April 27, Colossians 1:2 Bible Study Notes
Welcome!
This blog is used to share some of our notes from each day’s journaling while we were in Bible study with The Holy Spirit. At the bottom of each blog page, you’ll see which Bible we used and additional resources that may have informed our thinking and learning. We are curious and humble #Biblenerds. Each day we GET TO use the Word of God to learn more about His never-changing character, how much Jesus loves us and how The Holy Spirit guides us through a heart transformation one verse at a time. The Bible reads us just as much as we read It.
We hope these perfectly imperfect notes help you as you join us weekday mornings 8:00 - 9:00 EST via Facebook & Youtube. And, of course, we welcome you whenever and wherever you get a chance to learn along with us!
In His Love,
Joy Lee & Tara Ouellette
Joy’s Notes:
SHAME
Def of shame = I AM a mistake
Legitimate needs found by illegitimate means
Shame is A SILENT KILLER
IT ENDS MOST MARRIAGES
IT ENDS INNER PEACE
IT ENDS INTIMACY WITH GOD & others (which places us in prison cell of isolation)
Shames only job is to RUIN, demolish, eradicate, your GOD GIVEN IDENTITY.
👉Shame is identity theft
The enemy comes to steal kill and destroy. And shame is his vehicle to do it
Smothers your soul in:
unworthiness
Insecurity
Performance
Inner voices of lies of what other think & how they perceive me
Anger
Loneliness
It FILTERS all my inner thoughts & everyones else’s words
H O L Y (Paul called the Colossians “holy” even though they were drifting in their belief of the deity of Jesus)
To be “holy” means that we are “set apart for honorable use.”
The Holy Spirit has taken up residence inside of me & I’m His TEMPLE because His very presence lives inside of me!
“He changes the GPS coordinates of my destiny!” -Priscilla shirer
Col 1:22
“.... He has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”
When I believe it, I’ll start living it.
If I start believing I’m not good enough, I’ll start living like I’m not good enough.
If that start believing that I’m holy, I’ll start Living as if I’m holy.
Paul’s letters often started with calling the church “holy & Saints”
👇
1 cor 2:2
2 cor 1:1
Eph 1:1
Phil 1:1
The colossians decisions & choices were often anything but holy!
But Paul was reminding them of their TRUE AUTHENTIC identity that Satan has been trying to steal!
Our true identity of being set-apart, Holy, a saint is:
Not based on how I FEEL
Not based on my CIRCUMSTANCES
Not based on my past
Not based on my accomplishments
Not based on my mistakes
Not based on others opinions
Not based on my behaviors of performance & perfection
“Only the One who has given you life has the authority to identify you!”
Satans signature is shame.
Gods signature is a holy-identity
——————————-
2 TYPES OF HOLINESS:
positional holiness = an identity we inherit as children of God
walked-out holiness = walked out in our every day life— little by little — CHARACTER (sanctification) eradicating the lies & defects of character, secret sins of our heart! = THRU SURRENDER
lifestyle of confession & repentance & vulnerability!!
*** a “walked out” holiness CANNOT happen without a “positional holiness.”
👆
(Religion gets this backwards!)
—> entire seasons of my life that I don’t recognize!
👇
relationships I allowed
Boundaries I disregarded
Lethal Thoughts I meditated on
Anger and forgiveness i gripped tightly onto
Gossip I engaged in.
Comparison & jealous I stepped into
Lies I told
Secrets I stuffed
Fears that ruled me!!
....all because I didn’t know my identity:(
Philippians 2:13:
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
It’s NOT on your own strength!!!
———————
G R A C E & P E A C E:
** SHAME WONT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE PEACE.
Paul knew we couldn’t experience grace & peace with out first KNOWING our IDENTITY!
RIGHT ORDER
👇
I accept my identity of being HOLY
Therefore I receive Gods undeserving GRACE
Which then offers my heart a natural by-product of PEACE
P E A C E
“Biblical peace isnt the absence of conflict or simply being in a state of rest— It means completeness or wholeness!”
