WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday February 10, 2013
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FULL LIFE IN CHRIST
(To be complete in CHRIST one must let worldliness go)
(Colossians 2)
Paul prayed constantly that the believers in all Christian Churches really learn and come to understand the power that they all have in CHRIST JESUS. Here in Colossians 2, we see how he agonized for the churches at Colosse and Laodicea, even though he had never visited with them in person. His goal was to encourage and knit them together with strong ties of love and confidence in CHRIST JESUS, and HIS connection through GOD, to the Secret Treasure, which is the Church (Vs.1-3).
It is a wonderful thing that we pray for those whom we know and love, however, our prayers for Christian unity and growth in the Christian Community must inherently include those brothers and sisters in other places, throughout this world, whom we’ve never met, yet, we’ve been made aware of their needs. The Christian Community must be a concerned and discerning community.
The Christian hope has, throughout the history of the Church, served as motivation to make life on earth, conform more fully to the word of GOD. All the information we have about CHRIST, and Christianity, comes to us, from those who actually saw the miracles of CHRIST performed, and, who actually heard HIM speak. All of the saints who wrote down, and passed down this information, did so, as a means of encouraging believers, and not as a means of satisfying historical curiosity. Perhaps the most important element contained in all of this information is the fact that men and women must always pray.
When we pray consistently for one another, we are standing firm and building on our foundation that we have invested in based on our commitment to the MOST-HIGH FAITH. The treasures of all wisdom, knowledge, and discernment are hidden in CHRIST, and by “hidden”, I don’t mean “concealed”. The treasures of knowledge, wisdom, and discernment are “stored up” in CHRIST, and they are assessable to all who come to believe GOD. And just as we, as Christians, have accepted JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR, we must also continue to have faith and live in obedience to HIM.
Paul cared deeply for the people of Colosse, even though he had never been there to visit with them during any of his missionary journeys. He prayed for them agonizingly because of the heresy of the “Gnostics” that had infiltrated the church there. He wrote this letter to them at his first available opportunity, because he wanted to encourage them to remain steadfast, and to be a community, always willing to stand strong in the truth of GOD’s word.
In verse 8 Paul uses the Greek term “pithanologia” in his original writing to describe “human logic” as being nonsense to GOD. It is a “persuasive argument” that is filled with deceit that comes from human thinking, and from the evil powers of this world, and not from CHRIST. As I said earlier, Paul’s goal was that the Christians in Colosse and everywhere else, would remain knitted together by their mutual love for CHRIST, and find their comfort, by having complete understanding of GOD’s plan for them, through HIM. They must not be taken in, or deceived by those who come with persuasive arguments that differ from the teachings of JESUS CHRIST. They should remain obedient to GOD’s word, and allow its roots to grow deep into their minds and hearts.
Divine exaltation belongs to CHRIST. In CHRIST we find all that we need, and in HIM, we see exactly what GOD is like. JESUS is the visible likeness of the invisible GOD in Heaven, and only HE can usher us into GOD’s OWN glorious presence when our day has come.
When we come to CHRIST, we experience a “spiritual circumcision” that begins to cut away the “sin nature” which we obtained from satan the first time we were disobedient to GOD. And it continues to cut away at that “sinful nature” by means of a continuing presence of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD in us. When we were baptized spiritually in CHRIST, we were buried with CHRIST, and then, raised into a new life, with GOD. And we must trust in the almighty power of GOD, WHO raised CHRIST from the dead physically, to sustain us, into “the final stage of existence”, which, for believers, is an eternal life with GOD in “the Kingdom of Heaven”.
A Sunday school lesson by
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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