” to draw sharp contrasts, helping his audience understand that because of (if) our identity and inheritance in Christ, it only makes sense to live, act, or think a certain way. In contrast, it becomes apparent how foolish it is to live contrary to the lifestyle Paul outlines because we’ve been made new for a purpose.

2) How is your life hidden in Christ and how does it appear? (verses 3-4)
“For you have died…” is Paul’s lead in to a life hidden in Christ. For someone who trusts Christ as Savior and Rescuer that phrase is the best news ever, “For you have died.” He’s not talking physical death, rather a death to the spiritual nature we are born with as human beings. We aren’t sinful people because we sin. No, we sin because our very nature is sinful; we are chained to Sin with no escape. None but Christ. Christ who took our punishment for sin upon Himself. Christ who took Death for us. Christ who broke Sin’s chains transferring us to the Kingdom of Light and Life where our lives are hidden in Him. Death cannot seek us out when our lives are hidden with Him. No evil one can snatch us away. (John 10:28-29) We are hidden deep into His life, if we have been raised. (3:1) One glorious day, when Christ returns in bodily form, the fullness of our lives that has been hidden away will also appear. He IS our life, Sisters. In Him only is life found. (verse 4) In Him we find our being, our very living. (Acts 17:28) When Jesus comes back, whether our physical bodies are dead or alive, (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) He will transform our old bodies to bran-new, glorified ones. (Philippians 3:20-21) Bodies ready to contain the fullness of life Christ has been protectively hiding in Himself and live it out for eternity. Incredible Hope!

3) How are “putting on the new self” and “renewed in knowledge” connected? (verse 10)
God did not set us free from a life of sin and death and place a period at the end with no how-to on what to do next. When we look at the books in the New Testament, it can be easy to see just a list of what we must do to be Christian and what we must not do. But to see that, is to start off all wrong. We must not do something to be Christian. We are made new in Christ, and so we live differently; we live freely. How do we live freely? Ah, now we are at the right starting block! Putting on this new life we have access to as redeemed saints is not something we must do heavy lifting in order to accomplish, rather it begins with a renewing of our minds through the teaching of Scripture. There, in the pages of His Word, the Holy Spirit quickens our hearts, whispers in our ears, and does His work (not ours) of renewing the whole life.

Everyday Application

1) What is meant by “if you have been raised”? (verse 1)
“If” is a big, important question when it comes to our eternity.  To be “raised” is to have died to sin and its control over our hearts as we have surrendered to a new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. A Ruler who gives delight, freedom, and fullness of life. This new identity comes with new freedoms, rights, and privileges, which are what Paul is passionately espousing in chapters 2 and 3 of Colossians. Are you certain about your eternal destination? How do you know? Have you been raised? If so, Sister, dig in to these two chapters here in Colossians. Whether you’ve been raised to new life for 10 days or 10 years, the Spirit will speak here through His Word. If you’ve been raised, live like it! Walk deeply into the life you’ve been given!

2) How is your life hidden in Christ and how does it appear? (verses 3-4)
Hope is a powerful thing. It’s something each of us need to keep on living, breathing, and doing everyday life. Where is your hope, my friend? New job, new house, finances, or maybe a relationship with your spouse, a friend, or your children? Where is it? That motivator that keeps you going and anchored? When the bottom drops out, what can you still cling to? And when that is gone, what else holds you? Hear me, if what you throw your hands out and clutch in those moments of pure, painful desperation is anything but Christ and the life you have in Him, your anchor will not hold. Only Jesus. Only His life for yours. Only salvation through Him by grace. Only here is life found, tucked away within His life and preserved for eternity to appear at His own glorious appearing. Have you been raised?!

