2.) Colossians 1:1-5 - Christ: The Means of Our Obedience

While the Bible gives numerous MOTIVES to obedience, it only offers one MEANS. Biblical MOTIVES can NEVER produce obedience in and of themselves.
Colossians was written to confront false teachings concerning the MEANS by which we are able to obey/grow in obedience and become increasingly conformed to Christ’s likeness. Specifically, law cannot produce genuine obedience to God's commands. A sight of Christ as our beautiful savior through the lens of the Gospel is the only biblical MEANS to grow in obedience, and by this means we come alive to the various motivations found in the scriptures. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says that as we behold Christ we are transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to the next. In this study we will seek to understand HOW this works.