This blog is the third in a four part series on the book of Colossians.
If Christ is over all, if we are complete in Him—free in Him—then how can we walk in Him? How can we live the way that we should? How can we attain holiness? Chapter 3 shows us that now that we are in Christ, all things are new and everything has changed.
In Christ we have a new focus (Colossians 3:1-4)
Once we trust the Lord and grasp the great truths that we have looked at so far, we will realise that everything is new. As believers we no longer have to live in sin and under the control of Satan, as it says here that we have been raised up. Whereas before, no matter what we did or what self helps we tried, there was no way that we could defeat sin—now sin can be conquered, not because we are better, but because we are ‘in Him.’ We can live lives that are pleasing to God, because we are in Him and we are being strengthened and directed by Him.
In Christ we have new battles (Col 3:5-11)
I don’t know if you can remember back to when you became a Christian. I’m not sure what you expected, but for some of you, you expected an easy life—a life with no problems or issues—but now you would have to say that there seems to be more issues and more problems! Obviously there are attacks of Satan, and trials that God allows into our lives to help us to grow, but there is also an ongoing battle in our lives. Paul faced this same struggle.
It’s the battle that goes on in our lives between our old nature and our new nature. How many times have you thought ‘I want to do this, but I should do that’? There is a battle going on. In this little section Paul highlights some of the areas that we really need to battle on.
In Christ we have new clothes (Colossians 3:12-16)
After pointing out a number of things that we have to put off, or put to death, Paul spends the next few verses talking about things that we should put on. He is creating the picture of taking off our old graveclothes as we have died to self, and putting on new clothes because we are alive in Christ. This would have been physically done in the early church baptisms where they would have come out of the water and took off their old everyday tattered garments and put on new fresh clothing.
In Christ we have a new authority (Colossians 3:17-4:1)
This new identity is centred around the word Christian. It’s actually only used 3 times in the entire New Testament. It was originally meant as a term of contempt, but it came to be seen as one of honour. To bear the name of someone was a great honour, and what could be greater than to bear the name of Christ? To be identified with Him. That’s why v17 is so important regarding the authority we are under. All we do or say or are is associated with the Lord Jesus Christ. The attitudes we have, the words we use, the people we spend our time with, what we do with our lives, the manner in which we do our work. Are your words, your commitment to work, your attitude—are they bringing glory to the name of Christ?
You and I are different, and our lives should reflect it. There should be things in our lives which we are battling to get rid of, others things which we should be striving to do, all the while trying to keep our eyes focused on Him. Are you? People often joke that we become like the people we spend time with or that we live with. Do you? Is your life so wrapped up in Christ that you are becoming more and more like Him?
