WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday May 16, 2010
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A CHOSEN COMMUNITY
(Living the new life)
(Colossians 3)

GOD entered into the physical, material world in the person of JESUS CHRIST, and in a real human body, won salvation for all mankind. JESUS not only showed us how to live in our human existence, HE also showed us how true spirituality, by definition, means living a human life here on earth, in union, with GOD the FATHER, in Heaven.
The Apostle Paul understood that all wisdom could be found in CHRIST JESUS, and so here in Colossians 3, he urges the Christians at Colosse to continue to abide in CHRIST, and aspire to reflect HIS image to others, through their own behavior.
If believers are to be identified with CHRIST, they can no longer live under Jewish law which could rob them of their rewards in Heaven, nor, could they afford to be deceived by the vain philosophies of the Gnostic teachers who had already infiltrated many of the Christian Churches in the first century.
It is important for the Christian to fully understand that they have been raised to life with CHRIST, and, as a result, must set their hearts on the things of Heaven, and put to death, their desires for the things of this world. We are no longer permanent residents of this earth, but rather we’ve become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the laws of GOD, not the laws of the Jews, or of man, must become paramount to us.
In the Greek, the word used for “world” is “kosmos”. It is from this word that we derive our English word “cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, it is “that complex intertwining of sinful desires that shape our world of lost humanity”.
When we choose the Christian walk, we automatically become strangers to worldly behavior. An experiential relationship with GOD is a Christian’s greatest asset, and thus, as GOD’s people, we must strive to live the kind of life with others, that JESUS lived when HE was here on earth.
What we do in, and with, our bodies is of deep concern to GOD. Everything, that we say and do, reflects on the GOD, we say we know and love. The theme of us being a “new creation” is a familiar one in the writings of Paul, and that common theme is just as vivid here in this letter to the Colossians, as it is in any of Paul’s doctrinal epistles. When we become Christians, we are expected by GOD, to die to the world. GOD then justifies us, and raises us up into a new life with CHRIST, and therefore, anything that is foreign to CHRIST, should become foreign to us. We put to death, all those things that we used to do that were not pleasing to GOD, and we embrace those things that are.
Paul ends chapter three of this epistle to the Colossians, (verses 18-25) with this advice on how we are to live our new lives within the framework of the roles we have been assigned to at birth by GOD, as men, women, and children, whom GOD intended, to comprise the family households. Wives must submit to their own husband, husbands must love their own wife, and treat her gently, and children must obey their parents at all times.
It must not be forgotten that JESUS HIMSELF was raised on scriptures, and HE based HIS entire ministry on what those scriptures say, and, HE also approached HIS death, with words of scripture on HIS lips. The word of GOD serves as a daily reminder of what our conduct should be towards each other, and, towards GOD HIMSELF. By exemplifying GODly conduct in our daily walk, we, invariably uplift the name of JESUS our CHRIST, and, our LORD.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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