OUR FATHER WHO ELECTS THOSE WHO BELIEVE

After instructing the Colossians to eschew the works of the old man, the Apostle Paul, in Colossians chapter 3 verses 12 - 25, prescribes the conduct that is in keeping with the new man.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The list of marks of the life of the new man

• Tender mercies (Compassionate)
• Kindness
• Humility
• Meekness (Gentleness)
• Longsuffering (Patience with others)
• Forgiving others
• Loving one another
• Internal peace of God
• Grateful
• Indwelled by the word of Christ
• Wise
• Sharing  Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace
• Doing all things in the name of the Lord Jesus 
• Grateful to God (Through Jesus Christ)

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

20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON JESUS SITS ENTHRONED AT HIS RIGHT HAND

Continuing with the explanation of what Christ has gained for us, the Apostle Paul, in Colossians chapter 3 verse 1 - 11, encourages believers to mentally inhabit the realm above to which we were raised when we were born again. The apostle names the types or attitudes and behaviours that keep us glued to the earth and divert us from the things above where we are hidden in Christ and from where we shall appear with Him in glory.

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Paul lists the things identified with the works of the old man that we are no longer part of:

• Fornication (Sexual immorality)
• Uncleaness (Impurity)
• Passion (Lust)
• Evil desires
• Covetousness (Greed) which is idolatry

As well, Paul separately lists dispositional stances to be avoided  that are part of what the old man exhibits:

• Anger
• Wrath (Rage)
• Malice
• Blasphemy (Slander)
• Filthy language
• Lies

Amen.

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OUR FATHER BRINGS INCREASE WHEN WE CLING TO CHRIST

In Colossians chapter 2 verses 11 - 23, the apostle Paul summarises the absolute reversal that Christ achieved for us believers through His death on the cross and his burial and ressurection.

Whereas we were once dead in our tresspasses with an inssurmountable list of charges against us, Christ, in His victory over death, cleared off the charges against us and revivified us when our trespasses were taken away and nailed to the cross and, in a cosmological triumph over the heirarchy of the kingdom of darkness that enforced the legal claims against us, defanged and humiliated them such that they were rendered impotent regarding their rule over us. 

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Paul, having established that believers have been extricated from under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness and freed from the regulations of the law and traditions of men, adjures us not to be subjected to rules related to food, drink, festivals and sabbaths which were merely shadows that pointed to the ultimate ministry of Christ. 

Paul cautions us against heeding those who claim to have seen visions and then, in their inflated sense of themselves,  teach others to practice false humility and to worship of angels. In doing so, they lead people away from cleaving to the head of the body who is Christ and from whom only can a healthy life of the body of believers be gained.

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

Believers who have died with Christ and are thus free from the governing principles of the world, should therefore not be ruled by the regulations and doctrines of men for even though some of these artificial strictures appear rooted in wisdom , they have no ability to free us from the proclivities of the fallen nature.

20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER IN WHOM IS HIDDEN ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

The Apostle Paul, continuing with his letter to the Colossians in chapter 2 verses 1 - 10, lets them know that he had been struggling mightily for them and those in Laodicea and for the many whom he had not physically met so that they would be strongly united and embedded together in love for one another so that they would be encouraged and gain the incredible benefits that come from understanding and having access to the wisdom and knowledge concealed in God.

Paul also revealed to the Colossians (so that they are not ignorant of this reality) that even though he is not physically with them, his spirit is able to travel into the midst of them and he told them that he was gratified to see that they conducted themselves in orderly ways and that they were staunch in their faith.

1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

The apostle cautions the Colossians to gratefully walk out their faith in the Lord Christ Jesus as was presented to them and that they willingly accepted and that they should be aware of contrary philosophies that were not sourced in the Lord Jesus but rather were deceptions sourced from menˋs traditions or from wordly ideas and methods.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO WILLED TO MAKE MAKE KNOWN THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES

Colossians chapter 1 verses 19 - 29;

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO QUALIFIED US TO BE PARTAKERS IN THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS 

Colossians chapter 1 verses 1 - 18;

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS ABLE TO DO E EXEEDINGLY ABUNDANDANTLY BEYOND WE CAN ASK OR THINK

Ephesians chapter 3 verses 14 - 21;

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO MADE GENTILES  AND JEWS INTO FELLOW HEIRS

Ephesians 3 verses 1 - 13:

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Amen.

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