John 3:16 (ERV): “Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost (perish) but have eternal life.”
John 17:3 (GW): “This is eternal life: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You sent.”
The new believers in Corinth had asked Paul a set of questions. So, reading 1 Corinthians is like listening to a conversation, where only one person conversing can be heard. In this epistle, Paul gives divinely inspired advice to these spiritually gifted, yet very immature believers who had grown up knowing only the ways of worldly Corinth. Paul heard by word of mouth that some of the Corinthian believers were continuing to indulge in their cultural and societal practices that were ungodly.
In this epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul teaches that salvation from sin through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross appears foolish to the average person, however, to believers it shows God's power. God's way has always been different from that of people in general. Whether they be philosophers, scholars, or just ordinary people, people always think their schemes and ideas are full of wisdom; however, God shows them to be foolish. God, in His wisdom, saves people by way of the cross and no other. People think this way to be foolish, however, no matter how much they try to know God through their own wisdom, they will never succeed.
The Jews want miraculous signs to prove that Jesus is the mighty Messiah, however, instead, they see Him crucified. To them this shows not power, but weakness. A crucified Messiah is in their view a stumbling block, something that they will not believe and that consequently prevents them from receiving God's salvation. As for the Greeks, they consider the whole idea to be mere foolishness. To believers (Jews or Greeks) God’s wisdom is proof of His power and wisdom. The cross alone can conquer sin and bring salvation. That which the Greeks think to be foolish proves to be wiser than anything people can imagine. That which the Jews think to be weak proves to be stronger than anything people can accomplish.
So, Paul writes 1 Corinthians to correct their ungodly behavior and their mistaken beliefs by telling them:
1 Corinthians 12:27 (MSG): “You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything.”
(CEV): “Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of His body.”
(NLT2): “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
(GW): “You are Christ's body and each of you is an individual part of it.”
In the New Testament, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ, referred to the church as the body of Christ. He used this metaphor to relay significant truths about the church and to help us - believers better understand the value of variety within the church. Paul wrote this to the church of Corinth: “The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit. Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts” {1 Corinthians 12:12-14}.
So, the church is called the body of Christ because Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and we are called to do the work of Christ, each like members of a body. We have different skills, purposes, and spiritual gifts, yet every believer is equally important to the full functioning, mission, and effectiveness of the church. The term “body of Christ” is significant for the church and a good way to understand the church. Why? Because it affirms that Jesus Christ is the head of the church.
We as believers follow Jesus Christ, listen to Him, and let Him guide our steps, just as the head of the body does. Likewise, this term for the church acknowledges diversity within the body of Christ and how good this is for the church. The body needs many parts - many gifts, talents, and skills - to function. We as believers need to work together to accomplish the mission Jesus Christ gave us. Rather than trying to do the same thing, each of us can contribute that which God has called us to do and be.
Paul explained it best this way in 1 Corinthians 12:15-18: “Suppose a foot says, “I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body.” Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? Or suppose an ear says, “I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body.” Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.” Each of us - every believer is valuable to the church and each of us is a needed part of the body of Christ. This diversity is something to be celebrated and recognized as part of God’s great design for the church.
I shared this doctrinal truth in last week’s lesson, and I want to reiterate: God the Father prepared a human body for Jesus Christ {Hebrews 10:5}, through which He - Jesus Christ demonstrated God’s love clearly, tangibly, and boldly - especially through His sacrificial death on the cross. After His bodily ascension, Jesus Christ continues His work in the world through those He has redeemed - the Church that now demonstrates the love of God clearly, tangibly, and boldly. In this way, the Church functions as “the body of Christ.”
Romans 12:4-5 (GW): “Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing. In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.
Ephesians 4:12 (ERV): “Christ gave these gifts (the five-fold ministry gifts) to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.”
Ephesians 5:23 (GW): “The husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the Head of the church. It is His body, and He is its Savior.”
Colossians 1:24 (GW): “I am happy to suffer for you now. In my body I am completing whatever remains of Christ’s sufferings. I am doing this on behalf of His body, the church.”
Hebrews 10:5 (ERV): “So when Christ came into the world He said, “You don’t want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for Me.”
The Word of God is how many describe or identify the Bible, a collection of sixty-six books written over at least fifteen hundred years by apostles, prophets, and others, humanly speaking, and breathed out by God, divinely speaking. The Bible is called the Word of God because God is the primary author, and the prophets, apostles, and others are secondary authors. The Bible refers to itself as the Word of God, “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received His message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as “the very word of God - which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe” {1 Thessalonians 2:13-14}.
