Colossians Study Outline

Galatians 5:19-21a

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:…"

These are all the things that are the acts and works of the flesh, against the Spirit and our spirit which we must acknowledge because the Spirit of Truth wants us to realize this. This is what we were all capable of whether we actually did it or not is moot, we were capable of them through the fleshes lusting as gods. The small “g” being Satan's character and nature within man, feed by the pride of self will. It is the small letter “g” that many of the worlds religions, denominations and religious institutions promote. As they promote worldliness, earthy attitudes and many religious rites, holidays, ceremonies and the like, which are guised as being holy until god. It is this very thing that Jesus told the woman at the well was behide her and Israels religious performances of their day and time (look at Mark 7:9 [5-16] Luke 10, and John 4). Many of us have heard such phrases as we to learn the power of postive thinking and the like or that we are to be overcomers. No where does Jesus teach either of these human attitudes because they fall under fornication and idolatry each of these have other flesh actions attached to them, which are listed above.

 

Colossians 1:21

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled."

And of course when Paul wrote to the Colossians that’s what they had just came out of. These Colossians people didn’t have the wherewithal to come from Christian homes like a lot of Americans do. Remember they were pagans, and idolaters, and all the attendant vice that was with that lifestyle. For us of course like I’ve already said, it merely means that we’re capable of it, but most of the American people at least have been raised in a Christian like environment, to some degree. Be it bad or good. At least we have not been out there in a home that practiced or even practices paganism and idolatry, though we know they are there in such places as Baton Rouge, and the Dominican Republic and others of like estate. So always remember that these early believers, that’s what they came out of and we’ll see that again when we get to the Thessalonian letters.

 

Colossians 1:22a

"In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy (set apart. God has taken us out of the old dead environment of abstract wickedness of the world and He has set us apart unto Himself) and unblameable…"
He has made us Holy as He is Holy and who is the Holy One in us? His Holy Spirit. When I read a word like that, immediately another verse comes to mind. So let’s come back to 1Corinthians chapter 1, and let’s begin at verse 5 to pick up the flow.

1Corinthians 1:5-8

"That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

What kind of believers were the Corinthians? Carnal, fleshly and worldly! They were not a spiritual group of people, as of yet. They had all kinds of problems, and so even to those carnal believers at Corinth who had still not totally removed themselves from all the excesses of their pagan background, they were still earthy and worldly, they were still experiencing immorality, fornication and the like. They were still experiencing division in the congregation, but yet Paul writes that these Corinthians were blameless. And why were they in that state, they like so many now are unaware of their first condition and the nature of its function. Just as so many new born babes in our day while in the first estate remain unaware of true condition. That is not license but rather GRACE, and that is what it says. The reason for that is because the work of our total salvation is so complete when we finally enter in that all other things fall away. But we have to learn of Christ and to do this God places us in the position of being under the tutor, trainer and teacher the Holy Spirit, the comforter and Spirit of all Truth as I've shared before and elsewhere. For it is He that wills.....

 

Colossians 1:22b

"…to present you holy and unblameable and unrepoveable in his sight:"

Some people are going to jump on this word, if in verse 23 they hear and say, "well that means you can lose it." Yes, we can because of what Hebrews states. Paul here merely puts the thought out there that we are dealing with something that is so precious that we’re not to take it lightly.

Colossians 1:23a

"If ye continue in the faith (how?) grounded and settled,…"

In another place he says, ‘not driven about with every wind of doctrine,’ And that’s what a lot of people have been guilty of. They follow a mans doctrine and NOT the LORD'S teaching. We get e-mail all the time where they have jumped from this group to that group and ended up just totally confused. They’ve gone with every wind of doctrine. Not realizing that is but only a mans doctrine and NOT God's teaching. What was just said, "Well this is what the Book says." Or this is our doctrine and it is based on one portion of scripture usually from the OT or is a miss quote from the NT. And why? Because they got a glimpse of something and ran with it before first sitting under God listening. Or trying the spirit to see what it is of. We're to be watchful and to test the spirit of the word spoken just as the Bereans did.

 

Colossians 1:23

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, be not moved away from the hope of the (this) gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; …"

That is quite a statement isn’t it? I'm not taking any thing away from the need to send missionaries to foreign places. But over and over the Bible tells us that people have already been given enough that they’re going to be held responsible (Look at Isaiah 2:3, 28:9 and 26, Jeremiah 31:34 and Ezekiel 44:23). That is shocking I know. Allow me to show what I'm talking about. Come back with me to John’s synoptic gospel chapter 1. Don’t ever construe this as an excuse for not going to the mission field because there is a dire need for good missionaries adequitly prepared in many many places around the world. But on the other hand when Paul writes in Romans chapter 1 that one day these lost benighted souls will stand at the Great White Throne and here their condemnation Paul says, "they are without excuse." Well how can they be if they have never heard this Gospel before? Well evidently they have. Look at John’s synoptic gospel chapter 1, beginning at verse 5.

John 6:5-10

“Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company coming to Him, He said to Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? Jesus said, Make the men sit down.”