By Pastor Alpha Hayward
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b] was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with himthrough your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life,appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colosians 1:15-3:4
A recent national survey by the Barna Research Group determined that only 4% of Americans had a "biblical" worldview.
When born again believers were surveyed, the results where a whopping 9%.
When born again believers were surveyed, the results where a whopping 9%.
Barna says, "Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life.
So what is a worldview?
Your reality and sense of life come from your worldview. So what is the framework and foundation of your thinking? What is your personal ideology, theology, religion, and current involvement with a movement? All of those items determine how you see the world, how you see God, and how you see mankind.
Example:
Children believe they are the center of attention so they have a “self-centered” worldview.
A secular humanist believes that only the material world exists so purpose doesn’t matter so much, it’s only about self-satisfaction until death.
A Buddhist believes the liberation of suffering is found in his ability to acquire “self-purification.”
If you have a “Biblical” worldview, you believe your primary reason for being alive is to love God and love others.
Everyone has a personal worldview. Your personal worldview is determined by what you truly believe about life. So it poses the question: “What is your truth?”
Your truth, your worldview drives your emotions, your decisions, your core values. It affects how you plan your future. It affects your response to politics, religion, justice, and theory. Your worldview is tied into your philosophy about life.
Your worldview shapes your identity.
Your worldview affects your involvement in the world.
Your worldview can propel you or trap you.
It begins by what environment you originated in. It continues with what environment you are currently in right now. Truly what you believe determines what you will do and where you will go. At some point your belief has to go from a simple opinion to an actual life style, or life journey.
A Biblical worldview –
This is a view of the world based on what the Bible says about life. Your values and priorities are orchestrated by the principles and precepts of the Bible. You have a personal belief that the Bible is the one and only Truth and you submit your entire being to whatever the Bible says.
Do you have a biblical worldview? Answer the following questions, based on claims found in the Bible and which George Barna used in his survey:
Do absolute moral truths exist?
Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?
Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does He still rule it today?
Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
Is Satan real?
Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people?
Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
Did you answer yes to these? Only 9 percent of "born- again" believers did. More importantly, does your life show it to the world?
Beware of Dilution! -
Be careful! T.V., Media, Music, Readings, Entertainment, the Internet. These resources are leaders in diluting the Christian’s Biblical worldview.
The world will help you take on their worldview and therefore dilute and soften your Biblical worldview. This gives you a powerless life of compromise and takes away your conviction to trust and honor God to only tap into God when you want something.
The devil’s plan is to distract the church to the point of making them spiritual zombies. Zombies that are walking around with nothing but a dead head while chasing only after self-gratifying impulses and philosophies that only fit that life style.
So how do I change my worldview?
Of course, by changing the way you think. This is more complex and easier said than done, but it does begin with what you choose to believe. So who do you believe is right when it comes to defining life?
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the
Moffatt translation of this verse, “…I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ….” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself…”
(John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
Your reality and sense of life come from your worldview. So what is the framework and foundation of your thinking? What is your personal ideology, theology, religion, and current involvement with a movement? All of those items determine how you see the world, how you see God, and how you see mankind.
Example:
Children believe they are the center of attention so they have a “self-centered” worldview.
A secular humanist believes that only the material world exists so purpose doesn’t matter so much, it’s only about self-satisfaction until death.
A Buddhist believes the liberation of suffering is found in his ability to acquire “self-purification.”
If you have a “Biblical” worldview, you believe your primary reason for being alive is to love God and love others.
Everyone has a personal worldview. Your personal worldview is determined by what you truly believe about life. So it poses the question: “What is your truth?”
Your truth, your worldview drives your emotions, your decisions, your core values. It affects how you plan your future. It affects your response to politics, religion, justice, and theory. Your worldview is tied into your philosophy about life.
Your worldview shapes your identity.
Your worldview affects your involvement in the world.
Your worldview can propel you or trap you.
It begins by what environment you originated in. It continues with what environment you are currently in right now. Truly what you believe determines what you will do and where you will go. At some point your belief has to go from a simple opinion to an actual life style, or life journey.
A Biblical worldview –
This is a view of the world based on what the Bible says about life. Your values and priorities are orchestrated by the principles and precepts of the Bible. You have a personal belief that the Bible is the one and only Truth and you submit your entire being to whatever the Bible says.
Do you have a biblical worldview? Answer the following questions, based on claims found in the Bible and which George Barna used in his survey:
Do absolute moral truths exist?
Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?
Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does He still rule it today?
Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
Is Satan real?
Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people?
Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
Did you answer yes to these? Only 9 percent of "born- again" believers did. More importantly, does your life show it to the world?
Beware of Dilution! -
Be careful! T.V., Media, Music, Readings, Entertainment, the Internet. These resources are leaders in diluting the Christian’s Biblical worldview.
The world will help you take on their worldview and therefore dilute and soften your Biblical worldview. This gives you a powerless life of compromise and takes away your conviction to trust and honor God to only tap into God when you want something.
The devil’s plan is to distract the church to the point of making them spiritual zombies. Zombies that are walking around with nothing but a dead head while chasing only after self-gratifying impulses and philosophies that only fit that life style.
So how do I change my worldview?
Of course, by changing the way you think. This is more complex and easier said than done, but it does begin with what you choose to believe. So who do you believe is right when it comes to defining life?
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the
Moffatt translation of this verse, “…I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ….” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself…”
(John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
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