Fri 4.5 – What’s the point?

Today’s Readings: Col 3.5-7; 2 Chr 33.1-2, Eph4.17-20, 5.3-10

Have you ever seen something weird, and thought to yourself, “What’s the point?” Like this picture for example. Can’t you just imagine a year down the road, when the group from the picture is sitting down to dinner, reminiscing about that vacation they took. So they break out the pictures, and can’t seem to remember who was who in this one…what’s the point in a picture like this? It can’t really be too important, or serve too great a purpose?

Now, with that kind of thinking in mind, check out our passage from Colossians today.

Remember, we’re talking about mortifying our bodies. We have seen how we must KILL the desires of our natural selves and pursue the SPIRITUAL desires of Christ in us.

In Colossians 3.6, God talks about those people who do not mortify themselves, those people who live according to their own lusts. What name does He give to them? He calls them “children of disobedience”. Since we, who are saved, are his children, we should be ANYTHING but those who disobey Him. As a matter of fact, behaving in the manner in which Christ did is supposed to be true of every believer (I John 2.6). God explains that this disobedience caused His wrath to come on them. Wow. I guess God does care about our obedience to scripture!

Notice His next words in verse 7. The reason we shouldn’t live our lives being controlled by the members of our bodies, is because freedom from that bondage is part of salvation. God says they WALKED, past tense – as in they do not do it any more. There is a change that occurs at salvation. Things are supposed to be different now. When once we lived our lives seeking to fulfill every lust of our flesh for food, acceptance, sex, success, etc., we now live our lives seeking THINGS ABOVE. God said those who turned away from Him and went back to allowing the natural desires of their bodies to control them were the CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE! They didn’t mortify their members, but instead gave into them and allowed those members to be their God!

Look at God’s commentary about the Kingdom under Manasseh’s reign. What was it that made them wicked before God? They acted like the HEATHEN whom God had destroyed in order to put them in the promised land to begin with. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the same was said of us concerning our lives here today!?! What if God could look out and say, “Nick was evil before me because he lived his life according to the lustful desires of his body that I freed him from when I saved him. Because Nick returned to the bondage I freed him from, he is a child of disobedience.” Man, that would be hard to hear.

You’ll see a couple passages from Ephesians above. I recommend we conclude our time with God today by reading through those passages and asking His Spirit to show us areas that we may need to mortify in our lives to keep His commentary on our lives from being like the one from 2 Chron. Amen!

4.4 – Awaiting our Adoption

Today’s readings: Col 3.3-5; Rom 8; 1 Cor 15.41-58

What a tremendous time last night was at the Fridge. It was so great to hear the Word of God and to see how God has given us a way to deal with sin in our flesh as we strive to live according to HIS LIFE! I pray that you heard the Voice of God speaking as the Word was opened last night, and that God has helped you identify some of those thing in your life that need to be MORTIFIED (or killed).

What I would like to do today, is just look back at a few key truths from last night and see a little more of what scripture says about these truths. If you would, get your Bible out and open, grab a pen, a pad, and let’s dive into the Scriptures this morning as we listen to God’s voice.

A few key truths to remember:

• When we were saved, our DEAD SPIRIT was made ALIVE, and our LOST SOUL was SAVED. (see Eph 1 & 1 Cor 15)
• When that happened our SIPRIT changed: becoming alive and able to openly communicate with God. Our SOUL changed: becoming redeemed and placed into Christ. But our BODY DID NOT CHANGE. Nobody has ever changed color, height, weight, or anything else at the moment of their salvation.
• Because we now have a LIVING SPIRIT and a REDEEMED SOUL that are inside this SAME OLD SINFUL BODY, there are struggles! Big Struggles!

This morning, I want you to see this body as Paul did. Check out what he called it in Rom 7.25! This was not something that he loved, but it would almost seem like he was disgusted by it. Turn with me as we see how he looked at this body that was limiting his soul and spirit from being what God wanted for him…

Romans 8:

• [v8-10] He explains the situation…a living spirit that desires God, and a body that is given to sin. A constant war.
• [v19-23] the WHOLE EARTH is longing for the time that God will come for His family. All of creation is looking for that day when there will no longer be the bondage of sin on this earth.
• [v.22-23] that longing causes a GROANING AND MOANING inside because of the very deep desire to be united with our God in a way that will present no blockage. Right now, the best we can do is to talk through a glass wall, but one day (when sin is completely removed) we will be able to EMBRASE Him…not just talk, not just listen, but EMBRASE! Oh how I wish God would help me grow in my personal longing for that day when we will EMBRASE! Wow.

