https://youtu.be/PykAzaJoB48
Matthew 6:25-34 (NET) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are?
27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!
30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won't he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?
31 So then, don't worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' (How do we avoid getting Covid?)
32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
In our studies we have seen that God's grace policy always focuses on rational doctrinal truth but religion always focuses on emotion and legalistic ritual. The reason for this is that rational truth is compatible with God the Holy Spirit and emotional ritual is compatible with the sin nature. Zech 4:6; John 4:22-24; Rom 10:2-3;
In the context of our national Thanksgiving holiday it is important for us to likewise be focused on rational truth rather than emotional ritual. This is because when we have the who, the when, the where, the why and the how established properly, the correct what will automatically follow.
Thanksgiving is a grace response that results from grace orientation and genuine humility that is established from the tranquility of soul that Jesus Christ supplies to those who are in union with Him. John 14:27; This copasetic tranquility is the capacity from grace orientation that is necessary to have an attitude of thanksgiving.
A passage that captures what it means to have the capacity that is necessary for the reality of thanksgiving in our thinking is Col 3:12-17; This passage shows that grace capacity is required for thanksgiving to be a reality in our thinking.
It is discussing the believer who has maximum Divine viewpoint from the perception and metabolization of the thinking of Jesus that is God's Word of truth. Without the predicates from God's Word that establish capacity for thanksgiving there is no reality of thanksgiving making thanksgiving superficial, emotional and ritualistic
Last time we developed an expanded translation of verse 12: "Dress yourselves therefore, as the elected ones of the God, separated ones (saints), having been loved with the result that you keep on being loved, I say, dress yourselves with affections of grace compassion that is capacity for love, a gracious disposition leading to generosity, a mental attitude of grace, humility and steadfastness."
Col 3:13; "bearing" is the principle, the present middle participle of "anachomai". means to bear with, to endure, to put up with, "Putting up with one another of the same kind."
One another of the same kind always refers to putting up with other believers. The present tense is an iterative present that describes events that reoccur at successive intervals. Under the grace concept of live and let live we have the opportunity to bear with obnoxious fellow believers.
"forgiving," the a present middle participle of charizomai. It means to give graciously without strings or to forgive it is an iterative present tense describing events that occur periodically.
Under grace, believers forgive on the basis of the fact that they understand that they are in a status of reaping what God sows. If you are reaping what God sows so God is the exclusive source of your blessing so forgiving others is easy, not hard.
The middle voice indicates that believers participate in the results of the action. That means you are reaping what God sows. The grace-oriented believer forgives on the basis of his status as the perpetual recipient of God's unfailing love and grace.
"one another" the Greek word "autou" does refers to any member of the human race.
"if" is the conjunction e)an plus the subjunctive mood that introduces a third class condition so it means "if", maybe yes, maybe no. "anyone." The indefinite pronoun keeps it impersonal so there is no subjectivity.
"has a complaint", present linear of the Greek word "momphe" that means quarrel with or complaint against anyone. "just as, the Lord forgave," aorist active indicative of the Greek "xarizoma" that means to graciously forgive unconditionally.
The aorist tense is a constantive aorist matching the iterative present so it means at any time this occurs. The active voice: you do the forgiving as a grace oriented believer. The indicative mood is the reality of forgiveness.
"you," is a pronoun that refers to all of us, the Lord forgave all of us and we should likewise forgive others "in the same way." Remember God's greatest power is forgiveness.
Verse 13 expanded translation: "Putting up with one another (believers), and graciously forgiving others (believers or unbelievers), if anyone has a complaint against anyone else: even as the Lord has graciously forgiven you, in this same way you should also (graciously forgive)."
Col 3:14; "And upon all these." The Greek word "epi" means something that is built upon or added on top of "All these" a reference to the doctrinal virtues that have already been built.
This verse is anticipating the addition of another virtue. "Upon all these" is where you are going to build it. It is built on the foundation that is made possible by the previous virtues.
"love" is the Greek word "agape" that is a mental attitude virtue love. It is complete freedom from mental attitude sins that enables toleration of others who would normally antagonize you.
