Colossians 2 - Fullness, Forgiveness, and Freedom in Christ ALONE

LINK: Colossians 2

BACKGROUND 

Paul struggled to proclaim truth to the Colossians and believers in the surrounding areas. Some were caught in the deception of the false teachers. There are many warnings against deception in the New Testament (Romans 16:17-18; Galatians 1:6-9; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 John 4:1).

Paul wanted the believers to understand the truth that Christ was enough and that all the fullness of God dwells in Him. They could move forward with that. They were already complete (full) in Christ and rooted in Him (the verb tense means "once for all" rooted). They were not to be tumbleweeds!  They once were dead, but now they were alive (2:13-14; Ephesians 2:1-10). Their sins have been nailed to the cross, and they were forgiven. He warned them not to be taken captive by false doctrine. They were not to submit themselves to rules and regulations that Christ never gave them to follow. They were free through Jesus who was their life source. There was no room for legalism. Legalism leads to not being connected to the Head, Christ. 

The same is true for us today. Fullness, forgiveness, and freedom are available in Christ. He is all we need. Hallelujah!

REFLECTION/APPLICATION 

Spirituality is not a matter of knowing more bible facts or having all the doctrinal wrinkles ironed out. Spirituality is not a matter of conformity to a code of rules. Spirituality is not a matter of exciting experiences. Knowledge, rules, and experiences all foster pride. Finally, spirituality is not a matter of recipes: "Do these three things two times a day and you'll be spiritual." Spirituality is not mechanical. These things seem so spiritual but are nothing more than distractions.  

What then is genuine spirituality? 

An Attitude: Trust 

An attitude of trust means that I confidently rely on, and put my weight on, Jesus Christ. Whatever life throws at me, I trust him. In my business practices, do I trust God rather than manipulate? Can I trust him when things don't go my way? 

A Behavior: Obedience 

"If you love me, keep my commandments," Jesus said. Spirituality is loving obedience to Jesus Christ, not legalistic conformity to a man-made code. It's loving obedience to the Word of God, not chasing the flash and pizazz of experiences. Simple, loving obedience.
Spirituality is an attitude of trust and a behavior of obedience. Life is challenging; and as we face it, God simply wants us to trust and obey. Spirituality is not a matter of rules or experiences but a relationship with, and obedience to, Jesus Christ. Let's keep our eye on the ball. (Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians, p. 312-13)

This is why simple "obedience-based" discipleship with regular application of Scripture and accountability in a group of like-hearted, loving believers is SO important. What is your "I will" statement for today? Remember the "Discovery Bible Study with Lists" download from yesterday? Why don't you start a group?

PRAYER

Jesus, thank You that all the fullness of deity dwells in You, and I need not look anywhere else for "spirituality." Please draw us near to You and help us to walk in minute-by-minute trust in You and obedience to Your Word. Amen. 

Colossians 1:24-29 - Ministry and Mystery

LINK: Colossians 1:24-29 (Meditate on and memorize Colossians 1:28-29)

BACKGROUND

The essence of what Paul is saying in this passage is:

"Ministry is hard work if we are going to bring

 all believers to maturity in Christ." 

Suffering was a part of that, and he could rejoice in it. 

By the way, in 1:24, Paul was not implying that anything was lacking in Christ's affliction. In fact, this statement has nothing to do with Christ's sacrificial sufferings on the cross (a different Greek word), but Paul was sharing in the "distress, pressure, trouble" (thlipsis) that the church of Christ experiences in persecution (John 15:18-21). "Paul's attitude is Jesus took the blows meant for me; I'll take the blows meant for him. Suffering brings about an identification with the Savior that nothing else can (see Phil. 3:10)" (Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians, p. 285). 

Paul had a "stewardship" committed to him by God to preach the Word of God, specifically the "mystery" that Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of the body (church) and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ. Christ has opened the door for everyone to be included in the church. It was hidden but now it is made known through the church (Ephesians 3:1-6). If you have been a regular Bible Book Club reader, you know I have tapped this drum since Genesis, all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). 

The last two verses of this chapter should be memorized. Paul labored (to work to the point of exhaustion) and agonized in fulfilling his ministry of bringing believers to "completion" (teleios, "brought to end, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, full grown, mature") in Christ. Only God's DYNAMITE power (dunamis) could allow him to do that. 

REFLECTION 

I had to split Colossians 1 into small chunks because it is such a deep and rich chapter. I cannot emphasize enough how important discipleship is for the church. Perhaps memorizing Colossians 1:28-29 will help you get a vision for bringing someone to maturity in Christ. 

I was frustrated that I was not quite done completing this post yesterday, despite getting up at 5 a.m. to do so because I had a 9 a.m. listening prayer session with a woman, another was Facebook messaging me asking when we were going to meet next, another was texting me from another state wanting to set up a phone session tomorrow, and one of the young guys both my husband and I invested in is getting married on Saturday and I was pressed up against the wall for ordering our rental car during our time in Southern California! All I wanted to do was finish this chapter, but I realized that I was applying these verses before I even finished writing it. I love it when God gives me the application. I may not have been  "laboring" and "striving" in bringing people to maturity in Christ-like Paul (He was amazing!), but you get the point. When I realized God was helping me to apply the verses, I chilled out!

Investing in people can sometimes be messy, time-consuming, and exhausting, but I would not have it any other way! It is what I have dedicated my life to since 1980, and I want to labor and strive like Paul (but will never come close to how much he did). 

Last Sunday, I had a long talk with the first woman I discipled back in the fall of 1980. That was fun! She is doing well and is coming to my church now.

I have discipled women and encouraged them to disciple others (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:2, Titus 2:4), but I once had one say, after doing a super job leading a discipleship bible study, that it was just too much work to invest in people. She wanted me to do the hard work of investing in her, but she was not willing to pass it on. While I love people who want to grow, if they do not pass on what they know, I have failed in passing on a vision for disciplemaking. I now only invest in women who are willing to invest in others. It is a better use of my time and talents. 

