Be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Col 1:4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 1:12  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 

2: 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 

Col 3:1  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Vision: Colossians (1-3) in diagrams

Put on the New Man

Put on Love

The sons of light

Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Key words/phrases to note: 

1. faith in Christ Jesus and love for all the saints (brethren in Christ), 
2. spiritual understanding, inheritance in the light (kingdom of the Son of God), 
3. complete in Christ–our real life, triumphing over the adversaries, having the fullness of God in Christ, Christ is the substance (the rest are shadows), 
4. put on the new man–who we are in Christ, put on love (God is love), 
5. set our mind on things above (where our real life is), 
6. let our hearts be occupied with two things: 
7. let the peace of God rule, let the words of Christ dwell in, 
8. let our word and deeds be done in the name of our Lord Jesus, 
9. always giving thanks to the Father for having adopted us as His children, and we are now the sons of God.

καὶnotes, 2022-10-15

Not Carnality but Christ

 The watchman is reminded today of the way we should live in Christ. 

Last night during a home prayer meeting one brethren suggested praying for a local Christian group. When the others started praying, the watchman asked the Lord what to pray for and he was shown a terrible verse, which stated that when Israel asked the prophet to pray they did not mean it. They had no intent to obey what God would speak to them through the answer to prayers by the prophet. So there was no need to pray for them! The stern words were sad. How can any Christian meeting come to such a terrible stage? Yet, history showed that the Israel nation sank to that low over again and again. God sent prophets to warn them but they killed the prophets. The same thing happened to the apostles and many disciples of Jesus when they faithfully proclaimed the word of God -the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today he asked the Lord further how to pray for such and he was given sterner words in Job 34:21-30, in particular, verses 21, 22, 26, and 30. The assurance is that God’s eyes is on the ways of man and He sees all his steps, and He takes corrective action. One verse stood out: Job 34:30

“that the hypocrite should not reign, lest the people be snarled.”

Therefore, the positive focus for watchman today continues to be on Jesus, the perfection in the love of God, our real life!

Colossians 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
⁸ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

Living the New Life

3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your^[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,^[c] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,^[d] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

 (Watchman’s study notes: Take note of all the ‘therefore’ , ‘since’, and ‘but now’. )