God has designed a cement that holds all kinds of people together it is "agape," a mental attitude virtue love. The filling of the Spirit also produces agape but it is not stabilized and established in the believer's soul until the believer is thinking on the basis of Divine viewpoint from metabolized doctrine that is resident in the soul.
"that or which " is the relative pronoun "hos" that has as its antecedent, love; "is," is translated from the present active indicative of "eimi" referring to" that which keeps on being a reality."
"the bond," the Greek noun is "sundesmos," that refers to something that cements or links everything together, something which binds together.
There is something that holds us all together. It is not that we are members of the human race, or of a specific gender, race, or nationality, it is not the fact that we all have souls because what is in our soul is a source of conflict because of the influence of the old sin nature.
So Just what is it that pulls us all together? It is the function of the soul when the believer has constructed agape that is an impersonal virtue love that establishes a copasetic relaxed mental attitude in their thinking.
The Bible does not advocate a personality change in believers, but metabolized Bible Doctrine does change every believer's heart aka their thinking. The Bible Doctrine changes the believer's viewpoint and therefore their mental attitude.
"of maturity," the Greek word "teleiotes" that means maturity or finished or complete.
Verse 14 expanded translation: "And on these put on the mental attitude love that is the bond of maturity."
Col 3:15; "and the peace of Christ" The word "peace" is the Greek word "eirene" that refers to peace in the sense of blessing, harmony, welfare, security, prosperity and tranquility; this peace is "of the Christ." "tou Christou" Other passages tell us this is a supernatural tranquility because it is beyond what natural humans can understand.
"let preside" the present active imperative of "brabeuo" that means to be an umpire, to be an official. So the word means to umpire, to preside, to control, or to govern "in your hearts"; "en o kardia"; In your thinking.
"into which" is a prepositional phrase "eis" plus the accusative of "ho" "also you are called," the aorist passive indicative of "kaleo", you are kept alive on the earth in this physical life so that you can mature.
God calls you into maturity. This is an ingressive aorist tense, so it means to begin to call. It is also a gnomic aorist, so it is a call for every member of the human race.
God call every member of the human race with no exceptions. The passive voice: the believer receives the action of the verb, everyone receives the call from God. The indicative mood is the reality of being called.
"into one body," "en" plus "soma" referring to the body of Christ, the Church. "and become " is the present active imperative of "ginomai" that means to become something new. Something that you previously were not.
The present tense plus the imperative means "keep on becoming something you were not previously." The active voice: you as a believer produce the action of the verb.
The thing that you previously weren't is "thankful" the nominative masculine plural of "eucharistos". The word is in the plural so it means "keep on becoming thankful ones."
We see here that thanksgiving is related to capacity. Without capacity from grace and doctrinal orientation there is no ability to express thanksgiving. This passage is about being established in God's grace pipeline in order to establish the prosperity of soul that is required for there to be capacity in the soul to respond to God with thanksgiving.
Verse 15 expanded translation: "And the tranquility (blessing, prosperity) from the Christ be of cause to umpire your hearts, into which also you have been called into one body; and keep on becoming thankful ones."
Col 3:16; the word of the Christ "ho logos tou Christos" the doctrine from Christ." Literally, "And the doctrine from the source of Christ keeps on dwelling inside you (in your thinking)."
"Let dwell," the present active imperative of "enoikeo" that means to dwell inside, to inhabit, to reside, or to occupy.
"richly," the adverb" plousios" that means richly or abundantly prosperous. It means to be saturated with the word of Christ to the point of overflowing overcapacity.
"in all wisdom," sophia" that indicates doctrine that is available for application to circumstances..
"teaching," the present active participle of "didasko". Didasko is used to teach a group with authority. The present tense indicates continuous linear action.
"and admonishing," being personal in an impersonal way. The present active participle of a compound verb "noutheteo". That means to exhort or instruct with application because when believers start to learn they often have difficulty making application for themselves.