Now I make it clear from the onset of discipling relationships that it involves them investing in people outside of their family. Just like we can reproduce in the physical realm, we were born to reproduce in the spiritual realm also. 

I do understand that we disciple our children, and there are seasons of our life when they are small when we can only do that (depending on the number of kids, one can even do it when they are small); but I think it is very healthy for children to see us investing in others outside of the home too. It is part of their discipleship to see spiritual multiplication.)

I can tell you that discipleship is exhausting, and I have definitely learned that I need to have balance in my life when I do it, but it is so rewarding! 

APPLICATION 

Memorize and meditate on Colossians 1:28-29. Where are you in the process of discipling another person?  My favorite beginning book on discipleship is called Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. If you have not read it, it is a MUST-READ for every believer. Start there. There are more that I can recommend. If you are interested, please leave a request in the comment section. 

Here is a PDF of the classic "Born to Reproduce" by Dawson Trotman. It is a challenging treatise on discipleship. 

Here is a simple and reproducible way to do "discovery discipleship" with both followers and not-yet followers of Jesus:

DISCOVERY BIBLE STUDY WITH LISTS 

There are four lists in this handout with Bible studies for investing in four different groups:

1) Discovering God (for not yet believers)
2) Discovering Obedience (for establishing believers in obedience to Christ)
3) Discovering Reproduction (for equipping believers to reproduce)
4) Discovering Leadership (for developing leaders)

The first list is in the Discover App with all the Scriptures and audio in many different languages. 

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that every single person who reads this post will get a vision for reproducing their life in another person. Amen.

Colossians 1:15-23 - The Incomparable Christ

LINK: Colossians 1:15-23

BACKGROUND 

The false teachers believed the matter was evil. This matter included the human body. Therefore, they taught that Jesus Christ did not have a real body. God would not have come to earth as a human being and come in contact with evil matter. 

To combat this, Paul stated that Christ is the exact image of the invisible God. Christ is not only equal with God (Philippians 2:6), He is God (John 10:30, 38; 12:45; 14:1-11).  The Greek word, eikōn, means the "very substance or essential embodiment of something or someone" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Volume 2, p. 672).

Christ also holds the highest rank in the universe because He is the "firstborn of all creation." Like the firstborn son in a Hebrew family, He is an heir to His Father's household with special rights and responsibilities.  He is preeminent over creation. Further than that, He created it all! The "firstborn" cannot be part of creation if He created "all things" because He cannot create Himself. He is worshiped by all the angels (Hebrews 1:6). This also indicates He is God, and Paul probably emphasized this because the false teachers put a great emphasis on angels (2:18). The Greek word for "firstborn" here, prōtotokos, implies priority to all creation and sovereignty over all creation.

Christ is also "head of the body, the church." This Greek word, kephale, means "source, like the head of a river." Our body would not function without our head. The church cannot function without Christ. He is our source of life through His risen life. 

"For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him" (1:19). I love this verse. Remember that "fullness" (plērōma) is a keyword and means "completeness."  The Greek word for "dwell" (katoikēsai) means "to be at home permanently." This indicates that God's fullness was "not something added to His [Christ's] Being that was not natural to Him, but that it was part of His essential Being as part of His very constitution, and that permanently" (Ephesians and Colossians in the Greek New Testament, Eerdmans, p. 187). 

Meditate on this: The completeness of God resides permanently in Christ (Ephesians 3:19)! I believe it is such a powerful statement of Christ's deity! "For of His [Christ's] fullness we have all received and grace upon grace" (John 1:16). Hallelujah!

Because Christ is God in the flesh, He could do what no mere man could do: reconcile sinful man to a holy God. Reconciliation is the "removal of hostility and the restoring of friendly relations to parties who have been at war" (Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, p. 284).  We know from our reading in Romans that when Adam sinned, the harmony in the garden between God and man was destroyed leading to a war between God and mankind; but Christ, through His death on the cross, brought us "back to a former state of harmony."  We are now at peace with God and not at war. The creation is also at peace with its Creator (Romans 8:19-22) with the full realization of this happening at Christ's return.

The Colossians would be presented to God as holy because of the blood of Jesus. "If" in 1:23 is better rendered "assuming that" they continued in their faith, established and settled and not moved away from it by the silly false teachers! "If" implies that they would have to work at their eternal salvation. He is expressing confidence that they will continue in their faith!

REFLECTION 

I have studied Colossians, in depth, twice! I think this passage is so important; and when I heard the national leaders from the movement I am a part of declare there is no assertion of Christ's deity in the writings of Paul, I said, "Say what? What about Colossians 1?" (Hate to say it, but being a woman, they did not really hear me when I said it. Studying it again this morning makes me want to shout it louder, but I will just pray. Sigh.)

When one of the young, immature followers in this movement also declared this in the gatherings we host in our home, I did boldly proclaim that Paul does make it clear in the book of Colossians! So, we spent the next few weeks going through this book.

By the way, this is my number one concern about some of the young, zealous believers in our midst, they are NOT grounded in the Word of God, yet they are sharing their faith passionately without the best offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17). I have seen some get tripped up when people challenge them on the deity of Christ. Please pray. (Update: more recent years have brought us people more solidly grounded in God's Word.) 

If you are reading this, you are probably NOT one of those people. You want to be grounded in the Word of God, and I applaud that. Please learn this well and carry on, good and faithful servant! 

I also believe that as we walk in obedience to what Jesus said to do, we will become more convinced that what He said about Himself is true! 

APPLICATION 

Try to find other verses that assert the deity of Christ. Memorize some of them. As you share your faith, you will be challenged in this area, and I encourage you to STAND STRONG!