I Cor 15.41-58:

• [v.41-44] Just like a dirty little seed is sown into the ground, and in time it comes to life as a beautiful rose, so will our resurrection be. We will die (be sown) in these earthly bodies dirty from sin, and be raised in life in beautiful sinless bodies that will be unhindered in our ability to love, serve, worship, and praise Him!
• [v45-49] God will one day give us a glorified body. This body is not because we deserve it, or so that we can just be better than we are now and enjoy life more…no no no, that’s not the point at all! Those glorified bodies are so that we can be closer to Him. God cannot be in the presence of sin. So by completely removing it from us, He makes it possible to be even more with us!!!! What a savior!
• [v.50-58] One day this CORRUPTED body will be put off and we will put on an INCORRUPTABLE one. Why? Because of verse 50 – this corrupted BODY OF SIN cannot inherit the kingdom, the place where God is! And after all isn’t that the purpose of our salvation…to be brought back to Him!?!

Today, let us be people that GROAN and LONG for that day when we can FULLY EMBRASE our Lord. No more sin obstacles. No more lustful battles. No more selfish motives. Just PURE LOVE with our God. Students – please – hear the hope in these verses and open your hearts to LONG for the ADOPTION of the children of God when this CORRUPTIBLE body shall be raised INCORRUPTIBLE to spend eternity in the presence of our God. Amen.

Wed 4.3 – Flesh vs. Spirit

Today’s Readings: Col 3.3-7; Romans 8

As we prepare for tonight’s service, I wanted to take a lighter approach to the devotion this morning. Throughout the DIRECTIONS study, we have been talking about the DIRECTION God gives us for our everyday lives. Much of that so far has centered around the things we SEEK and the things we SET OUR AFFECTION on. That is such a big part of the Christian life that we spent a few weeks on those topics making sure they were clear and understandable. You will notice that in Col 3.3-4, God repeats some key truths as to HOW and WHY we should be seeking and setting our affection according to His plan. Then comes verse 5.

There is a major word in verse 5. We must always give attention to this word when we study our Bibles if we hope to understand it properly. The word…THEREFORE. Notice that God gives all this doctrine through chapters 1-2, and summarizes His plan for that in 3.1-4. Now in verse 5, He tells us “therefore” , or BECAUSE OF THESE TRUTHS, we are to MORTIFY or MEMBERS which are UPON THE EARTH. Let me remind you again, what was it we are not to seek and set our affection on in 3.2??? It was THINGS ON THE ERATH, right? Well that’s what verse 5 is saying about our bodies, they are THINGS ON EARTH, and rather than seeking the things that please them (as we naturally do) we are to forsake them to seek things above.

The truth of the matter is, when we MORTIFY the flesh (which we explained yesterday in 4.2) we must have strength that is not our own. I am no match for my own flesh. I am just as weak as my flesh is. I am just as feeble as my flesh is. So, how then do I overcome it? Through the Spirit! God’s spirit inside of me is a limitless supply for doing his will. That power of God residing in me, keeping me and preparing me for the redemption of my body at the return of Christ, is also in me strengthening me to live my life TODAY!

If you were going to summarize what we have learned so far in this study, it we be (1) that we need to talk to God daily about the PURSUITS AND PURPOSES of life. That’s those 4 things God said were above that we are to seek, and the 4 things we have set our affection on that cause us to seek those first 4 things. We are getting ready to step into the second major concept of the directions study, and that is (2) to talk to God daily about the passions of the body. Until we admit the needs, we will never seek the help to overcome them.

As you close your time with God today, read prayerfully through Romans 8 and ask God to show you keys to MORTIFY the flesh and to LIVE according to the Spirit. He has called you to a spirit-filled life, and God never calls you to something He doesn’t first equip you to do. You may want to use these questions as a guide:

• What is the condition to escape condemnation currently? (8.1)
• What is going to occupy your mind if you are living after the flesh? (8.5)
• What relationship to God do those who are carnally (fleshy) minded have with God? (8.7)
• Can the flesh please God, and how often? (8.
• What should cause us to groan as we wait for it? (8.22-23)
• Who’s image did God predestinate that believers should be in? (8.29)
• What can separate us from the love of Christ? (8.35, 38-39)
• How do we conquer the flesh? (8.37)

4.2 – Lessons from a Seed

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.5-7; I Corinthians 15.31-38; Romans 6.6, 13.14

In yesterday’s study, we talked about the way that God says to deal with our sinful flesh…we simply die to it. Of course that doesn’t mean that He wants us to physically harm our bodies, but rather to render our bodily desires (lusts, pride, covetousness, etc) as dead. That is why God chose to use the word “mortify” in Col 3.5. It is the same word we would use today to speak of one who deals with dead bodies, they are a “Mortician”. So, today let’s look at another passage of scripture to maybe help us understand God’s reasoning and purpose behind choosing to use those words. In the verses above from Romans, you will find a couple more examples of when God tells us to render our bodies and their ways DEAD. We will spend our time looking at the passage above from I Corinthians 15 today.

