Bible Reading: Colossians 2:20 - 3:11
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on 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 now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
In our first lesson on the "Resurrection of the dead", we pointed out that there are three resurrections in the New Testament to which our faith must relate.
They are:
Having dealt with the first of these in our last lesson, we now proceed to consider the second one.
Eph. 2:1,5,6 (Amp.) - "And you (HE MADE ALIVE), when YOU WERE DEAD (slain) by (your) trespasses and sins . . . Even when WE WERE DEAD (slain) by (our own) shortcomings and trespasses, HE MADE US ALIVE together in fellowship and in union with Christ. He gave us THE VERY LIFE OF CHRIST HIMSELF, the SAME NEW LIFE with which He quickened Him . . . And HE RAISED US UP TOGETHER with Him and made us sit down together — giving us joint seating with HIM — in the heavenly sphere . . . "
Rom. 6:8 - "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."
Col. 2:13 - "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,"
Weymouth — "And to you - DEAD as you once were in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your natural state - He has nevertheless GIVEN LIFE with Himself, having forgiven us all our transgressions."
Gal. 2:19,20 (Amp.) - "For I through the Law - under the operation (of the curse) of the Law - have in Christ's death for me, MYSELF DIED to the Law and all the Law’s demands upon me, so that I may (henceforth) LIVE to and for God. I have been CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST - (in Him) I have SHARED HIS CRUCIFIXION; it is no longer I who live, but Christ, the Messiah, LIVES IN ME; and THE LIFE I NOW LIVE in the body, I live by faith - by adherence to and reliance on and (complete) trust - in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
2 Cor. 5:14,15,17 (Amp.) - "For the Love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that (if) One has died for all, then ALL HAVE DIED; and He died for all, so that ALL THOSE WHO LIVE might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him who died and was RAISED AGAIN FOR THEIR SAKE. Therefore, if any person is (in-grafted) in Christ, the Messiah, He is (A NEW CREATURE ALTOGETHER), a NEW CREATION; the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the FRESH AND NEW HAS COME!"
Rom. 6:4-5 (Amp.) - "We were buried, therefore, with Him by THE BAPTISM INTO DEATH, so that JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD by the glorious (power) of the Father, so WE TOO might habitually live and behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by SHARING A DEATH LIKE HIS, we shall also be (one with Him in SHARING) HIS RESURRECTION (by a NEW LIFE lived for God)."
Col. 2:12 (Amp.) - "Thus you were circumcised when you were BURIED WITH HIM IN YOUR BAPTISM, in which you were ALSO RAISED WITH HIM (to a new life) through your faith in the working of God (as displayed when He) RAISED HIM UP FROM THE DEAD."
a. An attitude of faith is established and maintained
Rom. 6:11 — "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Weymouth - "You also must regard yourselves as DEAD in relation to sin, but as ALIVE in relation to God, BECAUSE YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS!"
b. A new life is lived (evidenced / manifest).
Rom. 6:4 (NASB) - ". . . so we too might walk in newness of life!"
Weymouth - ". . . we also should LIVE AN ENTIRELY NEW LIFE!"
JBP - ". . . rise to LIFE ON A NEW PLANE ALTOGETHER!"
Amp. - ". . . so we, too, might HABITUALLY LIVE AND BEHAVE IN NEWNESS OF LIFE."
c. A new Master is obeyed. 2 Cor. 5:15 - ". . . that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
d. A new life purpose is embraced.
Col. 3:1,2 (Amp.) - "If, then, YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST (to a new life, thus SHARING HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD), AIM AT AND SEEK THE (RICH, ETERNAL TREASURES) THAT ARE ABOVE, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And SET YOUR MINDS AND KEEP THEM SET ON WHAT IS ABOVE - the higher things - not on the things that are on the earth."
Weymouth - "Let your thoughts dwell on things above, NOT GROVEL ON THE EARTH."
Study Questions for Lesson No. 14
Back to Lesson 13 - "Resurrection (1)"
Read Lesson 15 - "Resurrection (3)"