PRAYER

Jesus, You are GOD! Thank You that You came to reconcile me to the Father! Amen. 

Colossians 1:1-14 - Deeper Knowledge of Him is a Win-Win

LINK: Colossians 1:1-14

https://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CPn12Colossians.htm

BACKGROUND 

Colossians

Colossae was a small cosmopolitan city in the Lycus River Valley in the Phrygia region, 10 miles (16 km) east of the town of Denizli in modern-day Turkey (see map). It was rich in mineral deposits and known for its wool industry. Originally, it was at the intersection where the great routes from Sardis and Ephesus joined, but later it declined when the route through Sardis to Pergamum changed and went through Laodicea, ten miles to the west. After this, Laodicea and Hierapolis, ten miles to the northwest, became more prominent. 

The Colossian church was not planted by Paul, but they had probably heard the gospel through Epaphras (Colossians 1:7; 4:12; Philemon 1:23), one of his converts at Ephesus. The church was composed mostly of Gentiles. When Gentiles embraced Christ, they often brought their former beliefs and customs in. This is called syncretism.

Paul wrote in response to the appeal of Epaphras for help because false teachers had mixed ideas from pagan cults with the gospel.  The prevailing philosophy of the day was what would later, in the second century A.D., become a system of belief called Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis, "knowledge"). Certain "enlightened ones" claim to have special knowledge of the truth claiming that ordinary believers could not possess this secret or higher knowledge. Gnostics also believed that all matter was evil and the source of evil. Because of this, one branch, the Docetic Gnostics, denied the humanity of Jesus. They claimed that it was impossible for God, who was spirit and good, to become flesh. They claimed Jesus did not possess a real body but was a phantom. They taught that Jesus ruled alongside other spiritual powers, such as constellations in the signs of the Zodiac and the angels. They believed Jesus was one of many bridges to God. They also believed that redemption was dependent on a person's self-understanding rather than God (2:3, 18). Other heresies included ceremonialism (2:16-17; 2:11; 3:11), asceticism (2:21, 23), and angel worship (2:18).

To combat these heresies, Paul stressed Christ's supremacy (1:15-20; 2:2-3:9). A key verse that asserts this and Christ's deity is 2:9, 10, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him, you have been made complete."  

"Christ" is the most repeated keyword in Colossians.  "All" and "fill/filled/full/fullness/complete" (related words in Greek) are also keywords. You might want to underline them. 

Colossians 1:1-14

After Paul and Timothy's (co-author and more on him when we get to his letter) greeting of grace and peace, Paul thanks God and prays for the Colossians. 

His prayer definitely combats the pre-gnostic heresy of the time! Let's answer some inductive observation questions. 

What did he pray? 

That they would be filled out to completeness (plēroō) with the exact or full knowledge (epignosis) of God's will (Romans 12:1-2). This Greek word, epignosis, expresses a "greater participation by the knower in the object known, thus more powerfully influencing him" (Vine's, 2:301). 

This knowledge would be lived out with wisdom (sophia) which means "skill in affairs of life, practical wisdom, wise management as shown in the best plans and selecting the best means, including the idea of sound judgment and good sense" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament by Zodhiates, p. 1300). See also Colossians 1:26; 2:3,23; 3:16; 4:5 and James 1:5; 3:15. 

This knowledge would also be lived out with understanding (synesei) which means "clear analysis and decision-making in applying this knowledge to various problems" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Volume 2, p. 670). 

Do you see that the word for the heresy of Gnosticism is related to the Greek word for knowledge? Paul was saying: 

"In your face, false teachers! Let's get one thing straight from the beginning of this letter: The knowledge of God is not reserved for 'special' people who only have the 'appearance of wisdom' (2:23)! This is REAL knowledge and wisdom and understanding that starts and ends with God! I am praying this for ordinary people like the Colossians!" 

Why did he pray this?

So they would live lives of transformation that would glorify and please God! This means that deeper knowledge goes from the head to the heart and out through the feet and hands in our conduct and action. The great evangelist, D.L. Moody once said, "Every Bible should be bound in shoe-leather." 

What is the result of pleasing God?

1) Fruit-bearing - This can be the fruit of character, deeds, words, and people coming into the Kingdom of God. Fruit is a byproduct of salvation and not a condition of it. When God FILLS us and CONTROLS us, we cannot help but bear fruit for Him. Fruit is always the result of inner transformation. The power behind it is always Christ in us (John 15:2ff) and the Holy Spirit working through us (Galatians 5:22).  

2) Growth in the knowledge of God - As we bear fruit and grow in faith, this causes us to have an even deeper knowledge of Him! It is this wonderful cycle of deeper and deeper intimacy with God. Augustine once said, "Faith is understanding's step, and understanding is faith's reward." 

3) Spiritual strength - We are strengthened with all power or spiritual vitality (dynamei, where we get the English word, "dynamite") and might, which means "power that overcomes resistance." This gives us endurance and patience (long-suffering) to run the race of faith to the end (Hebrews 12:1). This strength comes from God's might!

4) Thankfulness - We cannot help but thank Him for all His goodness to us as we bear fruit! Paul centers his thankfulness on what God has done for us. I will refer you to the post for Ephesians 1 for definitions of all the benefits we can be thankful for. Ephesians and Colossians were written at the same time and have many parallel verses. 

Life with Him is always WIN-WIN!!!!

REFLECTION 

I went for a walk with a stressed-out 20-something last Monday. I had opinions about what she should do, and I let one of my opinions slip out too quickly, and I immediately felt convicted by the Holy Spirit and had to apologize to her for my fleshly response. I want her to know God's will, not mine!

I decided to pray Colossians 1:9-12 for her this week. Thursday, she wrote me and said, "I have several awesome stories to tell you. God has worked and answered a whole slew of things in the past 2 days alone! I think sometimes He enjoys turning on the firehose! Can't wait to talk in person!"

