Colossians - Part 6

Colossians 1:21-2:73“If” Continue

Meeting Purpose

Discuss Colossians 1:21-2:7 and explore the concepts of faith, salvation, and sanctification in Christian life.

Key Takeaways

 - Position in Christ is unconditional, but spiritual condition depends on fellowship with Christ

 - Continuing in faith involves ongoing confession, repentance, and striving to live according to Christ's teachings

 - Paul's letters typically address positional doctrines first, then practical application for Christian living

 - The group's mission aligns with Paul's goal to "present everyone mature in Christ" (Col 1:28)

Topics

Sharing Faith Experiences

-             Multiple participants shared recent experiences of discussing faith with others

-             Examples included mentoring, pool-side conversations, and workplace interactions

-             Emphasis on seizing opportunities to pivot conversations towards spiritual matters

Spiritual Success and Failure

-             Analogy drawn between athletes who don't make it in big leagues and Christians who struggle

-             Discussed reasons for spiritual stumbling: distractions, misplaced priorities, sin

-             Highlighted the importance of maintaining fellowship with Christ through confession and repentance

Exegesis of Colossians 1:21-23

-             Explored the conditional nature of being presented "holy and blameless"

-             Discussed the meaning of "continuing in the faith" and its application to believers

-             Emphasized Christ's role in presenting believers as righteous before God

Paul's Purpose in Colossians

-             Identified Paul's main objectives: encouraging the church and keeping them focused on Christ

-             Discussed the structure of Paul's letter: positional doctrines (Ch. 1-2) followed by practical application (Ch. 3-4)

-             Highlighted the theme of Christ's preeminence in doctrine and daily living

Sanctification and Christian Living

-             Differentiated between justification (positional, unchanging) and sanctification (ongoing process)

-             Emphasized the need for Christ's power in both salvation and daily Christian living

-             Discussed the struggle involved in allowing Christ's preeminence in all aspects of life

Next Steps

1.       Reflect on how to maintain fellowship with Christ through regular confession and repentance

2.       Look for opportunities to share faith and pivot conversations towards spiritual matters

3.       Study Paul's letters with attention to both doctrinal foundations and practical applications

4.       Consider how to live out the mission of presenting everyone mature in Christ in daily life