Post # 143 – Come Follow Me – Week # 40 -- Philippians; Colossians --“I Can Do All Things through Christ Which Strengtheneth Me”

Dear Family and Friends

I hope this post finds you all happy and healthy😊 also, I hope that each of you had the opportunity to watch or listen to General Conference this past weekend. I have to tell you, it was amazing!!! There were some wonderful and enlightening talks. I always feel as if the speakers are talking directly to me😊 Do any of you feel that way too?

As you know our instructor is always asking us to share what we have learned during the week as we have studied our assigned readings. I think this is a good way to refresh in our minds what we have studied. He asked us to summarize in one word or phrase what we learned from our readings in Philipians and Colossians this week and then to explain our choice using the scripture verses as part of our sharing.so what would you share with your family members and friends in one word or phrase that would summarize what you have learned in your study of these two books?

He then asked us about what is means to “put off the old man” and to “put on the new man?” He gave us a few minutes to review the books of Philipians and Colossians. He divided us into two groups. One group of us read Philippians 2:1-5, 14-18; 4:1-9; and the other group read Colossians 3:1-17.

Philippians 2:1–5, 14–18; 4:1–9; Colossians 3:1–17

Disciples of Jesus Christ become “new” as they live His gospel.

It might be good to help your family members and friends to visualize what it means to “put off the old man” and “put on the new man” through Jesus Christ as found in Colossians 3:9–10.

Colossians 3:9–10 New Testament

· 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

· 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

One way you could do this is to show them something old and something new. Something you have around the house will work – maybe old and new socks or even a banana one that is a bit green and another that is over ripened. Then you could have a discussion with your family members and friends about just how we become “new” through our faith in Jesus Christ and our willingness to live His gospel. As a part of our discussion in class, our instructor again divided us into two groups and one group was to study Philippians 2:1–5, 14–18; 4:1–9 and the other half to study Colossians 3:1–17, we were asked to be looking for the characteristics of the “old man” and the “new man.”

Philippians 2:1–5, 14–18 New Testament

· 1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

· 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

· 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

· 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

· 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

· 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

· 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

· 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

· 17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

· 18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Philippians 4:1–9 New Testament

· 1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

· 2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

· 3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

· 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

· 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

· 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

· 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

· 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

· 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Colossians 3:1–17 New Testament

· 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

· 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

· 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

· 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

· 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

· 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

· 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

· 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

· 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

· 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

· 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

· 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

· 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

· 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

· 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

· 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

· 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Our instructor asked a few class members to share how having faith in Jesus Christ and living His gospel have helped them become new people. He gave us some other scriptures for us to study, which included these: Romans 6:3–7; Mosiah 3:19; and Alma 5:14, 26.

Romans 6:3–7 New Testament

· 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

· 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

· 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

· 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

· 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

· Mosiah 3:19

· Book of Mormon

· 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Alma 5:14, 26 Book of Mormon

· 14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

· 26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

The following comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual for personal scripture study ideas:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Philippians 2:12–13

Do we “work out [our] own salvation”?

The phrase “work out your own salvation” is used by some people to support the idea that we are saved only by our own efforts. But that’s a limited view, just as it is limited to understand Paul’s teaching—“by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8)—to mean that no works are required for salvation. The scriptures, including the writings of Paul, clearly teach the need for both the grace of Jesus Christ and personal effort in order to receive salvation. As Nephi said, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). Even in our efforts to work out our salvation, “it is God which worketh in you” (Philippians 2:13; see also Philippians 1:6; Bible Dictionary, “Grace”).

Philippians 3:5–14

The gospel of Jesus Christ is worth every sacrifice.

Paul gave up much when he converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the influential place he held in Jewish society as a Pharisee. In Philippians 3:5–14, look for what Paul gained because he was willing to make sacrifices for the gospel. How did he feel about his sacrifices?

Then consider your own discipleship. What have you sacrificed for the gospel of Jesus Christ? What have you received? Are there any additional sacrifices you feel you need to make to become a more dedicated disciple of the Savior?

See also 3 Nephi 9:19–20; Doctrine and Covenants 58:2–5; Robert C. Gay, “What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 34–36.

Philippians 4:1–13

We can find joy in Christ, regardless of our circumstances.

You do understand that even though our particular circumstances are so different from Paul’s, each one of us can learn from his willingness to be content and to rejoice in all the circumstances of his life😊 It might be helpful for you to review with your family and friends some of the trials Paul experienced – an example is found in the following verses:

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 New Testament

· 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

· 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

· 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

· 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

· 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

· 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Then if we look in Philippians 4:1–13 we can find the counsel Paul gave that can help us to rejoice, even in times of our trial. The last verse in these is one of my favorites😊 this one reminds me that I will always have the strength that I need if I rely fully on the Lord😊 One talk that I remember well on this topic is by President Uchtdorf when he was the Second Counselor in the First Presidency the talk is called Grateful in Any Circumstance from the April 2014 General Conference. You can find it here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

Philippians 4:1–13 New Testament

· 1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

· 2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

· 3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

· 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

· 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

· 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

· 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

· 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

· 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

· 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

· 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

· 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

· 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

If you think it would be beneficial for your family members and friends to explore this topic further, you might want to share with your family and friends some inspiring accounts or statements from President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Joy and Spiritual Survival” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 81–84), or as a family group you could watch the video “Trial of Adversity” (LDS.org). How did the people in President Nelson’s talk or the woman in the video find joy, despite their difficult circumstances?

You can find the talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/joy-and-spiritual-survival?lang=eng

You can find the video here: https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=E210US662G0&p=trial+of+adversity+lds+video

We can each find some good counsel in Philippians 4 that can help each one of us when we experience trials. Which for some of us is on a daily basis☹ it might be helpful to give each family member and friend a note card so they can write down what counsel they find there. Then ask them to put it where they will see it often when they need it😊 most!

You do know that listening to a hymn can enhance our understanding of the scriptures. The example given for this lesson was that after reading Philippians 4:7, 13, you could sing together with your family members and friends “Where Can I Turn for Peace?” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/hymns/where-can-i-turn-for-peace?lang=eng or the first verse of “Lord, I Would Follow Thee” (Hymns, nos. 129, 220). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/hymns/lord-i-would-follow-thee?lang=eng

Philippians 4:7, 13 New Testament

· 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

· 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

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