Yes, He does enjoy turning on the "firehose" if we will only ask Him. 

APPLICATION 

Pray Paul's prayer for someone today! Continue to pray it! 

PRAYER

Pray through Colossians 1:9-12 in The Message

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

Put Philippians Back on the New Testament Shelf

WOOHOO!

Philippians 4 - Exhortations in Excellence

LINK: Philippians 4 (Maybe meditate on and memorize 4:6-7)

BACKGROUND

In this closing chapter, Paul gave the Philippians several "charges":

1) Stand firm in the Lord
2) Live in harmony in the Lord
3) Rejoice in the Lord always
4) Let your gentle spirit be known to all men
5) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything pray
6) Think about good and excellent things
7) Practice what you saw in Paul

Then, he told them that even though he was content in all things and could do all things (including living in poverty and wealth) through Christ who strengthened him, he was grateful for their concern for him because of their financial gift sent to them via Epaphroditus.  He also knew that God would bless them for their generosity. 

Then, he concluded by giving final greetings to the Philippians from himself, his fellow workers, and from other believers. 

REFLECTION

As I type this, I am feeling anxious because people are calling and asking when and where we are having Jesus Community tonight. I have another commitment, and I have no idea what my husband has decided. I have no idea where he is, and he should have been home 20 minutes ago. I am a bit anxious, but I applied what I learned from this chapter. I am praying and not allowing myself to be anxious. Sometimes I take on more than I need to, and I need to just let it go. (I am a "J" on the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and "J's" tend to take on more responsibility than they should.)

So, I prayed and let it go, and here he comes in the door this very minute! He is on the phone with the people who have been calling, and I can finish my post before I go off to my other engagement!

2023 REFLECTION UPDATE

Wow! Growth! I am better in the "responsibility" department than I was when I wrote the REFLECTION above. However, recently, I took on responsibility for how another person responded to me. My best friend said, "Carol, that person is broken. Her response is not your responsibility." This was so helpful to hear. I love my friend, Kim. She is so sensible. She calls on me to be sensible for her too. We tend to not always be that way for ourselves. 

"Joy Leaks" Regarding This Situation

It was also helpful to Immanuel Journal about my gratitude for my relationship with this person (I went back to happy memories of our very long history together) and my emotions over the situation. There are six big emotions that cause "Joy Leaks" in us. 

Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Shame, Fear, Despair 

I realized that I was afraid of this person and losing the relationship with this person and felt shame about how I should have responded. My response was great for a healthy person, but this person is broken. I was dealing with another "Joy Leak" here: 

Dealing with a Narcissist 

This person's brokenness causes them to deal with their deep shame through blame instead of taking responsibility for their part. My best friend (who does not know this person - I would not violate peacemaking by going to someone within the sphere of this person and me) and my husband both validated that my response was totally appropriate (for a healthy person).

While this person is not clinically diagnosed as a narcissist. There are many of those tendencies. I am reading The Pandora Problem to help me learn to deal with it in others and myself (let's face it, we all can have those tendencies).  My tendency with this person is to not make waves because I stood up one other time, and I was bullied into an apology for all that I had done wrong with no acknowledgment about this person's part. Sigh. I have seen this person do it with others for years. I am usually not the recipient. 

The other two "Joy Leaks" are:

Trauma  

While I have healed from much past trauma, the displeasure of this person made me want to "people-please" which is related to trauma growing up ("I deserve to be treated this way because I did not respond perfectly to this person, and they may reject me as a result." In my childhood case, it led to physical abuse.) I do fear ultimate rejection from this person based on my past trauma. 

 Screens 

Here is what the book I am reading says about this:

Another joy leak is the prevalence of video screens in our daily lives. We use smartphones, television, and movie screens to fill our idle minutes or hours. Joy and screen time are inversely proportional (Wilder, et al Joy Starts Here, p. 205-206). When our eyes and face are staring at our phones, we are not engaging with the faces around us. The joy drains out of our communities by depriving ourselves of each other’s faces. Our need for face-to-face time is designed into our flesh and cannot be substituted with a screen. Our brains can distinguish between a real face and a face on a screen even when we are infants. Our neurological circuits do not react to screens the same as they do to live faces. Since we need facial joy like we need food and oxygen, we are starving ourselves of relational nutrition. (Wilder, Jim; Hendricks, Michel. The Other Half of Church, pp. 68-69)

I had face-to-face time with my husband over this and eventually face-to-face time with my friend. I also think that texting was not a good mode of communication with this person because they totally misread what I was saying and reacted to me from their assumption. The reaction was hurtful to me. So, I need to remember, in the future, when communicating with this person, I need face-to-face time rather than texting. 

APPLICATION 

How is your joy? Where are the "Joy Leaks" in your life?

What of all the exhortations in this chapter can you apply to your life right now?

Philippians 4:6,7 is in the Topical Memory System and very important for memorization!

Here is a list with verse links and "mini-sermons" by LeRoy Eims. 

Topical Memory System Audio Library

PRAYER

Lord, teach us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything! Thank You for giving me peace in the midst of some stress this evening. May we all learn to come to You first in these times. Amen. 

Philippians 3 - The Goal of Life

Link: Philippians 3

BACKGROUND

In this chapter, Paul encourages the Philippian Christians to . . .

1) Rejoice in the Lord
2) Have no confidence in the flesh

Righteousness could not be gained by works no matter what the false teachers said. The Judaizers were encouraging circumcision, but the "true circumcision" people were those who loved and worshiped God from the heart rather than relying on external rituals. 

Also, human credentials cannot achieve righteousness. Paul had bragging rights based on his rich Jewish heritage, but he counted it all worthless. Knowing Christ and being found in Him was the only path to righteousness.

