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Rose Cooper
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Joined: 11/17/2015
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Posts: 303
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Posted: 11/15/2016 at 9:18pm
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Romans 12:5
"so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the
others."
1 Cor 12:27
"All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it."
Have you ever given any thought to what it means to be 'one body' in Christ? How do you
make sense of the notion of being an individual that is nonetheless part of a bigger
whole that is unified and which is referred to throughout the Bible as a single entity?
I came across this line in a study on the triune nature of God that God highlighted to
me as being a good description of how He sees the body functioning.
Quote:
Each Person is self-conscious and self-directing, yet never acting independently
[of God] or in opposition [to God]. |
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https://bible.org/article/trinity-triunity-god
Food for thought.
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Liv Helmore
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Joined: 09/29/2014
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Posts: 455
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Posted: 11/18/2016 at 12:40am
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Hi Rose
I read your post several days ago- reading Colossians 3 tonight reminds me
Berean Study Bible
Putting on the New Self
1Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is youra life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.b 7When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways. 8But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.
9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Christian Households
18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.
23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
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Rose Cooper
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Joined: 11/17/2015
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Posted: 11/18/2016 at 2:53am
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Good verses Liv, much to pick out and illustrate from them.
Quote:
| For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. |
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This verse is a reference to the deeper truth of the cross. Water baptism symbolises the fact that we were dead in our sin, and
have been born again into resurrection life in Christ.
Colossians 2:13
When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.
Quick question to ponder - if we were dead, but now are alive in Christ, and Paul says - 'oh death were is your sting'.
Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life; the one believing in Me, even if he should die, he will live." John
11:25
Think about it.
Quote:
5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and
greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.b 7When you lived among
them, you also used to walk in these ways. 8But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,
and filthy language from your mouth.
9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is
being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. |
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The Bible is full of these apparent commands - do this, don't do that, assume these characteristics, get rid of those - what it
doesn't say is that when we try to do this in our own strength we fail utterly and comprehensively. The clue is in the fact
that it is the cross where this happens. At the moment of salvation - which is a complete work - you are fully transformed from
death to life, from sin to resurrection in Christ. You are fully clothed in the nature of Christ. But I hear you cry, along
with Paul, "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate."
(Romans 7:15)
So how do we overcome this problem? Again the verses contain the solution:
Quote:
| and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. |
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this thought is echoed in:
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2
So what does it mean to have our mind renewed - it is very very simple - it is the process by which your mind, with its neural
pathways and things it 'knows' to be true, is aligned with the truth of who God is, who Christ is and who you are in Christ. As
you have those moments of revelation where you realise 'this applies to me', 'this is true for ME!' and you step into the new
truth, another aspect of the fullness of the cross you already received is manifest in you.
The only 'work' we have to do is to draw near to God, to get to know Him, because He is at work in you constantly to fully
manifest the reality of what you have already received.
Pretty awesome huh?
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Topic: One body
