Colossians 3:1-14 Life in Christ – Colossians series part 3
Life in Christ: The call and response of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (more Biblical concept in background info)
“Life in Christ” – our new spiritual life is IN Jesus, a close personal relationship, in alignment, in position
Objective: Let’s take a closer look at who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. We can all grow spiritually stronger by studying Paul’s letter to the Colossians, learning what it says about how we see Jesus and hearing what it says about how we should respond. We will discuss what it means to live “in Christ” by putting on that which is new.
Q + A: “Have you been surprised by anything in this letter so far?” “What have we already learned from this letter?”
Colossians 3:10 “New self” aka new spiritual life or salvation is a rich spiritual truth taught by Jesus and found in the Bible. When we become “born again”, as Jesus taught in John 3, we receive salvation and new spiritual life by faith in God’s gracious gift. We receive what has been accomplished and we live in response to this gift. It is “life in Christ”
· “saints in Christ at Colossae” – Colossians 1:2 “your faith in Christ Jesus” – Colossians 1:4 CSB
· “In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:14 CSB
· “mature in Christ, ” – Colossians 1:28 CSB
· “in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” – Colossians 2:3 CSB
· “the strength of your faith in Christ,” – Colossians 2:5 CSB
· “walk in him, being rooted and built up in him,” – Colossians 2:6-7 CSB
· “triumphed over them in him,” – Colossians 2:15 CSB
· “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ, in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.” – Colossians 3:3-4 CSB
· Scripture uses “in” to designate humans as those made “in” or “according to” God’s image, Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1, 9:6, James 3:9
· Newly created believers are those being renewed in knowledge “according to the image” Colossians 3:10
Life: “born again” – John 3:1-21 fresh start, transformative, new spiritual life in redemption, faith, repentance, and baptism as responses
In Christ: living moment by moment in close personal relationship with Jesus, in alignment, in a relational position/placement/posture, living based on the teaching of Jesus as foundational & directional,
I. Put on – Colossians 3:10-14
“you…have put on the new self.
We put on our new self with:
A. Image of God
B. Compassion
C. Kindness
D. Humility
E. Gentleness
F. Patience
G. Longsuffering
H. Forgiving
I. Love
II. Put off – Colossians 3:5, 8-9
Remember the Biblical concept of death includes separation.
We put off our old self with:
A. sexual immorality
B. impurity
C. lust
D. evil desire
E. greed
F. idolatry
G. anger
H. wrath
I. malice
J. slander
K. filthy language
What do we learn?
1. God gives us new spiritual life in Christ.
2. Jesus Christ is first, above all, our Savior King, the fullness and the image of God.
3. Jesus Christ has redeemed us, making us right with God, bringing us from spiritual darkness to the light of God’s Kingdom.
4. Jesus leads us in a spiritual journey with our local church family.
5. We are actively learning more about the truth of Jesus and rejecting deceptive narratives and their sources.
“Truth is about God’s good world, redeemed and remade in the Messiah, with behavior calibrated appropriately for God’s new world.” – N. T. Wright The Vision of Ephesians
What should we do?
1. Read Colossians chapters 3 and 4 this week.
2. Write down one thought we have learned.
3. Apply the truth to how we see Jesus and pray and how we see ourselves.
4. Learn the Colossians 3 ”put on and put off” proactive actions and reflexes.
5. By Wednesday, read Colossians 4 and memorize one phrase from it.
6. We are called to focus on Jesus and set our minds on God’s Kingdom.
7. We are actively learning more about the truth of Jesus and rejecting deceptive narratives and their sources.