Tag Archives: 10/12/19 Bible Study

Daily Bible Study

December 10, 2019 Bible Study — A New Life In Christ Rather Than a List of “Do nots”

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Colossians 1-4

Depending on how we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians it can either be very confusing, or it can clarify his teachings regarding rules and freedom in Christ.  First, Paul tells them, and us, not to get caught up in certain rules about what to eat and what to do on certain days, nor to feel that we need to perform particular ceremonies.  He sums up the rules he tells us not to get caught up with as ones which tell us, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”  He tells us that we should not allow ourselves to be bound by restrictive rules.  There is no set of rules that you can follow which will make you right with God.

Then Paul writes that we should set our sights on heavenly things and put to death the sinful, earthly desires which we have.  He just told us that we are free in Christ.  Yet now he writes that we should avoid sexual immorality and evil desires.  I think we get an insight into Paul’s thinking by what he says about greed.  Greed is idolatry, the worship of material possessions and thus contrary to the Spirit of God.  So, if greed is worshiping material possessions, then the other sins Paul tells us to stay away from amount to worshiping ourselves.  Sexual immorality and other evil desires result from treating others as things to please ourselves.  There is a reason we refer to those we lust after as the “object of our desire”.   

Daily Bible Study

October 12, 2019 Bible Study — Not Even Noticing When We Help Others

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Matthew 25-26

Jesus’ last three parables, as recounted by Matthew, give lessons on facing God’s judgement.  The first parable tells us that we need to be prepared and that others cannot prepare for us.  The second parable tells us that being prepared involves making good use of the resources and opportunities which God has given us.  The third parable tells us what “making good use of” means.  The second parable scares me because I feel like I have failed to use the gifts and abilities which God has given me to anywhere near their full potential.  However, the third parable eases some of that fear because it tells us that those who have been doing God’s will don’t know what He is talking about.    When we see others in need and care for them, we are preparing ourselves to face judgement and we are investing God’s resources as He intended us to do.  Every time we pass up an opportunity to help someone in need, we are robbing from both ourselves and from God.  Those whom God rewards did not help others in order to receive a reward.  In fact, they were not even aware that they were doing anything special.  When we reach the point where we help those in need without noticing that we are doing anything noteworthy, we have gotten the point of these parables.