HOLY LIVING!
Colossians 3 :1-2 NLT “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
Colossians 3:3 NLT “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Paul has already noted that believers “died to the basic principals of the world” (Colossians 2:20). Here, he repeats the same metaphor. Since believers have “died” to sin, in the sense of being “separated” from sin, the believer’s life is “hidden,” or “contained” within Christ.
Christ is described as the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. Christ died for us. When we put our trusting faith in Jesus, we die to sin (Romans 6:2) and are set free from its power (Romans 6:7).
Those who die—to the world and to sin—with Christ will also live with Christ for eternity (Romans 6:8).
Colossians 3:12 NLT “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
In both Colossians 3:5 and 3:8, Paul listed five ways of life Christians are to avoid. In this verse, he offers five ways of life Christians ought to follow. In addition, he is adressing the believers using three names.
1) First, You are “God’s chosen ones.” God selected or elected us to be part of His family.
2) Second, these believers are holy, which means “set apart.” This is due to Christ’s work in us, not of own good deeds.
3) Third, believers are “beloved” by God (John 3:16).
A) The first positive practice Paul gives is a COMPASSIONATE HEART . This is a response to God, and to others, which is filled with love and concern, rather than selfishness.
B) Second, Paul mentions KINDNESS . This Greek word is chrēstotēta, which can also be translated as “moral goodness or integrity.” The term refers to how a person treats others.
C) Third, believers are to live in HUMILITY , a trait valued by God throughout Scripture (James 4:6). The gospel requires people to admit they are sinners, in need of a Savior. As believers, we should recognize God’s supremacy in our lives and how limited we are in comparison.
Humility is also important so that we don’t act arrogantly or unfairly towards other people.
D) Fourth, Paul mentions MEEKNESS , from the Greek prautēta. This is not an attitude of fear, or the suggestion that Christians ought to be timid. Rather, it refers to gentleness, instead of a hard hearted response to others.
A “meek” person is one who controls their strength and power, rather than abusing it.
E) Fifth, Paul expects patience from believers. This and the other traits in this verse closely reflect the list describing the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23.
Colossians 3:13 NLT “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
In Colossians 3:9, Paul emphasized the importance of honesty among fellow believers. There, he advises believers not to lie to one another. In this verse, he suggests a positive trait believers ought to express toward each other: “BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER .” Believers are family and should treat one another with Kindness and Grace . This includes forgiveness, as well as tolerance. Instead of demanding perfection in others, we need to be willing to endure other believers’. And, when they fail, we need to be ready to forgive and help them heal.
Ps… For the saved believer, this should come naturally. Those who accept Christ for salvation have been forgiven of their sins; as a result, we ought to be inclined to forgive other people (see Matthew 6:14–15). Paul directly supports this command to forgive one another by appealing to this forgiveness from God.
How did the Lord forgive them? He FORGAVE them of ALL SINS , with no room for wrath or vengeance.
Believers are to likewise forgive one another without holding a grudge or bringing the matter up again in order to hurt the other person.
Colossians 3:14 NLT” Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”
In 1 Corinthians, Paul called love the “more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Here, he writes in this verse, stating that love is the most important positive attribute to display. For Paul, love is the supreme attribute. Love supersedes all other attitudes. Paul has already mentioned love on three earlier occasions in this letter (Colossians 1:4, 8; 2:2) and he will mention it again in Colossians 3:19.
From Paul’s perspective, love brings people together and makes their differences compatible…. This is what “harmony” means: the positive combination of things which are not exactly the same. This does not mean believers are perfect or do not make mistakes. Instead, just as a band must play together to make a pleasant sound, love is the song that believers must all play in order to work together in harmony.
We are given many spiritual gifts when we accept Christ as our Savior. According to Scripture, “the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
First Peter 4:8 adds, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
Colossians 3:15 NLT “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
In verses 12 through 14, Paul has given eight positive traits which Christians are to emulate. Here, he adds another two for believers to pursue.
First, he calls believers to live in peace. Peace, part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
We receive peace with God through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20). It is to “rule” in our hearts, meaning it should be in charge of how we live. Believers are not called to live in violence among each other, but in peace.
It’s important to remember the context of this statement. Paul is not referring to peace in the sense of “happy feelings.” In prior verses, he was discussing the need for Christians to tolerate, love, and support each other.
In this verse, after mentioning peace, Paul again speaks of the unity Christians have. With Christ as the head, we are all part of a spiritual “body,” which is the church.
Peace within the body requires peace between every part. Every group of believers will experience internal conflict at times, but seeking peace will help us resolve issues in the context of Christian love.
The second trait Paul mentions in this verse is simple: an attitude of thanksgiving. Paul mentions thanks multiple times in this letter, showing the importance of gratitude in the Christian life.
Colossians 3:16 NLT “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.”
In verses 12 through 15, Paul describes ten positive behaviors which Christians are supposed to practice. This important verse offers an eleventh trait: letting the “word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The “word of Christ” refers to Christ’s teachings, both directly as found in the Gospels as well as those explained by the apostles. According to Paul, the teachings of Jesus “live” within believers in a powerful way.
This verse lists three specific applications of Christ’s word dwelling in the life of a believer.
The first two aspects are noted together: teaching and admonition. Christ’s word can instruct us, which is “teaching.” At the same time, Christ’s word can also show us where we are wrong. The word of Christ gives us guidance in how to correct mistakes in what we believe and what we do.
Third, Paul encourages the singing of various types of spiritual songs. This singing was to be done with an attitude of thanksgiving. Singing praise to God is largely associated with showing our gratitude to Him, rather than focusing on ourselves or our own desires.
Colossians 3:17 NLT “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Over these recent verses, Paul has listed 11 negative traits to avoid, and 11 positive traits for believers to mimic. In this verse, he summarizes his teaching with the all-encompassing phrase “whatever you do.”
Anything unmentioned in his list is to be understood from his words in this verse. This includes what we say and how we act. Our relationship with Christ is not about a set of rules—human minds could never make enough individual rules to cover every possible situation. Instead, we are to submit everything, and every moment to Christ. Instead of living by a checklist, we are to submit to Him in “whatever” we think or do.We are to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The final phrase “giving thanks to God the Father through him” We thank God the Father, in the name of Jesus. It is through Jesus we are saved and have a new life!
Communion:
As we partake each of the elements of Holy communion, I was reminded of this passage found in :
Matthew 26:39 NLT “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”
This is the confidence we have that Jesus is such a perfect example of HOLY LIVING!.
IN THE MOMENT WHERE He was at His most vulnerable, asking his Father…. If there might be any other way…. And in the same moment to realized that no matter what you are facing…. God’s will is still better than yours. There will be a great outcome… For generations and ever after.