Because the Bible is the very Word of God, it is the final authority in all matters of faith and life, it is “our rule and standard for living.” Authority resides in the words of “The Scripture” themselves, as Jesus Christ teaches. The authority of Scripture originates from the intrinsic authority of God, who breathed out “The Scriptures." As we mentioned last Tuesday, much of the confusion in our world today comes from this one thing; “society has abandoned the one standard of truth, which is God’s Word – the Bible.” Since the Word of God is the final authority on all things, the world by its own standards is doomed. “What we think is the right road may lead to death” {Proverbs 14:12 TEV}.
Jesus Christ Himself is God, “In the beginning was the One who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God” {John 1:1 CEV}, which means that all Scripture is His voice, the voice of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ said, “My sheep know My voice, and I know them. They follow Me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand” {John 10:27 CEV}. They hear and obey His voice, because they recognize its authority.
“Inspiration” is the teaching about the Word of God that describes how the Word of God came to us. Most literally, Scripture is “God-breathed.” In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ said, “Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.”
In our teaching last week, we read John chapter 1, verses one thru fourteen, where we receive this understanding, that the Word of God is two-fold in nature: the “written Word” (the Bible) and the “Living Word” - Jesus Christ. We will not be able to discern truth from error or stand on the truth that is Jesus Christ and live according to the truth that is the Bible - unless we are totally committed to God {1 John 4:6}.
Because the Word of God – the Bible was given to us through human agency, it’s important to note, that God - the Holy Spirit did not bypass the human authors’ personality and consciousness, however, He worked through both and so guided the process that the Bible is at the same time God’s words and the words of its human authors.
The Word of God is the revelation of God breathed out by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is authoritative for every aspect of life and worship. God intends for us - His people to receive His word as the authoritative revelation of our redemption, as well as the authoritative guide for our actions. The Scriptures - God’s Word - the Bible is the only transcendent and inerrant authority by which we may know what God’s will is for our lives.
The Bible - God’s Word is clear in matters necessary for salvation and what it means to live a life pleasing to God. Any reader or hearer of the Scriptures can understand the gospel and what we must do to please God. The Scriptures teach us that the Bible contains exactly the doctrine (teaching) and admonitions (warnings) that we need. It lacks none of the truth that God wants us to have for our good and His glory.
As we study the Word of God - the Bible, we must keep our focus on its theme: the redemption of man through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection.
Finally, the Word of God - the Bible is sufficient for our salvation. We need no other book or personal revelation to discern the way of salvation and the will of God for our lives.
All believers should agree that the Bible is our standard of truth. And since it is, the way to see if something is true is to see if it lines up with the Word of God. The believer has the responsibility to prove everything they hear by the Word and by the witness of the Holy Spirit to its truth. “Let all things be tested; keep to what is good…” {1 Thessalonians 5:21}. Today, the world has no enduring standard. Every person does what is right in their own eyes, as Israel did in the day of the judges {Judges 17:6}. A multitude of standards abound in the 20th century, ranging from the many cultic and false religious standards to our current cultural “standards.”
Judges 17:6 (NLT2): “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”
“In the Lord’s name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They do not understand, and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So, they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for ungodliness - doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of ungodliness - evil. But what you learned in Jesus Christ was not like this. I know that you heard about Him, and you are in Him, so you were taught the truth that is in Jesus Christ. You were taught to leave your old self - to stop living the ungodly - evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse, because people are fooled by the ungodly - evil things they want to do. But you were taught to be made new in your heart (your thoughts, actions, emotions, reactions and desires), to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God - made to be truly good and holy. So, you must stop telling lies. Tell each other the truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body. When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you. Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor. When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need - words that will help others become godly and stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. And do not make the Holy Spirit sad. The Holy Spirit is God’s proof that you belong to Him. God gave you the Holy Spirit to show that God will make you free when the final day comes. Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt or disrespect others. Never do anything ungodly - evil. Be kind and loving to each other and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Jesus Christ.” (So, far the scripture.)
What does it mean to have our “mind renewed? When the mind is renewed, we’re able to “conform” to the truth of God’s Word - to obey God’s Word. When are minds are “transformed” (when our thinking changes) because our mind has been renewed, we will be able to see things the way God sees them.
Positional truth is a spiritual fact; it’s who we are by virtue of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Experiencing the practical reality of positional truth is discovered in how we actually live; how the spiritual benefits of our position in Jesus Christ are lived out daily. One of the best ways to appropriate the truth of our position in Jesus Christ and live in that truth practically, is to remind ourselves every day of who we are in Jesus Christ. It’s the best way for us to start living in the experience of the spiritual wealth - the abundant spiritual supply God has given us in Jesus Christ.
Positional truth is a spiritual fact; it’s who we are by virtue of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Experiencing the practical reality of positional truth is discovered in how we actually live; how the spiritual benefits of our position in Jesus Christ are lived out daily. One of the best ways to appropriate the truth of our position in Jesus Christ and live in that truth practically is to remind ourselves every day of who we are in Jesus Christ. It’s the best way for us to start living in the experience of the spiritual wealth - the abundant spiritual supply God has given us in Jesus Christ.