"one another" means "to self and others." This is the reflexive pronoun, "autou". The pastor has to learn it before he can communicate it, so this actually means teaching and application to self and others.<<<
"in psalms," a psalm involves musical accompaniment. The Psalms do not have to be sung, they are taught. Psalms refers to that part of scripture where application is made from principles of doctrine.
The psalms applied to David's experiences the doctrines that he had learned. Psalms do not infer music but hymns do. Hymns," an instrumental plural of "hymnos" are love songs directed toward God.
"and spiritual songs," there is no "and" in the original. It is "by means of spiritual praise, by means of pneumatikos," and there is no music in pneumatikos it means "spiritual things." It is a reference to doctrine in the soul.
Singing is legitimate but singing must have something in the soul corresponding to what is being sung. Therefore to fulfill this principle there must be doctrine in the soul that corresponds to what is being sung.
Singing relates what you have in your soul to worship and it illustrates the principle of you must relate what you learn to your life. Singing, therefore, becomes the illustration of what you should do with doctrine. Apply it. Singing is relating principles of doctrine in your soul to God.
"with grace" is "by means of grace," the preposition "en" plus "charis" In other words, the singing in the local assembly is accomplished by means of grace.
When worship involves singing it becomes ritual. Anything that a person performs that constitutes worship is definitely ritual and the singing part of worship is meaningless unless there is reality in the soul. Singing is the result of the Word of Christ richly indwelling the thinking.
There is a great deal of emphasis placed on singing in churches today. In fact, too often, the less people know of doctrine the more they want to sing. There is nothing wrong with singing and there is a true ritual in singing when it is a part of worship, but it must have corresponding bible doctrine in the soul.
Clarity in the matter is found in the phrase in the Psalms, the instrumental of "psalmos", that is a transliteration of the Hebrew into the Greek. A psalm is doctrine that was originally sung.
The point is that if you have doctrine in your soul and you sing about it a frame of reference is sets up where it's content is worship. A "hymn" is a song of praise to God.
Hymns are meaningful when there is grace capacity in the soul to sing them. There must be spiritual concepts, and "spiritual things" before singing can ever be worship. By means of "spiritual things" means there is doctrine in the soul. We can sing to God with grace capacity and thanksgiving to God in our thinking because we have maximum doctrine resident and circulating in our soul.
Verse 16 expanded translation: "And the doctrine from the Christ let it keep on dwelling inside in you abundantly to the point of wealth in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing self and others by musical accompaniment, by songs of praise, by means of spiritual things, by grace in your hearts keep singing to the Lord."
Col 3:17; And" is a continuative use of the conjunction kai, so we are moving on from singing as a part of worship right into the next concept that functions as a part of glorifying God.
"And all whatever things you might do in word or deed." it does not say whatever things you do, it says "if" you do them. It is a third class condition which means maybe you will and maybe you will not. It all depends on whether you have grace capacity or not.
"you do" is the present active subjunctive of "poieo." The static present tense indicates that when you reach grace capacity the production of the spiritual life is automatic. It isn't something you think about, it isn't something you have to work yourself up to do or be goaded into.
"if you do," and you automatically will if you have grace capacity and the opportunity presents itself. The present tense means this is the state that should exist. The active voice means that you will automatically produce.
Grace capacity makes a producer out of you without thinking about it, without anything being manipulated or forced into it.
The phrase "in word" has to do with the fact that most of our production is inside, "in doctrine," "en logos"". It doesn't mean talking to someone, it means in the sphere of doctrine so it is the function of doctrine in the soul. It is what you think.
The first principle we learn, then: If we are not motivated by doctrine our overt production in the Christian life is worthless in the absence of doctrine in the soul. No doctrine means no legitimate production before God.
"or deed," this is the overt function of the believer with grace capacity.
"all" Again we have the word "pas" that means all or everything.
"in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" references the basis of what we do.
"giving thanks" is a present active participle of "eucharisto", the strongest word for thanksgiving. It means thanksgiving that is based upon something rational. People are often thankful on an emotional basis.
There are two distinct types of thanksgiving that emanate from the soul of the individual. One is rational thanksgiving and the other is emotional thanksgiving.