In 1 Corinthians, the context (or topic being discussed) is the resurrection from the dead. However, in the middle of talking about that, an AMAZING TRUTH is laid out for us. God says that whenever you sow a seed, that seed cannot be a plant until it dies as a seed(15.36). You catch that? For an apple tree to grow, the apple SEED has to die, and then take on the NEW LIFE of an apple TREE! WOW. Again, God is speaking about the resurrection and how our glorified bodies are going to be a new kind of body that we cannot inherit until our physical ones we have now die. But SPIRITUALLY, the same it true! We cannot fully reach our NEW LIFE in Jesus Christ, until we fully MORTIFY our fleshy (or earthly or bodily) desires and ways!

You’ll notice that in 15.31 Paul (a great Christian leader who realized the NEW LIFE that he was to have in Christ) said he DIED DAILY. He can’t mean physically, can he?!? What he means is the spiritual dying to our flesh that we are talking about from Colossians 3.5-7.

Maybe you are asking, “What are the things we mortify?” Sometimes when we talk about SPIRITUAL truths like that, it is hard for us to understand them in a practical way. If you notice in v.5, God says “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth…” And then He gives a list of some things. Do you see that? Those are the things that are CAUSED BY those MEMBERS we are to mortify. In other words, what bodily desires cause us to commit FORNICATION? Things like lust, uncontrolled desires that we allow to control us. So we are to mortify our LUSTFUL DESIRES. What things cause us to commit UNCLEANLINESS? Things that are done from an impure heart, with sinful motives, cause us to be UNCLEAN, unholy, unrighteous, and more!

Okay, do you see the pattern there? As you conclude your time with God today, look through that list and ask the Spirit of God to show you where things are going UN-DEAD in your life. Things that need to be MORTIFIED. What are the areas of your life where you know God is not pleased, yet you seem to struggle with those things anyway? Those are things of our flesh(bodies) that we must not allow to control us . Those are things we MORTIFY.

4.1 – Dead men can’t jump

Today’s Readings: Col 3.1-4, I Pet 2.24, Rom 6

What a terrific week! I hope and pray that everyone has been enjoying these studies as much as I have! I am excited about the new opportunities we have with the new schedule on Wednesday’s at the Fridge. It has been great to see some of you grasping this concept from the DIRECTIONS study! This is honestly a KEY TRUTH to the Christian life if we will only grasp a hold of it.

Today, I just want to share one simple truth to start us off. As we continue through these verses in Col 3, preparing for our study on Wednesday night, you’ll notice that Paul says we are DEAD! Wow. How is that? Because the last time I checked I was still breathing, thinking, and doing all the stuff folks who are alive do…so how am I dead? The Scripture is talking about something more than our physical existence.

Do you remember when we first started this series and we talked about our IDENTITY in Christ. How we EXCHANGED LIFE with Him when we were saved? That is exactly what this passage is talking about. Finish verse 3, you are dead – sure, but your LIFE (currently) is HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD. There you have it. You still have life. However, the life you now live, is to be lived by the operation of Christ, not yourself! If we ARE RISEN then we ARE DEAD because we exchanged our sinful life for Christ’s righteous one, and in the process we were applied to that payment from the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord.

Check out Romans 6, Paul goes into details about how this relationship works. He gives some keys to getting this down in our minds…answer these questions and see how we are to live like dead men everyday of our lives:

• If we are dead to sin, what should we not live in? (v3)
• What do we need to KNOW to live this life correctly? (v6)
• What are we to reckon (or make an accounting of) in our lives? (v11)
• Why is the word “yield” important in verses 12-13 &16, what does it apply about our role in the process of living for Christ?

Spend some time asking God today to help you KNOW the things you should about who you are in Him and what that means. Then pray about how to RECKON or realize that truth in your life toady. And lastly, because of those two things, what do you need to be YIELDING your life to today???