𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• What is something you did as a child that you would never do now?

• Look back at yourself ten years ago. Are you where you thought you would be back then?

• Recall a time when you had a debt canceled or a deadline moved. Share your story and how you felt.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘐𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟮

(Read also 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮.)

Paul wrote to the church at Colossae to address the false teachings they were hearing. He warned about being taken captive by human philosophy (Colossians 2:8), and also emphasized the deity of Jesus Christ, who, though man, was also fully God (Colossians 2:9). Because we are now in Christ, our nature has changed. Christ forgave our sin and canceled our debt (Colossians 2:14). Now, we can live to fullness with Him. Today, let’s talk about what happens when we receive Christ as Lord.

𝟭. 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳.

𝘐𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 . . . 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟭

In the Old Testament, circumcision, wherein a piece of flesh is cut off from the tip of the male organ, was done by God’s people as a sign of the covenant God had made with them. Paul likens this act to what happens to believers when they receive Christ as Lord. We undergo a circumcision made without hands—a spiritual one. When we receive Christ as Lord, He sets us apart from our old sinful nature so that we no longer have to be controlled by it. Like circumcision, baptism is an outward sign that we have been set apart for God as His people. What are some sinful practices or attitudes that God has changed in your life?

𝟮. 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱.

. . . 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟮

In Christian practice, baptism is the act of immersing someone briefly in water as an outward sign of the inward act of receiving Christ as Lord. Aside from circumcision, baptism is also likened to a burial, where our old sinful nature is considered dead and buried. We are now dead to sin or sin is dead to us in Christ. Just like we no longer communicate with people who have died, we are to no longer entertain our old sinful desires, since our old selves have already died with Christ. What does Romans 6:1–3 say about the implications of this truth?

𝟯. 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.

. . . 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭𝟮

Baptism is also a picture of union with Christ not only in His death and burial but also in His resurrection. Just as Christ died and was resurrected, our old self died when we received Christ and we are made spiritually alive and given a new life. Since all of our sins are forgiven and our record of debt is canceled, nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13–14), we can experience a victorious life in Christ because He has already triumphed (Colossians 2:15). We are set free from the stains of our past and are now free to live our lives with and for God. What are some positive changes in your life since you received Christ? What change did others notice in your life after you received Christ as Lord?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Have you received Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, would you like to receive Him today?

• Share to the group positive changes in your life since you received Christ? Are there areas in your life where you need to see Christ’s life in you more?

• Romans 6:11 does not say that we need to die to sin but rather that we should consider ourselves already dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. What are practical ways that you could consider this truth regularly?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His great love that made a way to cancel our debt and forgive our sins, bringing us near to Him.

• Thank Him that we are dead to sin and made alive in Christ because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection.

• Pray to hear God’s voice clearly as you walk through life, growing to be more and more like Christ, especially in times of temptation and hardship. Pray that you will always consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God so that you could continue to reflect the new life He has given you.