3) Press on to Know Jesus and Toward Maturity in Him

Paul knew Jesus, but his goal was to know him even more intimately. He wanted the closest possible relationship by knowing the power (dunamis) of His resurrection, the fellowship (koinonia, having something in common, sharing together in something, or sharing with someone) of His sufferings. This is exactly what God wanted Him to know (Acts 9:16). He wanted to become like Christ which is becoming mature!  He had not attained this (even though he had been a believer for 30 years by this time), but he kept pressing on toward it, not looking behind but forward. He sought to win the heavenly prize (1 Corinthians 9:25). 

4) Walk as a Citizen of Heaven

We can walk straight forward when we have our eternal home in mind! We will be like Him someday, so we need to fix our hope on that (1 John 3:2, 3). Also, we are to set our minds on the things above not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2). 

REFLECTION

I remember sitting with my ministry coworkers at a restaurant in Eugene in the early 80s. Being goal-oriented, eager 20-somethings, enthusiastic followers of, and laborers for Jesus, we were discussing our ministry goals. It was a "Where do you want to see yourself in 20 years?" kind of discussion. I cannot even remember what I said, but we were all talking about our hopes of people coming to Jesus and growing in Him, etc. You know, worthy goals. 

We had all shared except Jackie from Singapore. All eyes turned to her, and we asked her the question. In her quiet voice, she said, "I just want to know Jesus, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to his death" (Philippians 3:10). We sat in silence (and a bit of awe) thinking. . . 

So simple. So profound.

Jackie was right. Knowing Jesus was all that really mattered.

A short time later, I ran across a T.S. Eliot quote defining the Christian Life:

A condition of complete simplicity

(Costing not less than everything).

"Little Gidding No 4" of The Four Quartets

Once again . . . 

So simple. So profound.

I memorized Philippians 3:10. I even had a friend calligraphy the T.S. Eliot quote for me. I had it on my wall for years. Wonder where that quote is now? It would help me to be reminded of this again and again. You would think more than 30 years later I would not need to be reminded, but I am a slow learner, making this journey with Jesus much more complicated than it needs to be.

I was struck again with the simplicity of it all when Micah led our Jesus Community into worship last Wednesday:

Knowing You Jesus
Graham Kendrick

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and known as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.

This is an older song, and I was surprised that this 20-something even knew it, but it was a God thing. I have continued to sing it for the last week. Then I arrived at Philippians 3, and I knew why we sang it. Now, to really learn it!

. . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection

 and the fellowship of His sufferings, 

being conformed to His death;

Philippians 3:10

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Let this newer rendition of "Knowing You Jesus" lead you into worship and prayer today!

In tears now! 

Philippians 2 - The Ultimate Example of Humility

LINK: Philippians 2

BACKGROUND

This chapter picks up on the "selfish ambition" theme begun in the first chapter (1:17). Paul exhorted them to be humble toward each other and follow the example of Christ who left His glory in heaven to suffer and die on the cross as our Sin-bearer. He "made himself nothing" but that does not mean that He gave up any of His deity. Philippians 2:6 literally reads, "He is the very nature/form (morphe in Greek) of God," but though He was God, He added humanity to His deity. He voluntarily set aside His rights and privileges as God the Son. He was fully God ("undiminished deity") and fully man. This whole concept is called the kenosis of Christ and is taken from the phrase "emptying Himself" (kenoō in Greek) in 2:7. 

Continuing with his exhortation, Paul says to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." This does not mean that we can work for it (we cannot do that according to Ephesians 2:8, 9), but that we can put salvation into practice by being humble and selfless toward one another. The only way this is possible is when we allow God to work through us. This leads to unity and witness to the world around us. 

Since Paul was in prison, he wanted to send two living examples of humility and service to them: Timothy and Epaphroditus. Timothy was Paul's traveling companion and would be sent to encourage them and encourage Paul as he brought back news about them. Epaphroditus was from the Philippian church and had delivered the financial gift to Paul from them and had stayed on in Rome to help them (4:18). He was sending him back with high commendation. 

APPLICATION

"Pride is the mother hen under which 
all other sins are hatched."

C.S. Lewis

(I just finished reading Lewis' autobiography yesterday. So, it was fun to come across this quote by him in connection with Philippians 2.)

This chapter teaches us that humility and unselfishness are the keys to good human relationships. 

How are you doing in the pride department today?

Update 2023: I mentioned this yesterday, but the Hillsong documentaries are good cautionary tales for this. The books Learning Humility by Richard Foster and The Pandora Problem by E. James Wilder are also excellent. 

PRAYER

Lord, humble us so that You might be glorified. Amen. 

Philippians 1:12-30 - Joyful Perspective in Prison

LINK: Philippians 1:12-30

BACKGROUND

When we read previous books, we learned that Paul wanted to go to Rome to preach the gospel (Acts 19:21; Romans 1:15) but we read in Acts 21:17-28:31, that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and eventually made it to Rome as a prisoner. Despite his chains, he still preached the gospel! His joy (a major theme in the book of Philippians) was not in his circumstances but in the Lord and the work that God was doing through him. In the sovereignty of God, this imprisonment meant greater progress of the gospel and encouraged other believers to be bolder and to live lives worthy of the gospel. It was a win-win!

In the midst of all of this, some were taking advantage of Paul's imprisonment and preaching the Gospel to build up their own reputation (1:15-19). They thought it would cause Paul distress, but instead, it made Paul rejoice that Christ was preached regardless of their motives! Another win-win!

Paul had a great perspective on death too. For him, to live was Christ and to die was gain. He did not know if imprisonment would lead to execution, but he knew that death meant being with Christ. He felt that living would mean being able to encourage them more in their progress of joy and faith. Either way, it was another win-win!

