The ethical ideal of the Christian life is not something you attain by willpower or individual effort alone. Only Christ’s power activated within a person makes the moral demands of following Christ possible. Colossians 3 takes us from the truth about what is into the everyday world of what should be, how we should live out the reality of "Christ in you."
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In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. It's a perfect way to get started!
In season four we're praying through some of the letters in the Bible. We continue with Colossians as Paul and Timothy work out the implications of Christ at the center of it all. Paul's letters have a similar plot or structure: they begin with theology, teaching truth about what is based on what God has done and who he is, then they move into practical application or teaching about how to live this out in the real world. In today's section, we transition from theology into practical instruction.
Colossians 3 reminds us of what we were apart from Christ and also appeals to us to live in the power of what Christ has done in us and not go back to earlier ways of sensual indulgence and fleshly thinking. How this is lived out in concrete relationships is also highlighted.
Above all, love is the goal and the uniting principle. All virtues are united and harmonized in love. Christ taught that it is the most important commandment and applies toward both God and humans. Some possible verses from this episode to meditate on are Colossians 3:14 and 15-16. Make the application practical today. Lean on Christ and his power and don't rely on willpower alone.
As we read the letters we grow closer to God and realize we can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture that we cover. However, you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
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We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme". If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.
A classic book that does an imaginative retelling of the Onesimus-Philemon story that will appeal to young and old is Twice Freed by Patrician St. John. You can find it on Amazon.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