3) How are “putting on the new self” and “renewed in knowledge” connected? (verse 10)
Your work or the Spirit’s? How often do you work at “being” Christian? Going to the right church, not swearing, dressing right, pinning a Bible verse to social media? What if it wasn’t so heavy? What if we began keeping in step with the Spirit by simply sitting with the Savior, learning His ways, and dancing in rhythm to His heartbeat as we read His Words? Suppose we refused to begin a day’s work before we sat still and silent before Him? Paul tells us what will happen. Our minds will be renewed, our hearts will come alive, the Lord will reveal Himself in ever deepening ways as He makes us new. This adventure is not to be missed! Be intentional and choose to let the Spirit renew your mind through His Word!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Yoked & Equipped

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Anchored Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Colossians, Desperate, Digging Deeper, Dwell, Equipped, Fellowship, Gospel, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Identity, Power, Praise, Prayer, Relationship Tagged: Colossians, equipped, hope, Truth, Yoked

Anchored Day 1 Saints, Apostles, & Brothers

February 18, 2019 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:1-3
John 17:20-26
Romans 12:1-21

Anchored, Day 1

“Quien son la iglesia?”
He was a quiet man standing before a gathered few, Bible in hand and a passion in his voice that belied his calm persona. His was a new church plant in my city and me, with my meager Spanish, had decided to join them for a Sunday. His question asked, “Who are the church?” In both English and in Spanish, the grammar is incorrect, matching a plural verb with a singular noun. But the audience responded loudly, with a veritable boldness that struck me deeply.

“Nosotros!”
Us.
We are.

No questioning. No pause while the pastor explained what he meant. No exhortation to let the believers gathered there realize they had an identity as Christ’s Body as a whole called Church linking all believers across all culture, tribes, languages, and time through the precious blood of Christ. Simply an immediate response: Nosotros! Us! We are!

To read Scripture is to hear the heartbeat of the triune God as His Spirit breathed out His inspiration to every human author. God, eternally existing in three persons, perpetually delights in beautiful community within Himself. God, the fullness of Him as Father, Son, and Spirit, longs for us to enjoy that same community between fellow believers and with Himself.

Not only is our harmonious unity as believers the very desire of God, He also created our hearts to long for it as well. It’s why we want followers on Instagram and likes on Facebook, while also aching for people to really, truly know us, love us, and walk with us. Relationships, deep, meaningful ones, are important because God designed us for them.

This clear need for genuine community is vividly depicted throughout the pages of Scripture from Eden to Revelation, but Paul’s letters hearken back to this theme of unity within the church again and again on repeat. As Paul opens Colossians, this grand book describing deep mysteries of the triune godhead and the centrality of Christ in all things, he humbly begins in familiar, but fundamental territory: the familial unity of all believers.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father. (Colossians 1:1-3)

Paul, an apostle by Christ.
Christ, the very author and original eternal participant of community, willed that Paul would become an apostle to build His kingdom and participate in the riches of biblical community known as Church.

Enter Timothy, our brother.
Not named for his role in the church as pastor, or for his age, or by his abilities, but by his identity as a brother in the sacred fellowship of Church.

Breathtakingly, on this stage of the greatest apostle and his coworker for the gospel, suddenly all believers are welcomed to join them.
Saints and faithful brothers in Christ.

Yes, this letter was originally penned to a fairly small town house church in Colossae, but it also carried instruction to have it read at other churches, broadening the scope of “saints and brothers in Colossae” to include all believers.

All believers.
Saints every one.
Brothers and sisters, each of them.
Each partaking of the other for the mutual benefit of all; Church. (Romans 12:5)

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Paul knew his recipients weren’t blood relatives of Timothy.
He didn’t declare them saints because they had all been baptized or taken communion, followed the ten commandments, or sold their belongings to give to the poor.
The believers were saints and brothers in Christ.

As we dive into this extraordinary letter, we will encounter incredible truths to shape our everyday life, but we must keep it all in the framework of unity within the Body of Christ. The church in Colossae was just a small gathering of believers Paul had only “heard about” from Epaphrus, another pastor Paul had likely trained and discipled from his time in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10). There were other churches, seemingly more important ones, bigger ones in larger cities Paul had written to also, but this letter to the Colossians was preserved and accepted into the whole of Scripture.

Its truths are deep and applicable to us today.
As we gaze into these mysterious beauties, we must hold up the lens by which it was intended to be seen through, unity within the Church.

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Don’t miss out on Church, Sister!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Anchored Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Anchored!

Posted in: Believe, bride, Character, church, Comfort, Community, Daughter, Faith, Forgiven, Freedom, Gospel, Grace, Identity, Jesus, Kingdom, Paul, Relationship, Truth, Unity Tagged: church, Colossians, fellowship, God, grace, peace, Trinity, unity

Gracefully Truthful Ministries

© 2022 Gracefully Truthful Ministries, All Rights Reserved, 501(c)3 certified

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14