Bottom Line: Paul had joy regardless of his circumstances because he had an eternal perspective fixed on Christ. 

One last thing, Paul was sure he would see them again. There is no record of Paul revisiting Philippi in the Scriptures, but that does not mean it did not happen. Paul was released after this particular imprisonment because he was imprisoned in Rome a second time and wrote 2 Timothy. He may have returned to Philippi between these two imprisonments. 

REFLECTION

Philippians 1:21 becomes a valuable test of our lives. Fill in the blanks:  

“For to me to live is _______ and to die is___________.” 

• “For to me to live is money and to die is to leave it all behind.” 
• “For to me to live is fame and to die is to be forgotten.” 
• “For to me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.” (The Bible Exposition Commentary: Volume 2, Phil 1:21, p. 70)

Some people are involved in good works "for" God who are doing it for the selfish motives of money, fame, and power. We have heard of them. Some of us have made the mistake of working alongside them, but have we ever put the spotlight on ourselves and asked about our own motives in ministry?

2023 Update: The more recent Hillsong documentaries are an example of exactly what this reflection is getting at. I just spent last evening talking with a friend who left their church after 15 years because of this problem with their head pastor. There are selfish motives in ministry everywhere. I also recommend The Pandora Problem: Facing Narcissism in Leaders and Ourselves. 

APPLICATION 

The reality is that we can do nothing about other people and their motives, but we can do something about ourselves! Here are some more questions to get you thinking:

• Have you ever been jealous because you felt someone was being used for Christ in a way that you would like to be used? See James 3:16.
• Have you ever compared yourself to others in ministry and felt the need to compete with them rather than be challenged by them and encouraged by their labor for the Lord?
• Have you ever talked behind someone's back or gossiped about them to lower their reputation and exalt your own? 
• What is the primary motivator of your life and ministry? Is it to glorify Christ in everything you do? 
• Is your heart fixed on Christ and His glory? 

Ask God to search your heart and see if there is "any hurtful way" (Psalm 139: 23, 24) in you.

PRAYER

Lord, teach us to be joyful in adversity. Purify our hearts and help us to minister to others from a pure heart. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Philippians 1:1-11 - Single Minded Joy

LINK: Philippians 1:1-11

"The only way to survive in prison is to abandon all 

expectations in this world and live for the next."

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

BACKGROUND

Philippians

Philippi was a Roman colony in the province of Macedonia in what is now the northern part of modern Greece, near the coast of the Aegean Sea. It was a fairly large gold-mining town and had many pagan religious influences. 

During a visit to Philippi on his second missionary journey, Lydia and her family and the Philippian jailer and his family trusted in Christ as their Savior (Acts 16:14-34). Soon after, a church was established there. The church had sent a financial gift to Paul through Epaphroditus while Paul was in prison in Rome in  A.D. 61 or 62. Paul wrote this letter to thank them for that gift. He also addressed some of the problems in the church: rivalry and personal ambition (2:3-4; 4:2) and the bad influence of Judaizers (3:1-3) and Antinomians (3:18-19). Through all of this, he encouraged them to find true joy in Christ alone. The concept of rejoicing or joy occurs sixteen times in the book! 

The key verse is "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

BACKGROUND

Philippians 1

Paul was with Timothy and mentions him in the opening of the letter even though he was the only author. We will have more background on Timothy when we get to the letter addressed to him. It is personally addressed to all saints in Philippi. This letter was personally addressed to the Philippians and was not intended for general circulation like the letter to the Ephesians. He also addressed the overseers (elders) and deacons of the church. We will talk more about elders and deacons when we study 1 Timothy and Titus. 

In this first part of Philippians 1, Paul praised the saints at Philippi. They were a source of joy to him because God was working in their lives! He was confident that God would complete the "good work" of salvation He had already begun in them. They were also a source of joy because the gospel was spreading because of their partnership with him and their concern for him. 

Paul loved the Philippians, and he prayed regularly that their love would overflow like a river for other believers.  He wanted that love to result in a deeper knowledge of Christ and deeper moral discernment and insight so that they would be in right relationship with God when Jesus returns. 

REFLECTION 

In spite of his difficult circumstances as a prisoner in Rome, Paul is rejoicing. The secret of his joy is the single mind; he lives for Christ and the Gospel. (Christ is named eighteen times in Philippians 1, and the Gospel is mentioned six times.) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). But what really is “the single mind”? It is the attitude that says, “It makes no difference what happens to me, just as long as Christ is glorified and the Gospel shared with others.” Paul rejoiced in spite of his circumstances, because his circumstances strengthened the fellowship of the Gospel (Phil. 1:1–11), promoted the furtherance of the Gospel (Phil. 1:12–26), and guarded the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27–30). 

The word fellowship simply means “to have in common.” But true Christian fellowship is really much deeper than sharing coffee and pie, or even enjoying a golf game together. Too often what we think is “fellowship” is really only acquaintanceship or friendship. You cannot have fellowship with someone unless you have something in common; and for Christian fellowship, this means the possessing of eternal life within the heart. Unless a person has trusted Christ as his Saviour, he knows nothing of “the fellowship of the Gospel.” In Philippians 2:1, Paul writes about “the fellowship of the Spirit,” because when a person is born again he receives the gift of the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). There is also “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). When we share what we have with others, this is also fellowship (Phil. 4:15, translated “communicate” in kjv). 

So, true Christian fellowship is much more than having a name on a church roll or being present at a meeting. It is possible to be close to people physically and miles away from them spiritually. One of the sources of Christian joy is this fellowship that believers have in Jesus Christ. Paul was in Rome, his friends were miles away in Philippi, but their spiritual fellowship was real and satisfying. When you have a single mind, you will not complain about circumstances because you know that difficult circumstances will result in the strengthening of the fellowship of the Gospel. (The Bible Exposition Commentary: Volume 2, Phil 1:1-11, p. 64)  

APPLICATION

I am inadequate to help people grow, but God can. Often people come to me with their problems and emotional hurts from the past. The best thing I can do for them is pray, with them and for them. Why not pray Philippians 1:9-11 today for someone you love?