Since we have been raised with Jesus Christ, here’s the first character trait of a resurrected life: “Keep seeking the things above, where Jesus Christ is, seated at the right hand of God the Father. Living the resurrection life brings a new focus to our minds; instead of the world around us and our self-centeredness, we now keep seeking the things above. In “living resurrection life,” believers are called to an upward trajectory - to an upward path of transformation.
Being “In Jesus Christ” refers to the believer’s union with Him. It refers to our “new position” in the sphere of resurrected life. It is the way God sees us, because we are in Jesus Christ. Every believer needs to understand the difference between our position with God because of Jesus Christ, and the practice of our faith. The practice of our faith must cause us to experience the practical reality of our position with God because we are in Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:1-11 (NLT2)
“Since you have been raised to new life with Jesus Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Jesus Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God. And when Jesus Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory. So, put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, nasty behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Jesus Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.”
Living resurrection life brings a new focus to our minds
Since we have been raised with Jesus Christ, here’s the first character trait of a resurrected life: “Keep seeking the things above, where Jesus Christ is, seated at the right hand of God the Father.” Living the resurrection life brings a new focus to our minds; instead of the world around us and our self-centeredness, we now keep seeking the things above. In “living resurrection life,” believers are called to an upward trajectory - the path of transformation. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus Christ said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” That is, make the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness the main focus of our lives. The word “seek” in Matthew chapter 6 has a powerful bent. It conveys the idea that we must pursue God’s kingdom with deep intentionality - we must be deliberate; we must be motivated to follow after Jesus Christ; our attitudes, and ambitions; our whole outlook on life must be molded by our relationship with Jesus Christ; our allegiances to Him must take precedence over all other allegiances. This means that we love Him more than our husbands, our wives, our children, our jobs, our careers, and our possessions; in fact, we must love Jesus Christ more than life itself.
In our study text of Colossians chapter 3, we are told that resurrected living intentionally seeks out the things above, where Jesus Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. To be "in Jesus Christ" is to become something we were not before; our identity changes from being the fallen version of ourselves, to being associated with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's who we are to be in the now!!! Living resurrection life brings us “a new framework of thought.” We are to think differently than before. We set our minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. We are to have – develop the mind of Jesus Christ. We don’t use the current worldview as our reference for problem-solving.
In Philippians chapter 2 verse 5, Paul tells us that “we are to be shaped in our way of thinking, our emotional life, our pattern of attitudes and responses, our preferences in people and entertainment and clothes and jobs and leisure; our hearts and minds are to be shaped by the realities of God and Jesus Christ, where our true life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God, our death behind us, and the spectacular appearance of Jesus Christ is before us, looking forward to the time of our appearing with Him in glory.
In living resurrection life, we are shaped and governed by the things above, where Jesus Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. “To set our minds on the things above” is a call for regular interaction and meditation on the Word of God. This is not a passive pursuit. We are called to seek it out, to set our minds on God’s Word. If we don’t set our mind, we will never have it (the mind of Jesus Christ). “Let the word of Jesus richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” {Colossians 3:16}.
The believer's life is a life that is risen with Jesus Christ. God loves His Son, Jesus Christ - loves Him with an eternal and perfect love. Therefore, when we believe, when we really surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, God forgives our sins and accepts us in Jesus Christ. God identifies us with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. God begins to consider us as having died and risen with Jesus Christ. We were not bodily present when Jesus Christ died and arose, however, God considers all believers to have been there. God does this for us because He loves His Son, Jesus Christ, so much. He loves Him so much that when we believe in Jesus Christ, God does exactly what we believe. He does this because our belief focuses upon and honors Jesus Christ.
In his letters to the churches, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ, almost exclusively teaches believers - “the redeemed” about their “new position” in Jesus Christ.
Being “In Jesus Christ” refers to the believer’s union with Jesus Christ. It refers to our “new position” in the sphere of resurrected life. It is the way God sees us because we are in Jesus Christ. Every believer needs to understand the difference between our position with God because of Jesus Christ, and the practice of our faith. The practice of our faith must cause us to experience the practical reality of our position with God because we are in Jesus Christ.
Positional truth is a spiritual fact; it’s who we are by virtue of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Experiencing the practical reality of positional truth is discovered in how we actually live; how the spiritual benefits of our position in Jesus Christ are lived out daily.
One of the best ways to appropriate the truth of our position in Jesus Christ and live in that truth practically is to remind ourselves every day of who we are in Jesus Christ. It’s the best way for us to start living in the experience of the spiritual wealth - the abundant spiritual supply God has given us in Jesus Christ.
The positional truths we find in “The Scriptures” may not be our experience; however, they are nonetheless true. It is my prayer that God will help us convert “positional truth” into “practical truth.”
Here are some of the “positional truths” recorded for us in “The Scriptures”:
