Colossians 3:1-17
1.Consider your life now as compared to when you first trusted in Christ for salvation, then answer the following questions.
a. How do your attitudes and actions reveal the life of Christ is at work in you?
b.In what areas do you long to see maturity?
3:1-4: Heavenly thinking
2. What does Paul mean when he says believers have been “raised with Christ” (Col. 2:13, Rom. 6:8, Eph. 2:6)? By whose power are we to live the Christian life?
3. “Seek the things that are above.” The word set here means “seek.” As you look at your schedule, your checkbook, how you are using your gifts, your goals, etc., what do these things reflect about what you are seeking?
4. Believers are to set their minds on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. As you meditate on these words, use the following verses to list the benefits to believers because of Jesus’ position at God’s right hand.
Acts 2:23
Romans 8:34
Heb. 1:13
Heb. 2:14-15
b. How can you obey the command of verse 2?
5. Read verse 3. What does it mean to have your life hidden with Christ in God?
6. What is the future promise given in verse 4? How does this promise give you hope and motivation for godly living?
3:5-11: the old nature
7. What drastic action does Paul command believers to take against their earthly nature? How is this accomplished?
8. a. Into what categories would you place the sins listed in verses 5, 8, and 9?
b. Which of these sinful practices/attitudes do you especially struggle with? How can you put that area to death, as Paul commands? (See end of study for a definition of these words.)
9. How is our new self (new nature) renewed?
10. a. What words in verse 11 describe:
national distinctions:
religious distinctions:
cultural distinctions:
economic/social distinctions:
b. Which of these distinctions are you using to judge others (including yourself) within the body of Christ, and how do you need to change to see other believers through the eyes of Jesus?
3:12-17: The new nature
11. Do you ever feel stuck in your attitudes and thinking as you try to overcome sin and your old nature? How is “putting on” something new related to the act of first “putting off” the old?
12. Read verses 12-17. What phrases describe our motivation to put on the attributes of godly character? What in particular is motivating about each phrase?
13. Consider the list of godly attributes in verses 12-14. Which of these will you ask God to enable you to put on? (Be as specific as possible.) What kind of cooperation will He require from you for this to be possible? (Again, these words are defined at the end of this study.)
14. What are the characteristics of a person who is being renewed in the image of Christ? (15-17)
Conclusion
15. How will you apply the lessons from this passage (3:1-17) to grow in your walk with Christ?
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