In a few minutes, we are going to go hear a couple we are mentoring speak to a group of high school students about spreading the gospel through the whole world. You can bet I will be praying this passage as they speak!

PRAYER

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.  (Philippians 1:9-11, The Message)

Put Ephesians Back on the New Testament Shelf

You are done! Congratulations!

Ephesians 6:10-24 -- We Are in a War: Armor Up!

LINK: Ephesians 6:10-24 (Read 10-17 aloud and even memorize it! Maybe even pray through it in a Lectio Divina style.)

I broke reading up so that you only have 15 important verses to meditate on today. I have mentioned this before, but I try to pray through 6:10-18 daily. We are in a spiritual war, and I guarantee you that if you are daily attempting to "walk in love and light," you will get pushback from the enemy of our souls!

BACKGROUND 

This concept should be easy to understand: We are in a war!

Yet, I am the first to admit, I forget that. It is easy to think it is all myth and fairy tale. Not to mention that some theologies do not allow that there is a war. I do not believe this because the Bible says to the contrary.

Paul exhorts us to put on our full spiritual armor of God so we can be "strong in the Lord" and win the spiritual war against the devil.

Here is a rundown of the weapons from The Life Application Bible: 

Belt of Truth - Satan fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like truth; but only believers have God's truth, which can defeat Satan's lies.

Breastplate of Righteousness - Satan often attacks our hearts -- the seat of our emotions, self-worth, and trust. God's righteousness is the breastplate that protects our hearts and ensures his approval. He approves of us because he loves us and sent his Son to die for us. 

Footgear of Readiness to Spread the Good News - Satan wants us to think that telling others the Good News is a worthless and hopeless task -- the size of the task is too big, and the negative responses are too much to handle. But the footgear God gives us is the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God -- news everyone needs to hear. 

Shield of Faith - What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from Satan's flaming arrows. With God's perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.  

Helmet of Salvation - Satan wants to make us doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. The helmet protects our minds from doubting God's saving work for us.  

Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God - The sword is the only weapon of offense in this list of armor. There are times when we need to take the offensive against Satan. when we are tempted, we need to trust in the truth of God's Word. 

While not a weapon in this analogy, prayer is a very important tool in fighting the enemy, and Paul closes by requesting prayer that he would proclaim the Gospel with boldness! 

REFLECTION 

Have I mentioned we are in a war? The first time I led a Bible Study on this chapter, in 1984, I dressed up with all the spiritual armor (using a trash can lid as the shield). Then one of the girls wrote a 50s-style song to illustrate the passage creatively. I wish I could perform it for you! (Lower pitch singing of each piece of armor: The Shield of Faith/The Breast Plate of Righteousness, etc. With a high-pitched descant singing: "This is the Armor. The Armor of God.")

All this was very cute, but the enemy did not like it, and that Bible Study became really interesting with lights going on and off and things falling off the walls. I am not kidding! It was warfare! 

Through 40-plus years (2023: 54 years) of being a believer I am convinced that we need to armor up daily. But my conviction does not always result in daily practice! Whenever I read this passage, I am reminded once again! 

The application section has some tools to help us do that. I have mentioned the "Morning Affirmations" before, but I am mentioning them again and will do so again before this year ends!

APPLICATION 

This is from the "Morning Affirmations" section of Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa. I invite you to pray this daily:

Protection in Spiritual Warfare 

O Lord, guard my heart against the temptations of the world and renew my heart and spirit: 

Since I have been raised up with You, O Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where You are at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) 

I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to You, O God. And Your peace, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-8) 

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:9) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the weaknesses and temptations of the flesh so that I may reckon myself dead to sin: 

Father, I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to You in Christ Jesus. I will not present the parts of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to You, O God, as one alive from the dead, and the parts of my body as instruments of righteousness to You. (Romans 6:6-7, 12-13) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the attacks of the devil and give me the strength to resist him: 

As I submit myself to You, O God, and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7) 

I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9) 

I will take up Your full armor, O God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of Your Spirit, which is Your Word, O God. With all prayer and petition I will pray at all times in Your Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18) (Reprinted by permission from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa, pp. 7-9)

 I also recorded an audio version of all the Morning Affirmations.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to really understand that we are in a battle, and help us to remember to daily put on our weapons for warfare. Amen. 

Ephesians 5:18-6:9 -- Submission and Bringing Heaven to Your Home

LINK: Ephesians 5:18-6:9

I love how this post turned out. Please read the REFLECTION and watch the videos embedded in the post! Amazingly, they would come out on the same day I would write this post. PROVIDENTIAL! 

BACKGROUND

What (or who) will give us the love we need so that we can love others, especially those in our home? 

The Holy Spirit of God! It is only through His power and love that we can love others (Galatians 5:22-25)! 

Bacchus by Caravaggio, c.1595, oil on canvas
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Paul contrasts being filled with wine with being filled with the Spirit because Ephesian culture worshiped Bacchus (also known as Dionysus in Greek culture), the god of wine, drunken orgies, ritual madness, and ecstasy. It was believed that to "commune" with Bacchus and be led by him, you had to be drunk! In this condition, they could know his will and how best to serve and obey him. Now that you know that, reread 5:18 and the contrast will come more alive to you! Our culture has different ways we try to "fill" ourselves and make decisions based on the will of other false gods. Think about what yours might be.

"Be filled" is a present tense verb phrase that means "keep on being filled." It is also an imperative passive verb that indicates we are commanded to let the filling happen, and we can control our willingness to be filled. It also indicates that once we are willing, the Holy Spirit does the filling and not ourselves! 

