1. Reverent Obedience Building Character Colossian 3:16-17

2. Important Distinction Between the character of Christians and that of good, moral people of the world Christians are redeemed and are conforming themselves to the image of Christ (Acts 10:1-2, 22; 11:14) – God’s elect, Col 3:12 (1 Pet 2:9-10) – Obedience and Christ’s blood, 1 Pet 1:2 – Conformed to His image, Col 3:10 (Rom 8:29) 2

3. Incomplete Character Building character depends on our willingness to be shaped by the hand of God through faithfully obeying Him, Col 3:16-17 (Phil 2:12-13) Without reverent faith and submissive obedience to Christ’s authority, our character is built on a foundation of futility and failure, Matt 28:18; 7:24-27 3

4. Col 3:16 We must have a heart that desires to do God’s will, Mark 4:13-20 – Welcome it, hold it fast and bear fruit, 1 Ths 2:13 Those who are reverent before God put His word in their hearts in order to obey Him, Psa 37:30-31; 119:11, 73-80 4

5. Col 3:16 It reflects reverence for God, Jno 6:67-68 (Psa 119: 38) We will attain wisdom, Psa 119:96-100 We will teach and admonish one another – Singing with grace, Eph 5:19 – With God’s word, 1 Cor 14:26 5

6. Col 3:17 Insist on positive (revealed) authority, Mark 11:27-33 – Test everything by Scriptures, 1 Ths 5:21-22 – Some have said we “do many things without Bible authority” – They are misguided and wrong! 6

7. Col 3:17 Submit to Bible authority – “No pattern” view is growing – Commands, approved examples and necessary inferences are being rejected for how to establish and apply Bible authority “Nor does the NT ever tell us to follow some interpretive system of commands, examples and necessary inferences…lacking any Biblical support…” (Edward Fudge, Wineskins, Mar-June, 2010) 7

8. Col 3:17 Submit to Bible authority – NT “interpretive system”: Commands, Matt 28:20 Examples, Phil 4:9 Necessary inferences, Rom 1:20 (evidence forces only one correct conclusion) Biblical, Acts 15:7-21 Same pattern for all the churches, 1 Cor 7:17; 4:17 Hold fast pattern, 2 Tim 1:13 8

9. Col 3:17 Obey Christ from a heart of thankfulness – Not demanding a reward (earning) – Dutiful service to God, Luke 17:10 – Thankful obedience is a mark of mature character (mature faith), Phil 2:12-13 9

10. Isaiah 64:8 The character that God forms in us conforms to the image of Christ, Col 3:9-10 – Renewed in knowledge – Fashioned for lives of reverent obedience 10