May 13, Col 1:14 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: Col 1:14 Thurs
“... in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
——————
Paul is reminding us & the colossian church of our IDENTITY!
We have been redeemed.
Forgiven.
Debt has been cleared!
-Def of “Redemption” = the clearing of a debt
Rev 2:17
“To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a WHITE stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
Ancient Greece jury members would throw BLACK rock to the guilty & WHITE Rock to the non-guilty with their NAME written on it.
God gives us new names— but so does our enemy:
SARAI = SARAH
ABRAM= ABRAHAM
JACOB = ISRAEL
SAUL = PAUL
ENEMY’s new names:
Daniel, Shadrach, meshach, and Abednego
Kings of the old testament when taken into captivity, names were changed!
SATAN DESIRES TO CHANGE OUR NAME SO THAT WE WONT OFFER REDEMPTION TO OTHERS!
Paul is reminding the Colossians of their NAME/IDENTITY =
R E D E E M E D !!!!!
————
GIVING OUT WHAT WE’VE BEEN GIVEN:
“Redemption flows TO me & then flows THRU me!”
God gives us powerful ingredient of REDEMPTION— so that we have it to give out to those who do not deserve it!
Two parts to redemption:
The decision to forgive the FACT
AND....
The PROCESS of forgiveness Of the impact those decisions had on me
THE IMPACT: Forgiveness of the impact, unfolds in layers— & even years.
“Trust the process”
“Forgiveness is not about our determination but our cooperation for what God has already done.”
1 Cor 6:7
“Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?” -paul
Jason/Jamie story— extending redemption when it’s deserved the least BECAUSE our identity is redemption! (READ STORY)
Jamie could only extend redemption because he was FIRST given redemption!
—————-
Matthew 18:21-35
Story of KING....
“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters[e] from your heart.”
Acts 3:19
“(1)Repent, then, and (2)turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”
—————————
*(Reconciliation and redemption are two different things!)
I wouldn’t give my house keys to the man who burglarized my home! But I can still forgive him & offer him redemption!
TRUST is regained by having:
Time + Believable behavior
But Redemption is ALWAYS a requirement for a Christian!
Tara’s Notes, Col 1:14:
NLT
"God has purchased our freedom
with his blood and has forgiven all our sins."
KJV
"In whom we have redemption
through his blood,
even the forgiveness of sins:"
Interlinear
“In whom we have redemption
The forgiveness of our sins.”
Who: God’s dear son
What: Purchased, Paid in full, Redemption: ransom paid in full
Why: to forgive all our sins
This is such good news!
This included everyone and takes the weight/high value on sin and puts the high value on the relationship btwn God, Jesus and me.
The bad news is that there is sin and humans are the ones maintaining and increasing the value on sin. The good news is that God loves the world so much that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Think for a moment about purchases:
When something has been bought, it has left the store and moved into the owner’s home. The owner has full rights. The hope is that it isn’t stolen, lost, broken or destroyed. It was purchased because it was a thing that was appreciated, valued, loved, enjoyed and the hope is that it’s kept forever.
Think for a moment about a ransom paid in full:
Defined: a sum of money or other payment demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner.
Q: So who was demanding payment for my release?
A: The kingdom of darkness.
Q: So what was the form of payment?
A: Jesus absorbed ALL sin and died with it on the cross. He exchanged His LIFE for our DEATH in sin. = atonement
Q: Noticing this isn’t a layaway plan, installments or financing. It’s paid in full, so why do we act like that?
A: Our actions/sin depends on full payment.
A: We really don’t believe we are worth to purchase so we stop the process. We depreciate/devalue/demote/decline/forfeit/act deprived/act abandon/ give up /act like we don’t qualify
The Crucifixion of Jesus Luke 23:32-43
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
(The unrepentant thief) One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
(The good thief) But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
These thieves represent all of us. We have a decision to make. Are we going to be “unrepentant thief” or a “good thief”?
Taking this to another level:
When we think about Christianity or being a Christ follower do we rank people? Like, X family does all the right things. Reads bible X, Church X, children X, job X, community X, successful children who make little to no error X, family traditions X, upstanding X, morally pure X,
What about risk? Mission/journey? Pushing self to limit with Jesus? Loving others well? Loving self well NO MATTER WHAT? Loving ENEMY?
Do we act saved and not focus on behavior (dare not sin) to the point that we are really not following the Spirit but we are following our own righteousness?
The two thieves:
https://stmichaelsabbey.com/saint-dismas
Graham Cooke, The power of instead part 1 (part 2 is great as well)
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/jonathan-david-melissa-helser/the-power-of-instead-part-1/
Joy & Tara’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale, 1996, 2004, 2015