When Paul commands us . . . to be filled with the Spirit he is commanding us to allow ourselves to be governed by the fullness of Christ in our lives. In Ephesians 5:18, the results of being filled with the Spirit are speaking in psalms, singing, giving thanks, and harmony in relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and masters and slaves. (Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, p. 180)

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we esteem others as "more important than ourselves" (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:1-4). Without the Holy Spirit, we want to promote ourselves. With the Spirit, we can subordinate our rights to others. Note that this passage calls for ALL to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, who submitted to His Father's will to be our example (5:21). Submission does not have to be a problem when the whole family seeks God and submits to being filled by the Spirit! WIN-WIN!  

The whole issue of the man being the head of the wife can be a big stumbling block for some. I am not a doormat, but I am not a feminist either. I always fall back on the fact that the husband has the greater burden because he is to love, nourish, and cherish (like a mother hen brooding over her chicks) his wife like Christ loves, nourishes, and cherishes the church. That is a TALL order! It is interesting to note that Paul uses twice as many words telling the husbands how to love their wives than he does telling wives to submit to their husbands. So, I think there should be twice as much preaching toward husbands as there is to wives! But that is not always the case in our churches today. On top of all that, we should all get gazillion times more exhortation for ALL of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit because then it is not even an issue!  

One more thing, common sense tells us that if a husband asks his wife to do something that would cause her to disobey the Lord, then he is not loving her like Christ loves the church, and there is no obligation to submit. 

We do not submit to abuse either. If you have any questions in that area, please go to a trusted spiritual mentor or counselor about it!!! Abuse happens, even in the church, and sometimes it is wrapped up in the "submission" disguise. Here is an excellent forum to watch:

The Emotionally Destructive Marriage

The wife is every bit as equal to her husband (Galatians 3:28; Genesis 1:27), but there is nothing wrong with having some kind of social order, but that order is going to look different in every household, and the key to any family harmony is being filled with the Spirit and exercising the gifts He has given us! Read my musings about being a "helpmate" to my husband from Genesis 2 HERE. It will give you an idea of how things roll in my household. I should add that my husband read Ephesians 5 while we were engaged, and He fully submitted to the Holy Spirit in loving me like Christ loves the church, and I am a blessed woman! 

Here are other verses regarding how a child is to behave toward his parents and the responsibilities a father has to his child: Ephesians 6:1-4; Exodus 20:12; and Deuteronomy 5:16; 6:1-9. Honoring a father and mother does not mean honoring their sin or obeying if they ask you to disobey the Lord. If you are a kid and have a question about that, please ask a trusted adult to help you! 

Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Peter 2:18-25; and James 5:1-6 are passages about servants and masters. Most of us do not have servants in our households, but this can apply to employer and employee relationships. We will discuss this more fully when we get to 1 Peter and James. 

REFLECTION 

"Submission" is a dirty word in the secular world, but how Providential that on the day I composed this post, Gabrielle Reece, professional volleyball player, would go on NBC's Today Show and announce that being a "submissive" woman shows "a sign of strength"! She has some women really mad at her, but I applaud the practical way she looks at submission even without a biblical worldview! Submission makes sense and is a WIN-WIN!

The 43-year-old athlete writes in the book that "to truly be feminine means being soft, receptive, and — look out, here it comes — submissive," in a partnership. . . "I'm saying I'll lift up my side and do it happily and also the expectation would be or the hope would be that he comes with the same attitude."  http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/gabrielle-reece-opens-submissive-woman-article-1.1315735#ixzz2QMm44llu)  

Looking at submission, as a byproduct of being filled with the Spirit, is even more powerful and WIN-WIN! 

The reason why I included Ephesians 5:18 in the area of submission and family relationships is that it is more about submission to the Holy Spirit's work in us rather than to another person! I wholeheartedly believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is the key to bringing "heaven" to the home!  

I love this quote by C.S. Lewis that punctuates my point: 

"When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, 

I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now." 

Chew on this quote for a while. I think there is too much emphasis on marriage enrichment or how to be better parents and not enough about being filled with the Spirit. When we are intentional about this, everything else falls into place!

We spent several hours a few weeks ago with a couple that has been married for about the same amount of time that we have, but the wife is about ready to walk out. Having never probed deeper and having lived in different cities, we had no idea that they were at this point of crisis in their marriage. One of them willingly admits to having fallen out of love with the Lord having sought to "fill" the soul with things that have not satisfied. The emptiness was heartbreaking for us. Praying for a renewed love for God that might bring love for "earthly dearest"! 

2015 Update: The couple is doing well! 

APPLICATION

Ponder the quote above and your love for God and those you love.

Talk to God about your walk with Him. 

How can it deepen? 

How can you love God better? 

What are you filling yourself with instead of allowing the Spirit to fill you?

Some thoughts to ponder from The Holman Bible Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians: 

• If being "filled with the Spirit" is essentially the same as "letting the Word of Christ dwell within you richly," how could you say you are doing on a scale of one to ten? What do you think you could do to improve being filled with the Holy Spirit?
• Take a fearless moral inventory of your life to see if there is anything you are doing that you ought to stop. 
• If you are unsuccessful in stopping something you ought to stop, contact someone whom you respect spiritually, and ask him to help you.
• Husbands rate yourself on a scale of one to ten on how well you are submissive to the needs of your wife. Make a list of things you ought to improve. Ask your wife to forgive you for your failure in that/those area(s) and commit to her and the Lord to do better.
• Wives, rate yourself on a scale of one to ten on how well you are submissive to the authority of your husband. Make a list of things you ought to improve. Ask your husband to forgive you for your failure in that/those area(s) and commit to him and the Lord to do better.  (p. 176, 184)

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, fill us once again. Amen.