The Undercover Adventist

Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Thursday    Living the New Life Read Colossians 3:16–17 The Christian life is not simply about believing in Christ—it is about allowing Him to guide every part of our lives. In these verses, Paul the Apostle explains how believers can live in a way that reflects their new life in Christ. He points to two powerful influences that help Christ remain at the center of our lives: His Word dwelling within us and praise expressed through music . Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” This means that God’s Word is not meant to be something we visit occasionally; it is meant to live within us. When Scripture fills our minds and hearts, it shapes the way we think, speak, and act. The more deeply the teachings of Christ take root within us, the more naturally His will guides our decisions. Paul also highlights the role of music in the life of believer...

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Wednesday  Character of the New Life Read Colossians 3:12–14 When we accept Christ and are raised to new life in Him, our character begins to change. In this passage, the apostle Paul the Apostle describes believers with powerful words: “God’s chosen people, holy and beloved.” These descriptions remind us that our identity in Christ is not based on our past failures or personal achievements, but on God’s gracious calling and love. Because believers are chosen and loved, they are called to reflect that new identity. Paul says we must “put on” certain qualities—much like putting on clothing. These qualities include compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness . They are not random virtues; they are the very character traits that Jesus Himself displayed. Ultimately, Paul says that above all these we must put on love , which binds everything together in ...

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Tuesday  Renewed in Knowledge Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:6–11; Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22–24 Paul continues his powerful call to spiritual transformation in Colossians 3:6–11 by reminding believers why earthly sins must be put away. These behaviors—anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying—belong to a former way of life. They are part of the life lived apart from Christ. Paul explains that such things bring the judgment of God, and he reminds believers that they once walked in these ways before coming to faith. But something has changed. Paul describes that change with a vivid contrast: the “old man” and the “new man.” The “old man” represents our former nature—the person we were before Christ transformed us. It is the life dominated by sinful habits, selfish desires, and attitudes shaped by the world. In Romans 6:6 , Paul writes that “our old ma...

Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Monday    End Earthliness Read Epistle to the Colossians 3:5–6; see also Epistle to the Romans 6:1–7 The Christian life involves a decisive break with the old way of living. In Colossians 3:5 , the apostle Paul the Apostle gives a strong command: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.” The word mortify means to put to death. Paul is not speaking about harming the body but about decisively rejecting sinful desires and habits that belong to our old, earthly nature. These include immorality, impurity, greed, and other attitudes that draw our hearts away from God. Why is such a strong command necessary? Because the old life centered on self cannot coexist with the new life centered on Christ. Paul reminds believers that these sins once characterized their lives, but now they belong to a different kingdom. Because of such things, he says, “the wrath of God co...

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Living with Christ Lesson 11 - Sunday  Heavenly-Mindedness Based on Colossians 3:1–4 The apostle Paul begins this passage with a powerful statement: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). According to Paul, the condition necessary for heavenly-mindedness is that we have been raised with Christ . This refers to the spiritual transformation that occurs when we accept Christ by faith. Through His death and resurrection, the believer leaves behind the old life of sin and begins a new life centered in Him. Because we have been raised with Christ, Paul urges us to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). To be heavenly-minded does not mean ignoring earthly responsibilities or withdrawing from the world. Rather, it means that our priorities, values, and hopes are shaped by heaven....

  Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians Lesson 11  Living with Christ You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson.

Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians  Complete in Christ Lesson 10 - Friday Further Thought    The Fullness of God in Christ Scripture: Colossians 2:9, 10; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22 Paul makes a staggering claim in Epistle to the Colossians: “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” That is not poetic exaggeration. It is a declaration of who Jesus truly is. When we read Gospel of John 1:1, we are told, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is not a created being. He is not partially divine. He is fully God. Hebrews says He is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3). In other words, if you want to know what God is like, look at Christ. He is the exact imprint of God’s nature. And Paul adds something even more personal: this fullness dwells in Him bodily. God did not merely send a message. He came Himself. Divinity took on humanity. The inv...

  Dead to the World’s Rules: Understanding Colossians 2:20–23 “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle’…?” (Col. 2:20–23, NKJV) The Flow of Paul’s Argument Colossians 2 is about one central truth: Christ is enough. Earlier in the chapter, Paul reminds believers that: We are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). The “handwriting of requirements” was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14). Christ disarmed principalities and powers (Col. 2:15). Then in Colossians 2:16–17, Paul mentions judgments regarding food, drink, festivals, new moons, and sabbaths —things connected with the ceremonial system that pointed forward to Christ. By the time we reach verses 20–23, Paul is confronting a mindset: returning to religious regulations as if Christ had not already accomplished salvation. Not About the Weekly Sabbath The passage is n...