Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Colossians 3:1,2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 )  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  We began the process of understanding the duties that follow the doctrines taught by Paul.  I realize that in American Christianity, it is easy to leave a church and find one that tells you what you want to hear. However, we need to hear what God wants us to hear.  As God teaches us His word and doctrine, He lays duties upon us. These are not some onerous tasks, but are a means of serving Him with joy.  We owe all things to our Lord Jesus Christ. Why would we even debate about our Christian duties? It is a great privilege that God affords us the opportunity to put our faith into practice each day.  Thus, doctrine leads to duties. Belief impacts behavior and teaching leads to discipline and right actions.  Our life is hid with Christ ...

Psalm 119:33  HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.  Praying for God to teach and instruct us from His Word must become our daily habit. We are not to gain knowledge just to add to the material stored in our minds. Rather, we must commit to following the ways of Jehovah until He calls us home to heaven. Praying for understanding with a commitment to live a holy life.  Psalm 119:34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.  This text is similar to the preceding one, in that the Psalmist makes a prayer request of God followed by a commitment to obey Him. In promising to obey God, the Psalmist expressed a commitment of exactness and sincerity for his obedience.  The Psalmist is showing us that we need God's help to understand and keep His law. We need His help to know our way through this life, by comprehending what God permits and what He forbids.  S...

In the first two chapters of Colossians, Paul described our privileges by Christ. He taught us how we are discharged from the yoke of the ceremonial law of Moses and have been given liberty to love and serve Jesus Christ. He addressed some of the heretical teachings that caused unrest in this church and demonstrated that our defense is knowing who Jesus Christ is and understanding the scope of what He has done for us. In the remaining chapters of Colossians, we are going to be taught the duties we have that accompany the doctrine we learned.  In chapters one and two, belief is meant to impact behavior and  teaching is given to train us how to live for God's glory.     Though we are freed from the obligation of the ceremonial law, it does not mean that we are free to live as we choose. We are saved in order to walk more closely with God. Believers must seek the things of God. Colossians 3:1,2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are...

Psalm 119:33  HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.  The Psalmist taught us to pray daily for Jehovah to help us by teaching and instructing us in the things of God. He also showed us that we must commit to walking in His ways for the rest of our lives.  God will give us a new heart and a new spirit and a new life in Christ. He saved us in order to transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. He sent His own Spirit to indwell us, to lead us in the paths of righteousness and holiness. Praying for a heart to understand the things of God.  Psalm 119:34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.   This verse connects with verse 33. The Psalmist asks God to teach Him and in verse 34, he asks for understanding from the Lord.  Teaching must be accompanied by understanding and application for us. In verse 33, he promised to keep the way of God's statutes all...

Colossians 2:20-22  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  21)  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  22)  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?  Paul warned the Colossians about law keeping again. He says "If as Christians, you are dead with Jesus Christ to the power of the ceremonial law, why are you subjecting yourselves to them?"  When they received Christ, they professed that there was no hope of salvation from keeping the law and ceremonies. Those things were only rudiments, first elements, or the basic principles, that condemned the world of sin (Romans 3). These rudiments were perfectly fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and since we are joined with Him in His death, we are dead to the law and have received His righteousness as our own. Therefore, trying to live according to the law meant that they would be addi...

The apostle Paul has gone to great lengths to help the believers at Colosse (and us, too) see the spiritual realities of our salvation and being in Christ. He put all the glories and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ on display for all of us to see and rejoice in.  In Christ we received full deliverance from our sins and full forgiveness from the Father. We received full pardon and full atonement. We received a new heart, a new spirit and a new life to live. We received full adoption into the family of God and a brand new heavenly destination.  Various people tried to add things to the work of Jesus Christ. Judaizers insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised and then they could be saved.  They also demanded that Gentiles keep the sabbath day instead of the Lord's Day on Sunday.  They said that Gentiles must refrain from eating certain things and that they must observe the Old Testament feasts. All of these things were in addition to Christ.  ...

Psalm 119:33  HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.  As we think about the Psalmist's request for Jehovah to teach him His Word, we see that this is something we greatly need.  We must be diligent to seek teaching that God has promised to give us, each and every day. We will never outgrow our need for God to instruct us in His truth. Our old man does not discern the things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  It is a hard matter to understand the things of God that are spiritual by nature. Some of His things are understood literally and some in their spiritual sense.  Our natural man, sometimes called our old man, does not care for the things of God and cannot learn them. The natural man cannot receive the things of God because they require spiritu...

Colossians 2:10-13  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:  11)  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:  12)  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead .  13)  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; In our last post, Paul taught us that all who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, are "complete " in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that we can add to Christ's perfect work of redemption.  Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation. He initiated it, was born of a virgin that He might bring God's plan of redemption to a perfect completion.  When He cried "It is finished" on the cross...