Peace is mentioned 237x in Old Testament
92 x in New Testament & is mentioned in EVERY NT book except 1 John.
PEACE is a fruit produced by the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
When I receive Gods grace— I attach to His vine & allow my branches to produce His FRUIT OF PEACE!
“We can only experience peace if we know how to receive God’s grace.”
Tara’s Notes:
Colossians 1:2, NLT: "We are writing to God's holy people in the city of Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace."
Colossians 1:2, KJV: "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Colossians 1:2 Interlinear: “To the in Colossae saints and faithful brothers in Christ, Grace to you and peace from God Father of us.
UNITY in our IDENTITY in CHRIST!
The Holy Spirit prompted me to go through an exercise where I plugged in my name and anointing as if this letter was from me. It was interesting to see not only why he had me go through this, but what was revealed.
***
Greetings from Tara
This letter is from Tara, (chosen by God to be a prophet and teacher) of Christ Jesus and from our sister Joy.
It is written to God’s saints around the world, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.
May God our Father give you GRACE and PEACE.
***
I asked myself:
1. Am I comfortable stating the anointing over my life from God? Meaning, I am recognizing that by the mere fact that I’ve turned from my sin/repented and put my faith and hope in Jesus Christ then I have an anointing from God over my life. How comfortable am I writing/stating/claiming/accepting this specific anointing?
Now it’s time to live this out with grace, peace, joy and love. EX: 1 Cor 1:21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anoints us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2. Am I making it more about me and less about the power of Christ Jesus? It’s about the Holy Spirit – NOT ABOUT ME! I’m excited to experience the Holy Spirit alive and active through me. Not b/c of me and actually despite me – regardless of, even though, even if, etc. I’m a saint/I’m Holy b/c of God’s virtue’s NOT mine!
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
3. Do I really believe that I’ve been adopted by God, into HIS family? That my identity comes from heaven and not of this world: not of my birthed family, traditions, practices, beliefs, ways, customs, habits, patterns of this world, etc.
Ephesians 1:5 NLT God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
4. When I think like Paul and I’ve never met my brother and sister (of Colossea), do I REALLY believe they are all saints b/c of their faith? Or do I judge/order/rank/speak/respond to others based on behaviors (quite possibly mirroring the way I judge myself based on my behaviors)?
1 Corinthians 1:30 But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.
5. Am I a citizen of the kingdom or this world?
Philippians 3:20-21 NLT 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
6. Do I realize that grace and peace come from God, not me, others or this world? Do I realize that God’s GRACE (unmerited favor, not based on me/my actions) is glorified b/c of my not enoughness and need for Him? Do I believe that God’s grace is bigger and bolder the more broken and weaker I am? Again, do I believe in God’s virtues more than my own?
2 Timothy 1:9 Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Whenever I focus on ME, I’m being PROUD. I’m making it about me and not about God.
I’ve been learning that Paul was very PRIDEFUL before he met Jesus and he imprisoned others for their faith in action, which was different than what he believed. After he chose to be a Christ follower, he led a surrendered life to God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit. He realized he was believing LIES about the God he thought he knew and lived in FEAR of those who loved Jesus in way that made them different than the norm.
How often do we do this to believers? We “imprison” others based their actions, take over the role of God and judge/condemn others rather than show grace, love and mercy as it had been shown to us? Hmm…could this be because we haven’t individually fully accepted that grace, love and mercy from God? So, I wonder if what people really see in my response to strife is my 1) lack of believing truth about God’s character as well as 2) that I fear differences/man.
List of Resources:
Joy & Tara’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndal, 1996.
https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/359950-how-to-have-the-anointing-of-god-on-your-life.html
https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-2.html
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/colossians/1-2.htm
Sermon’s from Youtube Tara has listened to recently that has informed her thinking:
The Greatest Sermon Voddie Baucham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRGGzqxSP1c
Don’t Drop the Mic A Conversation with TD Jakes & Steven Furtick